3. Automated Virtual Assistant
You’ve Heard About Her...
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call or visit her at
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11TH
CONFERENCE & EXPOSITION
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October 5-7, 2011 • Las Vegas, NV
Booth #430
4. You Are GUARANTEED to Increase Your
Bottom Line in 1 Year by $250,000 or More...
or I’ll Pay You $10,000!
Hi, my name is Mark Tewart. I may have had the honor of coming into contact with you
through my seminars, association meetings, NADA or NIADA conventions, articles in
AutoSuccess or other magazines, my old Automotive Satellite Training Network shows or
you may have read my best-selling book How To Be A Sales Superstar.
Whether you know me or not, you may be wondering what allows me to be able to make
such an outrageous claim. The answer is simple: If a client follows my no gimmick, no BS,
fool-proof and proven methods, the results are as predictable as the sun coming up every
day. That may sound arrogant to some of you, but to me and my select clients it’s just reality.
Every year I have many dealers who ask me to work with them to help improve their sales
and pro ts. I reject most of them. I only choose a few each year to work with on such a Mark Tewart,
large scale. There are a few reasons why I carefully hand pick who to work with. President of Tewart
Enterprises, Inc.
The rst reason is that it’s easy for you to say you want to improve but most people don’t
want to do the things necessary to make it happen. This isn’t some magic-button, Author of the Best-Seller
pie-in-sky fad. These are real-world and proven methods for massive pro t improvements. ‘How to be a Sales Superstar’
It takes hard work and lots of commitment.
The second reason for me being picky about who I work with on these projects is that
frankly I don’t have the time. To create the massive results that you and I are looking for
requires a great deal of my time and e ort. Because of my time restraints, I refuse to spend
time and e ort with uncommitted dealers. I only align myself with passionate people
committed to winning.
The third and nal reason for me being selective is my reputation. I can’t write ads like this
and make such incredible guarantees unless I can bring the results. My reputation is
beyond solid.
By the way, the $250,000 bottom line improvement is just an example. I have had some
dealers increase their bottom lines by more than $1,000,000. Look at it this way; I don’t take
$10,000 guarantees lightly. I put my money where my mouth is.
Call my 24 hour Dealership Success Hotline to receive your “Dealership Success Check List” –
Call Now at 888 612-5884 Ext. 90001 or Go to www.dealershipsuccess.com
***Dealers or General Managers Only***
Sincerly, Mark Tewart Info@tewart.com | 888 2 TEWART - (888 283 9278)
P.S. There is one very simple thing most dealers aren’t doing that you can do
to unlock an additional 7 gures worth of pro t with no extra risk in the next
5 years. I know it sounds too good to be true, but you can see for yourself.
Call my 24/7 Dealership Success Hotline at 888.612.5884
Ext. 90001 or Go to www.dealershipsuccess.com
7. “bLinkedSM is the best tool
I have seen in 15 years.”
bLinked
SM
Be Smart. Be Informed. bLinkedSM.
This is the program that is changing everything.
bLinkedSM is a data analytic service that marries your customer
database, inventory, and manufacturer incentives to deliver
more high-quality leads straight to your showroom floor.
• ttract more customers with offers too good to refuse
A
— offers to upgrade their vehicles for lower monthly
payments and no money down.
• et your own margins to meet and exceed the profit
S
levels you want.
• onvert more service appointments into sales with
C
incredibly accurate information for your sales team
and perfectly matched offers for your customers.
With email, direct mail, and microsite marketing included
at no extra cost, bLinkedSM is the complete turnkey package
poised to give your dealership an unmistakable sales advantage.
Welcome to bLinkedSM — the next generation
of direct marketing.
Learn more today. Contact J&L Marketing at
800.346.9117 or email: sales@jandlmarketing.com
for more information.
Bill Cafarella
General Manager
West County Honda
Ellisville, Missouri www.twitter.com/jandlmarketing
www.facebook.com/jandlmarketing
www.youtube.com/user/jandlmarketing
8. SusanGivens sales & training solution
The neW arT of
selling cars
Today’s car shoppers are driven by the
information revolution. A study by Polk and “In order to create a sales
AutoTrader.com shows that car shoppers advantage, dealerships must
spend an average of 18 hours researching
their purchase online. With the increase in evolve to meet the needs of
smartphones, tablets and other wireless mobile
technology, consumers are increasingly doing
today’s consumer. Time is a
research even within the dealership. precious commodity for them.
