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AutoSuccess Best Practice Summit VII, Details Inside

                                                       Volume 6   •   Issue 3
Sep07
NEED AN EVENT                   THAT PAYS?

                             The Hottest
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                                                IN THE NATION
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IN JULY 2007, THE AVERAGE RESPONSE PER EVENT WAS 491 UPS AND HOT LEADS

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www.tkevents.com                                        Copyright © 2007 Turn-Key Events and it’s licensors.
SUMMIT VII
                           BEST PRACTICES


LEADERSHIP    •    INTERNET         •   CRM         •   MARKETING     •    BDC     •   SALES




      Call today to register. Seating is limited.        Speakers and times subject to change.   toll free: 866.739.2096   web: www.autosuccessonline.com
Mental Fitness Program
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   8          BrianTracy

                                                                                                       Follow Up - Put Your People Back to Work
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   9          PaulH.Webb


on the cover                                                                                                                                           When Buyers Hesitate
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 10           TomHopkins

                                                                                                                     Methodical Strategy-Driven Success
                                                                                                                                       ✷ MySpace, YouTube, Google Video
                                                                                                                                         ✷ Way Out of the Box HR Solutions
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 12           SeanV.Bradley

                                                                                                                                                ✷ Internet Sales Bootcamp




                                                                                        How to Hire, Train and Develop 20 Car-A-Month
                                                                                                                    Salespeople, Part 4                                                                          14           BobCarmack

                                                                                                                                               Dealing With the ‘F’ Word
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 16           SeanWolfington

                                                                                                                               Stop Working and Start Thinking
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  17          MarkTewart

                                                                                            Successful Dealers Manage by the Numbers -
                                                                                                                    The Right Numbers                                                                            18           RichardF.Libin

                                                                                                                                                 Simple Can Be Profound
                                                                                                                                                                                                                20            JesseBiter

                                                                                                                                     The Customer is Always Tight
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 21           PaulLong

                                                                                                           Date Your Leads...Or Someone Else Will
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 24           RalphR.Roberts

                                                                                                                                                               Wouldn’t It Be Nice
                                                                                                                                                                                                                26            RobBloomfield

                                                                                                                                                               The ‘WOW’ Factor
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 27           DavidThomas

                                                      Welcome Back My Friends to ‘THE SHOW’ That Never Ends...
                                                                                                                                                                                                                28            MichaelYork

                                                                            How Not to Market Consumers - and Gain Their Trust
                                                                                                                                                                                                                30            DeniseRichardson

                                                                                                                                               How To Build Ads of Steel
                                                                                                                                                                                                                32            DaymondDecker

                                                              Promote Yourself Effectively and Create More Opportunities
                                                                                                                                                                                                                33            DebbieAllen

                                                                                         Making the Most of Your Media Interview, Part 5
                                                                                                          Tips and Checklist for Radio and Webcast Interviews                                                   34            PattiWood

                                                                       How to Find a Good Internet Manager from the Top Down
                                                                                                                                                                                                                36            JonathanG.Edwards

                                                                                                                        A Marriage Made in Heaven or Hell?
                                                                                      Finding the Right Match Between Salespeople and Your Business                                                             38            LeeB.Salz


                                                                                                                                                                               helping to support...                           God is the source of all supply




Psalm 112:7 - He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.

Patrick Luck, Editor & Publisher                                            Susan Givens, Vice President                                                 Brian Ankney, Sales-improvement Strategist                                  Brian Balash, Sales-improvement Strategist
luck43@sellingsuccessonline.com                                             sgivens1@sellingsuccessonline.com                                            super6@sellingsuccessonline.com                                             bb11@sellingsuccessonline.com
Thomas Williams, Creative Director                                          Dave Davis, Creative Strategist & Editor                                                                                                                                               God is the source of all supply
design@sellingsuccessonline.com                                             ddavis@sellingsuccessonline.com



3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive | Louisville Kentucky 40245 | phone: 877.818.6620 | fax: 502.588.3170 | www.SellingSuccessOnline.com
AutoSuccess Magazine is published monthly at 3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive, Louisville, Kentucky, 40245; 502.588.3155, fax 502.588.3170. Direct all subscription and customer service inquiries to 877.818.6620 or info@autosuccessonline.com. Subscription rate is $75 per year. AutoSuccess welcomes
unsolicited editorials and graphics (not responsible for their return). All submitted editorials and graphics are subject to editing for grammar, content and page length. AutoSuccess provides its contributing writers latitude in expressing advice and solutions; views expressed are not necessarily those of
AutoSuccess and by no means reflect any guarantees. AutoSuccess accepts no liability in respect of the content of any third party material appearing in this magazine or in respect of the content of any other magazine to which this magazine may be linked from time to time. Always confer with legal counsel
before implementing changes in procedures.© All contents copyrighted by AutoSuccess Magazine, a Division of Systems Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without express written consent from AutoSuccess. AutoSuccess may occasionally make readers’ names
available to other companies whose products and/or services may be of interest; readers may request that names be removed by calling 877.818.6620. Printed in the USA. Postmaster: Send address changes to AutoSuccess Magazine, 3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40245.
Sep07
sts    fos      ls     ms     sf     fis                                                                                                        BrianTracy
                     leadership solution




                         Mental Fitness Program
                      There are mental                  one quality all the studies had in common                 was perfect five years from now, what would
                      exercises or ways of              was vision. Leaders have vision. Non-leaders              it look like?” You can ask yourself this
                      thinking that you can             do not. Leaders have a vision of a better                 question as well.
                      learn and practice every          future for themselves, their families and their
                      day to become a more              organizations. They can see an ideal future in            Take a Test Every Day
                      positive, confident and            advance. They then work to make it a reality              All of life is a test in some way. You are
optimistic person. The more you think in                in the present. Future-oriented people think              constantly being tested by the ups and downs
these ways, the better you will feel, the more          about the future most of the time. They think             and unexpected events of daily life. The way
you will accomplish and the faster and more             about where they are going rather than where              you respond to the world around you is the
easily you will accomplish it.                          they have been. They think about what is                  way in which you take and pass this test.
                                                        possible in the months and years ahead
Think About the Future                                  rather than about the past (which cannot be               Perhaps the greatest test of all is your ability
The first and most important attitude you                changed).                                                 to think and talk about the future, about what
can practice to get the most out of yourself                                                                      you want and where you are going, most of
is future orientation. Future orientation is            Unfortunately, probably fewer than 10                     the time. This must become the focal point in
another of the most common characteristics              percent of people in our society are genuinely            your thinking. This is the ‘X’ that determines
of successful people, especially men and                future-oriented. The vast majority is                     the direction of your life. This is the test you
women who rise to positions of leadership               primarily concerned either about the present              pass or fail depending on what you choose to
and great responsibility in work, society and           and the immediate gratification of the day                 think about most of the time.
personal life.                                          and evening or about the past and what has
                                                        happened to them.                                         Brian Tracy is the chairman and CEO
In 3,300 studies of leadership, seeking the                                                                       of Brian Tracy International. He can be
common qualities possessed by great leaders             How can you tell whether a person is future-              contacted at 866.300.9881, or by e-mail at
through the ages, researchers found that the            oriented? Simply ask him/her, “If your life               btracy@autosuccessonline.com.




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  8                                                                                                                    www.sellingsuccessonline.com
sts    fos     ls    ms      sf    fis                                          PaulH.Webb
   sales and training solution


                        Follow Up - Put Your
                        People Back to Work
                     Nationally, the closing        Effective Follow-Up
                     ratio for customers            When following up with a customer,
                     who have already               remember, timing is everything — and the
                     been to the dealership         phone is your friend. The most effective
                     at least once without          customer follow-up telephone calls happen
                     buying       skyrockets        within the same day — or 24 to 48 hours of
from 20 percent for “normal walk-ins” to 76         the dealership visit.
percent.
                                                    Here Are a Few Tips:
There is a simple way to get these people            • Use the telephone to follow up. Letters
back into the dealership. It’s easy and it’s           don’t have the same kind of immediate
free: It’s called follow-up.                           response and are not as personal. You
                                                       should still send them, though — plus
The fact that these customers came back to             make the phone call.
your dealership in the first place tells you          • Practice making follow-up calls
that they want to do business with your                with your manager to gain more
dealership. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have         confidence.
returned.                                            • Be polite and respectful on the phone
                                                       by thanking your customer for initially
But it’s also important to respect the fine             coming to the dealership.
line that exists between making the sale and         • Always let your customers know why
annoying customers to the point that they              you are calling. Getting to the point
never want to come back. There are always              quickly lets your customers know you
customers who — no matter what you do or               value their time.
say — will never buy a vehicle during their
first visit.                                         Your objective is to generate two
                                                    appointments per day from these customer
So when it’s clear that a deal won’t be             follow-up calls. If you do that, you’ll book 40
made today, you need to take a step back            appointments a month (assuming you work
and let the customer move at the pace with          five days a week, four weeks a month).
which they’re comfortable. Sometimes that
means they’ll leave without buying. Instead         We know that only about half of these
of quitting on them, give them another              appointments will actually be kept, and if
opportunity to say “yes,” and follow up with        we use the 76 percent closing ratio because
them 24 to 48 hours later.                          every one of these customers has been to
                                                    the dealership before, you’ll net 15 sales a
It starts just before they walk out the door.       month just from customers you’ve talked to
Never ask a customer whether it’s OK for            before — not bad, considering the average
you to call them, or even the best time to call.    salesperson sells 10 vehicles a month.
It gives them a chance to say “no thanks”
or that they’ll call you. Be direct and give        Remember, your customers appreciate
them a reason to return to the dealership.          professional follow-up telephone calls.
If you didn’t have a vehicle they wanted,           Investing the time to reach out to them a
make sure you know what they want and tell          second or third time can be a very profitable
them that new inventory arrives every day.          use of your time.
Let customers know you are looking for the
vehicle that will make them happy and will          Always call the customer the same day
call them when you’ve got it.                       they visited your dealership. Customers
                                                    forget about your product and service 25
Maybe a customer liked a vehicle at your            percent for every day you wait to contact
dealership, but you couldn’t come to terms.         them. Call them the same day.
Tell them you’ll work on their situation and
call them within the next two days when
you’re sure a deal can be worked out. Often,
with these customers, all it takes to turn a “be-   Paul H. Webb is a principal of Street
back” into a sold customer is giving them a         Smart / I.T.S., Inc. He can be contacted at
little time to think about it and another $100      866.500.5827, or by e-mail at
or so to sweeten the deal.                          pwebb@autosuccessonline.com.

the #1 sales-improvement magazine for the automotive professional
                                                                                                      9
sts    fos    ls   ms      sf   fis                                                                                         TomHopkins
   sales and training solution




                            When Buyers Hesitate
                     You’ve just invested        They’ve been told ever since they were little    by not owning it. In other words, they have
                     the last 60 minutes         to “think twice before making decisions,” and    to come to terms with feeling better with the
                     of your day with            “Never sign on the dotted line unless you’re     product than having the money in their bank
                     someone who truly           absolutely sure of what you’re getting into.”    accounts. People are very emotionally tied
                     needs a new vehicle.        They might even flash back to a bad past          to their money. It may be the strongest bond
                     You feel like you’re        experience when they made a poor buying          other than the deep emotional bond between
on a roll. You firmly believe that the truck,     decision and lost either money or face. It’s     spouses or parents and children.
car or van they’ve selected is truly good for    time for them to make a change and change
them and they can afford it. They’re giving      can be hard for some people — even when          Rather than psychologically prying the
you both verbal and visual buying signs.         it’s a change for the good.                      money out of their hands, you must learn to
They’re talking about taking a trip or hauling                                                    nudge, prod and lead them to the decision
the whole family in their daily rounds in        They may have thought they were ready for        that you and they truly believe is good for
comfort and style. Everything is going along     a new vehicle when they drove onto the lot       them.
smoothly.                                        but when it comes right down to handing
                                                 over the keys to old Betsy and pulling their     Try these two simple lines:
It began when they explained what they           personal items out of the glove box and trunk,       “Obviously, you have a reason for
were looking for when you first met. They         what they thought was a welcome change               hesitating. Would you mind sharing
answered all of your questions about             can cause second thoughts to pop into their          it with me?”
their more specific needs. They listened          heads. Some people even get dizzy or break
intently to your explanations, watched your      into a sweat when making such changes. The       If you deliver those two sentences warmly —
demonstration carefully, drove the vehicle,      cause may be psychological, but the reaction     with sincerity — they’ll tell you exactly why
discussed options and selected colors that       is very real and often physical.                 they’re hesitant and you’ll have something
would work for them. Overall, they seemed                                                         to move forward with.
very involved and moving toward the              When that happens, they have nasty old
purchase. Then, the brakes went on. They         Mr. Fear creep into their psyches and cause      It could be a number of things. Usually, it’s
just stopped. They started hedging, asking       them to freeze like deer in the headlights,      the money. Sometimes, it’s an issue with
questions you had already answered and           not knowing what to do or where to go.           color, options or the length of the loan. They
physically backing away either by sitting        Their hesitation might turn into an outright     might start thinking they don’t have to make
back in their chairs, crossing their arms        objection to the vehicle they professed to       the decision today now that they know the
or literally leaning or stepping slightly        love just a short time before. This may seem     right source for the vehicle they want. The
backwards.                                       irrational to you since they were so excited     point is you can’t address the cause of the
                                                 about it a moment ago.                           hesitation until you know what it is. And that
What happened?                                                                                    little question will lead you to the answer.
                                                 OK, now we’re getting close to the real
Something perfectly normal.                      answer. Rational vs. irrational. Emotion         Don’t let buyer hesitation keep you from
                                                 vs. logic. Buying is not done logically. It      closing sales. Ask the right questions and
Few people get so excited about a new            is an emotional decision that is made, then      you’ll learn exactly what’s holding them
vehicle purchase that they just whip out         rationalized. When the brakes come on, the       back.
their check books or credit information and      rationalization just hasn’t happened yet.
say, “Let me have it.” Yes, it does happen at    Now, we’re getting into one of the most
times. However, it’s not the typical situation   critical points in all of the sales training I
you’ll encounter in automotive sales.            offer: It’s your job to help them rationalize
                                                 the buying decision.
                                                                                                  World-renowned master sales trainer Tom
When most people get excited about owning                                                         Hopkins is the chairman of Tom Hopkins
something new, little voices start talking in    The rationalization is that the amount of        International. He can be contacted at
their heads. I don’t mean that they have any     money you are asking for the vehicle equals      866.347.6148, or by e-mail at
kind of mental issues; they’re just typical.     or outweighs the discomfort they’re feeling      thopkins@autosuccessonline.com.




