EP71: Training Isn't Working

Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth: if training actually fixed dealerships, most of them would already be fixed. In this industry, training is everywhere. We train on product, compliance, CSI, and process. We hire speakers, send people to conferences, and subscribe to endless portals, yet year after year, the same customer complaints and internal frustrations resurface.

If your team is nodding along in the conference room but reverting to old habits by Wednesday, it is not because they do not care. It is because you have a design failure, not a training failure.

Behavior Lives in the System, Not the Session

We often believe that if we explain things better or motivate harder, behavior will follow. However, training does not live where behavior lives. Behavior lives in the system: in the tools, the daily expectations, and, most importantly, in what gets reinforced versus what gets ignored.

Humans are experts at adapting to their environment as a means of survival. We naturally follow the path of least resistance. If a new behavior from a training session requires extra effort or courage, but the old behavior is easier and feels safer, the old behavior will win every single time. This is why the Autoknerd Autoforge system is built to provide infrastructure rather than just inspiration, creating a clear path for your team to follow.

Your System Is Always Training Your Team

Even when you are not running a formal session, your dealership’s system is training your people. It teaches them what actually matters versus what is just "talk". It teaches them what gets rewarded and what is quietly ignored.

For example, you might run a great session on customer follow-up. But if the CRM does not enforce the behavior on Monday and managers are too busy to review the quality of those calls, the system has taught the staff that follow-up does not actually matter. By Wednesday, the training is forgotten because the system contradicted it. Autonerd tools are specifically designed to fix this by providing support that creates clarity and answers the basic questions of what a person should do and what "good" looks like.

From Inspiration to Infrastructure

To see real change, you must stop looking for better "speeches" and start building better infrastructure. Infrastructure is what makes good behavior repeatable.

The Autoknerd Autoforge system provides this essential infrastructure through:

• Checklists and Rubrics: These tools remove guesswork and define clear expectations.

• Weekly Rhythms: Monthly training allows for too much "drift," whereas weekly coaching catches behavior while it is still forming.

• Practice over Knowledge: While free tools create clarity, the pro tools in the Autoknerd Autoforge system focus on practice to build confidence under pressure.

• Focused Intent: Most training fails because it asks people to change everything at once. Real change happens when you focus on one behavior at a time.

The Manager as the Lever

Managers are the critical "levers" of behavior change. Your team is constantly watching to see what you prioritize. If a manager says they care about quality but only talks about numbers in the morning meeting, the system has just taught the team that numbers are the only thing that matters.

Silence is also feedback. When a manager stops talking about a specific process, they are quietly training the team that the process is no longer important. The Autoknerd Autoforge system includes elite tools designed specifically for managers, giving them the structure they need to coach consistently instead of relying on inconsistent improvisation.

Your Challenge: Change the System

This week, instead of scheduling another training or sending a reminder email, try this: pick one behavior. Define exactly what good looks like, build it into your daily process, and talk about it every single day. Notice it, correct it, and praise it.

When the system changes, people do not have to "try harder": they simply adapt to the new environment. Consistency always beats intensity.

For more information on the AutoForge system please email [email protected]