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Professional Automotive Closes
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Posted by Shawn Ryder

Professional Closes

Dealership Tips, Sales 0

Automotive Salesperson Closing Techniques

Most of the time, a combination of closes will be required for a delivery decision. Remember – the magic number is five! Most professional sales consultants close on the fifth attempt.
It’s not how much you give; it’s how many times you give.

The Magic Number is Five!

Practice putting these closes into your own words:

Assumptive Time Close

“Would you prefer to take delivery of your new vehicle this afternoon or this evening?” “Is 6:00 or 7:00 better?”

Alter or Improve Close

“Before you take delivery of your new vehicle, what would you like to enhance the enjoyment and add to the convenience (protection, safety, or resale value) of your new vehicle?”

Assumptive Title Close

“Would you like your new vehicle titled in your name, your spouse’s name or both (or business)?”

Assumptive Final Close

“Would there be anything else that we need to consider before we go ahead and finalize the agreement?”

Spouse (third party) Close

“Now that everything is agreeable, let’s write it up and get that much out of the way. Then you and your spouse can decide on what is best for delivery date. Fair enough?”

If ​“No”​—“What would she say no to, the vehicle​ or ​the money​?”
If “​Money​”​—“Price – trade – difference – down payment – monthly payment?​”

Insurance Close

“Before you take your new vehicle home today, allow me to get binding coverage to make sure you are protected. What’s your insurance agent’s name? What’s the number there?”

Advisor Close

“It’s obvious you know how to shop for the best deal and it’s also obvious you understand all the facts after seeing the fairness of the figures and the benefits our dealership can provide. Knowing all that, I’m sure you would advise Mr. Stevens to finalize the agreement, wouldn’t you?”

Financial Advisor Close

“I know you are here to advise Mr. Stevens on the fairness of the figures, isn’t that right? (wait) Just to clarify my thinking, will you be helping Mr. Stevens with the down payment, monthly payments or both?”

“None”​—“So you are here to advise but not going to get financially involved, is that right?”
“Yes”—​“Allow me to provide you both with figures that you can agree to, feel good about and say yes to. Fair enough?”

Assumptive Approval Close

“Now that we are in agreement on the vehicle and the terms I need your approval right here, here and here.” (Hand customer the pen)

Hidden Objection Close

“Assuming the vehicle is right, the equipment is right, the price is right, the down payment is right, the difference is right and we pay you enough for your car, would you own the vehicle?”
“Yes”—​“​Then please share with me which one of these​ is not right.”

Reason Close

“Forgive me for asking: are you looking for a reason to own or not to own?”
“I want to own!”
“Great. Please share with me what some of those reasons might be.” (Wait, listen and write them down)

Buyer’s Remorse Close

“Congratulations on your decision to own one of our fine products. It was a very wise decision on your part.

“Now from time to time my customers leave so happily with the decision that they have made, they can’t wait to share that decision with friends, relatives or both. These people, not knowing all the facts, or even being a bit jealous sometimes try to talk them out of going ahead with the transaction.

Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, if you think for any reason that anyone could change your decision to own, would you tell me now?”

Puppy dog close / Re-demonstrate

“Before you make your final decision, I want you to take the vehicle for one more test ride. I want you to see what a wise investment you are about to make for you and your family.”

Validation Close / Evidence Manual

You must prove with third-party evidence that people purchase from you. The customer will believe others before believing you.

Reduction to the Ridiculous Close

Reduce the amount you are negotiating​ to yearly, monthly, daily; then compare the daily cost with the cost of something the buyer can do, or give up doing for that daily amount.

Time and Money Close

The customer says they want to hold off for a while. Ask how long they would like to wait and offer more time.

  • “Remember that while you are waiting it will cost you more, not less.”
  • “New vehicles go up 1 to 2% without notice.”
  • “Factory incentives may be discontinued.”
  • “You will still have to make payments on your present vehicle.”
  • “You could incur costly repairs and maintenance.”
  • “Your vehicle will depreciate in that amount of time.”
  • “You will lose the sales (or use) tax credit.”

