ADTS: In The News

Creating a Safe Driving Culture

Chad Kaydo
Sales & Marketing Management
July 2000

If salespeople spend lots of time on the road, their well-being - and the company's finances are at risk.

MANY SALESPEOPLE LOG thousands of miles of driving to see clients, and they're often thinking about presentations, incentive plans, and countless other things while behind the wheel. But they're probably not thinking about how easily an accident can change their lives and less important, of course - drive up a company's fleet costs.

Also, it has probably been a long time since salespeople took that first high school driving class. "A lot of times people are doing things wrong they don't even realize are wrong," says Phil Moser, National Sales Manager for Advanced Driver Training Services, a training firm in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. But Moser says that when salespeople go through driver safety classes, they often adopt safer driving habits. Once their mistakes are pointed out to them - and they hear reminders of what can happen if they don't pay attention to the road- salespeople commit to safer habits.

But creating a culture that stresses the importance of safe driving takes more than a one-time class. Here are some tips for training your salespeople to keep themselves safe:

CHECK THE DRIVING RECORDS of new salespeople.

"What that tells the employee is: we're concerned about driver safety," Moser says. After they're hired, tell them the company will continue to check salespeople's records periodically.

SEND NEW HIRES TO DRIVER SAFETY CLASS soon after they're hired.

"You need to address the new hires right away," Moser says, "because they are often at the greatest risk of getting in an accident. They're concentrating on learning their new territory and remembering sales presentations, but not necessarily the road. They're thinking about the job more than driving."

STRESS THE EFFECTS of unsafe driving.

Even if they don't seem to mind risking their own safety, remind them who else their actions jeopardize. "Think about the effect - Do you want to harm your family?" Moser says. He also shares stories from his 11 years as a policeman, including how he had to tell the family of a salesperson that the rep had died after his car hit a tree.

SHOW YOU CARE about your salespeople's well being, and that safety training isn't just a requirement to sit through.

Don't make it a punishment for reckless behavior. Moser tells students, "We're going out there to help you." And he points out both good and bad driving habits he witnesses during sessions.

SEND REMINDERS of the importance of safe driving.

"Any safety program is a waste if you don't follow up," Moser says. "A short e-mail can bring back lessons learned in a class, and some companies send their reps back to class every three years."

BE A MODEL by driving safely yourself.

As with any training you give to salespeople, they'll only believe it's important if they see you do it, too.

For more information and resources on fleet management, go to www.salesandmarketing.com/more.