Jered Sobel, president of Sobel University, presented a one-hour seminar during the RVDA Convention/Expo at Paris Las Vegas.
The session included sports analogies as Sobel explored parallels between successful athletes and RV dealers and salesmen.
He kicked off the session by encouraging dealers to use a simplified “playbook” to unlock salespeoples’ full potential.
Sobel said, “Employees must understand their roles on the team.”
In addition, he said, timely execution is key. No matter how hard somebody works or prepares, execution is paramount.
He said the primary difference between an elite NFL quarterback such as Tom Brady—who earned seven Super Bowl rings—and a good QB with only one championship is that Brady consistently executed “when it mattered most.”
The best way for RV salespeople to execute, Sobel said, is to practice every day—for hours, if necessary. He referred to former NFL star running back Curt Warner, who repeatedly performed the same drills daily.
Sobel also cited ex-NFL punter Sam Paulescu, who retired from football after four years and became an RV industry salesman. Paulescu said he succeeded in sales because he “worked hard and did the right thing.”
Sobel emphasized sports’ “Next man up” mindset, whenever a teammate is injured or is no longer with the organization.
He said, “People come and go” throughout the industry. Sobel said dealers incorporating training programs for new hires and longtime workers are imperative to attain the highest level. The “Next man up” mentality should become a habit on day one to establish expectations.
In addition, he said employers should hire not based only on applicants’ skills or experience, but with company culture in mind.
He also discussed whether a company’s best employees can be unmanageable because of their “hot shot” attitudes. Sobel said the upsides of such workers are they have “good” egos and tend to be creative.
Because many consumers are knowledgeable about RVs, he said they want and expect dealers to have at least one staff industry expert. According to Sobel, most consumers have thought about buying an RV for two to five years before a purchase.
“Buyers have internet knowledge,” Sobel said. “They have learned.”
