Several members of the AutoFi team served our country in the armed forces, including my co-host for the Master Class, BreAnna Fisher. While we would never go so far as to compare selling cars with protecting America, we have learned a great deal from the military that can help streamline a car dealership.

One of the most useful lessons overseas during the 21st century was decentralized command. Hierarchies are a feature of nature itself and, rather than think of them as malevolent and tyrannical, most often they are based on competence and necessity. To avoid the chaos that attends anarchy, we need rules of engagement, lines of accountability and matching levels of authority.

Nevertheless, hierarchies often didn’t work best on the front lines. Decisions need to be made by informed folks, on the fly — without referring back to central command. The challenge was to bring all the relevant information forward.

How does this loop back to your dealership? Ask yourself the following question.

If the general answer is closer to 1 than it is to 5, chances are you have operational inefficiencies. The goal here is similar to the goal above: give your salespeople on the frontlines the empowerment they need to close deals themselves, without having to refer back to central command. You will find that this decentralized power structure drives revenue right away.

Does your dealership want to boost digital sales? Book a custom demo today.