Sales Meeting:                               Customer Follow Up                                                     

I remember being told by my sales manager to follow up on my sold customers. I was always reluctant and procrastinated for as long as I could.  He always said my future sales and income depended on it, but I was young and unfocused on my long term success.

It took me my first year in the business to realize how the “good” senior sales people made $100,000 plus per year. It wasn’t because they were better than me, it was because they had a great follow up system which of course means lots of repeat business. It’s not rocket science; do the math.

Something to Think About

If you have an average job that pays $35,000 a year, what will your potential income be in 6 years; that is, if you still have the job? $ ______________.

Your calculation should be done with an average yearly raise, i.e.: 2 to 5%. Also determine your employment stability with this average company, i.e. secured, fair, unsecured.

What do you think your employment security is with a dealership when you are selling 200 plus units per year? i.e. secured, fair, unsecured.

Now what is your income potential in a Car Dealership

Example Only - These numbers are all plus/minus, you can always prove me wrong and surpass them.

                        1^st year                       $36,000 plus

                        2^nd year                      $48,000 plus

                        3^rd-4^th year                 $65,000 plus

                        5^th-6^th year                 $80,000 plus

How do these huge yearly increases happen?

Could it be MLM (Multi-level marketing) or maybe a pyramid system? Or is it just good old fashion customer follow up and repeat business?

You may have heard this before but the best position at a new car dealership is the sales person. Why? Because when you have a client base and have been at the same dealership for 3 or more years, you are making as much or more money than the dealership management. Also, guess what you don’t have? The same stress level as management.

Look around your dealership today and look at the top sales people. They always have this great smile and glide in their walk.

Sold Customers

There is an old saying; the easiest customer to sell to is one that you have already sold to.

The sold customer follow-up is the single most important aspect for long term success of a sales representative and the dealership they work for. When times are good, almost all the sales representatives will produce consistently.

The sales reps that do follow-up will have a base of customers that refer people and purchase new vehicles themselves. The advantage is that the customer follow-up sales representative has a number of customers per month that are exclusively theirs (above their allocation of the walk-in traffic everyone else receives). This added base of customers per month makes the difference between good sales representatives and exceptional ones; with the higher incomes to match.  When the economy slows down, sold customer follow-up contact gives the sales person a base of “pre-sold” customers that are theirs. The other sales people have to rely on walk-in potential customers that have no allegiances to anyone. When calling the customer, all that is discussed is whether they are enjoying their vehicle and if they have heard of a family member or co-worker that may be interested in a new or used vehicle.

The call is meant to be short and sincere in manner.  If the customer has just been sold, they should be contacted the next day, then the next month and then every three to six months thereafter.

Have your own System of Tracking Existing Customer’s birth dates, holidays, etc… and
“Do It Religiously.”

Set up an email or mailing list. If you feel you cannot organize your follow-up program, get your husband or wife to organize a system for you at home and make sure it is being done. You could even use your significant other as a tax right-off; nice.

Your Repeat Customers are the Key to Your
Long Term Success.

Not Sold Customers

These Customers are your best and hottest prospects to buy a new vehicle; now.

That’s right, the people you haven’t sold to yet. You have to work these leads daily. The key to any follow-up program is to keep on top of it; it must be a daily exercise. Always call the customer you saw today, the same day, even just to say thanks for visiting ABC Motors.

If the customer is an active prospect, they will be put in the next calling day calendar.

Following up on your “not sold” customers is like prospecting. These potential customers are your best leads. When you call these customers, make sure you have something new to discuss with them.

This call is meant to build more customer rapport and it also shows them you are working hard for them.

Example call:

“Hello Customer, this is Jane calling from ASC Motors. I was wondering if another color on the vehicle would be OK with you?”

“Great !  I’d also like to know when we can get together again to discuss the new car further. Is tonight good for you?”

This call also determines if the customer is still in the market and where they are in the buying cycle.

For some salespeople, repeatedly calling a customer begins to have no value and is ineffective.  The following three outlines can be used to increase your not sold customer sales.

