Dealers Cite Challenges in Changing and Maintaining Culture

Corporate culture is not something that’s written in chalk on a blackboard; it cannot be easily erased. It’s more or less etched in stone, requiring a considerable effort to adjust. Time-tested processes get their name because something worked in 1981 and again in 1991 and 2001. Well, not really…it just became such a vital part of muscle memory that it felt like the right thing to do.

But as the decades roll past, we find that not every element of the traditional corporate culture has aged well, and we find that processes must endure a bit of a makeover. The end-game hasn’t changed; it’s still about delivering quality products and services while keeping clients, employees and partners satisfied and engaged. But like a home with wood-grain paneling and popcorn ceilings, processes are sometimes in need of a renovation.

Take Altek Business Systems of Telford, Pennsylvania. Founded by Ray Derstine in 1991, Altek underwent some significant changes to its culture, particularly on the sales side, and embarked on a youth movement and a unique way of doing business.

Scott Flaherty, Altek Business Systems

Scott Flaherty, director of operations, notes the Altek salesperson of 2021 bears little resemblance to those from even five years prior, in both appearance and approach. Gone are the days of blue or gray suits with white or blue shirts, long a staple for Altek rep attire. They now wear Altek-branded golf polos from Bad Birdie (itself a Shark Tank success story, backed by Robert Herjavec) and used a platform called Sales Rebellion to craft an unorthodox approach to selling. Some Altek reps have devised unique personas, from the Office Linebacker to the IT Wizard, and have created videos and outreach tools that Derstine never could’ve imagined embracing 10 years ago.

Out of Ordinary

“We send crumpled and coffee-stained letters to prospects, and our reps have developed crazy characters,” Flaherty noted. “We let them have fun with their prospecting, and the numbers just took off. They’re sending out more letters and emails, and making more phone calls than ever before, and it’s led to more appointments and more proposals.

Altek’s IT Wizard, Neil Slocum

“We found that people were talking to us because of our characters,” he added. “But our reps are very professional and they know their products because we invested a lot of time in training. Our reps have made a lot of fans among clients, and I don’t think many dealers can say that.”

While Derstine was fairly hesitant at the onset, the move has paid dividends. “The question is, how far do you let them go and how much rope do you give them?” Flaherty said of the reps. “We went from suits and ties to robes and wigs.”

James Loffler, Loffler Companies

Once a culture has been established, the challenge then becomes how does a dealer maintain a tone throughout the organization, particularly with larger operations? James Loffler, president of Loffler Companies of Bloomington, Minnesota, believes that hiring the right people at all levels of an organization, from the top down, can mitigate many challenges.

“What can be a challenge to maintaining our culture can happen through conscious or unconscious acts by those in leadership, or employees that may not follow our Core Values,” he said. “When that happens, we try to be prompt in working with the person to address the acts or issues, and implementing corrective actions, if necessary, to get them back in alignment with our values.”

Alyssa Hirsh, XMC

Alyssa Hirsh, director of culture and HR for XMC of Bartlett, Tennessee, believes the biggest challenge in setting corporate culture is that it cannot be forced. She feels it requires a vocal group of people who are willing to be honest and vulnerable in order to truly reflect and evaluate the company’s true culture.

“The challenge to maintain would be that it cannot fall to one person or even a small committee,” Hirsh added. “It must be believed by all to be successful.”

Authentic Self

The act of being authentic is not a challenge, notes John Lowery, president and CEO of Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Applied Imaging, but rather a choice. And for those individuals who cannot live out the values espoused by the dealer, it is essentially impossible to flip a switch. Thus, when the dealer eyes potential acquisition opportunities, the cultural aspect prompts a deliberate approach to ensure the passion for culture is not diluted.

John Lowery, Applied Imaging

“The storytelling is the greatest challenge when you think about perpetuating who we are or taking it from one generation to the next,” Lowery said. “That was the thing I was most worried about going forward. We do a good job of teaching people to story-tell and embrace it.”

As companies grow, more variables are created, which calls upon dealers to set up process controls in order to be more successful, notes Robert Woodhull, marketing manager for Woodhull LLC of Springboro, Ohio. “If you do those slowly, where you’re constantly in a state of change and progress, then it’s embedded in the culture to be able to adapt,” he said. “But when you have longstanding management teams and you’re constantly pushing the envelope on progress, then change becomes a lot more disruptive.

Robert Woodhull, Woodhull LLC

“There are things that you have to do as you become a larger-size dealership to protect yourself and maintain the quality that your customers are accustomed to. And sometimes that comes with limiting freedoms that people had previously.”

Everyone Counts

When a dealership has multiple locations that vary in size, the smaller and sometimes more remote locations may sometimes view themselves as secondary in importance to the headquarters and larger satellites. Barry Simon, president of Little Rock, Arkansas-based Datamax, sought to curb any such possibilities during the pandemic by recording a weekly video that shared news and updates of what was going on throughout all the company’s branches.

Barry Simon, Datamax

By taking an all-inclusive approach to discussing company business—he even provided a segment about the dealer’s team of drivers, which included pictures—it underscored the importance of every role within the organization. The Rave Review monthly publication also helps reinforce the team and community concept.

“It’s hard, because obviously, I can’t be everywhere,” Simon remarked. “We want all of our people to feel they’re a part of the organization.”

Erik Cagle
About the Author
Erik Cagle is the editorial director of ENX Magazine. He is an author, writer and editor who spent 18 years covering the commercial printing industry.