DSP offers behavioral workshop

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (Nov. 26, 2015) — Dealer Strategic Planning Group Inc. (DSP) recently completed its first behavioral workshop for its 20 Group members.

The three-day program, held in Chicago, was coached by Dennis McCarron, DSP facilitator and a certified instructor for dimensional selling and dimensional coaching.

Members also participated in an exclusive workshop offered by DSP founder and owner Norm Gaither. DSP said that “after hearing many discussions at 20 Group meetings about dealing with employees,” Mr. Gaither “recognized the need for guidance and training for store owners to help them in having those difficult conversations.

“Fortunately, the solution was in-house with DSP's McCarron, who is one of six certified instructors in the U.S. for psychological associates in this program.”

The workshop included a segment on the “psychology of a sale,” in which participants learned the tools to teach “technique” instead of trying to force their own “style” of selling to employees, DSP said. Examples included what the firm called a “simple yet powerful tool to help overcome customer objections,” while the second segment “focused on coaching conversations with employees.” Using role playing and case studies, DSP members learned “how to ask a top performer to do more or how to turn around a poorly performing employee.”

DSP said in a press release that reactions from workshop participants was “overwhelmingly positive.”

Jeff Tucker, co-owner of Triple T Tire Pros in Dyersburg, Ky., told DSP, "The Dimensional Workshop was engaging. It has an amazing structured approach to overcoming objections.”

Claudine Manetas, a co-owner of Anita Discount Tire & Auto in Rivervale, N.J., said the workshop was “off the charts,” according to DSP, noting the tool for managing objections is “so powerful for helping me really get down to the issues. I can honestly say all aspects of the workshop were valuable.”

Jeff Webster, owner of Take Ten Tire & Lube, Ponca City, Okla., told DSP that the 20 Group workshop changed his approach “to every single conversation I will have in the future,” and provided a plan and creates so much more value and tools that will be used daily.

Russell Miller, owner of Wayne's Tire & Auto Repair in Santa Maria, Calif., said he “discovered things about myself I didn't know,” and noted the workshop put “structure (in place) that can be duplicated to other (employees).”

Mr. Gaither said DSP anticipates holding the behavioral workshop at least once a year for new members and “those who realize they need the benefit of professional guidance in how to get the best from their teams.”

The firm plans to offer the next workshop in April 2015 — exclusively for 20 Group members — with class size limited to 24 participants.

Mr. McCarron's experience includes eight years managing retail stores for Bridgestone Americas and 10 years as a national management instructor for the tire maker's retail operations. According to DSP, he helped create and implement ongoing developmental training of 2,200 store managers.

DSP was formed in 2007. More information about the firm is available on its website.