Team Sales Follow Up Programs

PROGRAM 1 - Spouse, Friend or Partner

Make a list of 10 of the most recent customers you have seen at your dealership; obviously not sold customers. Put their name, phone number, date they visited your dealership, vehicle they are interested in and any additional comments.

Give this list to your spouse, friend or partner and get them to make the follow-up calls. They can tell the customer that they are your assistant or customer follow-up person. This call can be made from your home.

Example Call:

“Hello Mr. Customer this is Sue calling from ASC Motors on behalf of Derrick Clarke. I’m calling to see if everything was OK with your visit to the dealership and if Derrick was helpful?”

Get them to get as much information from the customer as possible and then you would make the next call

PROGRAM 2 - Co-Worker

Same as Program 1 but get a co-worker to make the calls for you and you can make calls for them.  Pay each other a sales follow spiff i.e. $20.00, dinner, a round of golf etc. Have fun at work with your not sold follow up customers. 

Example Call:

“Hello Mr. Customer  this is  calling from ASC Motors on behalf of Tim Biliski . I’m calling to see if everything was OK with your visit to the dealership and if Tim was helpful?”

Then you make the next call and set an appointment.

PROGRAM 3 - Sales Manager

Same as program 1 and 2 but ask your manger to make the follow up calls for you.

The benefit to your sales manager will be increased sales for the entire dealership.

Remember its part of your manager’s job to help you sell more vehicles. Your managers want you to get them to help, so ask them.

Example Call:

“Hello Mr. Customer this is Bill calling from ASC Motors on behalf of Andy Holmes. I’m calling to see if everything was OK with your visit to the dealership and if Andy was helpful?

“Great! I would like to know if there is anything I could do to further assist you?”

Get an appointment or even close the sale over the phone.

Your goal to any of the three programs is to get the customer back to the dealership.

If you cannot get them back, try and close the sale over the phone.

Following up On Your Not Sold Customers is  a Gold Mine. Get Good at It.

70% of the People You Talk to will Buy a Vehicle within 3 Days of Visiting Your Dealership.

Meeting Wrap Up

If you want to stay in the car business and see the six figure incomes happen, you will need repeat business. Sales follow-up is the only way it will happen. If you have been in the business for 10 or more years and are not earning around 100k per year, you can always start today. Your Past does not equal your Future.

Sales Meeting:                               Customer Follow Up                                                     

I remember being told by my sales manager to follow up on my sold customers. I was always reluctant and procrastinated for as long as I could.  He always said my future sales and income depended on it, but I was young and unfocused on my long term success.

It took me my first year in the business to realize how the “good” senior sales people made $100,000 plus per year. It wasn’t because they were better than me, it was because they had a great follow up system which of course means lots of repeat business. It’s not rocket science; do the math.

Something to Think About

If you have an average job that pays $35,000 a year, what will your potential income be in 6 years; that is, if you still have the job? $ ______________.

Your calculation should be done with an average yearly raise, i.e.: 2 to 5%. Also determine your employment stability with this average company, i.e. secured, fair, unsecured.

What do you think your employment security is with a dealership when you are selling 200 plus units per year? i.e. secured, fair, unsecured.

Now what is your income potential in a Car Dealership

Example Only - These numbers are all plus/minus, you can always prove me wrong and surpass them.

                        1^st year                       $36,000 plus

                        2^nd year                      $48,000 plus

                        3^rd-4^th year                 $65,000 plus

                        5^th-6^th year                 $80,000 plus

How do these huge yearly increases happen?

Could it be MLM (Multi-level marketing) or maybe a pyramid system? Or is it just good old fashion customer follow up and repeat business?

You may have heard this before but the best position at a new car dealership is the sales person. Why? Because when you have a client base and have been at the same dealership for 3 or more years, you are making as much or more money than the dealership management. Also, guess what you don’t have? The same stress level as management.

Look around your dealership today and look at the top sales people. They always have this great smile and glide in their walk.

Sold Customers

There is an old saying; the easiest customer to sell to is one that you have already sold to.

The sold customer follow-up is the single most important aspect for long term success of a sales representative and the dealership they work for. When times are good, almost all the sales representatives will produce consistently.