The Internet has forever changed the way They’re in a hurry. They want
people shop for cars. There is an ever- instant information on-the-go. The
increasing amount of information accessible
to customers, and often the sales consultant best way for sales consultants to
is no longer the product expert. Customers
frequently test sales consultants to see
address these needs is through
how knowledgeable they are, and are often the use of mobile technology.”
disappointed. The consumer’s car shopping
process has significantly changed with today’s For instance, a sales consultant holding a tablet when greeting customers conveys a greater sense
technology, but most sales consultants still of professionalism. The customer’s fascination with tablets can also help the sales consultant
use the same decades-old sales approaches. to more quickly make a connection and provide information to ease customer fears. Sales
With the increasing complexity of vehicles and consultants build credibility and transparency into the process by providing a “let’s take a look
technology, that knowledge gap will continue at that together” experience, allowing the sales consultant to spend less time finding answers or
to grow. asking the manager and more time engaging with the customer. In fact, studies have shown that
multimedia helps people comprehend and remember twice the amount of information. Seeing
In order to create a sales advantage, dealerships images and videos while listening to the sales consultant improves customer retention and
must evolve to meet the needs of today’s engagement.
consumer. Time is a precious commodity for
them. They’re in a hurry. They want instant Truth, transparency and honesty in the sales process are what customers want, and dealers who
information on-the-go. The best way for sales deliver will win the sale. Dealerships that integrate mobile into the selling process can reignite
consultants to address these needs is through the magic of the car-buying experience. Mobile applications can lay the foundation for today’s
the use of mobile technology. art of selling a car, creating the emotional connection, positive customer experience and vehicle
value that has always driven sales success.
Mobile tablets are an ideal solution for
accessing the growing volume of information Toyota Sunnyvale in Sunnyvale, California is currently using a tablet product that integrates
that is available today. They allow sales mobile applications into their selling process. “The three things that this has brought to our team
consultants to quickly respond to questions from are: 1) the speed with which they can deliver information to the consumer that is relevant, precise
any location to build the value of the dealership, and accurate, 2) mobility that doesn’t limit them to sitting at a sales station, and 3) help for new
the vehicle and themselves throughout the salespeople to accumulate the product knowledge they’re going to need more quickly,” explained
customer’s entire car-buying experience. As has Mike Shum, general manager at Toyota Sunnyvale.
been proven time and again, when the perceived
value of the vehicle is higher than its price, you “We are committed to helping dealers bring back the excitement and joy of buying a new vehicle
have a sale, but more often than not, the art of and improving the customer experience,” said Jim Hughes, principal of IntellaCar, the mobile
building value gets lost as sales consultants application technology that Toyota Sunnyvale uses. “We’ve seen a direct correlation between
quickly jump to the deal. giving customers a more positive purchase experience and a dealership’s sales growth. Toyota
Sunnyvale is able to give sales consultants easily accessible, tailored and compelling information
With tablets, sales consultants are able to to make the sale and allows them to access information like vehicle features, options, inventory,
address concerns that many shoppers have videos, photos, reviews and so on, right in the palm of their hand, enabling them to sell more cars
about going into a dealership. These concerns each month.”
podcast interviewee
include whether the sales consultant knows
enough, if they will tell the truth and how long Susan Givens is the publisher of AutoSuccess. She can be contacted at
the process is going to take. 877.818.6620, or by e-mail at sgivens1@autosuccessonline.com.
08 autosuccessonline.com
9.
10. BryanAnderson sales & training solution
a look To The pasT,
presenT and fuTure
Driving sales to the next level each month things are done. Whatever approach you take this month, be sure to incorporate these tips:
doesn’t have to be as hard as we tend to make
it. The right tools, used at the right time, The Past — Save-a-Deal Management
targeting the right customers will help anyone Fortunately, what has been done in the past leaves us with a second chance. Good thing, since
sell more cars. This is true for the veteran and too often prospect opportunities are forgotten, lost or mismanaged by our salespeople. Whether
the green pea alike, often as a result of small customers are thought to have purchased elsewhere, were unable to get financing or were simply
tweaks rather than any major overhaul in how forgotten, it doesn’t mean we give up on them. Any true CRM will provide a strong “save-a-
deal” mechanism. In the form of a logbook,
this feature provides opportunity for a much-
needed second pair of eyes to catch potentially
lost business. A quick review by management
provides the second chance for saving (and
closing) the deal. Spending only a few minutes
in this log each day will close more business
each and every month. On the contrary,
managers who ignore the past ignore real
business opportunity today.
The Present — Equity Management
Another way to boost sales in the next 30 days
is to know exactly which customers in your
CRM are in a positive equity position right
now. Not sure? Then you’re leaving money
off the books this month — big money. Using
your CRM to aggregate important customer,
vehicle and OEM data can offer a daily list
of leads simply waiting to close. Incorporate
these “equity leads” directly in the CRM, from
which you can launch engaging marketing
campaigns, and you’ll discover an entirely new
level of sales.
