2. Your name
Your dealership
“Every journey What is Active Prospecting?
of a thousand miles
1 Proactive contacting of prospects to
turn them into customers
begins with
the first step”
• Don’t wait for customers in the
showroom — go out and get them
• Don’t be afraid — the three-pointed star
opens doors for you
• Don’t wait for referrals — ask for them
from your customers
• Know your market — locate and connect
with successful local businessmen
• Open your eyes — join local clubs and
events to find new customers
• Leave your mark — hand over brochures
and your name card during each visit
• Never let go — always follow up on
acquisition activities
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2 Why Active Prospecting?
Remember, not everyone knows
3 How to do Active Prospecting?
All paths lead to potential customers —
Mercedes-Benz, the right mix is the key to success
your dealership and you
• Customers do not come to
Mercedes-Benz “voluntarily” — go out
• Focus on the right target group — segmentation
increases your chance to close a deal
and get them
• Customers become increasingly informed
• Cold calls and cold visits — it’s difficult,
but rewarding
and sophisticated
• Customers do have alternatives and they
• Direct mailings — very effective if
executed correctly
don’t hesitate to choose other brands
• Mercedes-Benz faces fierce competition
• Referrals — ask loyal customers to refer
friends, colleagues, etc to you
• There is untapped potential in every area
• After sales customers — tap into your
dealership’s goldmine
• In a nutshell: active prospecting helps to
pull potential customers to your
dealership, i.e. increase showroom traffic
• Conquest and social network — stir up
interest in Mercedes-Benz (in everyone and
everywhere)
• Marketing activities — get noticed in
your market
4. 4 Who is my target group?
Customer segmentation increases your
5 Customer segmentation
Classification of customers increases
chance to close a deal your success rate
• Collect and capture customer data
continuously and comprehensively
• By product type: e.g. S-class, E-class
• Identify prospect’s unique needs,
• By demographics: e.g. age, gender,
income level, education, marital status,
preferences and requirements profession
• Classify customers according to
segmentation criteria
• By psychographics: e.g. hobbies,
life-style, interests
• Identify market segments with highest
sales potential
• By geography: e.g. rural vs. urban area
• In a nutshell: segmentation enables
• By behavioral: e.g. re-purchase cycle
(every x years)
targeted active prospecting and efficient
use of resources • By importance: e.g. customer
life-time value, value of transactions,
loyal customers
• By vehicle ownership: e.g. current
vehicle older than x years
5. 6 Key success factors
90% of success is based on preparation
7 After sales customers
Tap into your dealership’s goldmine
• What to achieve by when? — Set clear
and realistic objectives
• After sales customers are a goldmine
to capture new sales customers
• Who to contact when and why? —
Determine priorities
• Coordinate customer data with
your service department — go out and
capture all after sales customers
• When to do showroom and outside
appointments? — Plan your day accordingly
• Prioritize your after sales customers
through segmentation — e.g. current
• What contacts have I had with the
prospect? — Know your prospect
vehicle older than x years
• How to structure calls and visits? — • Establish a first contact — introduce
yourself to after sales customers
Structure your calls and visits
• Prepare yourself for the prospect • Manage them — to ensure they buy
from you
(contact history, documents, etc)
• In a nutshell: be prepared, enthusiastic, • And remember: follow-up existing
sales customers so they also buy from
and goal-oriented
you again!
6. Mercedes-Benz LOCATION.
Good day!
My name is …
8 Cold calls are difficult but rewarding
Those who forget to prepare are There is no second chance to make a
prepared to be forgotten first impression
• Set clear and realistic goals, e.g.
invitation to dealership — no one sells a
• Structure your call (how to initiate,
maintain, and end calls?)
car during the first call
•Introduce yourself professionally with
• Tidy up your workplace and have note
paper ready — a clean start for a
“Mercedes-Benz LOCATION. Good day!
My name is …”
promising deal
• Give a reason for your call and be prepared
• Avoid any background noises — the basis
for an effective call
to answer “What’s this all about?”
• Clarify key questions (find as much
• Determine right time to make your call —
not all times are equally effective
information about your prospect as possible)
• Professional ending (sum up
• Get into a positive mood — people “see”
if you smile on the phone
agreements, secure follow-up contact,
offer prospect to call back)
• Thank prospect for speaking to you
•Document the call upon completion
(summary, findings, next contact)
7. er, um,
you know, actually,
perhaps, maybe, could,
would, unfortunately, never,
not, cheap, bad, difficult,
sometimes, I’m sure you are
aware that…, I bet you…,
may I ask, to be honest,
I think, I believe
9 Linguistics
Treat every call as if it’s your only one
10 Professional telephone manner
Avoid the following words and
phrases…
• Listen actively by re-confirming what the
prospect says
• Fillers (er, um, you know)
• Qualifiers (actually, perhaps, maybe,
• Speak slowly and briefly pause between
sentences
sometimes)
• Repetition (repeating what has been said)
• Ask only one question at a time
• Conditionals (could, would)
• Pause after every question to prompt
answers • Negative words (unfortunately, never,
not, cheap, bad, difficult)
• Address prospect by name
• Suppositions (I’m sure you are aware
• Avoid fillers, conditionals, repetitions, etc that…, I bet you…)
• Get to know the customer (e.g. hobbies,
interests, etc)
• Set phrases (may I ask, to be honest)
• Condescending phrases (now then,
now you listen to me)
• Inferences (I think, I believe)
8. 11 Cold visits
The three-pointed star opens doors
to new customers
• Find potential customers in your area
(individuals/companies) via the internet,
•Introduce yourself professionally with
“Mercedes-Benz LOCATION. Good day!