The sales reps that do follow-up will have a base of customers that refer people and purchase new vehicles themselves. The advantage is that the customer follow-up sales representative has a number of customers per month that are exclusively theirs (above their allocation of the walk-in traffic everyone else receives). This added base of customers per month makes the difference between good sales representatives and exceptional ones; with the higher incomes to match.  When the economy slows down, sold customer follow-up contact gives the sales person a base of “pre-sold” customers that are theirs. The other sales people have to rely on walk-in potential customers that have no allegiances to anyone. When calling the customer, all that is discussed is whether they are enjoying their vehicle and if they have heard of a family member or co-worker that may be interested in a new or used vehicle.

The call is meant to be short and sincere in manner.  If the customer has just been sold, they should be contacted the next day, then the next month and then every three to six months thereafter.

Have your own System of Tracking Existing Customer’s birth dates, holidays, etc… and
“Do It Religiously.”

Set up an email or mailing list. If you feel you cannot organize your follow-up program, get your husband or wife to organize a system for you at home and make sure it is being done. You could even use your significant other as a tax right-off; nice.

Your Repeat Customers are the Key to Your
Long Term Success.

Not Sold Customers

These Customers are your best and hottest prospects to buy a new vehicle; now.

That’s right, the people you haven’t sold to yet. You have to work these leads daily. The key to any follow-up program is to keep on top of it; it must be a daily exercise. Always call the customer you saw today, the same day, even just to say thanks for visiting ABC Motors.

If the customer is an active prospect, they will be put in the next calling day calendar.

Following up on your “not sold” customers is like prospecting. These potential customers are your best leads. When you call these customers, make sure you have something new to discuss with them.

This call is meant to build more customer rapport and it also shows them you are working hard for them.

Example call:

“Hello Customer, this is Jane calling from ASC Motors. I was wondering if another color on the vehicle would be OK with you?”

“Great !  I’d also like to know when we can get together again to discuss the new car further. Is tonight good for you?”

This call also determines if the customer is still in the market and where they are in the buying cycle.

For some salespeople, repeatedly calling a customer begins to have no value and is ineffective.  The following three outlines can be used to increase your not sold customer sales.

Team Sales Follow Up Programs

PROGRAM 1 - Spouse, Friend or Partner

Make a list of 10 of the most recent customers you have seen at your dealership; obviously not sold customers. Put their name, phone number, date they visited your dealership, vehicle they are interested in and any additional comments.

Give this list to your spouse, friend or partner and get them to make the follow-up calls. They can tell the customer that they are your assistant or customer follow-up person. This call can be made from your home.

Example Call:

“Hello Mr. Customer this is Sue calling from ASC Motors on behalf of Derrick Clarke. I’m calling to see if everything was OK with your visit to the dealership and if Derrick was helpful?”

Get them to get as much information from the customer as possible and then you would make the next call

PROGRAM 2 - Co-Worker

Same as Program 1 but get a co-worker to make the calls for you and you can make calls for them.  Pay each other a sales follow spiff i.e. $20.00, dinner, a round of golf etc. Have fun at work with your not sold follow up customers. 

Example Call:

“Hello Mr. Customer  this is  calling from ASC Motors on behalf of Tim Biliski . I’m calling to see if everything was OK with your visit to the dealership and if Tim was helpful?”

Then you make the next call and set an appointment.

PROGRAM 3 - Sales Manager

Same as program 1 and 2 but ask your manger to make the follow up calls for you.

The benefit to your sales manager will be increased sales for the entire dealership.

Remember its part of your manager’s job to help you sell more vehicles. Your managers want you to get them to help, so ask them.

Example Call:

“Hello Mr. Customer this is Bill calling from ASC Motors on behalf of Andy Holmes. I’m calling to see if everything was OK with your visit to the dealership and if Andy was helpful?

“Great! I would like to know if there is anything I could do to further assist you?”

Get an appointment or even close the sale over the phone.

Your goal to any of the three programs is to get the customer back to the dealership.

If you cannot get them back, try and close the sale over the phone.

Following up On Your Not Sold Customers is  a Gold Mine. Get Good at It.