The Future — Renewal Management
Overlooking what might be coming down
the pike can limit business as well. On the
other hand, knowing when customers will
be back in the market is the quickest way to
create life-long, loyal customers. Again, it’s
no surprise that a strong CRM with a strong
renewal process is key. Customized to meet
the dealer’s needs, a digital renewal log will
manage marketing and personal follow-up for
today’s customer and tomorrow’s prospect. If a
renewal customer isn’t ready to purchase now,
discover when and clarify your pipeline. Either
way, do not forfeit the opportunity to resell
many of these proven, qualified customers.
It comes down to a look at customer data
— a look to the past, the present and future.
And while most auto dealers have the data
somewhere in their stores, a comprehensive
CRM is needed to bring it all together and
put it at their fingertips. Once in place, this
data can be used to better sell today and into
the future, ensuring more sales and service
revenue from more loyal customers.
Bryan Anderson is the founder of Autobase.
He can be contacted at 866.667.9659, or by
e-mail at banderson@autosuccessonline.com.
10 autosuccessonline.com
11. “After looking at several di erent
CRM vendors, we chose eLEAD as our
one-source partner and were able to
reduce our number of CRM vendors
from 17 to 1 in all 80 dealerships.
eLEAD gives us one CRM solution
that seamlessly integrates xed and
variable operations and with over 700
employees, their 24/7 support sta is
unbeatable. eLEAD made it simple to
choose them as our long-term vendor
and we’re thrilled with the return on
investment.”
- Bob Murray
Director of Operational Marketing
Asbury Automotive Group
Websites | Search | Social | Reputation |
CRM | Call Center | Data Mining | ILM | Desking |
Inventory | Service and Reminders | Complete Management
One Price. One Vendor. One Solution.
888 431-6928 I sales@eleadcrm.com
www.eleadcrm.com
12. Live Chat SuCCeSS:
three Dealers Share their
experiences and Results
Live chat has forever changed the way consumers expect service to be
provided online. Gone are the days of shoppers having to pick up the phone or
send an e-mail and wait for a response. With chat, consumers can receive information
immediately, and on their own terms. Chat is effective because it begins the relationship
on the Website, while allowing shoppers to keep their anonymity if they choose to. In addition,
Website visitors receive assistance and information before they are asked for any contact “Our chat provider also has fluent Spanish
information, so there’s already a level of trust established. It’s like the opposite of cold calls. The speaking chat reps,” Bell said. “We recently
shopper is already interested in your dealership — they’re already on your Website. And if they deployed the Spanish language option and we
choose to engage in chat, then they are expressing an even greater interest in your dealership. began converting Spanish speaking shoppers
These are key reasons why chat is such a powerful lead and sales generation tool. right away. We set an appointment on the
first day of use and made the first vehicle
We recently spoke with three dealers who are achieving great results with live chat. Here’s what sale within a couple of days. It’s a really nice
they have to say about the benefits of dealership Website chat. option to have and shoppers appreciate it.”
Don Ayres Honda Internet Performance and Marketing Director Jim Bell has worked in Acton Toyota of Littleton eCommerce
automotive retail for almost 15 years. He has served in the majority of dealership departments, Manager Justin Brun has worked with
including lease retention and finance. Since he began in the dealership world he has seen many the dealership for nearly seven years. The
changes and has actively tried to stay ahead of the learning curve. “When I started in automotive, award-winning dealership — including
the dealership didn’t have a CRM. Back then, I don’t even think any of us even knew what a being named DealerRater.com’s “Dealer of
CRM was. Tools and terms that we now use on a daily basis were unheard at that time. SEO, the Year” for three years in a row — takes a
SEM, live chat, social media, etc. were still years away from entering our everyday vocabulary progressive approach to online marketing and
and use.” has a dedicated Internet sales team of nine
employees. Over all, Acton Toyota averages
More than a year ago, the dealership’s Internet consultant recommended that they use live chat 25,000 Website visitors, 500 total leads and
on the dealership Website. Bell was skeptical of the benefits of chat, but he was interested in 85 sales per month through the Internet
the ROI numbers his consultant gave him. Bell began researching chat providers and started department.
following activEngage’s Todd Smith online. The two began corresponding on Twitter and the
dealership deployed the company’s chat solution in November 2010. Always on the lookout for new innovations
and tools to increase online leads and sales,
“We decided to go with a full-service chat solution because we just don’t have the internal the dealership began using live chat on their
resources to manage the chats,” Bell said. “Professionally trained chat reps handle them for us warranty Website in late 2008. With the
and the transcripts, leads and other shopper information are seamlessly transferred to our CRM. demonstrated success of chat on the warranty
Chat provides another Website call to action and an alternative to phone and e-mail that shoppers site, Acton Toyota soon deployed live chat
increasingly prefer. We find that many Website visitors feel more comfortable with chat and find throughout the dealership’s Website.
it less ‘invasive’ than other forms of communication. While our chat reps steer the conversation
toward getting shoppers’ contact information, ultimately customers feel like they are in control “I began researching chat providers in 2008
with chat. They can give as much or as little information as they want in a low-pressure and read about activEngage in a dealership
communication channel.”
