“Begin with the end in mind?” So let’s start with a few very important questions.

1. How much profit will you make in 2016?
2. How many new units will you sell in 2016?
3. Per month?
4. By model?
5. Ave. G.P. per model?
6. How many used units will you sell in 2016?
7. Per month?
8. Ave. G. P.?
9. F. & I. per new per used?
10. How much service business / G. P. / Effective labor rate???
11. Per month
12. How much parts business / G. P. / all profit areas???
13. What expenses items do you need to watch in 2016?
14. By month / by department?
15. Are you going to include department managers in watching those expenses? If so, HOW?

You may have noticed I didn’t ask: “How much profit do you WANT to make in 2016. The reason is it’s about planning, preparation, accountability, ownership.

About 2 months ago I started sharing with my clients one of the “keys” I feel that will need to be improved in 2016 is Leadership and coaching skills. For many of my clients I provided video sessions from some of the BEST Leadership trainers available today.

About a month ago I asked many of my clients to start creating a: “Game Plan for 2016”. I helped them layout month-by-month sales for 2015 and then asked them to project 2016 again month-by-month.

I asked them to begin improved manager meetings to include managers in these GOALS, to include them in identifying expense items that needed addressing in order to hit the profit objective. We designed sheets for the individual managers to use so we could create TEAMWORK to attain these GOALS. The design of the sheets was also to improve “peer pressure”, (team communications) similar to not wanting to be at the bottom when you attend a 20-Group meeting.
2015 is ending up top be a very good year for most dealers. The projections are for 2016 and maybe 2017 to be even better. But my question is: “Are you going to be as good as the rest? Better than the rest? Not quit as good as the rest?” Why not be the BEST you can be.

Design 2016. I am attaching the forecasting sheets we used to help forecast month-by-month sales for 2016. GM has new SFE/EBE monies and if you hit them every month it will have a tremendous impact on your new profit. Will you be forecasting those numbers? Will you be watching them everyday? Will you be discussing them regularly with your management team? You can design your profit for 2016 step by step.

Also available for you is a monthly outline for your managers meeting. What to focus on each week – How to get them to OWN there objectives and expense items.

Also available for you are the action sheets we have designed that require managers to identify 1-2-3 items each month that they can improve and 1-2-3 items each month they need to be more efficient in. (nice way of saying expense control). This is where the “peer” pressure comes in because they are identifying these items in front of all of the other managers and during the month and at the end of the month no one wants to be LAST. Maybe you should have a MONKEY like many 20 Groups give the bottom person.

You can design your profit for 2016 step by step. The industry projections are it is going to be a very good year, are you designing yours – letting it fall into place – letting the manufacturer be the influencer? Take the time to decide today what your profit is going to be and then put together a step-by-step plan to attain that amount.

My goals are to make the Internet Departments I work with the most efficient they can be. Here are some of the items I will be working on and with in 2016 to create our Digital Game Plans.

➢ Best 3rd part ROI’s
➢ Data Mining – service and sales
➢ Video Game Plan – video viewership is up 74% over last year. You Tube website is second only to Google – it is more viewed than any other website in the world. Perfect our You Tube Channels
➢ Create Vehicle Review videos * Create Feature videos * Create “How To” videos Operate accessories, specific options (GPS – MP3/I-phone operations/etc.)
➢ Create FAQ pages to include What the question is – answer – Next Step
➢ GEO fencing – if you don’t know what it is learn quickly, before your competition
➢ Constant phone training – in and out bound calls

Those are just a few of the items I plan on working on with my clients this year in order to “e the Best we can be”. You can design your profit for 2016 step by step.

My hopes are this may spark a “light” within you to do the things “only you can do” but they require a time commitment from you. 2015 has been a very good year. 2016 is again going to be a very good year. We have no guarantee how many more good ones we have before the cycle turns downward. Don’t make this a good year – make it a Super Great year.

Plan your future step my step. If I can be of help – the nest step would be to pick up the phone and call: 815-978-5038. That’s my cell – I will answer and we can decide if I can help you attain YOUR goals.

Scott Hembrough