PROSPECTING
BUILDING RAPPORT
FACT FINDING/HOT BUTTONS
DEMO
NEGOTIATE
CLOSING
UP YOUR GAME
IN THE AUTOMOTIVE
SALES INDUSTRY.
LEARN SALES STRATEGIES
FROM TOP PERFORMERS
THAT DELIVER RESULTS &
MORE DEALS NOW.
DRIVING TRAFFIC
PROSPECTING
MEET & GREET
BUILDING RAPPORT
FACT FINDING/HOT BUTTONS
CREATING URGENCY
DEMO
BUILDING VALUE
SETTING EXPECTATIONS
PROPOSALS
NEGOTIATE & JUSTIFY
BODY LANGUAGE
GET A COMITTMENT
CLOSING THE DEAL
& MORE.
PROSPECTING
All good sales people and closers need one thing in order to be successful: CUSTOMERS! How can we generate traffic so that we can find a customer and make a sale? Show up EARLY
If you handle internet leads for your store you know they pop up all hours of the day and night. Some sales people aren’t as quick on the draw to answer some of these leads from the previous evening/overnight and depending on their situation - they may just show up at your store ready to buy from ANYBODY. Use at your own discretion, if you're having a slow month and are scraping to put deals together, try this method but don't over do it and burn yourself out either. Find a balance that works for you and your store.2. THE SERVICE DRIVE
This one ties in to showing up early as well, but you can use this method as often as you'd like/your store allows. Typically, your service department/drive is already going to be open before the sales floor. Establish a good relationship with your service advisors & parts advisors. They can play a big role in helping your close your next deal and it's important that they like you. You never know when a potential deal could be just a few steps away from you. Some people would rather trade and start over than pay an expensive invoice to repair their vehicle. These are potential buyers and getting in front of them could mean putting a deal together before anyone else in your store can sell them.
3. SOCIAL MEDIA
Some of the best people to sell to are the people you already know. Friends and family members can make great prospects. You already have an established prior relationship and they already trust you. Your friends and family will also be your biggest referral cranking machine as you get yourself established. Set up a social media page dedicated to your sales business. Tell EVERYONE what you're doing, what dealership you're working at, and post often to stay top of mind. We'll be covering more on this topic in a separate post to get the most out of your social media engagement.
4. TALK TO YOUR MANAGER(S)
This is a big one and can make or break you at your current store. Establishing a positive relationship early on with your sales manager. Communicate often and keep things as positive as you can. Ask them if there's any unanswered leads that you can work, any phone calls the receptionist answered that you can call back. Show them you are putting in the effort to put together a deal, they will respect you for it.
BONUS - SUNDAY FUNDAY
Work on Sundays. Just because the dealership is closed, doesn't mean you have to be. Definitely ask your sales managers beforehand if they're in agreement with you working a Sunday. The goal is pretty straight forward and simple: Talk to potential leads, get contact information, hand out some business cards, create follow-up opportunities for the following Monday. You set your own hours and prospect as much or as little as you'd like to. Obviously management won't be present this day, the doors will be locked, and you have no keys to your inventory. You won't feel the pressure to get people through the door, on a test drive, and start desking a deal. This is a great opportunity to practice on customers as well and sharpen your skills. Learn new word tracks, scripts, flex your social skills. Aim to make a friend, not sell a car. Above all else, DO NOT START NEGOTIATING or working numbers on the lot. This will land you in big trouble with your managers if they catch wind of it. Working a Sunday is pretty hardcore, but if you're desperate for deals or brand new at your store and trying to make it - use this to your advantage. 5. WORK THE LOT
The dealership you work at and your sales managers will really set the tone for working the lot. Some sales managers are very lot aggressive and will want you to chase down anything that moves. Other managers are not so eager, and will trust you to use your best discretion. Chasing customers down on the lot can be mentally and physically exhausting but also VERY rewarding. It's also one of the fastest ways to pick up a hot lead and close a deal. After all is said and done, this business is a numbers game. The more people you talk to, the more opportunities you create, and finally the more deal you will close.