As for the results the dealership receives from chat, Bell now closes more than 20 percent of
all chat leads for vehicle sales. In the first half of 2011, the dealership had 226 vehicle sales
chats that converted into leads and sold 47 cars from chat leads alone. “I am certain that without
chat, many of these site visitors would not have converted into leads or sales,” Bell said. “Some
shoppers now have a clear preference for chat communication, and we now find offering the
service is a business imperative. I get back 12.5 times my spend on chat, and that’s just on sales.
If you add service, it’s closer to 15 times my spend. Of all of our marketing initiatives, chat
consistently has one of the highest returns.
13. publication,” Brun said. “After extensive discussion we decided to use the activConcierge full- available to help our shoppers. I read the chat
service, managed chat. It is the best option for our dealership and we improved our Website lead transcripts and the reps do an outstanding job
generation and sales from the start. The service offers a level of immediacy that online shoppers at representing our dealerships and helping our
increasingly demand. And, let’s face it, many people are leery of calling or e-mailing dealerships shoppers. We are very pleased with our live
because they don’t want to give out their contact information until they feel that they can trust chat service.”
the dealership. With live chat, they can move at their own pace, while we build a relationship
by helping shoppers get the information they need on their own terms. Because of this, we More and more shoppers choose live chat to
generate a high number of qualified leads from chat. Customers appreciate the fast and initially communicate with the dealers that they use
anonymous assistance and generally reward us with their contact information. It’s a win-win to purchase and service their vehicles. Just as
situation.” the early adopters of Websites, e-mail, CRM
and SEO enjoyed a decisive advantage, today
As for service, Brun added, “Everybody talks about having a ‘partnership’ between the dealerships using live chat capture more
dealership and the service provider, but in most cases it’s just talk. We really do have a true customers and convert more visitors into sales.
partnership. There are less-expensive chat services out there, but we find we more than get what Live chat provides the customer with a low-
we pay for with activEngage’s services. They are constantly innovating and they really listen to risk way to communicate with the dealership,
any feedback we have and take action when necessary. and it provides the dealership with an easy
way to turn anonymous Web traffic into
“Having chat available, in addition to phone and e-mail contact, helps us appeal to every relationships and sales.
audience in our market,” Brun said. “The chat reps are extremely flexible and responsive. When
chats are completed, the transcripts and other lead information go into our CRM with no data
re-entry. The benefits of using a managed service for our dealership are tremendous. We offer For more information about the dealers
better customer service on our Website and generate more qualified leads, with no work required presented, or activEngage, contact the
from dealership staff members. And because a certain level of trust has already been established Todd Smith, the founding partner and chief
through chat, these leads have one of the highest close rates of all sources we use.” executive office. He can be contacted at
866.409.6755, or by e-mail at
tsmith@autosuccessonline.com.
Jeff Haze, Internet Sales/Leasing Coordinator for the family-owned Fred Beans Ford Lincoln
Mercury Mitsubishi dealerships, became convinced that consumers increasingly prefer to use
chat on automotive retail Websites, based on research and changes in online shopping behavior.
After Haze examined the available options, activEngage presented at Fred Beans’
corporate headquarters and the dealer group management unanimously decided to
deploy the company’s full-service live chat solution.
“Our chat service is great for our dealerships,” Haze said. “Highly skilled chat
reps manage the conversations for us. They give shoppers a great first impression
of the dealerships; they get contact information and set appointments for us. They
also keep in constant contact with us to keep up to date on our latest initiatives
and to receive any feedback we have about the chat service. With live chat,
we generate leads that I know we would have missed without the service. It’s
fantastic.”
Haze also was impressed with the knowledge and friendliness of the chat
reps. “I don’t think most of our shoppers have any idea that the reps aren’t
at the dealership,” he said. “The people who manage the chats are not in
some random call center. They are highly trained professionals who have
an in-depth understanding of automotive retail in general, our dealership
specifically and the medium of chat. Honestly, I don’t see how we could
manage the chats better than they do.