  10                                                                                                 www.sellingsuccessonline.com
Quality                       Reputation                         Quantity                           Results
  Our leads include complete      We’re proud to be a part of a     We give you the most online      We bring you online customers
     customer and vehicle         very successful and reputable     customers in the business.       which generate sales business,
 information. Like customers’      Fortune 500 company which        And our leads have a 20%             service business, parts
phone and email, even vehicle    includes AutoNation, the world’s   higher closing ratio than our     business and comprehensive
   listings with full options.     largest automotive retailer.             competition.                    search options.




                                                                                           Increase your sales today!
                                                                                           www.autousa.com/signup
                                                                                           1-888-208-8764
fs    feature solution
                                                                                                                             SeanV.Bradley
                                                                                                                                                          want and deserve, if you have no dealership        to do. Effective training needs to show them       service employees. Those organizations are


                         Methodical                                                                   ✷ MySpace, YouTube,
                                                                                                         Google Video
                                                                                                                                                          experience, but have good communication
                                                                                                                                                          skills and would like an exciting career in a
                                                                                                                                                          trillion dollar industry, call us or go online
                                                                                                                                                                                                             how to do it. Trainers should make calls,
                                                                                                                                                                                                             book appointments, go along on demo rides
                                                                                                                                                                                                             and sit in the finance office during the closing
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                constantly evolving their process. Generating
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                leads for salespeople is expensive. Make
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                sure these leads don’t fall in to the laps of ill-


                         Strategy-Driven ✷
                                                                                                                                                          and submit your resume. We are growing so          process.                                           equipped and under-trained people. Investing
                                                                                                                                                          quickly here at Bradley Motors, we are always                                                         in the right people and giving them the right
                                                                                                         Way Out of the Box HR                            looking for good people to help us enhance         Look for a training partner that provides a        training is the first step toward success.



                         Success
                                                                                                         Solutions                                        our customer experience.”                          360-degree view of Internet departments and
                                                                                                                                                                                                             their customers — someone who works with           As more and more people are using the
                                                                                                      ✷ Internet Sales Bootcamp                           This type of ad will produce several results. It
                                                                                                                                                          will help you find the right people to help you
                                                                                                                                                                                                             vendors and is backed by industry experts.         Internet, the focus has shifted away from the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                20 percent of the market who are shopping
                                                                                                                                                          reach your Internet sales goals and catch the      After training, follow-up is important and         price alone to those who are looking to save
                                                                                                                                                          attention of quality managers, salespeople, and    dealerships should look for a solution that        time, checking inventory or looking for a
With the continuing explosive growth of             the future. Then design a roadmap to reach the    the automotive resource in your area for this       other dealership personnel in your area. This      monitors their results on a daily basis after      better way to do business.
online auto shopping, dealers are looking           levels of production and the ease of process      demographic. It is important to be among            ad will also be seen by all of the consumers       training is completed. The right training
to leverage every technology and process            the dealership wants to enjoy.                    the first in your market to capitalize on this.      in your area. You will be the only dealership      partner will check call to appointment to          Finding new and cost-effective methods for
to improve their game. It is getting more           Implement:           After completing the         Dealerships need to learn how to use these          they see running ads like this. Consumers will     sale ratios, monitor all e-mail and phone          promoting your dealership can be a challenge.
challenging as all dealers, manufacturers and       design phase, it is time to implement. The        powerful resources and leverage the existing        see that your store is committed to customer       correspondence, provide ongoing training           It seems each year the cost of leads, Web sites
vendors recognize that the Internet is here         implementation phase consists of training         video and social networks on the Web. That          service, that you are growing and that big         on handling objections and rebuttals and so        and other Internet based advertising mediums
to stay. Not too long ago only 25 percent of        your people, and setting up the technology        — combined with Psuedo-sites, focus sites           things are going on at your store. This will       much more.                                         increases. Google’s purchase of YouTube,
dealers had Web sites; now, 96 percent do.          and creating promotions to support your           and micro-sites — will bring an incredible          differentiate you from all the other dealers in                                                       a provider of free hosting for video on the
                                                    processes.                                        amount of incremental traffic to a dealership        your area in the eyes of consumers.                Nelson Mazda went from seven to 80 Internet        Internet, cemented video and video search as
A primary challenge dealers are facing is how       Manage: Tracking is a necessity to                Web site.                                                                                              deals per month in one year by using the           the next evolution of marketing. The success
to put an Internet department together. There       successful management. Performance must                                                               Once you have the right people, a critical         Design, Implement, Manage and Evolve               of YouTube and MySpace show the desire for
are lots of pieces to the technology puzzle, like   be measured and monitored on a daily, weekly      The integration of a well-trained staff and a       component is training. A formal training           (D.I.M.E.) method.                                 video on the Internet.
Web sites, search engine optimization, lead         and monthly basis.                                solid process will make all the difference in the   program can give employees a solid
management software, CRM software and call          Evolve: Technology is constantly evolving.        results obtained. Some dealers still are putting    foundation that provides not only great results    In the past, dealers had to pay trainers to come   The best news of all is that many dealerships
monitoring. Training their teams to be efficient,    Dealerships need to keep up with the latest       the wrong people in the Internet departments,       for the dealership, but job satisfaction that      to them and spend a week or more explaining        can get started with what they already have.
focused and productive is an important step         ways to reach customers. Web sites and e-mail     or they are understaffed and unable to handle       keeps employees from leaving in frustration.       what an Internet client wants and how to sell to   They need to collect a library of videos;
for any dealership. Then there are staffing and      were new at one time and provided a leg up        the follow-up properly. Often, dealers would        There are many options for training, including     them. Speakers at 20 groups offer great ideas,     local commercials, national commercials,
process issues to address as well.                  for the stores that embraced them. Currently,     put either an IT/techie or an underperforming       one-day seminars, on-site engagements and          but only have a few hours to teach. The best       testimonial videos, walk-around videos, how
                                                    video search is one of the newest ways to gain    salesperson off the floor to be the Internet         multi-day bootcamps.                               way to learn what your store needs to know         to properly install a car seat, what you need
It isn’t enough to have the separate                an advantage over the competition. Next year      manager. Dealers quickly find out that product                                                          to be successful is to attend a comprehensive      to know to find the right car, secrets of a car
components; dealers need the solution to be         it will be something new. It is important to      knowledge and communication skills are more         Many vendors and trainers offer one-day            Internet sales boot camp. Find one that is a       salesperson, and more. All of these videos
customized to their store and the way they          stay ahead of the curve.                          important than technical knowledge. Many            seminars and workshops that are great              train-the-trainer Internet course.                 are presented by your dealership, with many
do business. All the pieces must fit together                                                          technical people are not good communicators.        opportunities to add to the basic Internet sales                                                      recorded at your dealership. Take these videos
properly, or else the outcome will be erratic       Focus should be concentrated on four key          They are great at sending fancy e-mails, but        knowledge employees already have. The focus        These are perfect for departments that want to     and post them on YouTube for free. YouTube
at best. Often when a dealer is not getting         areas: the Products (tools), People, Process      do not follow-up with phone calls, and if           should be on content and not the cost. Make        improve the results they are already getting.      will handle the coding and make them
the results, they look at buying more leads         and Promotions at your dealership. Quite          a salesperson can’t close a sale, you don’t         sure you understand what the benefits are and       The format is in-depth, and the longer time        available to be searched at Yahoo, MSN, AOL
or changing Web site vendors, when the real         simply, the store needs to find and create         get better results by moving him to another         what the expected learning outcomes will be.       frame allows for a greater amount of material      and Google. When people search for videos
problem lies in the process or the people.          Products, People, Process and Promotions          department that involves sales.                     If it makes your department more efficient or       to be taught. Participants also enjoy the          on topics related to car buying, they will find
That is a major reason why Internet initiatives     that are going to personify their own unique                                                          effective, it has relevant content.                benefits of networking and sharing ideas with       your store.
can fail. Dealers buy tools, but do not get the     vision. As you review each area, it is helpful    Finding the right people to staff your                                                                 other participants. Often, dealerships will
proper training, and managers do not hold           to know where to look and what to look at.        Internet sales department and utilizing the         Selecting the right on-site training partner is    recognize results the same day they implement      Call or e-mail Sean for your free strategy
the employees accountable to perform all the                                                          latest technology and methods is extremely          important to your store’s success. While it is     what they learned from the session.                session. This is not vaporware; this is a phone
tasks necessary to earn new business.               When reviewing your products, the two             important. The normal methods will produce          inevitable there will be some content overlap                                                         consultation to go over:
                                                    hot buttons are Web sites and search engine       the normal results. If you pursue new people        with material out there from all trainers, what    There is always a need for one-on-one              Your four P’s — Products, People, Process,
Peruzzi Automotive Group increased Internet         optimization. Research has shown that             the same way your competition pursues new           is really important and differentiates the best    training. Video on demand, training, tracking,     Promotions
sales from 30 to 107 per month in six months        dealers get the best closing ratios from leads    people, you will get the same quality people        is their custom approach to each assignment        testing and certification through an online         SWOT Analysis — Strengths, Weaknesses,
by using a SWOT analysis to identify new            generated from their own Web site. So dealers     they do.                                            and their people.                                  virtual training system will work, too. The        Opportunities, Threats
markets of opportunity. The best way to             should focus on how to get more traffic and                                                                                                               number of vendors and trainers are growing         D.I.M.E. – Design, Implement, Manage,
start the process of building or rebuilding         more leads from their own site. There are         Think outside of the box when looking for           Every engagement should start with a               exponentially. Video on demand systems are         Evolve
a successful Internet sales department is           other ways to generate traffic that are very       people. Every store is running newspaper ads        thorough analysis of the dealership. Then          used successfully by Sonic, MileOne, Sony
to perform a SWOT analysis (strengths,              economical and more effective than expensive      and posting jobs on Careerbuilder.com and           a custom solution should be designed for           and Disney, to name just a few.                    We will then deliver a custom “Road Map
weaknesses, opportunities and threats). This        Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns.                    Monster.com. Try something different, such as       each dealership. What works for a dealer in                                                           to Success” with procedures and plans to
is one area where hiring a consultant can bring                                                       broadcast television. Purchase 10 30-second         Boston might be completely different than          While indeed the Internet is not a new             improve your bottom line.
in a fresh perspective and new ideas. Dealers       Social networking costs nothing and will          spots. It will cost you somewhere around            what works for a multi-point dealership            phenomenon anymore, the landscape
should look inward at their current initiatives     bring buyers into your store. Go to bestplaces.   $3,000-$5,000. In the commercial, stand in          client in Evansville, Indiana. The markets,        continues to change, and there is always a
and then outward at their competition.              net to learn the demographics of the people in    front of your store and say something like,         the resources, the staffing and the tools are       need for training to stay ahead. It is just a      Sean V. Bradley is the CEO and founder
                                                    your area. Use this information to determine      “Hi, my name is Sean V. Bradley and I am the        different with every store, so the training        matter of how much training is needed. With        of Dealer Synergy. He can be contacted
One needs to create a vision of where they          how to reach them. For example, if you            owner of Bradley Motors here in Philadelphia,       company needs to make sure the solution fits        the Internet, training is focused on how to        at 866.507.3915, or by e-mail at
want to go, as well as a roadmap to get there.      have a high percentage of African American        PA. We just completed our new multi-million         the needs of the specific dealer.                   leverage technology to increase sales and          sbradley@autosuccessonline.com.
D.I.M.E. is an easy acronym to remember that        population, go to blackplanet.com* and            dollar customer development center and need                                                            how to best meet the expectations of Internet
can serve as your guide:                            establish a presence. Have one of your African    quality people to staff it. If you are currently    Additionally all trainers need to have             customers. Companies that are focused on
                                                    American salespeople set up a profile and          working at a dealership and are not happy, or       experience and success in Internet automotive      improving customer service have always             *blackplanet.com is the No. 1 African American
Design: Define the dealership’s vision of            post all of your videos. Your goal is to become   feel you are not able to earn the money you         sales. Training isn’t about telling clients what   embraced training for salespeople and              networking site in the United States



