{"id":46256,"date":"2021-08-19T10:40:12","date_gmt":"2021-08-19T17:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=46256"},"modified":"2021-08-19T10:40:14","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T17:40:14","slug":"dealers-cite-challenges-in-changing-and-maintaining-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2021\/08\/dealers-cite-challenges-in-changing-and-maintaining-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Dealers Cite Challenges in Changing and Maintaining Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Corporate culture is not something that\u2019s written in chalk on a blackboard; it cannot be easily erased. It\u2019s 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\u2026it just became such a vital part of muscle memory that it felt like the right thing to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019t changed; it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Scott Flaherty, Altek Business Systems<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019ve imagined embracing 10 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Out of Ordinary<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe send crumpled and coffee-stained letters to prospects, and our reps have developed crazy characters,\u201d Flaherty noted. \u201cWe let them have fun with their prospecting, and the numbers just took off. They\u2019re sending out more letters and emails, and making more phone calls than ever before, and it\u2019s led to more appointments and more proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Altek’s IT Wizard, Neil Slocum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe found that people were talking to us because of our characters,\u201d he added. \u201cBut 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\u2019t think many dealers can say that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While Derstine was fairly hesitant at the onset, the move has paid dividends. \u201cThe question is, how far do you let them go and how much rope do you give them?\u201d Flaherty said of the reps. \u201cWe went from suits and ties to robes and wigs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
James Loffler, Loffler Companies<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat 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,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Alyssa Hirsh, XMC<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s true culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe challenge to maintain would be that it cannot fall to one person or even a small committee,\u201d Hirsh added. \u201cIt must be believed by all to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authentic Self<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
John Lowery, Applied Imaging<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe storytelling is the greatest challenge when you think about perpetuating who we are or taking it from one generation to the next,\u201d Lowery said. \u201cThat was the thing I was most worried about going forward. We do a good job of teaching people to story-tell and embrace it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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. \u201cIf you do those slowly, where you\u2019re constantly in a state of change and progress, then it\u2019s embedded in the culture to be able to adapt,\u201d he said. \u201cBut when you have longstanding management teams and you\u2019re constantly pushing the envelope on progress, then change becomes a lot more disruptive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Robert Woodhull, Woodhull LLC<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere 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.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone Counts<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s branches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Barry Simon, Datamax<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

By taking an all-inclusive approach to discussing company business\u2014he even provided a segment about the dealer\u2019s team of drivers, which included pictures\u2014it underscored the importance of every role within the organization. The Rave Review monthly publication also helps reinforce the team and community concept.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s hard, because obviously, I can\u2019t be everywhere,\u201d Simon remarked. \u201cWe want all of our people to feel they\u2019re a part of the organization.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Corporate culture is not something that\u2019s written in chalk on a blackboard; it cannot be easily erased. It\u2019s 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\u2026it 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\u2019t changed; it\u2019s 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, 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\u2019ve imagined embracing 10 years ago. Out of Ordinary \u201cWe send crumpled and coffee-stained letters to prospects, and our reps have developed crazy characters,\u201d Flaherty noted. \u201cWe let them have fun with their prospecting, and the numbers just took off. They\u2019re sending out more letters and emails, and making more phone calls than ever before, and it\u2019s led to more appointments and more proposals. \u201cWe found that people were talking to us because of our characters,\u201d he added. \u201cBut 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\u2019t think many dealers can say that.\u201d While Derstine was fairly hesitant at the onset, the move has paid dividends. \u201cThe question is, how far do you let them go and how much rope do you give them?\u201d Flaherty said of the reps. \u201cWe went from suits and ties to robes and wigs.\u201d 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. \u201cWhat 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,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen 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.\u201d 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\u2019s true culture. \u201cThe challenge to maintain would be that it cannot fall to one person or even a small committee,\u201d Hirsh added. \u201cIt must be believed by all to be successful.\u201d 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. \u201cThe storytelling is the greatest challenge when you think about perpetuating who we are or taking it from one generation to the next,\u201d Lowery said. \u201cThat was the thing I was most worried about going forward. We do a good job of teaching people to story-tell and embrace it.\u201d 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. \u201cIf you do those slowly, where you\u2019re constantly in a state of change and progress, then it\u2019s embedded in the culture to be able to adapt,\u201d he said. \u201cBut when you have longstanding management teams and you\u2019re constantly pushing the envelope on progress, then change becomes a lot more disruptive. \u201cThere 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.\u201d 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\u2019s branches. By taking an all-inclusive approach to discussing company business\u2014he even provided a segment about the dealer\u2019s team of drivers, which included pictures\u2014it underscored the importance of every role within the organization. The Rave Review monthly publication also helps reinforce the team […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":46257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[80,1650,82,1638],"tags":[3922,368,2170,560,359],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46256"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46256"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46259,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46256\/revisions\/46259"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}