70% of the People You Talk to will Buy a Vehicle within 3 Days of Visiting Your Dealership.

Meeting Wrap Up

If you want to stay in the car business and see the six figure incomes happen, you will need repeat business. Sales follow-up is the only way it will happen. If you have been in the business for 10 or more years and are not earning around 100k per year, you can always start today. Your Past does not equal your Future.

Sales Meeting:  Questions You Have to Ask the Customer

It has always amazed me why some sales people are not sure what the customer wants, who’s involved, is there a trade, who’s the main driver and the list goes on.

Think of the sales process like a doctor’s examination. If your doctor does not ask you any questions or performs any tests, it will be impossible to properly diagnose you.

The more questions you ask the more useful information you will get. And if you don’t know what’s wrong or needed, how can you fix it?

Before we launch into your contact questions, you must determine where and when you will ask them. Most of the time you will ask the follow questions on the dealership lot or in your office. In a lot of cases you will blend these questions with your vehicle presentation.

You have to start your contact “examination” questions immediately following a successful introduction. The initial questions you ask your customer set the tone and builds rapport for the entire buying experience. The contact questions should be followed in order. Following the steps in order will create a consistent, cohesive conversation, which identifies and classifies the desires and requirements of each customer.

The best sales people listen more than they talk so start listening to what your customer’s are saying and observe what they are doing.

The following are your customer contact questions:

1. Is this your first visit to the dealership? This determines if the customer has been dealing with another sales representative and how they heard about the dealership.

2. Did you know that our dealership is; having a special sale today; has been in business since 1984? A point of interest about your dealership is always helpful in building credibility. If you are having a special on a particular vehicle, mention the special even if they are not interested.

3. What features are you looking for in your new vehicle, (Do Not Pause Here) new or used, two or four door, truck, minivan, SUV, automatic or manual transmission, engine size, power windows and locks, sunroof,  cloth or leather interior, color preference? Obviously this determines what type of vehicle the customer is looking for and helps you narrow down your inventory.

4. What do you have in your present vehicle that you would like to have in your new vehicle? This determines if there is a trade involved. It also helps determine the customer’s “hot buttons” or features that are most important to them.

5. Is the vehicle going to be used for business, pleasure or family use? This helps narrow down the purpose of the vehicle. It will determine if leasing is an option. If it is for the family, then size and safety are important.

6. How many Miles / Kilometres do you travel per month? This shows the customer’s needs depending on how much the car is driven. It also influences the leasing mileage restrictions.

7. Who will be the main driver of the vehicle? Figuring out who will be behind the wheel will let you shift focus to the main driver. You have to give at least 60 per cent of your attention on the main driver. This question will also determine if anyone else may be involved in the buying decision like a spouse or child.

8. Will there be anyone else involved in the decision regarding your new vehicle or will it just be yourself? This question should be used with care, since some customers may take offense to it. If you do not know the answer to this question by the time you are ready to ask for the sale, guess what you just might hear them say?

9. Will you be selling us your present vehicle? You have to determine if the customer is planning on trading in their vehicle. The reason you are saying selling instead of trading is because selling has more financial value to it.

10. If you are like most people you might be concerned about getting approved on a new or used vehicle. Please don’t worry, we have some of the best financial people in the city. We will get you approved. Saying this will ease the customer’s mind on credit approval. If your dealership can not get them approved, most likely no one can.

11. How will you be paying for your new vehicle - cash, financing or leasing? Determines what type of financing the buyer is contemplating and gives you some idea of their financial position.

12. What type of monthly budget are you looking at? This will give you an idea of the selling price of the vehicle for which you should be looking. It is important to increase the customer’s payment expectations because their monthly budget will rarely match the vehicle they want.

Proper customer qualification will always increase your sales and profits. These are some of the best customer contact questions you can use and when combined with a proper greeting and vehicle presentation, you will have an excellent start to a professional selling system.

You can role play these contact questions with another sales person at your dealership until they become you own.

The more you practice something, the better you get and the luckier you will become.