     12                                                                                                  www.sellingsuccessonline.com
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         13
sts    fos     ls   ms      sf    fis                                                                                           BobCarmack
   sales and training solution


                          How to Hire, Train and Develop 20
                            Car-A-Month Salespeople, Part 4
                      Last issue, I started        overload (too much looking), try to do the          should be emotional, less technical, with
                      discussing the very          majority of the fact finding in the dealership.      more time spent on demo and inside the car
                      timid,    laid  back,        Use a round table (non-confrontational)             selling amenities.
                      indecisive,      non-        instead of a closed office if possible. Enclosed
                      confrontational,             offices make this customer very nervous. If a        Never ask this customer if they want to demo
                      non-assertive   Type         round table is available, sit to the customer’s     — Just do it. If you ask, most will give you
“C” customer. I’m spending more time on            right side. (These are “right brain” people, and    an excuse.
this customer, as they represent around 25         it just makes them feel more comfortable.)
percent of the population and this is the          Continue with alternate choice question, and        Trial Closing, Getting a Commitment,
customer that’s the most understood and            don’t use a form — learn the questions.             Write-Up, and Closing
usually the most difficult customer for both                                                            Ask the trial closes in stages during the demo
the salesperson and manager to close. The          Let’s say this customer says he will be             while sitting across from them (instead of a
“traditional sales system” and “4-Square,”         looking for a car. First, compliment them.          quick, direct close). Focus on at least three
if followed precisely, will almost always          This is a reassurance technique and helps to        issues: the equipment, the usage, and the hot
cause this customer to walk away from your         eliminate “I need to talk to my brother” in the     button(s). For example, ask, “John, earlier
dealership.                                        close. Next, ask if they prefer light or dark       when we talked, you said safety was the most
                                                   colors, cloth or leather interior, 4-cylinder       important thing to you, right?” while nodding
The Meeting & Greeting                             or 6-cylinder, 2-door or 4-door, and so on.         your head “Yes.” Go on to say “We looked
(You Only Have Seconds)                            Again, reassure them from time to time —            at...(fill in safety equip.) earlier so you do
Approach slowly — remember from my last            this is very important.                             agree this vehicle has all the safety features
article that this customer is likely to park                                                           you want, right?” while nodding your head
away from the showroom, start walking the                                                              again. Use this same technique to verify the
entire lot, or drive the lot in the security of
their car. If you notice this pattern of looking
                                                      Try your best to                                 equipment and usage. Trial close on budget
                                                                                                       last by saying, “This vehicle has all the
around at everything and avoiding contact,            keep them from                                   equipment you want, everything that’s most
you need to lead this customer, and it starts                                                          important to you, and fits your usage. If we
by you making a positive leading statement.           walking the lot and                              can get the terms agreeable for you, this is
                                                      looking around.                                  the vehicle you want to own, correct?” When
As an example, upon approach you would say,                                                            returning to the dealership, park next to their
“Welcome to ABC Motors, I’m Bob and you               Indecisive people                                trade if possible. Back in your office, write
are...?” or, “I noticed you were doing a little       get more confused                                the commitment on the back of the worksheet
shopping and looking around.” Then start by                                                            and construct the commitment based on the
saying “Yes” vs. “No” (“Can I help you?”).            if given too many                                trial close statement. For example, “Mr.
Next, offer an extended handshake, followed           choices.                                         Smith agrees to own the ‘Toyota Camry’ if
by stepping backward several feet. Remember,                                                           the terms are agreeable.”
they hate pressure and confrontation. This
technique addresses this situation. Try your       If you ask these questions and the customer         If you use the above techniques, you’ve
best to keep them from walking the lot and         isn’t responding (“I don’t know, I’m not sure,      eliminated most of the basic objections, “I
looking around. Indecisive people get more         I just want to look”, etc.), recognize it’s going   want to think about it” and “I need to talk
confused if given too many choices. A good         south quickly. Do not give them a brochure at       to....” You already have a commitment,
technique for this is to walk between two cars     this point because you just gave them a pass        so in the close, sit to their right, close on
and they will usually follow. This stops the       to walk out of the dealership. Rather, say, “I      payments and give an option close, (ie. 48 or
walking process.                                   understand, the car you’re driving now (the         60 months). I don’t recommend the 4-square
                                                   trade?) is a light color and obviously there        with this customer — it’s too confusing and
Remember, don’t come on too strong, and            was a reason for selecting a light color. What      causes them to think. As you ask the closing
avoid heavy direct eye contact with this           was it?” Let them sell you on the color choice      question, touch the top of their right hand
customer. Next, start developing rapport by        by using their trade-in as a reference.             (reassurance technique) and ask them to
getting to know them, and slowly move them                                                             “OK” it. If they don’t buy now, taking the
off the lot toward the showroom. When it’s         Selection of the Right Car,                         car home will usually close the deal the next
time to start discussing vehicles, ask them,       Walk-A-Round, and Demo                              day. If they won’t take the car home, deliver
“John, when you are ready to consider a            Once you get enough answers to your                 it to them at home after dinner time (a go-
vehicle (take the pressure off), will you be       questions, you make the decision as to the          see). This “take home” technique will close
considering a car, truck, or SUV?” Don’t           right vehicle. Another important point is to        50 percent to 80 percent of these customers
use strictly open-ended questions; rather, ask     leave this customer in your office and you           usually within 24-48 hours.
option questions with two or three choices.        retrieve the vehicle, separate it from other
This technique helps to diminish the “I want       inventory and take it to a secluded area (as        Bob Carmack is president of Carmack
to think about it” objection in the close.         best as possible) to do your walk-a-round.          & Associates, LP and is a professional
                                                   Don’t do the walk-a-round around other              speaker and trainer. He can be contacted
Fact Finding                                       vehicles or this customer may start looking         at 866.393.8221, or by e-mail at
For the most control and to help the product       around again. The focus of the walk-a-round         bcarmack@autosuccessonline.com.


  14                                                                                                      www.sellingsuccessonline.com
Sep07
sts   fos    ls     ms   sf   fis                                                                                        SeanWolfington
                  leadership solution




                         Dealing With the ‘F’ Word
                    Now that I have your      sound of it may cause you to cringe, or you          a process that can begin long before the end.
                    attention, let’s talk     might be one who is capable of letting it roll       Any successful project starts with a clear
                    about that little four-   off your back. The truth of the matter is that       vision and a detailed strategy. If the vision
                    letter word that most     we all will, inevitably, be forced to confront it.   is clouded with uncertainty, and the strategy
                    people find despicable.    Let’s face it, we all do it. We all…fail.            muddled with doubt and disorder, then failure
                    We’ve all heard it at                                                          is probable and in some cases eminent. In
one time or another, either from someone      Failure is not just an end result; it sometimes      situations such as these, failure can be like
else’s mouth or perhaps our own. Just the     is the means to the end. In other words, it is       a self-fulfilled prophecy or a self-inflicted
                                                                                                   wound. Lest there be a concise plan and the
                                                                                                   belief and support of all involved, low morale
                                                                                                   will spread like a cancer which will critically
                                                                                                   cripple the success of the project. Disheartened
                                                                                                   staffs tend to deteriorate in performance,
                                                                                                   which can build a case for failure.

                                                                                                   As leaders, we tend to despise failure because
                                                                                                   it is usually associated with poor results, but
                                                                                                   sometimes failure occurs even in the face of
                                                                                                   a valiant effort. At times like these, failure
                                                                                                   need not be seen as the end result, but as an
                                                                                                   obstacle or conflict in the pursuit of desired
                                                                                                   results. Perceiving failure as mere conflict and
                                                                                                   a hurdle that needs to be jumped will allow
                                                                                                   your team to build a more solid foundation
                                                                                                   upon which to launch new and improved
                                                                                                   initiatives or perfected processes. We live in
                                                                                                   a quantifiable world that demands constant
                                                                                                   evaluation, allowing us to capitalize on failure
                                                                                                   by embracing it as a learning process and an
                                                                                                   opportunity to modify and improve.

                                                                                                   Failure is the first step toward success. If we
                                                                                                   begin to think there is nothing left to learn from
                                                                                                   our mistakes, then we are defeated before we
                                                                                                   even begin. If we’re growing and learning at
                                                                                                   all — as individuals and as a company — then
                                                                                                   we must realize that it’s healthy to evaluate our
                                                                                                   progress (or lack of it) as we strive to move
                                                                                                   forward, recalibrating our current processes
                                                                                                   and practices according to the new knowledge
                                                                                                   that we gain as we stumble along.

                                                                                                   There is an old proverb that says there are two
                                                                                                   kinds of failures: those who thought and never
                                                                                                   did, and those who did and never thought.
                                                                                                   History has shown that not risking failure,
                                                                                                   or refusing to recognize the lessons learned
                                                                                                   as a result of failure, can be devastating. We
                                                                                                   all can learn from our mistakes, it’s called
                                                                                                   experience.

                                                                                                   Robert F. Kennedy once said of failure: “Only
                                                                                                   those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve
                                                                                                   greatly.”

                                                                                                   Where will you dare to fail today?


                                                                                                   Sean Wolfington can be contacted
                                                                                                   at 866.802.5753, or by e-mail at
                                                                                                   swolfington@autosuccessonline.com.


  16                                                                                                   www.sellingsuccessonline.com
sts    fos     ls    ms     sf    fis                                          MarkTewart
   sales and training solution


                            Stop Working and
                               Start Thinking
                      “Work harder.”               When you are programmed over and over with
                      “Work more hours.”           those messages, you begin to buy into those
                      “Put your nose to the        messages and accept them as universally true.
                      grindstone.”                 Over a period of time this leads to negative
                      “You have to pay your        cycles occurring repeatedly and you don’t
                      dues.”                       know how to change them. So what do you
“Climb the ladder of success.”                     do? You revert back to your programming.
                                                   You work harder. You work more hours. You
Do all of these sayings sound familiar? These      put your nose to the grindstone. You pay your
common phrases often espouse ideas that            dues. You climb the ladder of success.
become anchored as limiting beliefs in your
brain. Here’s the shocking news; these phrases     I have a little saying, “Stop the train.” If you
often put into motion a cycle of struggle and      aren’t getting to your destination, you have
failure. These common teachings may have           to change something. The most critical thing
kept you from having the kind of success you       to change is your thoughts. Thoughts create
desire. The missing ingredient is not your         action and action creates habits and habits
work; it’s your thoughts.                          create results and results create your destiny.
                                                   It’s that simple.
Just reading that first paragraph may have
made you mad. You may disagree so strongly         In Robert Ringer’s book, “Winning through
that your emotions may cause you to disregard      Intimidation,” he talks of the “Leapfrog
the possibility of truth from the message          Theory.” His idea is that you can leapfrog
intended. If so, this is a direct reflection of     your way to success. You don’t have to climb
those often well ingrained lessons. Dwell          the ladder rung by rung. He is absolutely
upon this for a minute: If these commonly          correct. However, if your subconscious has
held beliefs were true, why aren’t more people     been bombarded by messages your whole
happy, successful and rich?                        life that teach you that you must pay your
                                                   dues and you have to work harder, you will
The answer to the question is those beliefs by     either disregard the message or sabotage
themselves are wrong and harmful. People           your actions. Everyone either has at one time
who dig ditches work hard. Salespeople work        or knows someone who when they were
lots of hours. Corporate people try to climb       experiencing success began to take actions
the ladder of success. People who manage you       that lead to the demise of that success.
often want you to pay your dues. How many
of these people do you know that are wildly        Most people chalk those experiences up to
happy, successful or enjoy their success? The      fate or bad luck. That belief will forever keep
answer is often few, if any.                       you in a cycle of frustration and repeated
                                                   failures. Sheer luck by itself is a rare thing.
What you generate in your brain is the key.        Success and failure are almost always created
More hours and more work with misguided            in your mind first. Any other belief is simply
thoughts will only speed up your frustration       allowing you to be lead by other’s beliefs.
and failure. The first step is to throw away and    When this happens you are now in bondage
clean the slate of all the damaging sayings,       and slavery. Slavery of the brain and spirit is
lessons and beliefs that you have been taught.     the worst possible fate.
Start by writing down your 20 earliest thoughts
about money. Do the same with work. When           There is a saying, “Pray, but move your feet.”
you are finished you may notice that most           You can pray and you can move your feet and
of these memories are negatively based or          get going, but if you control and guide your
entrenched in scarcity based thinking.             thoughts you will learn to attract more success
                                                   than you ever would have before dreamed.
Those memories and beliefs are exactly why         The amusing thing is that much of the success
when people tell you to just think positive        you attract will seem to come effortlessly and
that they are not only wrong but potentially       the phrase “Hard Work” will not even be a
harmful. Until you erase the negative              part of your thoughts.
programming that you have acquired, you
will not be able to truly have positive thoughts
that are believed and lasting. Everyone has a      Mark Tewart is the president of Tewart
tremendous amount of negative programming          Enterprises. He can be contacted at
that you have acquired from parents, teachers,     866.429.6844, or by e-mail at
bosses, newspapers and books.                      mtewart@autosuccessonline.com.