NEED MORE PROSPECTING TOOLS?
You’ve found a customer, you’ve done your meet & greet, started building rapport, and now we’re getting into the thick of the sales process- and what is going to make you great at what you do. There are (typically) two types of customers you are going to run into - customers who can buy and customers who cannot buy. Which creates two ways to handle this subject depending on what type of customer you have in front of you, so lets jump in. FACT FINDING & HOT BUTTONS
Don't judge a book by its cover. Never pre-qualify your customer based on looks alone. There are people that will appear as though they can afford to drive any car off the lot that are broke and there will also be other customers that look like they couldn't afford to finance a walk around the block but can write a check for 50 grand. It is your due diligence to find these things out early on so that you can spend your time most efficiently- you are a commissioned sales person and your time is valuable. Let's look a few different customer examples so you know how to handle each one and coordinate your fact finding and hot buttons more effectively. Customer A - This customer can buy. They are already familiar with the vehicle they like, they've done a good amount of research and they can buy right now, today - but they want to make absolutely sure the vehicle has all the equipment before they buy, getting a good deal, and buying from a reputable dealer. Offer to grab the keys and open the vehicle up for them to get a closer look. Get the customer to follow you inside your store. Offer them something to drink - (coffee, water, soft drinks). Be courteous and point out the restroom (no one is enjoying selling or buying anything if they have to piss like a race horse). So, now how do we handle this customer? Before you grab the keys, you can conduct a quick customer interview and use this knowledge to your advantage on your demonstration & test drive.What equipment are must-haves?
What drew them to that particular vehicle?
What are they driving now?
Is there a trade involved?
Have they driven one yet?
What do they plan on using the vehicle for?
Etc.
THEY CAN BUY
Asking questions is a vital point in any sales process - customers might even offer you additional information that you can use to work your deal while you’re asking these questions such as if they plan on financing, if there is a co-buyer, what they plan on using the vehicle for, etc. All of this information can be used later to close the sale. It's also important to write this information down if you can - it shows the customer you care about what they have to say and it also helps you retain this information as a closing tool. Once you've got the answers to these questions, you have enough in your arsenal to conduct a demonstration/test drive and quickly build excitement within the sales process. 
THEy’RE CREDIT CHALLENGED
Customer B - This customer cannot buy. Not every customer is going to be straightforward about their credit worthiness. It is your job to ask questions and get a feel for what you're working with. In fact, some credit challenged customers might even try to lead you on and make you believe they can buy. There are a few ways to detect the flags of a credit challenged customer early on. What are they currently driving?
Where did they buy it?
Are they trading it in?
How much are they paying currently?
How long have they had their current vehicle?
Is there a payoff involved?
Asking these questions can give you the upper hand when it comes with working with credit challenged customers. Some of these types of customers will be stand off-ish and some will just be straight forward and want to fill out a credit app. In any case, if it is becoming increasingly clear to you as a sales person that the customer has credit obstacles to overcome, immediately move to a credit app and a trade appraisal (if applicable). This will help you figure out if they can buy, what car to put them on, and save you a load of time test driving vehicles that are way out of their budget. WANT MORE FACT FINDING QUESTIONS AND STRATEGIES?
DEMO
You’ve located the vehicle on your lot, started it up, and are preparing to drive it to the designated demo area (or more than likely) the front of your store. Once you've parked, don't just close the drivers door and walk back into the store to grab your customer. We want to use this opportunity to start rapidly building excitement. This is the moment your customer is going to start taking mental ownership. Make it exciting, make it memorable, create an experience instead of just relaying to "here's the keys, here's the car, see you back in 10". That's what lazy sales people do. CREATE AN
EXPERIENCE
A good sales person doesn't have product knowledge. A good salesperson doesn't ask questions, doesn't tie features to benefits. A good sales person doesn't listen and soft close. A good salesperson doesn't create massive excitement & doesn't assume the sale. A good salesperson can execute all of these skills without you even realizing they are doing it.