Take the total monthly cost of these items, add it to the present payment and compare it to the payment or cost of the new vehicle.

Lost Sale Close

“Forgive me, Mr. and Mrs. Stevens. Before you leave, I have to apologize for not doing my job. You see, if I had said and done all the right things today, you would have seen the value in my product and my offer. Because I didn’t convince you of that value, you have to go home without the new vehicle. That means you and your family won’t be enjoying the comfort, convenience and safety of the new vehicle. For that I am truly sorry.

“I make my living by getting people like you happily involved in my product and yes, that’s how I support my family. So that I don’t make the same mistake again, would you be kind enough to take a moment and tell me what I did or what I said wrong?”

Down to the penny close

“We are within seventy-eight dollars and sixty-two cents of you enjoying your new vehicle.” (Be quiet and wait for the customer to react).

Sales Presentations
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Posted by Shawn Ryder

Presentation Basics

Customer Tips, Dealership Tips, Sales 0

Coaching Presentation Basics

A central issue to an effective presentation is the degree of customer understanding and involvement. To be effective, a sales presentation must answer four basic questions for the customer:

  1. “What is it?”
  2. “How does it work?”
  3. “What will it do for me?”
  4. “What will it cost me?”

Each time you make a presentation, it is your responsibility to answer all of these questions.

Presentation Formula

Show the Feature

What is it? When you show the feature, point to the feature. Stay focused, make appropriate eye contact, have a positive frame of mind, find the key point, use appropriate body language.

Provide the Function

How does it function/work? How does this provide an advantage over the competition or past make or model?

Explain the Benefit

What will it do for me? Personalize the Benefit. When you provide the benefits, use appropriate eye-to-eye contact, and explain what it will do for the customer. Use the dealership customer’s words and demonstrate your commitment to them.

Every customer has a different set of expectations and a different set of needs. It will be your task to customize your product presentation for the customer. The flow of the product presentation should be the same in every case.

The pacing, tone, and language, however, will certainly vary.

Question Follow-Ups

There are four kinds of follow-ups or “tags” you can use to create an incremental decision (a “close”) from a customer.

  1. Standard “tie-down”:
    It’s a great vehicle, isn’t it?
  2. Inverted “tie-down”:
    Isn’t it a great vehicle?
  3. Tag: Customer says, “This car rides great.”
    You say: Doesn’t it?
  4. Silent:
    Ask the question and nod your head.

 

Text Message
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Posted by Shawn Ryder

The New Way to Connect with Automotive Customers

Automation, Automotive Marketing, Digital Marketing, Sales, Text Marketing 0

Text Messages

Did you know that while many emails go unopened and unnoticed, the majority of text messages are opened within just five minutes of being received? That means that text messaging, also known as SMS, is a highly effective and immediate way to communicate with your customers. An automated text message solution makes it easy and efficient to personally connect with customers. So now that you know, what are some of the best ways you can use text messaging to stay in touch with your customers and bring in more business?

How to Get Customers to Sign Up for Texts

Getting customers to sign up is the first step. You should advertise the benefits of signing up for your text message marketing campaigns everywhere: on your website, at the physical location of your business, on your social media pages, and in your email marketing campaigns. Also, think about this: why would a customer want to sign up? Advertise the benefits that will entice people to want to receive your text messages.

Text Examples

  • Never miss an automotive appointment again with our convenient text message reminders.
  • Receive instant text message notifications as soon as your vehicle part arrives.
  • Gain access to personalized text message promotions and exclusive contests!

Engage Customers from the Very First Text

Once customers have signed up, your automated text message solution should send them a thank you text, confirming their subscription and offering them a special promotion to get them interested. The promotion can be small, for example, a 15% off coupon for an oil change or tire rotation. The main idea is to provide immediate value and reassure the customer that signing up was a smart idea.

Provide Helpful Automotive Tips

A great way to build trust and loyalty with your customers is to send them helpful text message tips they can actually use. These tips serve to keep you connected throughout the year, even when the customer has not been into the shop in a while, and to establish your business as one that is always thinking about its customers’ needs. These can include safety tips, maintenance advice, links to buyers’ guides or industry news, and so on.