the #1 sales-improvement magazine for the automotive professional
                                                                                                      17
sts    fos    ls    ms     sf    fis                                                                                         RichardF.Libin
   sales and training solution


                          Successful Dealers Manage By
                      the Numbers - The Right Numbers
                       Monthly        financial    for the month in progress as well.                and promotions. So questions arise:
                       statements can paint                                                          • What’s the fat and what’s the muscle?
                       a bleak picture in         The most consistently successful dealers           • Who do you cut and why do you cut?
                       uncertain or “down”        today “close” the month every day with             • Do you cut because the position is no
                       markets, yet many of       every customer. According to NADA, the                longer needed or do you cut because
                       the nation’s dealerships   average salesperson sells 8.5 cars per month.         the financial statement shows you
show positive financial results and even gains,    Using this data, let’s consider two dealerships       need to cut expenses?
despite uncontrollable market challenges. It’s    — Dealership A and Dealership B — both             • What message do you want to send
these dealerships where management has set        selling an average of 100 cars per month, both        employees about how you manage
a positive tone and ensured it permeates the      exposed to the same external influences, but           your business?
entire team. In these dealerships, salespeople    each taking a different approach to managing
greet their customers and co-workers with a       by the numbers.                                   Analyzing the right numbers and “closing
positive mindset that acts as a self-fulfilling                                                      the month” every day will enable managers
prophecy to deliver even more positive            Dealership A’s management uses an accurate        to determine the best approach: cutting
results.                                          traffic count that comes through the door          high salaried or lower salaried employees
                                                  each month, say an average of 400 – 450           vs. changing the approach to closing
The difference? The 10 percent are managing       opportunities. Despite averaging only 100         opportunities vs. adjusting the projections (if
by the only numbers that matter — a count of      sales per month, the dealer sticks with           they are too aggressive). These decisions will
the actual traffic coming into the dealership      the fundamental concepts for running a            ensure that the manager doesn’t cut the muscle
every single day. These numbers paint             successful business. He adds salespeople,         — important basic requirements of running a
a real picture of the “state of the state” of     manages inventories the same, and focuses         successful dealership — from his dealership.
their business, and help dealers stick to the     on relationship selling. He puts a process in     Those managers who rely only on end of
basics and succeed in an uncertain market.        place that holds every employee accountable       the month, historical financial statements
Those dealers who rely solely on month-           for performance and measures it daily. With       generally make the wrong decisions, cut the
end financial statements essentially rely on       his managers, he develops a plan to hit a         muscle and create self-fulfilling prophecies
a final performance report card, allowing          specific gross revenue target each month.          that bear out expectations: business and
them to manage the business on historical         This target is divided into weekly and daily      profits.
data after the fact. These managers often         goals for every part of the business, and
succumb to negative month-end reports,            communicated to every employee. Daily, the        The difference is clear. If a dealer or manager
ultimately cutting the programs and people        dealer holds managers accountable and the         is not measuring performance based on
they need to drive business forward. Success      managers hold their sales teams accountable       projections every single day, are they truly
comes from managing business daily using          for hitting — or exceeding — the goals. In this   managing their performance? No. Those
real-time, accurate data.                         way, the dealer, managers and salespeople         who do measure gains and weaknesses daily
                                                  have an exact traffic count and know exactly       will know where they stand, giving them the
Manage by the Numbers,                            what happened to every opportunity that           opportunity to proactively correct slips before
Not the Financial Statement                       came into the showroom each day, why it           they become problems. These managers can
To make a difference in performance, dealers      happened and what to do to improve. The           hold their salespeople accountable for doing
must look at the daily traffic count. These        result? Dealership A’s financial statement no      their jobs, and by example, train the next
numbers, the right numbers, enable changes        longer shows peaks and valleys.                   generation of management. When managing
to be made and problems to be addressed in                                                          by the right numbers, the traffic numbers,
real time. The traffic count is a powerful,        Dealership B’s management uses the                typically business will continue growing at
up-to-date tool for dealers who want to           monthly financial statement as the basis for       an even pace. Which would you rather be
drive performance every day. The financial         decisions. Since the dealership typically         — Store A or Store B?
statement, by contrast, is a historical record    sells 100 cars a month, they employ 11
providing data that is six weeks old. By          salespeople, in line with the market averages.    Richard F. Libin is president of Automotive
the time the dealer sees this report, the         Anticipating a market decline, the dealer         Profit Builders, Inc. He can be contacted
opportunity to make a change is past, not         decides to protect profits by cutting back on      at 866.450.6853, or by e-mail at
only for the month in review, but most likely     advertising, training, staff, inventory, perks    rlibin@autosuccessonline.com.




  18                                                                                                   www.sellingsuccessonline.com
Sep07
sts    fos    ls     ms    sf   fis                                                                                              JesseBiter
                   leadership solution




                          Simple Can Be Profound
                      In today’s business        anyone serves, he should do it with the            your God-given talents in your work, valuing
                      world,        it      is   strength God provides, so that in all things       an eternal reward more than an earthly
                      commonplace to keep        God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”          paycheck. By honoring God and empowering
                      the proverbial cards       1 Peter 4:10-11                                    others at the workplace, you will find that
                      close to the vest.                                                            your co-workers will take notice. This will
                      Wearing one’s heart on     The first step is to simply be yourself and put     increase your credibility around the office
one’s sleeve is presumed to make a person        forth an honest effort to live out your faith in   and provide you greater opportunity to share
vulnerable to the fickle winds of political       every aspect of your life. Your faith should       your faith.
correctness. Maintaining the status quo and      be an integral part of your daily interaction
averting any issue of a perceived sensitive      with other people. That doesn’t mean               “Yet he did not waver through unbelief
nature may be the safe choice. But is leaving    that you should feel compelled to spread           regarding the promise of God, but was
one’s soul in the parking lot on the way into    the Gospel at the water cooler. Forcing a          strengthened in his faith and gave glory to
the office a healthy way of life?                 discussion about faith is counterproductive        God, being fully persuaded that God had
                                                 and will lead to awkward feelings among co-        power to do what he had promised.”
Christian business leaders understand            workers. Only the Holy Spirit can transform        Romans 4:20-21
that faith is a fundamental part of one’s        someone’s heart. Simply pray that God will
constitution. To extricate the soul from the     help you to reflect some of His character in        It’s important to realize that the exploration
body and expect the mind to navigate the day     your life, so others can get a glimpse of Him      of faith in one’s life is a process, not a
independently is unnatural and unrealistic.      by interacting with you. When you wear your        singular event. Any number of small,
Throughout history, it has been customary        faith on your sleeve, it’s easy to let people      incremental decisions regarding spirituality
to share faith with people in the marketplace    know there’s something special about you           can ultimately lead a person to Christ. Plant
and places of business. When done correctly,     without even saying a word.                        the seeds of faith in others the simple way
faith can still be celebrated and shared in                                                         — by staying true to yourself. You may be
virtually any modern-day setting.                If you want people to pay attention to your        surprised to learn that sometimes the simple
                                                 faith, you must also pay attention to your         can be profound.
“Each one should use whatever gift he            work. Don’t discriminate between your
has received to serve others, faithfully         sacred and secular jobs. No matter if you          Jesse Biter is the president and CEO of
administering God’s grace in its various         are sitting in the executive wing or cleaning      HomeNet, Inc. He can be contacted at
forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it         the executive wing, know that God is your          866.239.4049, or by e-mail at
as one speaking the very words of God. If        ultimate boss. Discover, develop, and use          jbiter@autosuccessonline.com.




  20                                                                                                   www.sellingsuccessonline.com
sts    fos     ls   ms      sf    fis                                               PaulLong
                        marketing solution


                                 The Customer is
                                    Always Tight
                      There is a sense             make sure the discounts merchants are willing
                      of entitlement that          to offer are strong, so customers are less likely
                      customers         have       to find them anywhere else. Lastly, take the
                      today     that   hasn’t      smell test: What’s your impression of the
                      always been evident.         merchant? You don’t want to align yourself to
                      Marshall Field, the          a business with a bad reputation.
American department store owner coined
the phrase, “Right or wrong, the Customer          Once you’ve established your club, you’ll
is always right.” I wonder whether he took         need a medium for the merchants to identify
into consideration the type of customers who       your Members. This could be in the form
are price conscious, yet expect the deepest        of a card, a key chain, or a tattoo. Just take
appreciation for their having done business        into consideration that you want there to be
with us.                                           an expiration date, so your customers will be
                                                   compelled to come back for future vehicles.
I don’t blame these customers. I earned the
money I make, and I want to keep as much           When you get compelling discounts for
of it as possible — even if that means driving     customers from your merchant friends, the
all over town to save $100 or $200 on my           $200 they might have saved at the competition
$20,000 purchase (which, if I think about it, is   will dissolve in the face of the potential
only a one percent discount). But there is the     thousands of dollars they will save in the club.
thrill of the negotiation, too: How much can I     Instead of saving one percent off my vehicle
get in free stuff for the money I spend?           purchase, I could save 10 to 15 percent over
                                                   the course of a year.
So here is a new twist on Mr. Field’s phrase:
“Right or wrong, the Customer is always            Train your salespeople to show your
tight.” That doesn’t mean we should treat          prospects the value during the sales process.
them any differently. On the contrary, we          For example, if only one merchant offers a
should be thinking of creative ways to foster      “buy-one-get-one-free” meal, and the average
that sense of entitlement and help them save       meal costs $10, the customer only needs to go
money.                                             to that restaurant 10 times in a year to save
                                                   $100.
If my twist on the above phrase is true, then
think about it some more, dissect it and           What’s more, this gives your salespeople
place the emphasis on a different word: The        something to get past “hello.” A customer
customer is always tight, whether they are         benefit like this moves the conversation away
negotiating for a vehicle, buying gas, ordering    from price and helps your staff begin to build
pizza or renting a car.                            a real relationship with customers, which
                                                   ultimately will bring those customers back
You can help your guests save money, and earn      again.
their respect and their business by leveraging
your customer base. Get other merchants in         Here is what will happen: Customers will be
your community to discount their prices or         carrying your name in their wallets, on their
give away free stuff to your customers.            key ring, or printed on their forearm (if you go
                                                   that route). They’ll be members of an Exclusive
For starters, consider all the small business      Club: Your Tight Club. Every time they use
owners in your community. Make a list of           their Membership, they’ll be thinking of what
merchants who sell high-frequency sundry           great value you brought to their entitled, price-
products, like meals in restaurants, dry           conscious lives. That’s a Customer for Life.
cleaning or groceries. Partner with them to        That’s advertising you can’t buy. And it’s a
send your customers to their establishments in     value your competition won’t be able to offer
exchange for an agreed-upon discount. You’re       — unless they offer it first.
exchanging free promotion to your customers,
and merchants are happy for the free publicity.    For a free membership into my Exclusive
You could call it “the tight customers club,”      Club of over 160,000 merchants, e-mail me
and I would be your first member.                   or give me a call.