Weather permitting - open every single door, & the trunk on your vehicle. You can also pop the hood if you believe your customer/sale will benefit - or has made any indication they want to see the motor. Using all the information you've previously gathered in your meet and greet, customer interview, and fact finding you should be mentally preparing to tailor your demo & presentation of this vehicle to your customer. In this day and age there is no shortage of key features, no shortage of technology - any and every feature on this vehicle is exciting and has a benefit that ties directly back to the customer. Walk back into your store and re-greet your customers with a smile, let them know you were able to find the vehicle and have it pulled up and ready for them outside. Start guiding your customers to the vehicle & make sure to answer any questions along the way. This is your moment to prove to the customer you are the professional they didn't know they needed. Your moment to build more trust, build value, hold gross at the negotiating table, and create an experience that makes your customer want to buy from YOU. Demo - Feature, Benefit
Example A
Mr./Mrs. Customer, I know you mentioned remote start was something that you wanted your new vehicle to have - it helps out on those really cold mornings. This model has remote start included (pull out key fob and actually remote start the vehicle, close the doors and trunk if you have to) and it is included in part of our premium cold weather package. Not only is your vehicle going to remote start and begin warming the engine. The vehicle is automatically going to start warming up the cabin to a comfortable temperate, it's going to help melt any excess snow and ice build up on your windshield, and its going to kick on the heated seats, heated steering wheel, and heated exterior mirrors. It really makes getting to work and driving the kids to school so much more comfortable, and safer in the mornings when those icy frigid temps hit.Demo - Feature, Benefit
Example B
Mr./Mrs. Customer, I know you mentioned blind spot monitoring was something you wanted your new vehicle to have - it's really helpful during some of those hectic commutes. This model comes with our Blind Spot Monitoring including in our Safety First Package. I know you mentioned you do a lot of inner city & highway driving during your morning and afternoon commutes. Our blind spot monitoring sends a radar ping out about (X) feet on your vehicle (point to the sensors, show your customer). This system is going to ensure you and your passengers are safe should another driver approach rapidly and potentially cause a collision. Blind spot monitoring will really smooth out those rush hour commutes and give you a lot more confidence on the road. We can dive further into it and you can try it out on the test drive. Do you have your driver's license handy? Need better demos?
Sign up for sales fuel where we dive further into each step of the sales process and take everything we've discussed in this topic even further. From breaking down body language, words tracks, soft closes, and further influencing your sales process. ALWAYS BE
CLOSING
PART I
JUST SIGN HERE.
Closing can seem nerve racking but can be a slam dunk if you follow through confidently and speak with conviction. If you've followed the sales process so far then you should be in a great position to close this deal and sell a car. Let's reflect back on said process so far. 1. Built common ground/made a friend. 2. Customer interview, hot buttons, wants & needs discovered. 3. Landed on the right vehicle. 4. Demo/Build Value/Test Drive - Each one of these steps is absolutely pivotal and has put you on the road to closing the customer and writing up a car deal. Let's follow through and close this deal. COMING OFF THE TEST DRIVE
As the test drive comes to a close you should have overcome any objections or questions your customer may have had as you guide them to the finish line in the sales process. You also should have asserted some type of control during the test drive - telling them when and where to turn in order to arrive back at your store. As you approach your store you should also be telling them where to park the vehicle - again this helps put you in control of the process as you leverage the final stage of closing your car deal.You have the prospect excited, engaged, ready to buy - if you've done your job and followed the steps of the sales process. As your customer finishes parking, you should be demoing any last minute features you feel will build value in the sale (enter/infotainment, touch screen, technology, safety, etc - IF you have not already done so during your initial demo. With all of the actual selling and demonstrating complete the next question you should be asking your prospect is...OTHER THAN PRICE/PAYMENT IS THERE ANY REASON YOU WOULD NOT WANT TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE HOME TODAY?