Send Automatic Maintenance Reminders

Text message reminders can be sent automatically to each customer based on their vehicle type and history, date of the last appointment, and time of year. Reminders make your customers’ lives easier because they don’t have to remember when to book an oil change, routine maintenance, or inspection. They will be automatically notified at precisely the right time. These text messages encourage repeat business. Once the appointment has been booked, the customer will get an automatic reminder on the day of the appointment so they don’t forget, reducing no-shows and increasing your revenue.

Offer Personalized Promotions

Customers love to feel like they are getting an exclusive deal. Personalized promotions bring in more business and also grow customer loyalty and satisfaction. Your automated text message solution will keep track of each customer’s birthday, purchase date and other individual data so that promotional messages can be sent out on important dates.

Try using an automated text message marketing solution and track how much additional business comes in due to personally targeted text message campaigns.

Sales Managers
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Posted by Shawn Ryder

Value Presentations

Business, Customer Tips, Dealership Tips, Sales 0

Building Value

Why value? Because not all presentations are product-related! A one-size-fits-all product presentation has been proven to be ineffective when addressing many customer value-related questions.

Value Presentation vs. Product Presentation

What are some examples of scenarios that might trigger a value presentation?

  • Reliability questions
  • Program questions (rate, promotions, etc.)
  • Warranty questions
  • Don’t trust salespeople
  • Bad, past service experience

As a manager, you must be sure all of your salespeople have all the available tools at their disposal to meet the needs of the customer.

Repeat and Referral Business

How will the Value Presentation impact the Drivers of Repeat and Referral Business

  1. Honesty
  2. Product knowledge
  3. Negotiation speed

You must take all of the information collected in the fact-finding step to finding the most suitable unit for the customer.

It is important to use the five-position walk-around to position the product. However, you will also need the proper communication skills to make it effective.

Use PACERS in order of importance when presenting:

  • Start by repeating the customer’s wants and needs.
  • Present the value, features and benefits that are important to the customer.
  • Avoid discussing price; it is secondary to what fills wants and needs.
  • Ask their reactions, feelings and opinions.
  • Get the customer emotionally involved.
  • Stimulate desire; use the senses…sight, sound, touch, imagine.
  • Tailor all presentations to the customer’s dominant buying motivators.
  • Make your value presentation different and unique.
  • Lead with questions, rather than pull with statements.

Every customer chooses to buy a particular vehicle for different reasons. We call these reasons “buying motivations.”

And, while each buyer’s motivations are different, they generally fall into a few categories: Does anyone NOT know what PACERS are?

Performance

  • Engine, transmission, suspension, and handling features

Appearance

  • Exterior and interior styling, and aerodynamic designs

Comfort and Convenience

  • Features that make driving easier and more pleasant, or more luxurious, ergonomic designs

Economy and Value

  • Standard equipment, gas mileage, easy maintenance features, value packages, competitive pricing

Reliability

  • Low-maintenance features, state-of-the-art materials and designs, and warranties

Safety

  • Active and passive safety features, crash avoidance and protection, personal and vehicle safety, and security features
Sales Manager Training
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Posted by Shawn Ryder

Fact Finding Questions

Dealership Tips, Sales 0

Salesperson Fact-Finding

Here are powerful questions you can ask to obtain the information necessary to find the most suitable vehicle – and to structure negotiations later.

Understand that 100% of the customer’s present behavior is based on past car-buying experience—use this information to find out how they wish to be sold this time.

  • “Why are you looking / in the market for transportation at this time?”
  • “Are you looking for something bigger or smaller than you presently drive?”
  • “What are you driving now?”
  • “Will you be keeping it or selling it?”
  • “When did you purchase it?”
  • “Did you purchase it new or pre-owned?”
  • “What do you like most about the vehicle you’re driving now? _______”
  • “What do you like least about the vehicle you’re driving? ________”
  • “What would you like to have in the new vehicle that you don’t have in the vehicle you’re driving now?”
  • “Will the vehicle be used for work or pleasure?”
  • “Where will most of the driving be done—highway or city?”
  • “How many miles per year do you drive?”
  • “Will you be the primary driver?”
  • “Will there be other drivers in your family?”
  • “What has changed for you since your last purchase?”
  • “What would be most important in your consideration of this vehicle?”
  • “What is the second most-important consideration?”
  • “What price range was the vehicle when you purchased it?”
  • “When is your next payment due?”
  • “By the way, how much was that payment?”
  • “How did you get them so low?”