newspaper, etc My name is …”
• Make yourself familiar with the potential
customer (address, contact person,
• Enquire if contact is willing to discuss
matters at hand — only continue in light of
current business, etc) confirmation
• Set clear and realistic goals for the visit,
e.g. invitation to the showroom
• Identify prospect’s needs and offer
tailored benefits
• Reinforce positive contact with a speedy
follow-up, e.g. a face-to-face appointment
• Wrap up the visit professionally (sum up
agreements and next steps, leave name
in the showroom within one week card and brochures)
• In a nutshell: prepare thoroughly for the
cold visit and follow-up activities
• In a nutshell: be a professional
Mercedes-Benz brand advocate
9. tion
Invita
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12 Direct mailings
Don’t send it if it is not personal or
13 Ask for referrals
Loyal customers will help you grow
relevant your prospect base
• Make it personal and relevant to the
customer
• Loyal customers can bring you new
customers — so ask for referrals
• Secure interest with an appealing
beginning and highlight key messages
• Loyal customers may become your brand
advocate — ask them to promote you
• Attach response cards to facilitate
interaction
• Thank your customers for each referral
and keep them up-to-date
• Include “Call for action/I will contact
you…” to indicate follow-up activity
• Treat every referral as a potential
customer
• Keep in mind the best days to mail
• In a nutshell: keep your customers
happy and loyal and they will expand
• Reinforce positive contact with
a follow-up, e.g. an appointment in the
your business
showroom within one week
10. 14 Conquest
Induce competitors’ customers
15 Social network
Bring the “Star” out to the field
to buy Mercedes-Benz
• Locate competitor’s customers —
e.g. during events or external data bases
• All employees’ network has potential
customers
• Know our products and know the
competitors’ products — then advocate
• Advocate Mercedes-Benz and your
dealership at every opportunity
our advantages to prospects
• Stir up interest in Mercedes-Benz —
• Highlight the presence of your
dealership — not everyone knows
in everyone and everywhere
about you • Join local clubs and events — there are
always occasions to meet prospects
• Proactively contact prospects —
cold calls and visits are a perfect start • If prospects show interest, gently
push for a face-to-face appointment in
• Secure face-to-face appointments
in the showroom — the ideal place to
the showroom
present Mercedes-Benz • Offer your social network to contact
you at any time
• Don’t be afraid of objections —
you are trained to overcome them • In a nutshell: be a Mercedes-Benz brand
advocate – everywhere and anytime
11. 16 Marketing activities
Acquiring customers directly and
17 Area sales person
Your area is your business,
out of the crowd so manage it well
• Highlight presence of your dealership —
at events, advertising, direct mailings
• Know your area (affluent residential
neighborhoods, promising companies, etc)
• Advertise in local media — newspaper,
radio
• Identify potential customers (individuals,
companies, fleet, etc)
• Arrange special events at the dealership —
sneak previews for new products
• Keep yourself up-to-date with your area
(newspapers, magazines, internet, etc)
• Execute acquisition strategies — cold calls,
direct mailings, cold visits
• Manage your area (schedule cold visits,
customer visits, courtesy visits, etc)
• Sponsor events — concerts, golf
tournaments
• Always aim to secure a face-to-face
appointment in the showroom
• Utilize local VIPs and opinion leaders —
to raise the profile of your dealership
• Continuously show presence and care
about your prospects and customers in
your area
• In a nutshell: marketing activities
increase showroom traffic in many ways
12. 18 Closing on prospects
Signing of the contract — the beginning
19 Follow-up all your prospects, regularly
Match your prospect management with
of a life-long relationship the first-class products you sell
• Personally intensify the relationship
over time — and the next decision is in
• Give your prospects the feeling that you
really care about them — at all times
favor of Mercedes-Benz
• Show them you are not just selling a car
• Propose concrete offers and solutions
to your prospect’s individual needs • Become your prospect’s best friend —
together with your service colleagues
• Let the customer feel like the vehicle’s owner
and then gently push to close the deal • Ideal follow-up activities after establishing
contact — one week after initial contact
• Never let customers leave without asking
whether he wants to buy the car (“Would you • Always deliver on your promises —
commitment is binding in the long run
like me to reserve it for you?”)
• After signing the contract, always • Always exceed your customer’s
expectations with surprising gestures
re-enforce your customer’s decision
as a wise choice
• Be there for them — always
• Remember: “No” means “Not yet” — keep
up the spirits and provide more benefits
13. 20 Planning/Controlling/Evaluation
Successful acquisition can be managed
21 Always remember
by thorough planning, monitoring, and
evaluation of activities:
• Number of calls
• The definition of ‘to sell’ is:
• Number of visits
• To establish faith, confidence and
• Number of follow-up activities
belief in the value of Mercedes-Benz
vehicles
• Lost sales analysis
• Sales people think price is the most
• Closing rate on acquisition important factor in a sale….
• Number of showroom visits
• Customers say it is the salesperson
• Number of test drive conversions
• Never look for excuses — it’s up to you
• Number of sales conversions
• Cost-benefit analysis of activities