When selecting merchant partners, take into        Paul Long is the president of the
consideration their level of competition in the    re:member group. He can be contacted at
community. If they have no competition, they       866.630.0221 or by e-mail at
will be less likely to offer a discount. Also,     plong@autosuccessonline.com.

the #1 sales-improvement magazine for the automotive professional
                                                                                                       21
Sep07
sts   fos    ls    ms     sf   fis                                                                                    RalphR.Roberts


                                       Date Your Leads...
   sales and training solution




                                    Or Someone Else Will
                     People who know               time, via phone, e-mail, paper mail            • Your resume
                     me are rarely aware           or some other method. A follow-up              • Your company, team, or personal
                     that I moonlight as a         method that’s automated is typically             mission statement
                     marriage     counselor.       best, because it requires less of your         • A brochure
                     I    tell   workaholic        time. Whenever I receive a new lead,           • Reprints of any positive press you
spouses that they had better “Date your wife       I add the person to my drip e-mail               received in the newspapers
(or husband), or someone else will.” The           campaign, as discussed later in this
same can be said to salespeople: Date your         article.                                      Remember, your marketing packet represents
leads, or someone else will.                                                                     you, so invest in an attractive design and
                                               Be the First to Call                              layout. To establish a brand presence in the
Far too many people buy leads and then         The nurturing process commences as soon           mind of the person receiving the packet,
completely drop the ball on nurturing those    as you receive the lead. In most cases, you       every item in your marketing packet should
leads. That is the equivalent of spending      are not the only salesperson receiving the        have a consistent look and feel.
months of your life wooing your sweetheart,    lead. Your lead generation service probably
finally convincing the person to marry you,     sent the lead to several other salespeople in     Be Persistent
and then completely ignoring him or her for    your area, and the first person to contact the     If you do not hear back from your lead, call
the rest of your married life — which would    lead has the best chance, by far, of ultimately   the person sooner rather than later. Ask the
probably be a very short-lived marriage. You   landing the sale.                                 person where he or she is in the decision
must continue to nurture your relationship                                                       process and whether you can do anything
with your leads until they finally decide to    You should have a system that enables you         right now to assist them.
hire you.                                      to check incoming leads wherever you may
                                               be. You can have leads sent to you via e-mail     Whatever you do, do not let that lead off the
Create a System                                and forwarded to your cell phone at the same      hook. Before my wife agreed to marry me,
Before you even think about signing up with    time. Even if you are out, you can check          I had to ask her 11 times. Some leads can
a lead generation service, you should have     for incoming leads and contact prospects          be just as picky when choosing a salesperson
a system in place for managing leads. Your     immediately. Any hesitation can undermine         to buy from. Remain persistent without
system should cover the following:             future efforts.                                   nagging, and transform those leads into
  • Filtering leads — Although your                                                              commissions!
    lead-generation service may filter          Work on Your Follow-through
    out all but the most promising leads,      After that first contact, keep in touch with       Date Your Clients, Too
    you probably want to do your own           your lead. One of the best ways to do this is     Your best leads come from your best clients,
    filtering, so you can focus your energy     to add the person to a drip e-mail campaign.      so be sure to date your best clients, too. This
    on leads that you have a better chance     With drip e-mail, a series of messages are        doesn’t mean selling to them every chance
    of converting into sales.                  sent out automatically once every week or so,     you get. It means establishing a long-term
  • Making initial contact — Being the         so the person does not have the opportunity       relationship, so that when they or someone
    first to call is a key step in converting   to forget about you.                              they know needs whatever you are selling,
    leads into sales, so make sure you have                                                      they think of you first.
    a system in place that enables you or      When the prospect eventually decides to
    someone on your team to contact the        buy, he or she can quickly open your e-mail       Every month or so, touch base with past
    prospect within an hour of receiving       message to obtain your contact information        clients. Send a letter, an e-mail message or
    the lead.                                  and call or e-mail you to obtain more             a newsletter; call them on the phone; send
  • Gathering information — Create             information or hire you as their salesperson.     them a card or present on their birthday or
    a form to fill out or a script that         You can set up a drip e-mail campaign online      anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t sell.
    enables you to gather the information      at any of several drip e-mail management          Just let them know that you’re thinking about
    you need to effectively sell to each       sites.                                            them, so they will think about you.
    prospect. Remember, your first step in
    the sales process is to ask questions;     At the same time, you should mail a
    you can’t sell if you don’t know what      marketing packet to your prospective client.
    your customer wants.                       Your packet should include a folder with the
  • Following up — Some prospects              following materials:
    may require several months to make           • Your business card                            Ralph R. Roberts is a nationally
    a purchase decision. Your system             • A letter of introduction describing           recognized sales coach, author and official
                                                                                                 spokesperson for Guthy-Renker Home. He
    should provide some way to remain               who you are and how you help your            can be contacted at 866.470.5181, or by e-
    in contact with prospects during this           clients                                      mail at rroberts@autosuccessonline.com.

  24                                                                                                www.sellingsuccessonline.com
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Sep07