Building Value

Why value? Because not all presentations are product-related! A one-size-fits-all product presentation has been proven to be ineffective when addressing many customer value-related questions.

As a manager, you must be sure all of your salespeople have all the available tools at their disposal to meet the needs of the customer.

How will the Value Presentation impact the Drivers of Repeat and Referral Business

  1. Honesty
  2. Product knowledge
  3. Negotiation speed

You must take all of the information collected in the fact-finding step to find the most suitable unit for the customer. It is important to use the five-position walk-around to position the product. However, you will also need the proper communication skills to make it effective.

Start by repeating the customer’s wants and needs.

Present the value, features, and benefits that are important to the customer. Each time you make a presentation, it is your responsibility to answer all of these questions.

  • Avoid discussing price; it is secondary to what fills wants and needs.
  • Ask their ________________.
  • Get the customer ________________.
  • Stimulate desire; use the sense…. sight, sound, touch, imagine.
  • Tailor all presentations to the customer’s dominant buying motivators.
  • Make your value presentation different and unique.
  • Lead with questions, rather than ________________.

Wants and Needs Formula

Show the Feature

  • What is it? When you show the feature, point to the feature. Stay focused, make appropriate eye contact, have a positive frame of mind, find the key point, use appropriate body language.

Provide the Function

  • How does it function/work? How does this provide an advantage over the competition or past model?

Explain the Benefit

  • What will it do for me? When you provide the benefits, use appropriate eye-to-eye contact and explain what it will do for the customer. Use the customer’s words and demonstrate your commitment to them.

Every customer has a different set of expectations and a different set of needs. It will be your task to customize your product presentation for the customer. The flow of the product presentation should be the same in every case. The pacing, tone, and language, however, will certainly vary.

There are four kinds of follow-ups or “tags” you can use to create an incremental decision (a “close”) from a customer.

  1. Standard “tie-down”: It’s a great vehicle, isn’t it?
  2. Inverted “tie-down”: Isn’t it a great vehicle?
  3. Tag: Customer says, “This car rides great.” You say: Doesn’t it?
  4. Silent: Ask the question and nod your head.

An inverted tie-down is a question at the beginning of a statement that suggests a “yes” response.

  • Can’t you get excited about it ___________?
  • Do you see the value of ___________?
  • Can you see the benefit of ___________?
  • Can you see the merit in ___________?
  • Wouldn’t it be terrific if ___________?
  • Aren’t you glad that ___________?
  • Aren’t you looking forward to ___________?
  • Doesn’t it make sense to ___________?
  • Don’t you agree ___________?
  • Isn’t it going to be fun when ___________?
  • Isn’t it about time that ___________?
  • Doesn’t it give you the confidence to know ___________?
  • Can you see the advantage of ___________?
  • Wouldn’t it be reassuring to ___________?
  • Don’t you feel that ___________?
  • Wouldn’t it be great to save money by ___________?
  • Aren’t you really excited about ___________?
  • Isn’t it good to know ___________?
  • Haven’t you benefited by ___________?
  • Aren’t you happy to know ___________?
  • Aren’t you anxious to know ___________?
  • Isn’t it worth considering that ___________?

A standard tie-down is a question at the end of a statement that demands a “yes” from the customer. Here are some examples:

  • Aren’t they?
  • Aren’t you?
  • Can’t you?
  • Couldn’t it?
  • Couldn’t you?
  • Doesn’t it?
  • Don’t you agree?
  • Don’t you?
  • Don’t we?
  • Shouldn’t it?
  • Wouldn’t it?
  • Wouldn’t you agree?
  • Hasn’t it?
  • Haven’t they?
  • Fair enough?
  • Right or wrong?
  • Isn’t that right?
  • Isn’t it?
  • Didn’t it?
  • Didn’t they?
  • Wasn’t it?
  • Won’t you?
  • Won’t they?

