Two years ago, I joined the crusade to help business owners, CEOs, CFOs, and CHROs (i.e., CXOs) discover the business strategy of “engagement” and the science of behavioral economics as a way to improve business performance. If you are buying or selling a dealership, or are simply looking for ways to improve profitability and performance, engagement can give you a way to validate value and give you a competitive edge.

For years, we’ve been chasing Customer Satisfaction in the automotive industry. Here’s my question – Why are we aiming so low? Satisfaction is meeting the most basic of customer expectations. Is the new car full of gas? Is it cleaned and ready for delivery on time? Was the vehicle fixed right the first time? These are things that customers expect of us.

Whether you are buying a new dealership because it was underperforming or you are shining up your dealership for sale, it’s time to explore implementing employee and client engagement business strategies. These strategies need to be aimed at building lasting relationships.