“Since using chat, we have increased lead volume and vehicle, parts
and service sales,” Haze said. “Overall, we have had a four percent
uptake in general leads, and I’m not surprised. All of our Website
visitors are attended to and we can offer the same customer service
online that we do in the showroom. A knowledgeable person is always
14. MarlenaSmith marketing solution
QuesTions To use in
PART 2
choosing The righT
markeTing company
Last month, we started to examine why it can products are measured, monitored and tracked. They want to prove to you their programs
be hard to find a reputable marketing company work so you will keep using them. Just the fact alone that they use an 800 number or online
to help boost your traffic and increase tracking means they are confident — and you can be as well. Better still, some allow you to
sales. Bascially, if you search Google for log on to a dashboard and see e-mails and actually listen to the calls. This should be built right
“automotive marketing,” there are 171,000,000 into any event or program.
listings; that’s a lot of data to wade through. So
where to start? 2. In this day and age, a Website seems so obvious. However, there are some people working
from home or out of the back of their cars — seriously. A professional marketing company
Because of placement, there is no guarantee should have a beautiful, efficient, informative Website. If they are in marketing and don’t have
of the type of business you would contact one with full disclosure of owners, products, contact info and more — run.
on the Internet. It’s easy to make a “shade-
tree marketing expert” look like a corporate 3. In order to build marketing branding, everyone in business, especially marketing people,
conglomerate online, so let’s continue our should use an e-mail address based on their domain name for business. It’s professional,
discussion on how to begin the weeding-out stable and appropriate. If they aren’t practicing best policies for their own company, how can
process. you count on them to do that for your company? It is the little things that count because they
add up to equal the big things.
Last month, we looked at five basic questions
to ask a “new to you” marketing company. 4. Again, an office signifies stability. You can use Google Maps to look at the office — make
This month, we’ll finish the list: sure they are not working from home or using a P.O. Box store for their address. If they work
1. Is their marketing measured, monitored and from home and not an office, they may not have a business license – which means little or no
tracked? recourse for you if something goes wrong with your marketing.
2. Do they have a Website, and if so, what is
their address? 5. Speaking our language is a must. If you need ups, they need to know how to deliver a high-
3. Is their e-mail based on their domain name, traffic event. If your BDC needs inbound calls — that is important to know — they should
or is it “xyz@yahoo.com” or “123@gmail. also be able to listen to the inbound calls and help you evaluate them for training purposes.
com”? Knowing disclaimers, makes, models, “hooks” and giveaway insurance helps them to do their
4. Do they have an office? What is the job in providing you traffic without “heat.”
address?
5. How much do they know about the auto I encourage you to spend the half hour it takes to discuss these questions with any new marketing
industry? Do they speak your language? vendor you may wish to use. It will help you get to know them, their expertise and evaluate
their potential ability to deliver traffic and sales to your dealership as promised. It creates the
None of the questions here are rocket science, foundation on which their marketing programs can be built.
but it’s vital information to have. Why?
1. Any marketing company that believes in Marlena Smith is the CEO of Automotive Marketing Promotions. She can be
their own products will make sure their contacted at 866.386.5941, or by e-mail at marlenas@autosuccessonline.com.
See You at THE Show!
DSES 2011
Bellagio, Las Vegas
Oct 9-11, 2011
14 autosuccessonline.com
15. Providing the automotive industry with cutting edge digital sales
solutions that utilize technology to stay ahead of the competition.
Are you effectively advertising your
products and services?
V-Active gives you the ability to change advertisements,
promotions, and specials throughout your store. Let us
design your custom campaign.
$1,995 AutoSuccess promotional offer*
Call today for details.
Text VACTIVE To 41411
*$1,995 includes initial production, setup, and required hardware. A signed 24 month contract for $299 a month is also required. This monthly fee
includes hosting, repairs, maintenance, and one promotional update a month. Monitor not included. Rates and terms are subject to change without notice.
16. SeanV.Bradley marketing solution
greaT
QuesTion(s)!
I received a lot of great responses from my appointments; the more appointments, the more confirmations; the more confirmations, the
article a couple of months ago on getting more shows; the more show, the more sales.
Internet sales departments to effectively make
phone calls. I had some people contact me with Here, however, is the most powerful advice I can give: Every dealership should really think about
skepticism, but after we hung up from our call, having professional appointment setters in their dealership. We have clients all over this country
they were complete believers. But, I also had and abroad, and it doesn’t matter if they are a small dealership, a large dealership, a dealer group,
some communication with people who were highline, import, domestic or even an independent dealer. Our most successful clients have
a little confused about the numbers and the professional appointment setters and some even have a full-blown team of appointment setters.
strategy. So, this article is going to break things
down a little deeper. One recent example is Gary Mathews of Jackson in Jackson, Tennessee. This is a Chrysler,
Dodge, Jeep and Hyundai dealership that went from 35 units per month to 86 units per month
and were on track for 102 for August. In a down economy, they have broken dealership record
Let me recap the highlights from that article:
after record. And they are proud to tell you why: their dedication to their Internet business.