Here is an opportunity to examine several different types of selection offers, and opportunities to improve the customer’s circumstances during the product presentation:

New to Pre-Owned Selection Offer

  • “Would you consider a vehicle with low mileage, factory certified with a full warranty, and a savings of $1000, $2000, perhaps as much as $3000?”

Pre-owned to New selection offer

  • “Would you consider a new or perhaps newer vehicle if the payments were the same?”

New to New Selection Offer

  • “Would you consider a new 2021 Accord and a savings of $1000, $2000, perhaps as much as $3000?”

Lease selection offer

  • “Would you rather lease or own if the payments were the same? Allow me to show you both.”
  • “Would you consider an option that would allow you to keep your cash (or trade equity), provide you with more vehicles, more options at the end of the term, and reduce your monthly cost as well?”

As a rule, the dealership’s inventory has absolutely no effect on offering to improve the customer’s situation. The selection offered is just common sense.

Sales Manager Training
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Posted by Shawn Ryder

Sales Managers – Addressing Price

Dealership Tips, Sales 0

As a manager, you will want to use word tracks that work and practice using them with your team.

For example, at this early phase of the sale, the salesperson’s success will depend on moving the customer out of their perhaps negative expectations and into the retail sales process.

Real-World Scenario

Sales Consultant:
“Welcome to ABC Dealership. How may I assist you?”

Customer:
“I just want your best price!”

Surrender and Comply Technique

Sales Consultant:
“No problem. I would be happy to provide you with our best price! In addition to price, I will also provide you with all the information necessary for you to make an informed decision, such as down payments, monthly payments and figures on your present car.”

Pattern Interrupt

“If those figures are not agreeable or affordable, we wouldn’t expect you to do business with us. Fair enough?”

Hard Sell Technique

Benefits to addressing price in this way with the customer:

  • It is simple and honest
  • It is direct and to the point
  • You become unique in the marketplace
  • Develops trust and confidence
  • Demonstrates a willingness to work with the customer

Pricing Examples

  • “Mr. Stevens, if I am unable to provide you with the proper price, I wouldn’t expect you to do business with us here today. (Move to Fact-Finding). May I provide you with figures on your present vehicle?”
  • “Not only will I be happy to work up a price for you, but I am also going to provide you with figures you can agree to as well. Sound fair? Have you already settled on the vehicles you want pricing on?”
  • “I will be more than happy to work up a price for you. Mr. Stevens, would there be any other information you would want, such as the miles, the warranty, the previous owner, and the condition of the vehicle?” (pause) “Are you driving one of our products now?”
  • “Not only will I work up a price for you, but I will also provide you with estimates on the down payment, monthly payments, and figures on your present car. If any of those are not agreeable and affordable we wouldn’t expect you to do business with us today.” (pause) “Are you driving one of our products now?”
  • “Let me assure you that money will not get in the way of you and I doing business. Let’s determine what it is that you want and we will be more than happy to work up prices for you. Sound reasonable? (pause) Are you driving one of our products now?”

These Have Worked

Tools to successfully addressing price:

  1. Be prepared to address the matter of price upfront.
  2. Offer the customer more than he or she asks for.
  3. Move immediately to fact-finding.
  4. Respond quickly and naturally.

When a customer speaks, he or she communicates a special meaning behind each word. Psychologists know that each nuance and word can be reflected back by you, to help sell the prospect customer.

We are in an era that requires an immediate and educated response to both factual and emotional needs.

How would you respond to the following questions?

  • “Do you want to drive the vehicle first?”
  • “Do you have a trade-in?”
  • “How much do you want to put down?”
  • “What can you afford to pay monthly?”
  • “How much would you give us for this vehicle?”
  • “Will you buy the car today if the price is right?”

These questions are much too direct and threatening, and cause the customer to take a defensive position.

If you were the sales manager, which selling situation would you prefer?