Darin George is the founder and head sales training instructor for the Automotive Sales College Inc. He is also the author of Sales Training – Automotive Edition and can be contacted at darin@visitasc.com

www.visitasc.com

Sales Meeting:   Your Sales Managers Involvement

In my early days as a salesperson, my sales were pretty good for a rookie. As I became more confident with my selling abilities, my sales went down. My selling skills were getting better, my product knowledge was great, my negotiating was much better, my customer satisfaction was a 96%. I was even wearing much better suits and shoes. Everything was on track for a good year. So what happened?

I analyzed everything and found one very important missing element. My sales manager; where did he go?

He actually didn’t go anywhere. He was right where he has always been, helping us sell more cars. I just didn’t think I needed his help anymore because I thought I knew everything. This had become my problem and from that day forward I involved my sales managers with every customer I had. My sales quickly went back up.

This is called;

Touching Desk or No one Leaves until You Talk with the Boss.

So why do I need a Sales  Manager?  Do any of the following sound familiar?

·         I can do it without my manager.

·         I’m not incompetent, I know my customer better than they do.

·         If I introduce my manager I will look as if I have no authority or credibility.

·         My customer will not like the pressure from my manager.

·         My manager will just scare or push the customer away. Then I’ll have no chance of them ever coming back to buy.

·         I’m better than my manager. I should even have their job.

·         I’m the greatest sales person that ever lived. I need help from no one.

·         I’m not being paid to get my manager every time I get a customer.

·         Does my management team think I’m a bad sales person - are they going to fire me?

The following are a few very easy ways to excuse yourself from the customer and work with your sales manager.

There are only about three points in the selling process that you should get your manager involved with you.

Point One:       BEFORE AND DURING THE VEHICLE SELECTION PROCESS

As a salesperson, if you cannot find a vehicle for your customer or if you feel you cannot go any further with the customer, excuse yourself.

Tell the Customer:“Mr. Customer, just give me one minute, I’ll be right back.”

At this point 99% of your customers will wait. You will immediately go and get some advice from your manager. You and your manager will be able to work as a team. The end result might be a possible change in vehicle, a demo drive for the customer or you might get the customer to a negotiation. The next step you take with the customer will be a planned team effort. Even if it’s just for you and your manager to say “thanks for visiting our dealership.”

Point Two:      DURING AND AFTER THE DEMOSTRATION DRIVE

(The potential customer wants to leave the dealership.)

A lot of customers get nervous after the test drive because they know what is going to take place next, they might buy a new car. It can also be that they do not like the vehicle they drove. Whatever the reason?

Tell the Customer: “Mr. Customer, just give me one minute, I’ll be right back.”

At this point, 95% of your customers will wait. You will immediately go and get some advice from your manager, again.

Point Three:    BEFORE AND DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS

If you have reached the point where you “the sales person” can go no further with the customer, excuse yourself. 

Tell the Customer: “Mr. Customer, just give me one minute, I’ll be right back”

You will go to your manager and explain how the negotiation is progressing (keep it brief). You and your manager will determine if your manager will talk with your customer or how you should proceed in the negotiations.

Never tell your customer you are going to get your sales managers, just go.

Introduction to the Sales Manager During Your Negotiations

If your manager is going to see your customer, you can introduce him or her as follows.

Tell the Customer: “Mr. Customer, this is our sales manager (name). He/she will be able to explain the figures to you.”

Leave the manager with the customer, do not stay with them. The Sales Manager can start with the customer by saying: “Hello, it is very nice to meet you. I hope……(salespersons name) has explained everything to you and has been helpful in your new vehicle selection? I wish I had more time to get to know you better but I’m sure you would like to get the final figures. So just to confirm everything with you, everything is OK with the vehicle you have chosen?  The MSRP on the vehicle is $…X…”  

At this point the sales manager will continue closing and finalizing the sale.

Sales Meeting Wrap-up

The best athletes have coach’s and trainers on their team, so do you, use them every time without questions. It all boils down to team work; always work as a team.

Darin George is the founder and head sales training instructor for the Automotive Sales College Inc. He is also the author of Sales Training – Automotive Edition and can be contacted by email at  darin@visitasc.com website: www.visitasc.com or call 416-346-9847, 480-735-4688.