• Your Internet sales department is primarily a
One of the main keys to their success is that they have a team of appointment setters, and all
phone sales department.
they do from open to close in shifts is pound the phones and e-mail (the CRM is programmed
• You want to have a minimum of 120 phone
with an automated e-mail action plan). Think about it: How much more successful would your
calls per day per rep.
dealership be if you had a team of trained appointment setters, and all they did at your dealership
• Do not let your team settle for mediocrity.
was make phone calls all day from open to close in shifts?
• Implement the “power hour” exercise ASAP.
• The average connection ratio (From phone Remember that you only have an 11 to 14 percent connection ratio on the phones. So, if you only
call attempts to connections) is only 11 to 14 make 50 calls, you will only have five to seven connections. Plus, if you leave this up to your
percent. sales team to do, there will be no consistency. How could there be? They have to do follow-ups,
• The key to success is understanding the product presentations and deliveries; they sometimes chase stips; they have days off, shifts off,
logic: The more people you attempt to call, personal time, and so on.
the more people you will connect with on
the phone; the more connections, the more You need 100 percent consistency on those phones, from open to close.
I will give you another example. We have a Honda dealership client
in New Jersey that went from 60 units online to more than 200. How
did they do this? Well, they had a team of 12 professionally trained
appointment setters who made 120 calls per day five days per week
for a total of more than 30,000 phone calls in one month. That’s what
it takes to sell 200 units online. More than 15,000 phone calls to sell
100 units online. More than 7,500 phone calls to sell 50 units online.
The push back I get from dealers is that they don’t trust “BDC reps,”
“appointment setters,” etc. The reason why most are not successful
is that they have the wrong people in those positions and most don’t
have the proper training.
At minimum, an automotive Internet sales / phone sales professional
should be trained in areas including:
• Inbound / outbound phone process
• How to qualify a prospect and identify wants, wishes and
expectations.
• Objections / rebuttals
• The power of leaving a great voice mail
• Outbound / inbound e-mail protocol
• How to execute the dealership’s value package proposition
• Science of communication — tone, inflection, etc.
• Automotive Internet sales knowledge
• Product knowledge
These people are truly phone sales professionals. The only difference
between them and your showwroom sales professional is that they do
not sell the vehicle; they sell the appointment. They should, however,
be no less intelligent, skilled and trained.
Sean V. Bradley is the founder and CEO of Dealer Synergy, a
nationally recognized training and consulting company in the
automotive industry. He can be contacted at 866.648.7400, or by
e-mail at sbradley@autosuccessonline.com.
16 autosuccessonline.com
17. FranTaylor leadership solution
liTTle Things
dealer peanuts compared to what they will
get in return.
can make a big • Have a meeting with the whole
dealership the first Monday of every
difference
month. Acknowledge people’s birthdays,
anniversaries, any newborns and crown the
employee of the month. Any employee that
It’s the little things that make you the most • Time off, instead of the money, might be a has sent the dealership a friend to buy a car
money selling cars. person’s hot button. Find out what it takes gets to spin the wheel of fortune, ranging
• Every sales rep should be mailing out hand- them to make each salesperson happy and from $50 to $500. A successful dealer told
written birthday and holiday cards with have them earn it. me once that it is much cheaper to pay
their business cards and a magnet in them. your people and keep them happy than to
If allowed, have your referral amount on • Instead of paying big bonuses all the time, advertise. Have a birthday cake, muffins,
the back of your business card. Also, have mix it up. Pay half in cash and the other half orange juice, donuts and so on. At the end of
the referral amount and your picture on the with prospecting tools. the meeting, the GM or owner should thank
magnet, as well, so people can remember everyone for doing a great job. Everyone
your face. • Give everyone a chance. For example, if Joe likes to be recognized and get an “atta boy,”
sold 12 last month, his qualifier is now 14 to and this will do just that. The cost is less
• Start your morning meetings by training on a get the bonus. My bonuses used to start at 30 than $100 to do this.
