“I just can’t seem to make money with the PSSR role. I don’t see the value, and I’m not sure my customers do either.”

So said a frustrated dealer principal I spoke with earlier this year. The reality is that many dealers struggle with finding value from the role of Product Support Sales Representative; however, there’s no question that our customers see value…when the role is well defined, their day is structured, and the PSSR is coached and managed appropriately.

In this three-part series, we’ll explore the PSSR role to help you create customer value and drive incremental revenue at your dealership. This article, part one, is about the PSSR role: how you know when your dealership needs one (or many), why most dealerships fail at implementing and managing this role, and three critical success factors. 

What is a PSSR, and Why Do Customers Benefit from Having One?

A Product Support Sales Representative serves as the bridge between your parts and service departments and your customers. Generally, once a whole goods sales representative delivers a new piece of equipment, they move on to the next deal. Who is responsible for continuing the relationship with the customer? You can bet that the aftermarket suppliers are actively calling on your customers looking for a piece of the annuity for wear parts. 

The primary function of a PSSR is to proactively support customers with their maintenance, parts, and repair needs. Instead of waiting for the phone to ring, PSSRs actively visit job sites, consult on equipment health, and recommend proactive maintenance and repair solutions.

For customers, the benefits are clear. A PSSR provides:

• Proactive Equipment Support: Customers gain a trusted advisor who is on their side to prevent unplanned downtime by recommending preventative maintenance and services. With summer on the way, now is a great time for your PSSRs to recommend an A/C tune-up!
• Convenience and Time Savings: Production class customers expect two things from their solutions (equipment) partners: save me time or save me money. The PSSR can do both. Instead of scrambling for parts or service in an emergency, your customers get scheduled visits and proactive solutions, like oil sampling and analysis, to reduce the total cost of ownership. 
• Increased Equipment Uptime and ROI: We all know that well-maintained equipment lasts longer and performs better, leading to higher productivity and profitability for your customers. PSSRs help your customers use technology, including telematics and machine monitoring, to anticipate and address the sources of downtime before they can even occur. 

How Do You Know When Your Dealership Needs a PSSR?

We’re routinely asked by dealer principals, “Do we really need a dedicated PSSR?” The answer becomes clear when you reflect on the following:

Is your service department overwhelmed? If your service advisors constantly react to breakdowns instead of proactively managing customer equipment health, you’re leaving revenue and customer value on the table.

Are your parts sales stagnant and declining? A well-executed PSSR program should drive consistent, incremental parts sales by ensuring customers get what they need before they have to ask for it.

Are your customers turning to independent shops? If your customers bypass your dealership for maintenance and repairs, it likely means they aren’t getting the proactive support they need from your team.

Do your competitors have PSSRs? If competing dealerships are deploying PSSRs effectively, they are building relationships and capturing aftermarket sales that could have been yours.

If any of these factors sound familiar, it’s time to consider moving beyond breakdowns.

Why Do Most Dealerships Fail to Implement (and Monetize) the PSSR Role Successfully?

Despite the clear benefits, many dealerships struggle to make the PSSR role successful. Here’s why:

• Lack of Clear Expectations and Metrics: Many dealerships hire a PSSR without defining key performance indicators (KPIs) such as visit frequency, parts and service sales targets, and customer retention rates.
• Poor Integration with Parts & Service Departments: Your PSSR must work seamlessly with the service and parts teams, but too often, internal silos prevent effective communication and coordination. What are you doing as a dealer principal to remove some of these barriers? A lunch and learn is one of the most potent alignment and team building events we recommend. 
• Poor training and support. Simply hiring someone and giving them a truck doesn’t guarantee success. A PSSR needs product knowledge, sales training, and mentorship to be effective.
• Failure to Align Compensation with Performance: If a PSSR’s compensation isn’t tied to service and parts sales growth and gross margin, they lack the incentive to drive revenue effectively. A healthy compensation structure is often 60% base pay and 40% at risk, with significant upside potential. 
• Short-Term Thinking: Many dealerships expect immediate ROI without understanding that a PSSR builds long-term relationships. It takes time (at least 12 months) for the role to generate significant revenue.
• Lack of formal and structured PSSR leadership. Dealerships have sales managers who lead the whole goods sales team. Who is leading and motivating your PSSR team? When you look at the customer value added and the margin contribution from parts and service, why wouldn’t you have a focused leader driving this business? In my experience, most dealerships do not. 

Three Critical Success Factors for Deploying a PSSR at Your Dealership

For you to fully capitalize on the PSSR role, three key factors must be in place:

1. A Structured Plan with Clear Objectives and KPIs:

You must define specific goals, such as increasing parts sales by a set percentage, improving customer retention, or reducing unplanned downtime for customers.

Track key metrics like customer visit frequency, quote-to-sale close rates, customer response time, and revenue and gross margin. 

2. Strong Internal Alignment Between Departments:

You must ensure the parts, service, and sales teams see the PSSR as a partner, not a competitor. This requires a seamless process for a PSSR to create work orders and quotes, order parts, and follow up with customers on service recommendations.

The PSSR and equipment sales professional must also work together as a team. Ensure you provide opportunities for your PSSRs and sales professionals to get to know each other and understand the (customer) value of working together. 

3. The Right Person with the Right Training and Compensation:

A successful PSSR must have a mix of technical knowledge, sales skills, and customer service ability. Some of the most successful PSSRs are past field technicians who have received collaborative and value-based sales skills training. 

But make no mistake. The PSSR is a sales-oriented role, and accordingly, you need to structure their compensation to reward both performance (sales growth) and customer retention.

A well-executed PSSR program *can* be a game-changer for your dealership. 

It strengthens customer relationships, increases service and parts revenue, and differentiates your dealership from competitors. However, success doesn’t happen by accident. You must commit to clear objectives, cross-departmental collaboration, and proper training and incentives to ensure that PSSR delivers maximum value for your customers, dealership, and themselves. 

Consider product support a business in itself. The revenue and margin potential from parts and service will drive your absorption and bottom line. No different than whole goods sales, you need to show the customer value and earn their business. This is tough to do if you’re waiting for the phone to ring. 

Now’s the time to go on the offensive and protect your installed base!

Stay tuned for the next article: A Day in the Life of a PSSR.