Fix the process, not just the numbers: Jen Suzuki's three-step strategy (2025)

Oftentimes, leaders get so caught up in what’s happening in the day-to-day that they neglect investing the time necessary to develop their teams. In today’s episode of Loyalty-Based Sales Strategies, host Jen Suzuki, president of eDealer Solutions, outlines her three-part strategy to help leaders become more effective teachers to push their team’s performance to the next level.

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A dealership’s team is the front line, representing multi-million dollar brands, the dealership, and the overall team. To create high-performers, leaders must curate a culture in their dealership that encourages continuous learning, where learning is a top priority.

Suzuki’s straightforward, three-part strategy will help leaders strengthen their team’s skills to elevate their performance and become a high-performing team.

Teach the lesson

After identifying an area of opportunity, the first question to ask is: “What am I going to teach my team?”

Defining a clear goal is critical, but it shouldn’t stop at metrics. The goal must also include how the team will reach it.

Instead of saying, “Let’s reduce service denials by 15%,” Suzuki recommends framing the goal like this: “We will reduce service denials by ensuring that every customer understands what they’re paying for, the risk of denying service, and the value of completing it.”

Identify one to three specific actions that support the objective. For example, during the Multi-Point Inspection (MPI) phase, where most approvals tend to happen, coaches should guide advisors to:

• Emphasize the quality of the technician
• Clearly explain the issue with the vehicle
• Highlight the risk of declining repair
• Highlight the reward for completing it
• Only then deliver the price.

Ensure every team member is aligned on the objective and the steps to take to achieve it.

Demonstrate the lesson

Once the team understands the process, it’s time to demonstrate the lesson and model the expected behavior. This step is critical because it reveals in real time what the conversations should sound like with customers.

Suzuki models an effective conversation with a customer:

“Hello, I wanted to go over your vehicle. Our certified technician completed the inspection, and I wanted to give you an update on the health of your vehicle. You’ve got a dirty cabin and engine air filter. What this means is poor air quality for you and your passengers, reduced engine performance, and lower fuel efficiency. When you replace the filter, you’ll notice improved performance, better-quality air, and better fuel efficiency.”

The price should be delivered only after showcasing the risks and rewards to the customer. Now, the conversation has successfully been focused on quality, not just price.

Apply the lesson

The final step is execution. After the lesson has been taught and demonstrated, it’s time to apply it in a real scenario.

Leaders should pick up the phone and make a real customer call in front of the team. Then, have each advisor take a turn. Give them different scenarios and challenge them to walk through the full process.

When everyone on the team can explain the issue, highlight the risk, and present the reward before quoting the price, service approvals will increase, and loyalty will follow.

“We want top performers, so we always want to be pushing out quality. Well, how do we get there? We’ve got to be continuously learning.” – Jen Suzuki