topic that your people know well in advance. a month. I hated it, but that is what got me to
40 and 50 cars a month. It’s the little things that make you big money in
• Pay the performers by having dice rolls at the auto industry. For more inexpensive ideas
a dollar a point for doing something good. • Want to attract heavy hitters? Send the to push the needle at your store and sell more
It is cheaper to pay $50 a day to the people most-improved sales reps on small trips cars without spending more money, e-mail me
who are doing the right things than to each month. Run a small ad in the paper at the address below.
pay for advertising that might not work if congratulating the sales reps and managers
your people don’t do the right things when who won. Have the winners say in the
customers arrive. paper “I want to thank all my customers Fran Taylor is the president and
for helping me win a trip to (wherever they CEO of Taylor Techniques.
podcast interviewee
• Always pay the bigger bonuses on went). After a while, you will have good He can be contacted at
improvement, and not for simply doing sales reps contacting you for a job because 866.848.9864, or by e-mail at
the job. most dealers don’t do this. This cost the ftaylor@autosuccessonline.com.
the #1 sales-improvement magazine for the automotive professional 17
18. GrantCardone sales & training solution
rules of
selling
Automotive salespeople, you must know the 2. know the price myth.
rules to win the sale. You are in one of the most Price is a myth and is only real to the person who believes price is the reason. You can’t put a
competitive selling environments ever. Add price tag on something you really love, or something that solves an emergency. When asked
to that a consumer who is terrified to pull the about price, provide the information, and then focus on building value or moving the buyer to
trigger and who spends more time shopping a product that will better suit them and their budget. The buyer doesn’t need to be handled on
the Web than experiencing the product. It is price — you do. Do you know the value of your product? What makes it different, better and a
game time, colleagues, and you have to be great investment? If you don’t know, you will never be able to sell another on it. Value is more
prepared like never before. Are you ready? Are important than price. Discounting does not add value or make the product/service a better deal.
you preparing yourself everyday? People will pay more just because they like you. Value is what your customer will pay to feel
emotionally satisfied — it’s the smell of new leather, the feel of the softest t-shirt, the look of
You can want to be on top of the leader board, perfect shoes or the taste of the best vintage. Value is also what solves the buyer’s problems. If he
but that won’t put you there. You can wish and really loves the product, is certain it will solve his problems and actually has confidence in you,
pray for more traffic and fatter grosses, but they he or she will come up with the money to buy your product.
won’t come without you knowing the rules.
3. move up, don’t move down.
In this economy, every opportunity has to Many salespeople make the mistake of offering something for a lower price when faced with
count — every phone call, lead and walk in. price objections. Price is a myth and not a valid issue. You have missed as many deals because
You could easily blow a deal just because you you were on too little car as too much. Think back to the last time a customer said they couldn’t
were slow to answer a question, stammered afford it and then went down the street and spent more money. They were saying it was too much
through a response to your customer or you and you thought they said they couldn’t afford it. What they were saying was, “too much for that
just didn’t respond with the right attitude. product.” When you move the customer down in price, he’s less likely to want this next product
Your ability to communicate and mindset are if he didn’t want the first one, and might think that you can’t solve his problems. By moving him
vital, and you must be committed throwing out up rather than down in inventory, you’ll get him thinking in terms of value and you will find out
doubts and operating with discipline. if his original objection is valid or not.
Here are five rules that will simplify the sales 4. give, give, give!
process, help you communicate effectively and Selling is the act of giving, not getting; serving, not selling. Instead of being interested in your
allow you to win the sale: own commission, focus on what your product really offers the customer and how your client is
1. always agree with your customer. going to benefit from this experience. If your customer wants one option, give him three or six
agree first, negotiate later. or even 12 options. Those professionals who care the most are the ones who go the extra mile
“No problem,” “Yes ma’am, I can help you to find ways to improve the customer’s life. You have to give more than information — give
with that,” “Most people are just looking, at choices, give options, give personal visits, give links to all the Websites that they might check for
first.” Always, always, always agree with your on their own time. Basically, overwhelm people with so much “give” that they have to surrender
customer. This is the single most important to your thrust. And don’t forget to offer personal visits. See my recent blog at http://dealer-
and the most commonly violated rule in all of communications.com/technology/dont-be-deceived-by-the-technology-drive/.
selling. People are attracted to products, ideas 5. Write up, and never stand up
and people who represent the things they’re in You will never close a deal if you don’t write the buyer up and you’ll almost never close a deal if
agreement with. This is a universal fact. I agree you’re standing up. Always bring a buyer inside for a presentation of your offer. If you don’t get
with everyone first, even when what they are to price, payments, difference, down payments and the like, you ain’t going home with a done
saying is “idiotic.” Disagreeing will only make deal. Make it easy for your buyer to look at numbers after the demo ride. “Come on inside and
them insanely idiotic. I will agree with a client let me get your figures and show you how easy it is to do business here.” Sit your client down
and then move them off that product or close and show him or her what you can do for them, and substantiate it with facts. Also, make the
them for more money when it is appropriate. transition now between selling and closing. Now is the time to press for a close and a decision.
