“He could sell ice to an Eskimo”
“Sold a bill of goods”
“He’s like a used car salesman”
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These common phrases reflect many people’s view of salesmanship. They reflect dishonesty or being taken advantage of.
The idioms of the word “sell” prevail in our culture; so much so, that manufactures and even some dealers think eliminating sales people will boost their business.
Many have tried it.
Big groups tried this, so called, Product Expert Experiment and lost sales, gross, and satisfaction. One price can be great. Dealing with one person start to finish can be great. But if you want to maximize your results and your buyer’s experience, you are far better off utilizing well trained Sales Consultants not information clerks.
The truth is most manufacturers and dealers fail to provide the thinking, tools, and training sales professionals need to be, well, professional.
Is your team trained?
Dealerships hire good people, give them a badge that says “sales consultant”, and expect them to perform without the training they need. It’s ridiculous. Can you imagine what the world would smell like if we employed plumbers this way?
The result: Buyers complain about the process! Manufacturers mis-read consumers’ complaints as if we need to eliminate sales people and make buying a car like buying a mat for the front door.
The truth is today’s consumers are fed up with poor service, uninformed sales people, and long wait times due to bad processes. Dealers, on the whole, simply do not allocate the proper resources to ensure the buyers’ experience is excellent.
Instead of spending the proper energy and resources on training and developing better processes, dealers spend a fortune on creating traffic (without tracking the return) and use price to sell goods (then are so bold as to bitch about the gross).
Many dealers end up becoming like Walmart.
Despite what most internet vendors will tell you, much of this is dealer driven not market driven. Yes, people want a fair price. What they want more is real value. Don’t believe me? Stop at a Starbucks for coffee.
What we need to build a profitable sustainable business is a great product, thoughtful processes, excellent people and fair pricing. Apple phones are way overpriced. I have three. Starbucks is expensive, I go daily. Whole foods is more expensive, we shop there weekly.
We don’t sell cars, we sell the lifestyles that the cars represent. Buyers want to be listened to and to get professional consultation. They want their time to be valued. Buyers fear making a purchase mistake, paying too much, and being pressured. In short, they want an expertly trained sales consultants and thoughtful processes!
At Automotive Sales Coach We Define Selling As:
- Comfortably and professionally guiding our guests “step by step” through the buying process until they feel comfortable making a purchase decision.
- Building professional relationship and trust by seeking first to understand our guest’s goals: what they want, why they want it and who they are (family, work and recreation).
- Demonstrating value and creating desire in our products and services by showing how they improve their lifestyle.
- Gaining a comfortable commitment and reaching a Win-Win Agreement on all the purchase details.
- Following up and having their back throughout their ownership experience.
- Giving your team pride and make selling a science and art.
Dealer’s Choice. Your Choice.
You can become more and more like Walmart or you can chose to become better. Which business model reflects your values and gives you pride?
If any of this strikes a chord with you, click here. We would love to help you turn your team back into a powerful sales organization! Our thinking, tools, and training making installing a manager-led culture of excellence and ongoing improvement at your dealership simple!