There is a lot of talk in our industry about being different; however, with 20 groups, consultants, trainers and attrition, we all seem to drown in the sea of sameness. What does it mean to be truly different? We try with uniforms, coffee bars or cafés. We are all striving to have something special to differentiate us from our competition.

When we really stop and think about it, our point of separation comes within three areas: our people, our products and our processes. If we break each of these areas down, it is interesting concerning the original question — what is your point of separation?

When it comes to people, we seem to have a problem in this business. The average attrition rate for salespeople is still around 90 days. The reasons for this may be management, culture or other salespeople. We cannot grow our business with a revolving door of new employees. We know customers buy from people they know and trust. Training a new group of employees every 90 days seems to be an exercise in futility.

The first way to eliminate turnover is to look for specific personality traits in our people. After analyzing the most successful salespeople in our client base, four behavioral attributes stood out: proactivity, tenacity with knowledge, game-planning and a positive attitude.

Proactivity: Proactivity is the catalyst for successful accomplishments. In athletics, our home life or business, whatever the endeavor, proactivity determines the outcome. The opposite behavior is reactivity, which is totally dependent on another stimulus.

We found that successful salespeople are proactive in three areas: as an employee, a salesperson and within their personal life. Proactive employees rarely need to be managed. They consistently do things before being told to do them. Personal initiative takes over everyday actions. Proactive salespeople are always in control of their time with the customer. From asking questions to solving problems, they initiate the process. In our experience, the best salespeople are proactively in charge of their personal life as well, including fitness, healthy eating and personal growth.

Tenacity with Knowledge: Tenacity with knowledge is an interesting and important attribute. The art of selling is the ability to develop trust with the potential customer, to analyze their needs, to solve their problem and to help them work through their decision. For a salesperson to consistently perform this task appropriately, they must be tenacious with personality, product and process knowledge.

We often focus only on the selling process and expect our people to be bullet-proof within the steps to the sale (as if the steps alone sell the car). However, without understanding the four main personality traits of driver personality, analytic personality, amiable personality and expressive personality, and without a thorough product knowledge, how can we effectively communicate with our potential customers in a personal and unique way? The best salespeople also know the six areas of concern when it comes to value: safety, performance, appearance, comfort, economics and dependability. Learning their product knowledge within these six areas allows for a more personal presentation of their product to the potential customer.

Game-Planning: The idea that one can work toward and accomplish a goal without a game plan is a futile thought. There are so many distractions in a dealership on a daily basis. From personality differences and financial stress to the number of customers coming in at once, there is always something getting in the way of success. Without a plan of attack, we can be pulled in many directions. The best players stick to their well-thought-out game plan. They are constantly looking at their progress — opportunities to do business, presentations, demos, follow-up calls and outside appointments. All these areas must work synergistically to accomplish the end goal. Vincent Van Gogh once said, “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” This is the definition of game-planning.

Positive Attitude: Negativity is prevalent in every business; however, it seems to stand out in the automotive retail environment. A positive attitude is so important because it affects the element of trust with the potential customer — what they see, sense and feel. It’s contagious, and it is based on two simple principles: appreciation for what you have and expectation of something better happening with hard work. A positive attitude is a choice, and it is contagious. That’s why the leadership within the organization should ask themselves, “What do my people see, sense and feel from me today?”

Creating a point of separation in this current market climate is imperative to long-term success. Focusing on hiring the right personnel and developing them should be the cornerstone of your business. Selecting employees with these four attributes will enable you to build a foundation that can weather any economic environment and result in long-term growth.