  • The customer has $1000 to put down.
  • They have budgeted $400 per month.
  • The customer owes $15,000 on a vehicle with an ACV of $12,000.
  • They are not ready to purchase; they’re just looking today.

The customer is driving a 2019 Nissan Maxima.

  • They purchased the vehicle new in 2019. The MSRP was $28,500.
  • Their next payment is due in ten days and is $425 per month.
  • They put down $8,500 on this purchase to finance $20,000.
  • Likes most – gas mileage.
  • Likes least – ride and roominess.
  • Most important – ride and roominess.

You need to conduct fact-finding with your customers and the dealership salespeople.

Here are some simple questions you can ask during a meeting with the sales team:

  • Tell me about your customer.
  • What have you done so far?
  • On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being the highest), how excited are they?
  • How many miles do they drive annually?
  • What’s the most important thing to them? Vehicle? Financing?
  • What other products are they interested in?
  • How did they buy their last vehicle?
  • What would they do differently this time?
  • Have they been to other dealerships? Which ones?

 

Automotive Sales
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Posted by Shawn Ryder

Sales Managers – Greetings

Business, Dealership Tips, Sales 0

What are good customer greetings?

When customers ask, “What’s your best price?” predictably, this is what they hear:

  • “Our best price is what you’re willing to pay.”
  • “Our best price comes from the boss.”
  • “Our best price is on the sticker.”
  • “You have to drive the car first before I can give you a price.”
  • “Make me an offer.”

All-Time Classic

  • “Would you buy the car if the price is right?”
  • Put the shoe on the other foot for a moment and ask yourself: If you were a customer shopping for a car, and the sales consultant replied with any of the above comments, how would YOU respond?

Retail Action Guide

Don’t be predictable. Be different than anyone else. Don’t give the customer the same act.
When you are predictable, the customer will see you as no different than anyone else, and then make his or her decision on money and money only. Be bold enough to be different. You must obtain control without confrontation and reduce the customer’s need to shop.

Your first few minutes with a customer can cause lasting impressions. To help break preoccupation with the price and bring down defensive barriers, practice these action guidelines.

Action Guidelines

  • Tune the world out. Focus on the customer.
  • Put the customer at ease and make them feel important and comfortable (no pressure).
  • Ask non-threatening questions and get them talking about their wants.
  • Hold appropriate eye-to-eye contact.
  • Listen.
  • Give your name / get their names.
  • Ask permission to write and use their names.
  • Smile and compliment.
  • Find common ground.
  • Mirror and match.

Here are some strategic ways to enhance the current greetings you may be using, put the customer at ease, and gain effective control in the selling situation:

Modeling Techniques

  • “Welcome to the dealership. My name is ___________. My role is to answer all of your questions and concerns, and then provide you with all of the information necessary that will help you in selecting a vehicle that fits your needs, wants, and budget. Will you allow me to do that for you?”
  • “Good morning. Welcome to the dealership. My name is __________. My role as a sales consultant is to help you find the vehicle you want and make it both agreeable and affordable for you to own, will that be fair enough?”
  • (Customer is just looking) “That’s great! You’ll be pleased to know that we have an excellent selection of vehicles for you to look at. Will you be considering larger or smaller than you’re driving now?”

Effective Greetings Require That Sales Consultants

  • Know exactly what to say at their first contact with the customer.
  • Take a direct approach that is “to the point.”
  • Trust that common ground will surface in due time.
  • Demonstrate a sincere appreciation for the customer’s presence.

What Greetings do your top Sales Consultants presently use? What other greetings are used at your dealership? Who’s using them? Why not everyone?  

Automotive Sales Managers
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Posted by Shawn Ryder

Sales Managers – Communication Skills

Automotive Marketing, Dealership Tips, Sales 0

Automotive Communication Skills

Successful automotive sales managers understand the benefits of effective communication skills to help set appointments. These skills are critical on the phone, internet lead emails, and as well as in person.

In physics, opposites attract. In sales, opposites repel. In business, customers buy from people who are most like them.

For automotive sales professionals, this becomes an opportunity to talk less and listen more. Find out as much as possible about the customer’s needs when it comes to their next purchase decision.

