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Sales Tips for the Automotive Industry

A practice culture in your dealership

As good as we are, we are all subjected to the day to day erosion of skills and effort by interaction with customers. You may have heard us refer to this as the un-training cycle. Even with great skills and a very high closing ratio, more prospects say no than say yes. This can unwind our attitudes, skills and effort. The only cure is to keep maintaining and increasing our knowledge, proficiency, and effort. Hopefully you have a coach that helps you do that.

Are you on the phone?

Even after 26 years of training and consulting in the auto industry we are still surprised by some of the salesperson behaviors that are so counterproductive yet resistant to change. The ineffective use of the telephone is one. In some dealerships you would swear that they installed special phones that have a 300lb receiver! No one wants to pick it up and make outgoing calls.

You are paid exactly what you are worth

We don't mean to burst anyone's bubble (or maybe we do) but your boss has almost nothing to do with how much money you make. Many of us fall into the trap of looking to external factors to blame for our dissatisfaction with our income. A sales career in the retail automotive industry can be extremely rewarding both personally and financially – if we know what it takes to be successful.  The typical dealership is a microcosm of a pure capitalist marketplace. The level of our pay is in direct proportion to the level of service and value we provide.

Strategy Execution Achievement

Every sales manager has goals. They are usually imposed on us from external sources like the manufacturer, our dealer principal, or general manager. These goals are highly visible, the data is readily available, and we are held responsible if we either hit them or not. Examples of these goals might be monthly sales volume or departmental gross profit.

Begin with the end in mind? Ok but...

Many of us have heard the Stephen Covey quote: "Begin with the end in mind". We actually hope you have read the book it came from: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People".

These are wise words but if taken too literally, can actually hurt your sales success. Consider the sales consultant who always keeps the "end in mind" - getting the sale. This focus on the end or getting the prospect to say yes may cause us to move too quickly or forcefully toward asking for the business.  Clients may feel pressure and react predictably by wanting to leave.

Why Should They Buy Here?

Think about all of the other places your prospect could buy their next vehicle.  In most markets there are not only all of the other competitive brands to worry about. Within a reasonable distance from your dealership is another selling the identical brand. Many manufacturers have over represented major markets to such an extent that a consumer could shop 5-6 of the same brand dealership in the same day!

I Hate Setting Goals

I don’t know how many sales and management related magazines, newsletters, and e-zines you subscribe to but if you are a sales professional I’m betting it is 4 or more.  Every year at this time the authors of these sales resources write articles about the importance of goal setting and strategies to make sure you achieve your goals. I used to hate those articles!

Presentation Overload

What makes a good sales presentation? Many salespeople get the idea that if they are able to dump everything they know about the product onto the customer they have made a good presentation. If we have good product knowledge, are able to keep control of the conversation, and give them every possible bit of information we'll get the sale… right?  Wrong.