Ask. For. The. Sale. I cannot stress this enough, especially if you are a new salesperson. Don't be afraid to ask for the money. This is going to set expectations straight for both your customer and you. They are either going to respond positively "I want to take it home if the numbers look good." or negatively "Not today. I have more research to do. Etc." So lets break both scenarios. ASK FOR THE SALE
Customer: I really like the car, I just need to think about it. Salesperson: I completely understand Mr./Mrs. Customer, I usually need some time to think about a big purchase too. What was it exactly that you wanted to take some time to think about? At this point they're either going to tell you or for customers that are a little more reluctant you should ask on a scale of 1 - 10 how likely would you say you are to wanting to purchase this vehicle? If you're 5 or below, something has scared them earlier in the process and we need to figure out what that is. If you're 6 and above, ask them how you can get them to a 10. They more than likely will let down their guard and you have successfully flushed out that objection.Ask any seasoned sales person how many times they've had to overcome "I need to think about it." If you're new to the sales game, don't worry, you'll hear it soon enough and then 100 times a month for the rest of eternity. When the prospect responds negatively we want to acknowledge it, agree (if necessary), and overcome the objection. "Was there something wrong with the car? Wrong color? Wrong equipment?" Did it ride and drive to your expectations?" Isolate what's stopping them, acknowledge and/or agree that it's perfectly normal, and overcome it. (NEGATIVE) I’M NOT READY TO TAKE IT HOME TODAY.
I WANT TO “THINK ABOUT IT.”
2. (POSITIVE) READY TO PUT A DEAL TOGETHER.
“LET’S TALK NUMBERS.”
Invite your customer inside the store and sit them down at your desk. Offer them something to drink and get ready to "go to bat". You want them to feel like you are going to take care of them & beat up the big bad dealer for the best price. The customer interview you performed before the demo should come back into play here. As you prepare to hit the desk make sure you have ALL the information your sales manager needs BEFORE you involve them for numbers. The questions that you should be asking your customer should boil down to something like this. (Check with your stores process to be 100% sure.)IS THERE A VEHICLE YOU ARE TRADING?
ARE YOU FINANCING OR PAYING CASH?
HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU PUTTING DOWN TODAY? UP TO WHAT?
WHAT MONTHLY PAYMENT WERE YOU HOPING FOR? UP TO WHAT?
AND FINALLY, SET THEIR EXPECTATIONS CORRECTLY.
SET EXPECTATIONS
This is something I don’t see discussed often. What do you mean set expectations? You asked all of the price/payment/financing questions, customer(s) filled out the credit app and you're about to leave your customers at your desk to grab those precious numbers. STOP. Remind your customer why they're sitting in front of you:90% - 95% OF CUSTOMERS
ALREADY SHOPPED ONLINE
BEFORE SETTING FOOT IN YOUR STORE.
"Mr./Mrs. customer, you saw this vehicle online correct?" (ask this if you already know they saw it online. Not if they’re a fresh walk-in/up.) They're going to say "Yes." Salesperson: "Mr./Mrs. customer before we go any further I just want you to understand our online price is our very best price. The days of overpaying for a vehicle are long, long gone. We know in today’s market, with the internet, we HAVE got to price aggressively in order to have anyone even come in and look at our vehicles. With that being said, if you're looking for thousands off the online price, I can tell you it's not there. If you're looking for a couple of hundred bucks off, we'll do our best to put a deal together. Control the deal, hold gross, and prepare to negotiate. COVER MORE CLOSING QUESTIONS AND STRATEGIES IN PART 2
NEED MORE
CLOSING TOOLS?