  • 1. AutoSuccess Best Practice Summit VII, Details Inside Volume 6 • Issue 3
  • 3. NEED AN EVENT THAT PAYS? The Hottest Turn -Key SALES EVENTS IN THE NATION OUR DEALERS AVERAGE 411% MORE UPS WITH OUR EVENTS THAN LEADING SALES. NO TEAMS, NO COMMISSIONS, JUST TRAFFIC!! IN JULY 2007, THE AVERAGE RESPONSE PER EVENT WAS 491 UPS AND HOT LEADS POWERFUL EVENTS • REAL BIG RESULTS • REALLY INEXPENSIVE Plus, we include everything for you... Direct Mailer or Parcel • Video Sales Event Website • Balloons • Mirror Tags Registration Cards • Incentives • Grand Prize Insurance • BDC Scripts and more! CALL FOR A FREE MARKET REPORT. The Driving Force Behind EVENT SPECIALISTS ARE STANDING BY 866-665-5504 Automotive Advertising www.tkevents.com Copyright © 2007 Turn-Key Events and it’s licensors.
  • 4. SUMMIT VII BEST PRACTICES LEADERSHIP • INTERNET • CRM • MARKETING • BDC • SALES Call today to register. Seating is limited. Speakers and times subject to change. toll free: 866.739.2096 web: www.autosuccessonline.com
  • 5. Mental Fitness Program 8 BrianTracy Follow Up - Put Your People Back to Work 9 PaulH.Webb on the cover When Buyers Hesitate 10 TomHopkins Methodical Strategy-Driven Success ✷ MySpace, YouTube, Google Video ✷ Way Out of the Box HR Solutions 12 SeanV.Bradley ✷ Internet Sales Bootcamp How to Hire, Train and Develop 20 Car-A-Month Salespeople, Part 4 14 BobCarmack Dealing With the ‘F’ Word 16 SeanWolfington Stop Working and Start Thinking 17 MarkTewart Successful Dealers Manage by the Numbers - The Right Numbers 18 RichardF.Libin Simple Can Be Profound 20 JesseBiter The Customer is Always Tight 21 PaulLong Date Your Leads...Or Someone Else Will 24 RalphR.Roberts Wouldn’t It Be Nice 26 RobBloomfield The ‘WOW’ Factor 27 DavidThomas Welcome Back My Friends to ‘THE SHOW’ That Never Ends... 28 MichaelYork How Not to Market Consumers - and Gain Their Trust 30 DeniseRichardson How To Build Ads of Steel 32 DaymondDecker Promote Yourself Effectively and Create More Opportunities 33 DebbieAllen Making the Most of Your Media Interview, Part 5 Tips and Checklist for Radio and Webcast Interviews 34 PattiWood How to Find a Good Internet Manager from the Top Down 36 JonathanG.Edwards A Marriage Made in Heaven or Hell? Finding the Right Match Between Salespeople and Your Business 38 LeeB.Salz helping to support... God is the source of all supply Psalm 112:7 - He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. Patrick Luck, Editor & Publisher Susan Givens, Vice President Brian Ankney, Sales-improvement Strategist Brian Balash, Sales-improvement Strategist luck43@sellingsuccessonline.com sgivens1@sellingsuccessonline.com super6@sellingsuccessonline.com bb11@sellingsuccessonline.com Thomas Williams, Creative Director Dave Davis, Creative Strategist & Editor God is the source of all supply design@sellingsuccessonline.com ddavis@sellingsuccessonline.com 3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive | Louisville Kentucky 40245 | phone: 877.818.6620 | fax: 502.588.3170 | www.SellingSuccessOnline.com AutoSuccess Magazine is published monthly at 3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive, Louisville, Kentucky, 40245; 502.588.3155, fax 502.588.3170. Direct all subscription and customer service inquiries to 877.818.6620 or info@autosuccessonline.com. Subscription rate is $75 per year. AutoSuccess welcomes unsolicited editorials and graphics (not responsible for their return). All submitted editorials and graphics are subject to editing for grammar, content and page length. AutoSuccess provides its contributing writers latitude in expressing advice and solutions; views expressed are not necessarily those of AutoSuccess and by no means reflect any guarantees. AutoSuccess accepts no liability in respect of the content of any third party material appearing in this magazine or in respect of the content of any other magazine to which this magazine may be linked from time to time. Always confer with legal counsel before implementing changes in procedures.© All contents copyrighted by AutoSuccess Magazine, a Division of Systems Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without express written consent from AutoSuccess. AutoSuccess may occasionally make readers’ names available to other companies whose products and/or services may be of interest; readers may request that names be removed by calling 877.818.6620. Printed in the USA. Postmaster: Send address changes to AutoSuccess Magazine, 3411 Pinnacle Gardens Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40245.
  • 7. sts fos ls ms sf fis BrianTracy leadership solution Mental Fitness Program There are mental one quality all the studies had in common was perfect five years from now, what would exercises or ways of was vision. Leaders have vision. Non-leaders it look like?” You can ask yourself this thinking that you can do not. Leaders have a vision of a better question as well. learn and practice every future for themselves, their families and their day to become a more organizations. They can see an ideal future in Take a Test Every Day positive, confident and advance. They then work to make it a reality All of life is a test in some way. You are optimistic person. The more you think in in the present. Future-oriented people think constantly being tested by the ups and downs these ways, the better you will feel, the more about the future most of the time. They think and unexpected events of daily life. The way you will accomplish and the faster and more about where they are going rather than where you respond to the world around you is the easily you will accomplish it. they have been. They think about what is way in which you take and pass this test. possible in the months and years ahead Think About the Future rather than about the past (which cannot be Perhaps the greatest test of all is your ability The first and most important attitude you changed). to think and talk about the future, about what can practice to get the most out of yourself you want and where you are going, most of is future orientation. Future orientation is Unfortunately, probably fewer than 10 the time. This must become the focal point in another of the most common characteristics percent of people in our society are genuinely your thinking. This is the ‘X’ that determines of successful people, especially men and future-oriented. The vast majority is the direction of your life. This is the test you women who rise to positions of leadership primarily concerned either about the present pass or fail depending on what you choose to and great responsibility in work, society and and the immediate gratification of the day think about most of the time. personal life. and evening or about the past and what has happened to them. Brian Tracy is the chairman and CEO In 3,300 studies of leadership, seeking the of Brian Tracy International. He can be common qualities possessed by great leaders How can you tell whether a person is future- contacted at 866.300.9881, or by e-mail at through the ages, researchers found that the oriented? Simply ask him/her, “If your life btracy@autosuccessonline.com. CREDIT REPORTS LEAD SOLUTIONS COMPLIANCE TOOLS ID VERIFICATION Lead Prospector Solutions First Advantage CREDCO’s Lead Prospector Internet delivers ready-to-buy online consumer leads – conveniently accessed through DealerTrack! Visit us at the DealerTrack Innovation Conference for Special Promotions!* Call Today! 866.745.2485 FADVCredco.com/DTLeads Delivers ® Lead Prospector READY-TO-BUY Our innovation. Your edge. INTERNET Online Consumer Leads * Must be a DealerTrack customer to qualify for special promotion. Offer expires September 30, 2007. Call for details. Promo Code: PPC07015 8 www.sellingsuccessonline.com
  • 8. sts fos ls ms sf fis PaulH.Webb sales and training solution Follow Up - Put Your People Back to Work Nationally, the closing Effective Follow-Up ratio for customers When following up with a customer, who have already remember, timing is everything — and the been to the dealership phone is your friend. The most effective at least once without customer follow-up telephone calls happen buying skyrockets within the same day — or 24 to 48 hours of from 20 percent for “normal walk-ins” to 76 the dealership visit. percent. Here Are a Few Tips: There is a simple way to get these people • Use the telephone to follow up. Letters back into the dealership. It’s easy and it’s don’t have the same kind of immediate free: It’s called follow-up. response and are not as personal. You should still send them, though — plus The fact that these customers came back to make the phone call. your dealership in the first place tells you • Practice making follow-up calls that they want to do business with your with your manager to gain more dealership. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t have confidence. returned. • Be polite and respectful on the phone by thanking your customer for initially But it’s also important to respect the fine coming to the dealership. line that exists between making the sale and • Always let your customers know why annoying customers to the point that they you are calling. Getting to the point never want to come back. There are always quickly lets your customers know you customers who — no matter what you do or value their time. say — will never buy a vehicle during their first visit. Your objective is to generate two appointments per day from these customer So when it’s clear that a deal won’t be follow-up calls. If you do that, you’ll book 40 made today, you need to take a step back appointments a month (assuming you work and let the customer move at the pace with five days a week, four weeks a month). which they’re comfortable. Sometimes that means they’ll leave without buying. Instead We know that only about half of these of quitting on them, give them another appointments will actually be kept, and if opportunity to say “yes,” and follow up with we use the 76 percent closing ratio because them 24 to 48 hours later. every one of these customers has been to the dealership before, you’ll net 15 sales a It starts just before they walk out the door. month just from customers you’ve talked to Never ask a customer whether it’s OK for before — not bad, considering the average you to call them, or even the best time to call. salesperson sells 10 vehicles a month. It gives them a chance to say “no thanks” or that they’ll call you. Be direct and give Remember, your customers appreciate them a reason to return to the dealership. professional follow-up telephone calls. If you didn’t have a vehicle they wanted, Investing the time to reach out to them a make sure you know what they want and tell second or third time can be a very profitable them that new inventory arrives every day. use of your time. Let customers know you are looking for the vehicle that will make them happy and will Always call the customer the same day call them when you’ve got it. they visited your dealership. Customers forget about your product and service 25 Maybe a customer liked a vehicle at your percent for every day you wait to contact dealership, but you couldn’t come to terms. them. Call them the same day. Tell them you’ll work on their situation and call them within the next two days when you’re sure a deal can be worked out. Often, with these customers, all it takes to turn a “be- Paul H. Webb is a principal of Street back” into a sold customer is giving them a Smart / I.T.S., Inc. He can be contacted at little time to think about it and another $100 866.500.5827, or by e-mail at or so to sweeten the deal. pwebb@autosuccessonline.com. the #1 sales-improvement magazine for the automotive professional 9
  • 9. sts fos ls ms sf fis TomHopkins sales and training solution When Buyers Hesitate You’ve just invested They’ve been told ever since they were little by not owning it. In other words, they have the last 60 minutes to “think twice before making decisions,” and to come to terms with feeling better with the of your day with “Never sign on the dotted line unless you’re product than having the money in their bank someone who truly absolutely sure of what you’re getting into.” accounts. People are very emotionally tied needs a new vehicle. They might even flash back to a bad past to their money. It may be the strongest bond You feel like you’re experience when they made a poor buying other than the deep emotional bond between on a roll. You firmly believe that the truck, decision and lost either money or face. It’s spouses or parents and children. car or van they’ve selected is truly good for time for them to make a change and change them and they can afford it. They’re giving can be hard for some people — even when Rather than psychologically prying the you both verbal and visual buying signs. it’s a change for the good. money out of their hands, you must learn to They’re talking about taking a trip or hauling nudge, prod and lead them to the decision the whole family in their daily rounds in They may have thought they were ready for that you and they truly believe is good for comfort and style. Everything is going along a new vehicle when they drove onto the lot them. smoothly. but when it comes right down to handing over the keys to old Betsy and pulling their Try these two simple lines: It began when they explained what they personal items out of the glove box and trunk, “Obviously, you have a reason for were looking for when you first met. They what they thought was a welcome change hesitating. Would you mind sharing answered all of your questions about can cause second thoughts to pop into their it with me?” their more specific needs. They listened heads. Some people even get dizzy or break intently to your explanations, watched your into a sweat when making such changes. The If you deliver those two sentences warmly — demonstration carefully, drove the vehicle, cause may be psychological, but the reaction with sincerity — they’ll tell you exactly why discussed options and selected colors that is very real and often physical. they’re hesitant and you’ll have something would work for them. Overall, they seemed to move forward with. very involved and moving toward the When that happens, they have nasty old purchase. Then, the brakes went on. They Mr. Fear creep into their psyches and cause It could be a number of things. Usually, it’s just stopped. They started hedging, asking them to freeze like deer in the headlights, the money. Sometimes, it’s an issue with questions you had already answered and not knowing what to do or where to go. color, options or the length of the loan. They physically backing away either by sitting Their hesitation might turn into an outright might start thinking they don’t have to make back in their chairs, crossing their arms objection to the vehicle they professed to the decision today now that they know the or literally leaning or stepping slightly love just a short time before. This may seem right source for the vehicle they want. The backwards. irrational to you since they were so excited point is you can’t address the cause of the about it a moment ago. hesitation until you know what it is. And that What happened? little question will lead you to the answer. OK, now we’re getting close to the real Something perfectly normal. answer. Rational vs. irrational. Emotion Don’t let buyer hesitation keep you from vs. logic. Buying is not done logically. It closing sales. Ask the right questions and Few people get so excited about a new is an emotional decision that is made, then you’ll learn exactly what’s holding them vehicle purchase that they just whip out rationalized. When the brakes come on, the back. their check books or credit information and rationalization just hasn’t happened yet. say, “Let me have it.” Yes, it does happen at Now, we’re getting into one of the most times. However, it’s not the typical situation critical points in all of the sales training I you’ll encounter in automotive sales. offer: It’s your job to help them rationalize the buying decision. World-renowned master sales trainer Tom When most people get excited about owning Hopkins is the chairman of Tom Hopkins something new, little voices start talking in The rationalization is that the amount of International. He can be contacted at their heads. I don’t mean that they have any money you are asking for the vehicle equals 866.347.6148, or by e-mail at kind of mental issues; they’re just typical. or outweighs the discomfort they’re feeling thopkins@autosuccessonline.com. 10 www.sellingsuccessonline.com
  • 10. Quality Reputation Quantity Results Our leads include complete We’re proud to be a part of a We give you the most online We bring you online customers customer and vehicle very successful and reputable customers in the business. which generate sales business, information. Like customers’ Fortune 500 company which And our leads have a 20% service business, parts phone and email, even vehicle includes AutoNation, the world’s higher closing ratio than our business and comprehensive listings with full options. largest automotive retailer. competition. search options. Increase your sales today! www.autousa.com/signup 1-888-208-8764
  • 11. fs feature solution SeanV.Bradley want and deserve, if you have no dealership to do. Effective training needs to show them service employees. Those organizations are Methodical ✷ MySpace, YouTube, Google Video experience, but have good communication skills and would like an exciting career in a trillion dollar industry, call us or go online how to do it. Trainers should make calls, book appointments, go along on demo rides and sit in the finance office during the closing constantly evolving their process. Generating leads for salespeople is expensive. Make sure these leads don’t fall in to the laps of ill- Strategy-Driven ✷ and submit your resume. We are growing so process. equipped and under-trained people. Investing quickly here at Bradley Motors, we are always in the right people and giving them the right Way Out of the Box HR looking for good people to help us enhance Look for a training partner that provides a training is the first step toward success. Success Solutions our customer experience.” 