That puts particular emphasis on the skills of listening and asking proper questions.
Different ways of asking questions.

Open-Ended

Ask for as much information as possible, require you to “filter” what you need; often begin with “what,” “why,” “how,” or “please explain.” Used to gather basic information – short question for a long answer.

Closed-Ended

Are answered with fewer words, often “yes” or “no.” Use to demonstrate your understanding, draw out quiet or shy customers.

Clarifying

Use to probe for clearer understanding, gauge customer reactions to your presentation, or to prepare the customer for confirming the decision. “You must have a good reason for feeling that way. Please tell me why?”

Objective-Driven

Usually open-ended, help focus the discussion and direct talkative customers towards an agreement. The question often contains the words you would like the customer to use in his or her answer. “What would you like to accomplish today?”

Appointment Settings

An effective appointment setting should involve an easy-to-follow, logical approach, every time we answer a sales call. Practice the dealership scripts and use them. Don’t be hesitant to give an example of terrible calls that you have heard either.

Before Attempting the Appointment

  • You must be prepared.
  • You must have a definite plan of action.
  • Smile! A smile can actually be heard over the phone.
  • Introduce yourself confidently to the customer.
  • Take good notes and politely ask the customer proper open-ended questions.
  • Let the customer know this is a great day to call, and an even greater day to come to the dealership.
  • Motivate prospects to want to set an appointment. Give them a choice of dates and times.

Things to avoid (Inbound calls)

  • Avoid answering the phone when you are in a hurry.
  • Avoid the urge to get the name and number too quickly.
  • Don’t be in a hurry to get the name and number just so you can hang up and call back to get a busy signal.
  • Don’t discount any lead.
  • Never pre-judge a customer’s ability to purchase.
  • Avoid using industry jargon.

Always be the professional – whether speaking to the customer in person, through email, web site chat or on the phone! What the customer hears on is the only impression they can have of you.

Make sure it is positive and lasting!

Automotive Sales Manager
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Posted by Shawn Ryder

Sales Managers – Prepare for Success

Dealership Tips, Sales 0

Automotive Sales Managers

Seize this Cornoavirus opportunity and re-define what constitutes sales excellence: People, process, product, and self. It’s more than a number.

High expectations are the key to developing an elite sales team. The best sales managers are those who expect the best from their people.

To increase sales, you must prepare for success by:

  • Identifying the result you expect.
  • Identify the behaviors and activities necessary to achieve these results.
  • Measure each person on your team against these objectives and coach them accordingly.

Everyone, you, your customer, your organization, and dealership benefit from a manager who is “Prepared for Success.”

What happens to all of these benefits when you are unprepared?

  • They disappear.
  • The best management and coaching strategy is to prepare to build a lifelong relationship with your customer!

“Remember, the customer doesn’t care how much you know—until they know how much you care!” – Jackie B. Cooper

Most people in life today have become a “wandering generality.” Instead, you need to become a “meaningful specific”. To do that, you need goals.

Steps to setting goals:

  • Identify the goal. You must have an intense desire to achieve it.
  • Set a deadline, be specific, and write it down.
  • List the obstacles you need to overcome to achieve it.
  • Identify the people, organizations, and groups that can help you succeed.
  • List the skills and knowledge needed to accomplish the goal.
  • Develop a plan of action. Get a clear mental picture of yourself already accomplishing the goal.
  • What will the benefit to you be?

 

Napoleon Hill, “Think and Grow Rich”
Whenever you see anything worthwhile being done anywhere, it is because someone is behind it with a passion, a belief, and a goal. When it comes to your personal life and your business, goal setting makes the difference between mediocrity and excellence and accomplishment.

Managing Your Strengths and Resources

Most sales teams typically consist of a few leaders and lots of followers. So does a ranch, where a herd of cattle follows along behind the one lead cow with a bell around its neck.

Often salespeople, especially those with less experience, will emulate the example of your team’s bell cow.

Savvy managers know how to gain maximum advantage from each of their bell cows.

Approach your top performer and persuade him/her to step up and adopt the role of “team player” and share his/her talents and energy with other members of the team.

