Technology has changed the way we do business, and today’s customer has more information at their fingertips than ever before. Even better, that same technology is driving buying traffic to your dealership every day, and your challenge now is converting more of your floor traffic into deliveries.
Here are three things you can do now to give your dealership a huge increase in sales and profits…
1. POTENTIAL – “Whether you think you can or think you can’t; you’re right.” – Henry Ford
You saw the potential to drive more traffic through better web strategies; you made a commitment and took action. And like Joe said at his workshop, “It worked, and now they’re on your lot.” That means you also have to up your commitment to training and managing to turn that traffic you generated into deliveries and profit. Your marketing worked – they’re on the lot – now it’s time to ‘sell’.
You already know your salespeople can sell more, that isn’t even a question, so make a quick list of your salespeople and write down how many more units you know they could sell if they had the training, coaching and daily management to make it happen.
If you’ll do that, you’re looking at an easy 25% to 50% increase almost overnight, but only if you’ll make the same commitment to training and managing your sales team to sell the vehicle, as you made in advertising and marketing to put the prospect on the lot in the first place.
Once you make a real commitment, you will make it happen.
2. TRAINING – the secret to reaching your goals.
Potential is realizing, “We know we can improve.” Training is how you turn your potential into deliveries.
As trainers, we teach Leadership, Management and Sales Processes, and being effective in all three areas relies on following consistent processes in each area.
What do I mean? Well, here’s an easy example … if your salespeople followed the (common sense) process of meeting their customers with a warm and friendly greeting, continued to build rapport and investigate, and followed that with a great demonstration and presentation – would they sell more? Of course you answered ‘yes’.
Here’s another quick question; “How long does a 5-minute training meeting last on how to properly greet a prospect?”
Right, about 15 minutes. Why 15, instead of just 5? Because you have to sell your salespeople on the benefit to them, and then teach them exactly what to say, how to say it and the proper way to deliver that greeting (smile, handshake, etc.). Then you have to practice it again and again until they have it down pat. And if you honestly held that 15-minute meeting, even if it took you a few times so that everybody’s greeting and approach was bulletproof, would you increase sales? Sure you would.
So all it really takes to increase sales some by improving their greeting is a commitment and then 15, 30 or maybe 45 minutes one time. But instead of investing those 15 to 45 minutes just once, managers spend even more time and money trying to put even more people on the lot, hoping that will solve the problem.
Training in most dealerships has been done so wrong, for so long, that Henry Ford is correct about how everyone feels; “Whether think you can or think you can’t, you’ll be right.” Dealerships aren’t training because it never worked in the past – but that’s only true because it’s never been done correctly.
When you make the decision from the top down that you’ll train to improve, you’ll find that effective training is that quick & easy way to sell more cars that everyone has been hoping for.
3. TEAMWORK –brings it all together.
What is teamwork? In class, the common definition from dealers and managers is,
“Teamwork is everybody working together toward a common goal.”
If you agree in general, here are a couple questions about that: First, does ‘everybody’ mean some, most or all of the people? Sure, it means ‘all’. How about ‘working’, does that mean doing what it takes to hit the goal or just trying? Sure, it means actually getting the job done. How about ‘together’, does that mean all of your salespeople and managers working together with one focus, that common goal? Last, is there a ‘common goal’ that from the dealer to the porter – everyone knows? Does everyone understand the goal, know their part of the plan and are working together every day to hit your ‘common goal’?
One of the things I love about working with Joe, is that of our 50+ employees, the average person has been with the company more than 10 years. We are all on the same page, with the same goal, with a clear plan – and we all work together to pull it off year after year. Does that work? Absolutely! Earlier this year Joe announced that 2012 was our 24th record year (best year ever) of our 27 years in business.
Like Joe says, “There’s no rocket science required to have record years. You just have to educate, practice, coach and manage everyone, every single day.” And he’s right – and that’s why your attention to selling is so important right now. We’re in the best market we’ve had in years, you’ve done a great job in marketing and you have people all over the lot. That means it’s time to make a commitment to train, coach and manage your managers and salespeople and start having those record years every year.
I’ve personally seen so many dealerships literally explode once they see their potential, train their staff and develop teamwork that I know for a fact you can do it, too.
So make that first commitment and get to our workshop – if you will, we’ll show you exactly how to have those record years every year, too.
Looking for more information on the potential in the automotive business? Check out:
1. Free downloads of Books by Joe Verde available at www.joeverde.com/store:
- Dealer’s Guide to Recovery & Growth – shows your dealership’s potential
- Earn Over $100,000 Selling Cars – Every Year – shows salespeople their potential
- Manage Your Career In Sales – Goal Setting For Salespeople – how both managers are salespeople are gonna get everything they want in sales!
2. JVTN® online training course on Joe’s book for dealers and managers – “Dealer’s Guide to Recovery & Growth” available at: www.joeverde.com/rgvideo
3. Joe Verde Blog – free articles for salespeople and sales management
We’ll see you in Orlando.
Sean Gardner, Joe Verde Trainer
