"I have been involved with Performance since 1985. I firmly believe that my association with not only Performance, but with my fellow member dealers has certainly contributed to my continued success as a dealer.
A Performance meeting is not a social affair, but a meeting with your fellow car dealers for two solid days - three times a year. Also in addition to the meetings, you receive a comprehensive monthly report, which is like a report card and compares your own dealership results with your fellow member’s actual results. All aspects of your business are compared and clearly show where you stand compared to your fellow members. These meetings give you the opportunity to share ideas and talk about the car business with your fellow member dealers. The book is a handy tool to work with your managers to help improve yourself.
Remember that there are no stories, as you are all working with a report card that is produced from your own financial statements. Everybody tells you that business is great, but the real proof is the composite book. I have never left a meeting without returning to my dealership and bringing something back, which either helped sales, or decreased costs. Remember that sales minus cost of sales are net profit. You can change four quarters for a dollar at the bank; you do not have to run a multi-million dollar business without a profit.
Our member dealers average a net profit as a percentage of sales of 2.59%. How do you rate? I know that my association with Performance Incorporated has done a lot for me over the years and I can honestly tell any dealer that I am well over the average in this area of the book."
- David Wood – Dave Wood Mazda
"We have been very happy with the information received from every meeting and feel that if we all the new ideas were implemented we would see an improvement of $50,000 on the bottom line."
- Bruce Stewart – Kia of Timmons
"I have been a member of Performance Inc. for 15 years now in the same group and have always felt that the money invested in Performance membership on a monthly basis has paid dividends. I have watched the group change and me with it, as experience is complimented by new blood and enthusiasm, which keeps the old guys on point and the new guys in check. The common goal is a profitable, healthy business model that brings a strong ROI and that transcends the generations when it comes to our group. I have always marveled at how one good idea from a performance group meeting, whether it is in expense control or revenue generation, can pay for the membership costs and much more for years to come. Performance Group Membership is an investment, not an expense from my point of view, as I can see no other cost effective way to get business critique and real world input from 12 to 20 of your business counterparts, face to face, three times per year in a focused, facilitated environment. Indeed, it insures input from all members and motivates the group to expand their outlook and consider the true factors that make up a successful Dealership in today’s ever challenging market!"
- Honda Dealer
"I’m able to discuss problems that I can share nowhere else……and get feedback from people that truly have my best interest at heart."
- Raymond Van Empel - Pioneer Group of Automotive Companies
"Performance Inc. has acted as an important source of information for fine-tuning and, in some cases, overhauling our dealership operation. The accountability factor provided by our Performance peers is also undeniably beneficial. At the end of the day, every cost has to be looked at to determine if it is providing a return. My partner and I know that the costs associated with Performance Inc. are providing us the return we are looking for!"
- Andrew Heys - Woodgrove Chrysler
"After being promoted to the General Manager's position in March 2007 and the subsequent Performance Inc Meeting's I have attended since, I can say with 100% certainty that the knowledge of best business practice and accountability talked about at every Performance Inc meeting has paid huge dividends at our dealership. Our Performance moderator provides a keen sense of understanding the automotive industry and it's cyclical changes. Strong fellowship with your group dealers and the acknowledgment of weakness with the desire to succeed is what I take away from every Performance Inc meeting. Cornwall Toyota is committed to growth and prosperity on a long term basis and we are extremely grateful to have a such an important partner like Performance Inc to help us achieve our goals."
- Troy Hickman - Cornwall Toyota
"If I was a manufacturer it would be mandatory for all dealers to be in a performance group."
- Cam McPherson – Subaru City
"The performance group is one of support and at the same time constructive criticism. These meetings give me an opportunity to measure our efforts and results with the efforts and results of others that face the same challenges. This process gives me confidence and knowledge. Everyone needs reference points in order to show them where they are and where they can be. The performance group has been a great tool for me as we take our store from startup to profitability."
- Vince Jones – Burlington Hyundai
"We have been with Performance for 19 years now.... with two different franchises and multiple stores. We have had great success working with Performance. The strength of uniting other dealers, combined with a strong moderator to channel the information creates an overall success story. By sharing information and discussing various challenges that arise in our businesses we are able to find new ways to deal with each and every situation. As they say "the proof is in the pudding" and that has been the case for us year in year out being with Performance! "
- Joe Haley - Haley Auto Group
"I enjoy being a member of our Performance 20 Group. Being able to share ideas and problem solve with each other is very beneficial. I never go home empty handed. "
- Debbie Hoffman – Rochester Ford Lincoln Mercury
"Although there are times, I have thought there is no need to be part of a Performance group, those thoughts always go away after a couple of hours into the next Performance meeting I attend. Looking back on the last 10 years of being in a Performance group, I can continually say that the dealers in our group have outpaced our local peers in sales, gross, CSI and most importantly net profit. Furthermore by allowing our managers to come to the meetings we have enhanced the long term viability of our store by training our best people to think like owners. Finally, being able to discuss current, relevant subjects with peers and a professional Performance moderator, is an essential key to business success that no top leader would pass up. If your drive for growth is unquenchable, Performance might just fill you up at the right time each year, while re-focusing your lens. "
- Jamie Hodgson – Southgate Pontiac
"Capital Pontiac Buick has been an active member of a Performance Incorporated Group for many years and for the past several years have been hosted by Mr. Clark Crawford a very well qualified and determined moderator. I know that we are a "better" automotive dealership when we chose to embrace the opportunities that are presented to us through our group of dealers and the composites that we use as a guide to recognizing business principles within our own dealership company. We have always felt proud enough of our association with "Performance" that we have encouraged other dealers to join a Group and to enjoy the benefits of a peer type of relationship within their own industry. As our company grows we are constantly reminded of the need to understand that our business is changing and that we must be vigilant in recognizing the need for change and stewardship within our own organizations and "Performance" is always there to support our needs. "
- Bruce Axelson, President - Capital Pontiac Buick Cadillac GMC Ltd
"We have participated in a 20 group for eighteen years and have found it to be a great asset for improving our dealership's operations and profitability. By sharing real numbers with other dealers in similar communities, we can better analyze our performance and look for ways to improve. This also eliminates the argument from managers that 'we cannot do that in our size store' and forces them to consider change. The composite can be an incredibly valuable tool to do in depth analysis of a dealership. It breaks down each department into small segments of expense and gross and allows the dealer to focus on specific items that need attention. These small changes are usually easier to implement and can have a significant impact on the bottom line. As always, the discussions with other dealers during the meetings, breaks and dinner are informative. The sharing of ideas and experiences with fellow dealers is perhaps the greatest benefit of a twenty group. Most of us have similar issues and it very helpful to learn how a fellow dealer has dealt with them. We see twenty groups as a consulting group with the added bonus that the 'consultants' are actual functioning dealers, not 'experts' armed with a one size fits all theory. The impact for us has been well worth the investment of time and money. We would strongly encourage anyone interested in improving their operation to consider joining a twenty group. "
- Scott Deter - Deter Motor Co, Atlantic, Iowa