Discuss W.I.I.F.M. – The Bell Cow

The example of work ethic and attitude that your bell cow displays for the team is, perhaps, even more important than the example the sales manager sets for them.

Talk to them about performing the role of a mentor to one or more less experienced salespeople.

  • Identify leaders
  • Determine your strategy and goals
  • Establish a mentoring process

How do you coach communication?

It is well-known that once an individual has agreed to a small, incremental decision, he or she is much more likely to agree to major commitment.

It’s also well-known that an individual may be moved to make a decision less by logic than by emotion. You must move the customer from left-brain to the right-brain.

This is the key to whether they say “yes” or “no.” A customer’s feelings are controlled by:

  • The words you say………7%
  • Your tone of voice………38%
  • Your body language…….55%

What Message Are You Communicating?

You can’t build rapport without presenting the logical information that establishes your professional credibility. At the same time, you can’t expect a customer to make a decision to purchase without communicating to their emotional side.

Coaching your Team

Where will you hold training meetings? In the conference room? In the sales office? On the showroom floor? On the lot?

The role of the manager is unique in that it takes on several priorities in the coaching and development of the staff.

These priorities are:

  • Daily training
  • Daily supervision
  • Daily coaching

Have a participant read the following out loud to the group:

Here’s how some of these activities might look:

  1. Hold regular training meetings with sales consultants.
  2. Conduct one-on-one role-plays. The manager must lead by example and know the process better than the salespeople.
  3. Make sure only qualified staff handle the critical profit areas (i.e. phone appointments, meeting and greeting, etc.) Customer service is a privilege – not a right.
  4. Test by letting the staff know you are going to call the sales department yourself. They will be mystery shopped!
  5. Sit, listen, and critique the salespeople in action. By the way, how are you at taking criticism and implementing personal changes?
  6. Work with sales consultants who are having challenges (names, numbers, appointments, appointment no-shows) and role-play potential customer scenarios.
  7. Listen to actual calls coming in (use the speakerphone).
  8. Manage the Telephone Log for each consultant. Know how many calls came in—who received them, and what was done with them—by the hour, by the day, by the week.
  9. Sit with sales consultants every day to prioritize their daily activities. Business Plan.
  10. Personally follow up with customers—set the standard!

Training Objectives

All managers must learn to coach! Set up a regular schedule. Training Meetings must have a clear purpose and be:

  • Informative
  • Interesting
  • Motivational

Important: Otherwise, don’t have them, just to have them!

The Sale Manager’s Role

  • Must teach the sales staff by modeling and coaching, not just telling them.
  • Lead by example
  • Know the programs better than the salespeople.
  • Provide real-world situations
  • Answer real needs – practice – practice – practice – practice
  • Role-play, evaluate, get feedback (positive and negative)
  • Inspire salespeople to reach for more (success examples, modeling)
  • Plan meetings in advance
  • Know what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it
  • Command respect, then earn it

 

Automotive SEO
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Posted by Shawn Ryder

Canadian Grocery – Automotive Trends

Digital Marketing, Sales 0

The automotive industry was already impacted by an unprecedented disruption before the coronavirus. We’ve seen shared mobility, driverless cars, and electric vehicles shake up the industry, so understanding how to adapt during difficult times is not a new challenge.

However, over the last couple of months, there has been a change in priority for people across Canada. According to Google people in early March were showing interest on dealerships – focusing on where to get cars, shopping for vehicles and checking out inventory.

Then around the 13th of March that all changed – quickly. For six weeks their main focus has been on basic necessities for everyday life – for example groceries. Where to go, how busy the stores are, and who has pick-up options.

Grocery Stores – Car Dealers Comparison – Canada

But as we adjust to things now – the interest level in dealerships has begun to grow again, while people are more familiar with grocery stores and the affect they have on every day.

Even though things are starting to focus on automotive – that doesn’t mean visiting the dealership. The new way of doing business will include virtual showrooms, online inventory, booking appointments and visiting customers. Digital is going to play a big part in the everyday for dealerhsips – understanding customer expectations, as well as the new ways people shop and buy, will be critical to success.

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