360-degree view of Internet departments and their customers — someone who works with As more and more people are using the ✷ Internet Sales Bootcamp This type of ad will produce several results. It will help you find the right people to help you vendors and is backed by industry experts. Internet, the focus has shifted away from the 20 percent of the market who are shopping reach your Internet sales goals and catch the After training, follow-up is important and price alone to those who are looking to save attention of quality managers, salespeople, and dealerships should look for a solution that time, checking inventory or looking for a With the continuing explosive growth of the future. Then design a roadmap to reach the the automotive resource in your area for this other dealership personnel in your area. This monitors their results on a daily basis after better way to do business. online auto shopping, dealers are looking levels of production and the ease of process demographic. It is important to be among ad will also be seen by all of the consumers training is completed. The right training to leverage every technology and process the dealership wants to enjoy. the first in your market to capitalize on this. in your area. You will be the only dealership partner will check call to appointment to Finding new and cost-effective methods for to improve their game. It is getting more Implement: After completing the Dealerships need to learn how to use these they see running ads like this. Consumers will sale ratios, monitor all e-mail and phone promoting your dealership can be a challenge. challenging as all dealers, manufacturers and design phase, it is time to implement. The powerful resources and leverage the existing see that your store is committed to customer correspondence, provide ongoing training It seems each year the cost of leads, Web sites vendors recognize that the Internet is here implementation phase consists of training video and social networks on the Web. That service, that you are growing and that big on handling objections and rebuttals and so and other Internet based advertising mediums to stay. Not too long ago only 25 percent of your people, and setting up the technology — combined with Psuedo-sites, focus sites things are going on at your store. This will much more. increases. Google’s purchase of YouTube, dealers had Web sites; now, 96 percent do. and creating promotions to support your and micro-sites — will bring an incredible differentiate you from all the other dealers in a provider of free hosting for video on the processes. amount of incremental traffic to a dealership your area in the eyes of consumers. Nelson Mazda went from seven to 80 Internet Internet, cemented video and video search as A primary challenge dealers are facing is how Manage: Tracking is a necessity to Web site. deals per month in one year by using the the next evolution of marketing. The success to put an Internet department together. There successful management. Performance must Once you have the right people, a critical Design, Implement, Manage and Evolve of YouTube and MySpace show the desire for are lots of pieces to the technology puzzle, like be measured and monitored on a daily, weekly The integration of a well-trained staff and a component is training. A formal training (D.I.M.E.) method. video on the Internet. Web sites, search engine optimization, lead and monthly basis. solid process will make all the difference in the program can give employees a solid management software, CRM software and call Evolve: Technology is constantly evolving. results obtained. Some dealers still are putting foundation that provides not only great results In the past, dealers had to pay trainers to come The best news of all is that many dealerships monitoring. Training their teams to be efficient, Dealerships need to keep up with the latest the wrong people in the Internet departments, for the dealership, but job satisfaction that to them and spend a week or more explaining can get started with what they already have. focused and productive is an important step ways to reach customers. Web sites and e-mail or they are understaffed and unable to handle keeps employees from leaving in frustration. what an Internet client wants and how to sell to They need to collect a library of videos; for any dealership. Then there are staffing and were new at one time and provided a leg up the follow-up properly. Often, dealers would There are many options for training, including them. Speakers at 20 groups offer great ideas, local commercials, national commercials, process issues to address as well. for the stores that embraced them. Currently, put either an IT/techie or an underperforming one-day seminars, on-site engagements and but only have a few hours to teach. The best testimonial videos, walk-around videos, how video search is one of the newest ways to gain salesperson off the floor to be the Internet multi-day bootcamps. way to learn what your store needs to know to properly install a car seat, what you need It isn’t enough to have the separate an advantage over the competition. Next year manager. Dealers quickly find out that product to be successful is to attend a comprehensive to know to find the right car, secrets of a car components; dealers need the solution to be it will be something new. It is important to knowledge and communication skills are more Many vendors and trainers offer one-day Internet sales boot camp. Find one that is a salesperson, and more. All of these videos customized to their store and the way they stay ahead of the curve. important than technical knowledge. Many seminars and workshops that are great train-the-trainer Internet course. are presented by your dealership, with many do business. All the pieces must fit together technical people are not good communicators. opportunities to add to the basic Internet sales recorded at your dealership. Take these videos properly, or else the outcome will be erratic Focus should be concentrated on four key They are great at sending fancy e-mails, but knowledge employees already have. The focus These are perfect for departments that want to and post them on YouTube for free. YouTube at best. Often when a dealer is not getting areas: the Products (tools), People, Process do not follow-up with phone calls, and if should be on content and not the cost. Make improve the results they are already getting. will handle the coding and make them the results, they look at buying more leads and Promotions at your dealership. Quite a salesperson can’t close a sale, you don’t sure you understand what the benefits are and The format is in-depth, and the longer time available to be searched at Yahoo, MSN, AOL or changing Web site vendors, when the real simply, the store needs to find and create get better results by moving him to another what the expected learning outcomes will be. frame allows for a greater amount of material and Google. When people search for videos problem lies in the process or the people. Products, People, Process and Promotions department that involves sales. If it makes your department more efficient or to be taught. Participants also enjoy the on topics related to car buying, they will find That is a major reason why Internet initiatives that are going to personify their own unique effective, it has relevant content. benefits of networking and sharing ideas with your store. can fail. Dealers buy tools, but do not get the vision. As you review each area, it is helpful Finding the right people to staff your other participants. Often, dealerships will proper training, and managers do not hold to know where to look and what to look at. Internet sales department and utilizing the Selecting the right on-site training partner is recognize results the same day they implement Call or e-mail Sean for your free strategy the employees accountable to perform all the latest technology and methods is extremely important to your store’s success. While it is what they learned from the session. session. This is not vaporware; this is a phone tasks necessary to earn new business. When reviewing your products, the two important. The normal methods will produce inevitable there will be some content overlap consultation to go over: hot buttons are Web sites and search engine the normal results. If you pursue new people with material out there from all trainers, what There is always a need for one-on-one Your four P’s — Products, People, Process, Peruzzi Automotive Group increased Internet optimization. Research has shown that the same way your competition pursues new is really important and differentiates the best training. Video on demand, training, tracking, Promotions sales from 30 to 107 per month in six months dealers get the best closing ratios from leads people, you will get the same quality people is their custom approach to each assignment testing and certification through an online SWOT Analysis — Strengths, Weaknesses, by using a SWOT analysis to identify new generated from their own Web site. So dealers they do. and their people. virtual training system will work, too. The Opportunities, Threats markets of opportunity. The best way to should focus on how to get more traffic and number of vendors and trainers are growing D.I.M.E. – Design, Implement, Manage, start the process of building or rebuilding more leads from their own site. There are Think outside of the box when looking for Every engagement should start with a exponentially. Video on demand systems are Evolve a successful Internet sales department is other ways to generate traffic that are very people. Every store is running newspaper ads thorough analysis of the dealership. Then used successfully by Sonic, MileOne, Sony to perform a SWOT analysis (strengths, economical and more effective than expensive and posting jobs on Careerbuilder.com and a custom solution should be designed for and Disney, to name just a few. We will then deliver a custom “Road Map weaknesses, opportunities and threats). This Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaigns. Monster.com. Try something different, such as each dealership. What works for a dealer in to Success” with procedures and plans to is one area where hiring a consultant can bring broadcast television. Purchase 10 30-second Boston might be completely different than While indeed the Internet is not a new improve your bottom line. in a fresh perspective and new ideas. Dealers Social networking costs nothing and will spots. It will cost you somewhere around what works for a multi-point dealership phenomenon anymore, the landscape should look inward at their current initiatives bring buyers into your store. Go to bestplaces. $3,000-$5,000. In the commercial, stand in client in Evansville, Indiana. The markets, continues to change, and there is always a and then outward at their competition. net to learn the demographics of the people in front of your store and say something like, the resources, the staffing and the tools are need for training to stay ahead. It is just a Sean V. Bradley is the CEO and founder your area. Use this information to determine “Hi, my name is Sean V. Bradley and I am the different with every store, so the training matter of how much training is needed. With of Dealer Synergy. He can be contacted One needs to create a vision of where they how to reach them. For example, if you owner of Bradley Motors here in Philadelphia, company needs to make sure the solution fits the Internet, training is focused on how to at 866.507.3915, or by e-mail at want to go, as well as a roadmap to get there. have a high percentage of African American PA. We just completed our new multi-million the needs of the specific dealer. leverage technology to increase sales and sbradley@autosuccessonline.com. D.I.M.E. is an easy acronym to remember that population, go to blackplanet.com* and dollar customer development center and need how to best meet the expectations of Internet can serve as your guide: establish a presence. Have one of your African quality people to staff it. If you are currently Additionally all trainers need to have customers. Companies that are focused on American salespeople set up a profile and working at a dealership and are not happy, or experience and success in Internet automotive improving customer service have always *blackplanet.com is the No. 1 African American Design: Define the dealership’s vision of post all of your videos. Your goal is to become feel you are not able to earn the money you sales. Training isn’t about telling clients what embraced training for salespeople and networking site in the United States 12 www.sellingsuccessonline.com 13
  • 12. sts fos ls ms sf fis BobCarmack sales and training solution How to Hire, Train and Develop 20 Car-A-Month Salespeople, Part 4 Last issue, I started overload (too much looking), try to do the should be emotional, less technical, with discussing the very majority of the fact finding in the dealership. more time spent on demo and inside the car timid, laid back, Use a round table (non-confrontational) selling amenities. indecisive, non- instead of a closed office if possible. Enclosed confrontational, offices make this customer very nervous. If a Never ask this customer if they want to demo non-assertive Type round table is available, sit to the customer’s — Just do it. If you ask, most will give you “C” customer. I’m spending more time on right side. (These are “right brain” people, and an excuse. this customer, as they represent around 25 it just makes them feel more comfortable.) percent of the population and this is the Continue with alternate choice question, and Trial Closing, Getting a Commitment, customer that’s the most understood and don’t use a form — learn the questions. Write-Up, and Closing usually the most difficult customer for both Ask the trial closes in stages during the demo the salesperson and manager to close. The Let’s say this customer says he will be while sitting across from them (instead of a “traditional sales system” and “4-Square,” looking for a car. First, compliment them. quick, direct close). Focus on at least three if followed precisely, will almost always This is a reassurance technique and helps to issues: the equipment, the usage, and the hot cause this customer to walk away from your eliminate “I need to talk to my brother” in the button(s). For example, ask, “John, earlier dealership. close. Next, ask if they prefer light or dark when we talked, you said safety was the most colors, cloth or leather interior, 4-cylinder important thing to you, right?” while nodding The Meeting & Greeting or 6-cylinder, 2-door or 4-door, and so on. your head “Yes.” Go on to say “We looked (You Only Have Seconds) Again, reassure them from time to time — at...(fill in safety equip.) earlier so you do Approach slowly — remember from my last this is very important. agree this vehicle has all the safety features article that this customer is likely to park you want, right?” while nodding your head away from the showroom, start walking the again. Use this same technique to verify the entire lot, or drive the lot in the security of their car. If you notice this pattern of looking Try your best to equipment and usage. Trial close on budget last by saying, “This vehicle has all the around at everything and avoiding contact, keep them from equipment you want, everything that’s most you need to lead this customer, and it starts important to you, and fits your usage. If we by you making a positive leading statement. walking the lot and can get the terms agreeable for you, this is looking around. the vehicle you want to own, correct?” When As an example, upon approach you would say, returning to the dealership, park next to their “Welcome to ABC Motors, I’m Bob and you Indecisive people trade if possible. Back in your office, write are...?” or, “I noticed you were doing a little get more confused the commitment on the back of the worksheet shopping and looking around.” Then start by and construct the commitment based on the saying “Yes” vs. “No” (“Can I help you?”). if given too many trial close statement. For example, “Mr. Next, offer an extended handshake, followed choices. Smith agrees to own the ‘Toyota Camry’ if by stepping backward several feet. Remember, the terms are agreeable.” they hate pressure and confrontation. This technique addresses this situation. Try your If you ask these questions and the customer If you use the above techniques, you’ve best to keep them from walking the lot and isn’t responding (“I don’t know, I’m not sure, eliminated most of the basic objections, “I looking around. Indecisive people get more I just want to look”, etc.), recognize it’s going want to think about it” and “I need to talk confused if given too many choices. A good south quickly. Do not give them a brochure at to....” You already have a commitment, technique for this is to walk between two cars this point because you just gave them a pass so in the close, sit to their right, close on and they will usually follow. This stops the to walk out of the dealership. Rather, say, “I payments and give an option close, (ie. 48 or walking process. understand, the car you’re driving now (the 60 months). I don’t recommend the 4-square trade?) is a light color and obviously there with this customer — it’s too confusing and Remember, don’t come on too strong, and was a reason for selecting a light color. What causes them to think. As you ask the closing avoid heavy direct eye contact with this was it?” Let them sell you on the color choice question, touch the top of their right hand customer. Next, start developing rapport by by using their trade-in as a reference. (reassurance technique) and ask them to getting to know them, and slowly move them “OK” it. If they don’t buy now, taking the off the lot toward the showroom. When it’s Selection of the Right Car, car home will usually close the deal the next time to start discussing vehicles, ask them, Walk-A-Round, and Demo day. If they won’t take the car home, deliver “John, when you are ready to consider a Once you get enough answers to your it to them at home after dinner time (a go- vehicle (take the pressure off), will you be questions, you make the decision as to the see). This “take home” technique will close considering a car, truck, or SUV?” Don’t right vehicle. Another important point is to 50 percent to 80 percent of these customers use strictly open-ended questions; rather, ask leave this customer in your office and you usually within 24-48 hours. option questions with two or three choices. retrieve the vehicle, separate it from other This technique helps to diminish the “I want inventory and take it to a secluded area (as Bob Carmack is president of Carmack to think about it” objection in the close. best as possible) to do your walk-a-round. & Associates, LP and is a professional Don’t do the walk-a-round around other speaker and trainer. He can be contacted Fact Finding vehicles or this customer may start looking at 866.393.8221, or by e-mail at For the most control and to help the product around again. The focus of the walk-a-round bcarmack@autosuccessonline.com. 14 www.sellingsuccessonline.com
  • 14. sts fos ls ms sf fis SeanWolfington leadership solution Dealing With the ‘F’ Word Now that I have your sound of it may cause you to cringe, or you a process that can begin long before the end. attention, let’s talk might be one who is capable of letting it roll Any successful project starts with a clear about that little four- off your back. The truth of the matter is that vision and a detailed strategy. If the vision letter word that most we all will, inevitably, be forced to confront it. is clouded with uncertainty, and the strategy people find despicable. Let’s face it, we all do it. We all…fail. muddled with doubt and disorder, then failure We’ve all heard it at is probable and in some cases eminent. In one time or another, either from someone Failure is not just an end result; it sometimes situations such as these, failure can be like else’s mouth or perhaps our own. Just the is the means to the end. In other words, it is a self-fulfilled prophecy or a self-inflicted wound. Lest there be a concise plan and the belief and support of all involved, low morale will spread like a cancer which will critically cripple the success of the project. Disheartened staffs tend to deteriorate in performance, which can build a case for failure. As leaders, we tend to despise failure because it is usually associated with poor results, but sometimes failure occurs even in the face of a valiant effort. At times like these, failure need not be seen as the end result, but as an obstacle or conflict in the pursuit of desired results. Perceiving failure as mere conflict and a hurdle that needs to be jumped will allow your team to build a more solid foundation upon which to launch new and improved initiatives or perfected processes. We live in a quantifiable world that demands constant evaluation, allowing us to capitalize on failure by embracing it as a learning process and an opportunity to modify and improve. Failure is the first step toward success. If we begin to think there is nothing left to learn from our mistakes, then we are defeated before we even begin. If we’re growing and learning at all — as individuals and as a company — then we must realize that it’s healthy to evaluate our progress (or lack of it) as we strive to move forward, recalibrating our current processes and practices according to the new knowledge that we gain as we stumble along. There is an old proverb that says there are two kinds of failures: those who thought and never did, and those who did and never thought. History has shown that not risking failure, or refusing to recognize the lessons learned as a result of failure, can be devastating. We all can learn from our mistakes, it’s called experience. Robert F. Kennedy once said of failure: “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” Where will you dare to fail today? Sean Wolfington can be contacted at 866.802.5753, or by e-mail at swolfington@autosuccessonline.com. 16 www.sellingsuccessonline.com
