As operators or owners of parking facilities, we don’t sell widgets, we sell the promise that a client’s revenue will be managed and maximized through our operations and corporate support teams.
That promise and how it translates to reality on the lot is largely based on the talent of our people. How well they perform their jobs as pitched in the boardroom drives not just profitability, but market reputation and client retention.
One situation of fraud found by a client, for example, and the typical outcome is a canceled contract with a demand to be made whole included.
To be blunt, it’s still pretty common in our world to work with operators whose front-line managers couldn’t build an Excel spreadsheet if their lives depended on it. Companies spend a lot of time figuring out technology at the upper management levels, flip it to marketing to sell to clients, but then, when implemented to whatever degree, actually training/supporting the “doers” within the organization is woefully lacking.
How is your sales pitch reflected in the hiring, development and retention of your key players? Is HR even aware of the promises you’re making to clients when it comes to selling the talent of your company?
When we work with operators to answer these two big questions from a systems approach, we typically start with an analysis of the client profiles they serve along with a deep dive on hiring practices, policies, training programs and compensation packages.
How is your sales pitch reflected in the hiring, development and retention of your key players?
Once these internal processes are viewed through the lens of client expectations, it becomes super clear what’s aligned and what needs immediate attention to either be retired, upgraded or overhauled completely.
As with all things of this nature, it’s easier to say than do. Enter the Parking Industry Exhibition 2018 conference session “Human Capital: Investing in Your People,” facilitated by yours truly.
You can expect a highly interactive session that’s tactics-based and specifically tailored to addressing the expectations placed on all levels of operations managers. No theories presented here; on the contrary, you will participate in a best practices- based conversation related to hiring, advancing and retaining those employees who deliver your client promise.
So, if you’re looking to bridge the gap between what you’re selling and what your employees are doing, then join me at the upcoming Parking Industry Exhibition at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, IL.
Colleen M. Niese, SPHR, CPP, is Co-Principal of Marlyn Group, “a consultancy specializing in building and advancing strong teams in the parking industry.” Contact her at
cniese@marlyngroupllc.com.