NEGOTIATING
& CLOSING PART 2
GET A COMITTMENT
Here we are. The juiciest part of the deal. The cream of the crop. Everyone's favorite and most hated part of the entire process - so much so that there are entire dealerships that enforce a "no haggle" philosophy (if you're into that sort of thing). So - you've met with your sales manager, filled them in on the details of your deal and what your customer is trying to accomplish. Your sales manager has provided you with a proposal/foursquare, and you're mentally preparing to re-join your customers. Before you get back to your customers (preferably as you're leaving your sales manager/sales tower), take your proposal and fold it in half so that as you approach your customers they cannot see the numbers until you have the chance to properly present them. THIS STEP IS CRUCIAL
If you don't want your car deal to blow up in your face and vaporize your entire commission you have to follow this process with very close attention to detail and not let fear get the best of you. With your proposal folded in half and NOT viewable to the customer you should be SMILING and saying something along these lines - " I've got great news, I was able to fill my manager in on what we were trying to accomplish here today and we put together some numbers you're going to love." TAKE A SEAT AND GET KNEE TO KNEE WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS. I stress this because again this step is absolutely crucial. Moving your chair from across the table to the side of your customer creates a more consulting/friendly energy and less of a head-on, combative, back and forth energy. This simple adjustment in body language is going to create a better response from your customer and greatly increase your chances of closing. It also doubles as a way to stop them from getting up and walking straight out of the door (should that happen). GET KNEE TO KNEE
As you get knee to knee with your customer, grab a pen, and get ready to unfold your proposal - use the pen to continue controlling the process, guide your customer's eyes - where you want them to be looking with the tip of your pen. A correct proposal should go something like this: MSRP/RETAIL price of this vehicle is $30,000. We're giving you a TOTAL discount of two thousand and five hundred dollars which brings our sale price all the way down to to $27,500. Fair market value on your trade is ten thousand dollars which brings us to a difference of $17,000 plus tax, title, and license. With $2,000 down today, we've got you at 48 months in the 450's, 60 months in the 400's, or 72 months in the 350's. Which payment option works best for you? Stop talking, do not say another word period. THE FIRST ONE TO SPEAK LOSES
I’m not kidding. Do not say another word until your customer does. I’ve worked deals that felt like they took less than 5 seconds to close and I’ve worked deals that felt like they took 5 hours to close. Yes, the silence is going to be a bit awkward, but you must remain silent if you want to close your customer and write up this deal. They're either going to sell themselves on a monthly payment or you're going to flush out an objection. Either way is a win - win in moving the negotiating/deal forward and getting closer to a deal. If your customer picks a payment option - CONGRATS! You've just closed a car deal. Circle the payment option they've decided will work for them and have them initial next to it. This is where mental ownership begins and you've just sold them a car. Now, if the customer objects - it is crucial to figure out what exactly they're objecting to. Some might come right out and say it - others may be reluctant and it's your job to overcome it. A classic foursquare is structured to make this process quick. On a traditional four square there are going to be four key areas to object to price, trade, difference figure, or finally term/payment. Example: Your price is too high. You're not giving me enough for my trade. The difference figure is way off what I was thinking. The payment is too high. Each one of these has a fairly easy way to counter, justify, and then push for a commitment/close. Isolate the objective, overcome it, and get a commitment. YOUR PRICE IS TOO HIGH
IF I COULD, WOULD YOU?
The customer wants something, it's only fair in business that you should want something in exchange. If I could, would you is a classic closing question & a great way to get the customer to make a commitment. A commitment is your customer showing good faith that IF you can meet their terms, they will buy from you. It shows your manager they are serious about buying the vehicle TODAY. It should always be your goal to either close the customer or get them to commit to realistic terms before you return to your sales manager. Once you've got them to commit to realistic terms, have them sign or initial your four square/paperwork. Having them sign shows confidence and gets them to start taking mental ownership of the vehicle. Return to your sales manager and get ready to close this deal. GREAT NEWS
"Mr./Mrs. Customer we have all of our vehicles - including this one priced to move at $30,000. We know in this marketplace, with online pricing, we have to price our vehicles aggressively in order to get anyone to walk through our doors. We are way under retail value at a sale price of $30,000." Try to get them off price and focus on payments if financing - if paying cash have them focus on the difference figure. Ultimately, it doesn't really matter if we take another $500 off of our sale price or pump another $500 into your trade. What matters ultimately is your total amount financed, and the monthly payments. If I was able to get you another $500 off - AND I DONT KNOW THAT WE CAN - would you be willing to do the paperwork and take it home today?