  • 15. sts fos ls ms sf fis MarkTewart sales and training solution Stop Working and Start Thinking “Work harder.” When you are programmed over and over with “Work more hours.” those messages, you begin to buy into those “Put your nose to the messages and accept them as universally true. grindstone.” Over a period of time this leads to negative “You have to pay your cycles occurring repeatedly and you don’t dues.” know how to change them. So what do you “Climb the ladder of success.” do? You revert back to your programming. You work harder. You work more hours. You Do all of these sayings sound familiar? These put your nose to the grindstone. You pay your common phrases often espouse ideas that dues. You climb the ladder of success. become anchored as limiting beliefs in your brain. Here’s the shocking news; these phrases I have a little saying, “Stop the train.” If you often put into motion a cycle of struggle and aren’t getting to your destination, you have failure. These common teachings may have to change something. The most critical thing kept you from having the kind of success you to change is your thoughts. Thoughts create desire. The missing ingredient is not your action and action creates habits and habits work; it’s your thoughts. create results and results create your destiny. It’s that simple. Just reading that first paragraph may have made you mad. You may disagree so strongly In Robert Ringer’s book, “Winning through that your emotions may cause you to disregard Intimidation,” he talks of the “Leapfrog the possibility of truth from the message Theory.” His idea is that you can leapfrog intended. If so, this is a direct reflection of your way to success. You don’t have to climb those often well ingrained lessons. Dwell the ladder rung by rung. He is absolutely upon this for a minute: If these commonly correct. However, if your subconscious has held beliefs were true, why aren’t more people been bombarded by messages your whole happy, successful and rich? life that teach you that you must pay your dues and you have to work harder, you will The answer to the question is those beliefs by either disregard the message or sabotage themselves are wrong and harmful. People your actions. Everyone either has at one time who dig ditches work hard. Salespeople work or knows someone who when they were lots of hours. Corporate people try to climb experiencing success began to take actions the ladder of success. People who manage you that lead to the demise of that success. often want you to pay your dues. How many of these people do you know that are wildly Most people chalk those experiences up to happy, successful or enjoy their success? The fate or bad luck. That belief will forever keep answer is often few, if any. you in a cycle of frustration and repeated failures. Sheer luck by itself is a rare thing. What you generate in your brain is the key. Success and failure are almost always created More hours and more work with misguided in your mind first. Any other belief is simply thoughts will only speed up your frustration allowing you to be lead by other’s beliefs. and failure. The first step is to throw away and When this happens you are now in bondage clean the slate of all the damaging sayings, and slavery. Slavery of the brain and spirit is lessons and beliefs that you have been taught. the worst possible fate. Start by writing down your 20 earliest thoughts about money. Do the same with work. When There is a saying, “Pray, but move your feet.” you are finished you may notice that most You can pray and you can move your feet and of these memories are negatively based or get going, but if you control and guide your entrenched in scarcity based thinking. thoughts you will learn to attract more success than you ever would have before dreamed. Those memories and beliefs are exactly why The amusing thing is that much of the success when people tell you to just think positive you attract will seem to come effortlessly and that they are not only wrong but potentially the phrase “Hard Work” will not even be a harmful. Until you erase the negative part of your thoughts. programming that you have acquired, you will not be able to truly have positive thoughts that are believed and lasting. Everyone has a Mark Tewart is the president of Tewart tremendous amount of negative programming Enterprises. He can be contacted at that you have acquired from parents, teachers, 866.429.6844, or by e-mail at bosses, newspapers and books. mtewart@autosuccessonline.com. the #1 sales-improvement magazine for the automotive professional 17
  • 16. sts fos ls ms sf fis RichardF.Libin sales and training solution Successful Dealers Manage By the Numbers - The Right Numbers Monthly financial for the month in progress as well. and promotions. So questions arise: statements can paint • What’s the fat and what’s the muscle? a bleak picture in The most consistently successful dealers • Who do you cut and why do you cut? uncertain or “down” today “close” the month every day with • Do you cut because the position is no markets, yet many of every customer. According to NADA, the longer needed or do you cut because the nation’s dealerships average salesperson sells 8.5 cars per month. the financial statement shows you show positive financial results and even gains, Using this data, let’s consider two dealerships need to cut expenses? despite uncontrollable market challenges. It’s — Dealership A and Dealership B — both • What message do you want to send these dealerships where management has set selling an average of 100 cars per month, both employees about how you manage a positive tone and ensured it permeates the exposed to the same external influences, but your business? entire team. In these dealerships, salespeople each taking a different approach to managing greet their customers and co-workers with a by the numbers. Analyzing the right numbers and “closing positive mindset that acts as a self-fulfilling the month” every day will enable managers prophecy to deliver even more positive Dealership A’s management uses an accurate to determine the best approach: cutting results. traffic count that comes through the door high salaried or lower salaried employees each month, say an average of 400 – 450 vs. changing the approach to closing The difference? The 10 percent are managing opportunities. Despite averaging only 100 opportunities vs. adjusting the projections (if by the only numbers that matter — a count of sales per month, the dealer sticks with they are too aggressive). These decisions will the actual traffic coming into the dealership the fundamental concepts for running a ensure that the manager doesn’t cut the muscle every single day. These numbers paint successful business. He adds salespeople, — important basic requirements of running a a real picture of the “state of the state” of manages inventories the same, and focuses successful dealership — from his dealership. their business, and help dealers stick to the on relationship selling. He puts a process in Those managers who rely only on end of basics and succeed in an uncertain market. place that holds every employee accountable the month, historical financial statements Those dealers who rely solely on month- for performance and measures it daily. With generally make the wrong decisions, cut the end financial statements essentially rely on his managers, he develops a plan to hit a muscle and create self-fulfilling prophecies a final performance report card, allowing specific gross revenue target each month. that bear out expectations: business and them to manage the business on historical This target is divided into weekly and daily profits. data after the fact. These managers often goals for every part of the business, and succumb to negative month-end reports, communicated to every employee. Daily, the The difference is clear. If a dealer or manager ultimately cutting the programs and people dealer holds managers accountable and the is not measuring performance based on they need to drive business forward. Success managers hold their sales teams accountable projections every single day, are they truly comes from managing business daily using for hitting — or exceeding — the goals. In this managing their performance? No. Those real-time, accurate data. way, the dealer, managers and salespeople who do measure gains and weaknesses daily have an exact traffic count and know exactly will know where they stand, giving them the Manage by the Numbers, what happened to every opportunity that opportunity to proactively correct slips before Not the Financial Statement came into the showroom each day, why it they become problems. These managers can To make a difference in performance, dealers happened and what to do to improve. The hold their salespeople accountable for doing must look at the daily traffic count. These result? Dealership A’s financial statement no their jobs, and by example, train the next numbers, the right numbers, enable changes longer shows peaks and valleys. generation of management. When managing to be made and problems to be addressed in by the right numbers, the traffic numbers, real time. The traffic count is a powerful, Dealership B’s management uses the typically business will continue growing at up-to-date tool for dealers who want to monthly financial statement as the basis for an even pace. Which would you rather be drive performance every day. The financial decisions. Since the dealership typically — Store A or Store B? statement, by contrast, is a historical record sells 100 cars a month, they employ 11 providing data that is six weeks old. By salespeople, in line with the market averages. Richard F. Libin is president of Automotive the time the dealer sees this report, the Anticipating a market decline, the dealer Profit Builders, Inc. He can be contacted opportunity to make a change is past, not decides to protect profits by cutting back on at 866.450.6853, or by e-mail at only for the month in review, but most likely advertising, training, staff, inventory, perks rlibin@autosuccessonline.com. 18 www.sellingsuccessonline.com
  • 18. sts fos ls ms sf fis JesseBiter leadership solution Simple Can Be Profound In today’s business anyone serves, he should do it with the your God-given talents in your work, valuing world, it is strength God provides, so that in all things an eternal reward more than an earthly commonplace to keep God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” paycheck. By honoring God and empowering the proverbial cards 1 Peter 4:10-11 others at the workplace, you will find that close to the vest. your co-workers will take notice. This will Wearing one’s heart on The first step is to simply be yourself and put increase your credibility around the office one’s sleeve is presumed to make a person forth an honest effort to live out your faith in and provide you greater opportunity to share vulnerable to the fickle winds of political every aspect of your life. Your faith should your faith. correctness. Maintaining the status quo and be an integral part of your daily interaction averting any issue of a perceived sensitive with other people. That doesn’t mean “Yet he did not waver through unbelief nature may be the safe choice. But is leaving that you should feel compelled to spread regarding the promise of God, but was one’s soul in the parking lot on the way into the Gospel at the water cooler. Forcing a strengthened in his faith and gave glory to the office a healthy way of life? discussion about faith is counterproductive God, being fully persuaded that God had and will lead to awkward feelings among co- power to do what he had promised.” Christian business leaders understand workers. Only the Holy Spirit can transform Romans 4:20-21 that faith is a fundamental part of one’s someone’s heart. Simply pray that God will constitution. To extricate the soul from the help you to reflect some of His character in It’s important to realize that the exploration body and expect the mind to navigate the day your life, so others can get a glimpse of Him of faith in one’s life is a process, not a independently is unnatural and unrealistic. by interacting with you. When you wear your singular event. Any number of small, Throughout history, it has been customary faith on your sleeve, it’s easy to let people incremental decisions regarding spirituality to share faith with people in the marketplace know there’s something special about you can ultimately lead a person to Christ. Plant and places of business. When done correctly, without even saying a word. the seeds of faith in others the simple way faith can still be celebrated and shared in — by staying true to yourself. You may be virtually any modern-day setting. If you want people to pay attention to your surprised to learn that sometimes the simple faith, you must also pay attention to your can be profound. “Each one should use whatever gift he work. Don’t discriminate between your has received to serve others, faithfully sacred and secular jobs. No matter if you Jesse Biter is the president and CEO of administering God’s grace in its various are sitting in the executive wing or cleaning HomeNet, Inc. He can be contacted at forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it the executive wing, know that God is your 866.239.4049, or by e-mail at as one speaking the very words of God. If ultimate boss. Discover, develop, and use jbiter@autosuccessonline.com. 20 www.sellingsuccessonline.com
  • 19. sts fos ls ms sf fis PaulLong marketing solution The Customer is Always Tight There is a sense make sure the discounts merchants are willing of entitlement that to offer are strong, so customers are less likely customers have to find them anywhere else. Lastly, take the today that hasn’t smell test: What’s your impression of the always been evident. merchant? You don’t want to align yourself to Marshall Field, the a business with a bad reputation. American department store owner coined the phrase, “Right or wrong, the Customer Once you’ve established your club, you’ll is always right.” I wonder whether he took need a medium for the merchants to identify into consideration the type of customers who your Members. This could be in the form are price conscious, yet expect the deepest of a card, a key chain, or a tattoo. Just take appreciation for their having done business into consideration that you want there to be with us. an expiration date, so your customers will be compelled to come back for future vehicles. I don’t blame these customers. I earned the money I make, and I want to keep as much When you get compelling discounts for of it as possible — even if that means driving customers from your merchant friends, the all over town to save $100 or $200 on my $200 they might have saved at the competition $20,000 purchase (which, if I think about it, is will dissolve in the face of the potential only a one percent discount). But there is the thousands of dollars they will save in the club. thrill of the negotiation, too: How much can I Instead of saving one percent off my vehicle get in free stuff for the money I spend? purchase, I could save 10 to 15 percent over the course of a year. So here is a new twist on Mr. Field’s phrase: “Right or wrong, the Customer is always Train your salespeople to show your tight.” That doesn’t mean we should treat prospects the value during the sales process. them any differently. On the contrary, we For example, if only one merchant offers a should be thinking of creative ways to foster “buy-one-get-one-free” meal, and the average that sense of entitlement and help them save meal costs $10, the customer only needs to go money. to that restaurant 10 times in a year to save $100. If my twist on the above phrase is true, then think about it some more, dissect it and What’s more, this gives your salespeople place the emphasis on a different word: The something to get past “hello.” A customer customer is always tight, whether they are benefit like this moves the conversation away negotiating for a vehicle, buying gas, ordering from price and helps your staff begin to build pizza or renting a car. a real relationship with customers, which ultimately will bring those customers back You can help your guests save money, and earn again. their respect and their business by leveraging your customer base. Get other merchants in Here is what will happen: Customers will be your community to discount their prices or carrying your name in their wallets, on their give away free stuff to your customers. key ring, or printed on their forearm (if you go that route). They’ll be members of an Exclusive For starters, consider all the small business Club: Your Tight Club. Every time they use owners in your community. Make a list of their Membership, they’ll be thinking of what merchants who sell high-frequency sundry great value you brought to their entitled, price- products, like meals in restaurants, dry conscious lives. That’s a Customer for Life. cleaning or groceries. Partner with them to That’s advertising you can’t buy. And it’s a send your customers to their establishments in value your competition won’t be able to offer exchange for an agreed-upon discount. You’re — unless they offer it first. exchanging free promotion to your customers, and merchants are happy for the free publicity. For a free membership into my Exclusive You could call it “the tight customers club,” Club of over 160,000 merchants, e-mail me and I would be your first member. or give me a call. When selecting merchant partners, take into Paul Long is the president of the consideration their level of competition in the re:member group. He can be contacted at community. If they have no competition, they 866.630.0221 or by e-mail at will be less likely to offer a discount. Also, plong@autosuccessonline.com. the #1 sales-improvement magazine for the automotive professional 21
  • 21. sts fos ls ms sf fis RalphR.Roberts Date Your Leads... sales and training solution Or Someone Else Will People who know time, via phone, e-mail, paper mail • Your resume me are rarely aware or some other method. A follow-up • Your company, team, or personal that I moonlight as a method that’s automated is typically mission statement marriage counselor. best, because it requires less of your • A brochure I tell workaholic time. Whenever I receive a new lead, • Reprints of any positive press you spouses that they had better “Date your wife I add the person to my drip e-mail received in the newspapers (or husband), or someone else will.” The campaign, as discussed later in this same can be said to salespeople: Date your article. Remember, your marketing packet represents leads, or someone else will. you, so invest in an attractive design and Be the First to Call layout. To establish a brand presence in the Far too many people buy leads and then The nurturing process commences as soon mind of the person receiving the packet, completely drop the ball on nurturing those as you receive the lead. In most cases, you every item in your marketing packet should leads. That is the equivalent of spending are not the only salesperson receiving the have a consistent look and feel. months of your life wooing your sweetheart, lead. Your lead generation service probably finally convincing the person to marry you, sent the lead to several other salespeople in Be Persistent and then completely ignoring him or her for your area, and the first person to contact the If you do not hear back from your lead, call the rest of your married life — which would lead has the best chance, by far, of ultimately the person sooner rather than later. Ask the probably be a very short-lived marriage. You landing the sale. person where he or she is in the decision must continue to nurture your relationship process and whether you can do anything with your leads until they finally decide to You should have a system that enables you right now to assist them. hire you. to check incoming leads wherever you may be. You can have leads sent to you via e-mail Whatever you do, do not let that lead off the Create a System and forwarded to your cell phone at the same hook. Before my wife agreed to marry me, Before you even think about signing up with time. Even if you are out, you can check I had to ask her 11 times. Some leads can a lead generation service, you should have for incoming leads and contact prospects be just as picky when choosing a salesperson a system in place for managing leads. Your immediately. Any hesitation can undermine to buy from. Remain persistent without system should cover the following: future efforts. nagging, and transform those leads into • Filtering leads — Although your commissions! lead-generation service may filter Work on Your Follow-through out all but the most promising leads, After that first contact, keep in touch with Date Your Clients, Too you probably want to do your own your lead. One of the best ways to do this is Your best leads come from your best clients, filtering, so you can focus your energy to add the person to a drip e-mail campaign. so be sure to date your best clients, too. This on leads that you have a better chance With drip e-mail, a series of messages are doesn’t mean selling to them every chance of converting into sales. sent out automatically once every week or so, you get. It means establishing a long-term • Making initial contact — Being the so the person does not have the opportunity relationship, so that when they or someone first to call is a key step in converting to forget about you. they know needs whatever you are selling, leads into sales, so make sure you have they think of you first. a system in place that enables you or When the prospect eventually decides to someone on your team to contact the buy, he or she can quickly open your e-mail Every month or so, touch base with past prospect within an hour of receiving message to obtain your contact information clients. Send a letter, an e-mail message or the lead. and call or e-mail you to obtain more a newsletter; call them on the phone; send • Gathering information — Create information or hire you as their salesperson. them a card or present on their birthday or a form to fill out or a script that You can set up a drip e-mail campaign online anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t sell. enables you to gather the information at any of several drip e-mail management Just let them know that you’re thinking about you need to effectively sell to each sites. them, so they will think about you. prospect. Remember, your first step in the sales process is to ask questions; At the same time, you should mail a you can’t sell if you don’t know what marketing packet to your prospective client. your customer wants. Your packet should include a folder with the • Following up — Some prospects following materials: may require several months to make • Your business card Ralph R. Roberts is a nationally a purchase decision. Your system • A letter of introduction describing recognized sales coach, author and official spokesperson for Guthy-Renker Home. He should provide some way to remain who you are and how you help your can be contacted at 866.470.5181, or by e- in contact with prospects during this clients mail at rroberts@autosuccessonline.com. 24 www.sellingsuccessonline.com