People misunderstand this rule by just agreeing. Sell on emotion, close on facts and figures and logic. The biggest weakness of salespeople
No. Agree, and then get your way. “I agree, is in negotiating and closing the transaction. If you find yourself not writing buyers, I assure
it is a lot of money,” doesn’t mean you drop you that it is because you are weak in the close. If you are weak there, then you are weak. The
the price. “I agree the payments are high, marketplace will not tolerate it today and it’s your responsibility to become strong in the close or
but you knew you were coming to a BMW it’s going to cost you money and cost you sales.
store, sir. You always pay extra for
quality — sign here.” Agree and then Grant Cardone is an author and the CEO of Cardone Training Technologies, Inc. He can be
justify, establish reality and close. contacted at 866.865.3175, or by e-mail at gcardone@autosuccessonline.com.
18 autosuccessonline.com
19.
20. ScottJoseph marketing solution
When you see The Word
‘markeTing,’ WhaT’s The firsT
Thing ThaT pops inTo your head?
Getting prospects “through the showroom
LEADS = $
door” to buy just once is advertising. associated to
dset to “every lead is
“If you change your min those leads. Your first
you’d waste
Keeping those customers as ongoing valuable a cost,” there’s no way equally aware.
make sure your staff is
clients, creating new areas of profit, staying a step, therefore, is to son enquires, not simply
that a per
step ahead of the competition can be tricky. It They too must realize
n, but to buy.”
for a price or informatio
calls for a whole host of skills and planning —
that’s “marketing.”
one in five, your cost equates to $133 per sale.
There are plenty of great advertising ideas that
will generate a lot of Internet or showroom If you change your mindset to “every lead is associated to a cost,” there’s no way you’d waste
traffic. The real question is, “What do you do those leads. Your first step, therefore, is to make sure your staff is equally aware. They too must
to capitalize on the leads or enquiries that are realize that a person enquires, not simply for a price or information, but to buy. They are going to
generated from your ads?” buy somewhere. Your collective task is to make it your dealership.
enquiries cost money — Incidentally, the sales team must never be trapped into pre-judging a person’s motive for
don’t let Them Walk enquiring or their buying power.
Because you fork out a small fortune every
month to pay for your advertising, you are follow-up processes
aware of just how much it really costs to get What processes do you have in place to follow up with each enquiry? You should have one for
a person through the door, on the phone or people who buy and a completely different strategy for people who do not. When someone does
to your Internet site. If you spend $2,000 a not buy, do you rely on your rep or a BDC to follow up by phone or do you have a marketing
month for a specific campaign you receive strategy in place that includes multiple channels, such as e-mail and texting? When someone
75 enquiries. That’s almost $27 per lead. And does buy, what is your plan to create the type of customer experience to keep them coming back?
that’s just a lead. If your team only converts What do you do to create more profit opportunities?
Three powerful marketing Truths That go against
common expectation
One is the so-called 80/20 rule. It states that 80 percent of your
business comes from 20 percent of your client base. And only 20
percent is generated by the other 80 percent. Good to know when
you’re deciding where to direct your promotional dollars.
Another is the “RFM” rule. In essence, it states that, first, the most
“recent” purchaser will be more likely to buy than a non-recent one.
This holds true even in the car business. Remember, a large percentage
of your customers own more than one vehicle. Sometimes, we think if a
customer just bought we should avoid advertising to them about buying
another car. The truth is, we should be more aggressive with those
buyers (at least the buyers who also own another vehicle). Second,
the most “frequent” purchaser is more likely than an infrequent one.
Finally, the purchaser of products in a given “monetary” range is most
likely to respond to an offer in that same price range. Knowledge of this
rule can save a fortune on e-mail and direct mail lists.
And a third rule, as stated by American retailer and marketing genius
Murray Raphel, is “It is far easier to sell more to the customer you
have, than to sell a new customer.”
To ignore previous customers is an expensive mistake. You should
be prepared to ask recent customers to buy again — yes, even cars.
The RFM rule has proven over and over again that the most recent
customer is the most likely to buy again. Don’t confuse trade cycles
with purchases.
After all, nothing depreciates your car faster than the new one you just
parked right next to it in the driveway.
Scott Joseph is the president of J&L Marketing, Inc. He can
be contacted at 888.835.1689, or by e-mail at
sjoseph@autosuccessonline.com.
20 autosuccessonline.com
