![]() The result was a statement anchored by the DSU “Five Principle of Awesomeness”:ġ. For Walla Walla Honda, the owners turned to DrivingSales University to help them identify and create a mission statement that reflected their desire to create a transparent, friendly and community-oriented mandate. The first step to resuscitating a failed business is to carefully construct a meaningful mission statement that drives all aspects of dealership operations, from sales to service, accounting and beyond. Reversing the previous owner’s hard sell tactics and lack of transparency takes time, but with each car sold and serviced, the team at Walla Walla Honda is rewriting the dealership’s reputation. Today, Walla Walla is a solid example of best practices in developing a transparent and lasting approach to dealership operations. It really helped us develop our brand identity from the start.” And when we came in, we started from scratch with a clear understanding of why we’re in business, and in the community. “I’m not totally sure how they did business, but I know it wasn’t good. “The previous owner had a sales approach that would start at retail – and then go into hard negotiations with every customer,” said Blake Underriner, the store’s current GM. The dealership was known as a haven for hard-sell tactics, broken promises and disreputable customer service if there was a reputation among car buyers in the area, it was worse than bad – it was busted down and was driven to bankruptcy. It used to be that a customer would walk into Walla Walla Valley Honda store, and, more often than not, walk back out – never to return. Thanks to the practices being developed at Walla Walla Valley Honda, people may soon welcome the idea of going to the dealership and talking to a friend about their experience. Indeed, nestled up against those Blue Mountains is an experiment taking place that will evolve the business and change the way people buy their cars and how they view dealerships. ![]() ![]() But help is coming to the automotive retail business The future shows a different approach to car sales that reprioritizes the experience toward customer satisfaction and long-term viability. The battle over control, the waiting, the negotiating it has historically been an ugly, hard-scrabble process that turns off customers, hurts dealerships over the long term, and ruins relationships. It’s a negative stereotype based on the past reality of the car buying process. Salespeople aren’t generally thought of as people who are looking out for you. Like everywhere else, the idea of going to a dealership and buying a car is not viewed as great way to spend a Saturday. That goes for businesses as well except for car dealerships. Things change slowly here, and people count on one another to help create a diverse and welcoming way of life. It’s a friendly place, and one of the oldest communities in Washington state. Situated in the shadows of the Blue Mountains, Walla Walla Valley Honda has a seasonal, small town feel. How a set if guiding principles helped Walla Walla Valley Honda shake up the car buying experience and dramatically boost results
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