5 WAYS YOU’RE KILLING CAR DEALS
In Sales Fuel we cover a lot of what you should be doing to bring your sales game to the next level and earn bigger commissions. Now let's look at some of the ways salespeople shoot themselves in the foot and kill deals every single day. 
5. YOU’RE SELLING OUT OF FEAR
Prospects are people just like you and me. They can pick up on social cues, body language, word tracks and anything else that you're displaying that reeks of desperation. Sales is high-pressure understandably, but keeping your confidence is key.If the prospect senses you're just there to pump their ear with what they want to hear & sell them shit - you're gonna lose them and blow any deal you had working. Slow down! Take some deep breathes, keep your confidence intact, make a friend and follow the process.
4. YOU’RE NOT FOLLOWING UP
Some sales managers have a philosophy that EVERY prospect at your store can and will buy a car the moment they show up to your store. This is a dinosaur way of thinking, not everyone is buying TODAY. You're gonna have the guy that has to talk to his wife, the college kid who needs to check with their parents, the folks who just want to test drive, etc. Realistically, at some point - you're going to have to follow-up. Every reputable, major franchise store has a CRM (customer management) system - USE IT. Every morning you should be following up with any potential prospects via phone call, e-mail, and text message until they come in to your store and buy or tell you to stop calling. I cannot stress enough how much money is in the follow-up. 
3. YOU’RE NOT LISTENING ENOUGH
Good and seasoned sales reps will tell you to actively listen to what your customer is telling you. Once you have made a friend and get them talking, they will point blank tell you how to sell them a vehicle - what they're looking for, why they need it, how it benefits their situation. Don't dismiss this information as background noise. Engage in the conversation but let your customer open up to you. All you need to do is talk less than your prospect and listen exactly to what they are telling you. Which ties directly into our second way sales people kill deals. 
2. YOU’RE TALKING WAAAY TOO MUCH
So many sales people struggle with this throughout their time in sales, especially greenpeas. The pressure of sales can certainly get to you, the fear of burning a good lead, the urgency to meet your goal or quota, afraid of being fired for underperforming - its understandable. Don't let the fear override you. Tailor your word tracks and demonstrations to your prospect - talk about them - their wants and needs and tie it back into a benefit for them. Diarrhea of the mouth is real in this business. Don't start randomly pouring out specs, your favorite feature, how the car is so cool. Your prospect is going to become less and less engaged and they're gonna ask for your card and go buy from another sales rep down the street. Take I, me, my, & mine completely out of your vocabulary. It's all about the prospect, their hot buttons, how the vehicle benefits them, and how you can provide the best possible deal today. 
DRESS FOR SUCCESS
You would think this is a sales 101 no brainer and most sales people would already know this... wrong. You don't need to dress like you're going to meet a multimillionaire and sell them a rolls royce every day BUT you should be wearing sales attire that speaks to your clientele. If there isn't a dealership-mandated dress code then business casual is usually a step in the right direction. Buy clothes that fit and speaks confidence. When you dress confidently, it translates well into your sales game. The better you dress, the more confident you are, the sharper your skills, the more deals you close, and the more commission you earn. Trust. The Process. Don't be five car a month Fred and show up to work looking like you just rolled out of bed, didn't brush your teeth, missed three belt loops, and have taco Tuesday grease stains on your two sizes too small Walmart polo. It's amazing how investing in yourself and your appearance will pay off in the long run. Always invest in you.