With this year’s Thanksgiving in our rearview mirror and the holidays just down the road, I think it is time we industry folks talk about what we are thankful for.
As I’ve been holiday shopping – or as it is known in the politically incorrect world of the Webb household “Christmas shopping” – I see a nation who isn’t scared of spending their hard-earned dollar. Gift-giving is going strong and online orders are already blowing away numbers from past years. (Now if only we gave to charities as generously as we do our distant family.) All of this money being thrown around should make us grateful to work in an industry where we not only provide a necessary service, but there is forever a need for our products.
Be thankful that everyone eventually needs a car.
Be thankful that people still walk into your showroom everyday.
Be thankful that your owners are still spending money to attract customers into the store.
Be thankful that more and more ad dollars are seeing their way into digital sources, thereby having a more positive impact.
Be thankful there are resources available such as DrivingSales and DealerRefresh to educate, engage, and entertain our industry.
Be thankful that you are likely beating the pants off of your competitor down the street because so few dedicate themselves to learning and researching best practices from these online communities.
Be thankful that your customers are more researched than ever and selling cars has returned to being a skill-oriented business.
Be thankful that you are currently employed (realizing that there are others out there who would likely work even harder than you are for your current opportunity and position).
Be thankful that conference season is over and your Vegas hangover is just now lifting.
Be thankful that the lessons and tactics you took away from the conferences and implemented are starting to pay dividends now.
Be thankful that you are in a FUN industry where no two days are the same, no two customers are exact, and each day brings with it a hilarious story or adventure worthy of sharing at a party.
Be thankful that dealers are still eager to expand their online presence and bring aboard professionals to better the culture of their store (this one is for us consultants/trainers in the room).
and finally
Be thankful for your family and friends that support you and love you – whether you shoot a zero for the day or pull a hat trick, your family loves you. Be thankful. I am.
Posts Tagged ‘Selling Cars’
‘Tis the Season
Sunday, November 29th, 2009The Perfect Fit
Saturday, October 4th, 2008Finding strong candidates for Internet Departments and Business Development Centers continues to be a challenge.It is a rare breed of person that can stay personally motivated sitting in front of a computer, expecting to hear ‘no’ over 80% of the time.What type of candidate is the perfect fit?
The perfect fit definitely depends on your process and their job responsibilities.Dealers must understand that a more researched and educated customer is showing up onto their floor.Not only do representatives of the BDC and Internet Dept need to be technologically savvy, but the general sales and leasing consultants do as well.If your Internet Sales Team is handling their leads and customers through the entire sale then you must only find a few strong candidates.If your Internet Sales Team is simply a customer’s first contact into the dealership sales funnel, then you must also focus on the continuous training and education of your sales staff.
There is a paradigm shift going on in the world and dealers must understand that it affects the way they go about their hiring process.The battle of old school versus new school is waging and sales tactics of the 70’s and 80’s (even early 90’s) are losing to newer, e-business initiatives.If you knew 90% of your customers were coming in after researching the internet, wouldn’t you want your entire staff to be just as studied?
Look at the difference between negotiating with a customer just 8 years ago compared to today.The only variable that seems to be changing the culture of car sales is the use of the internet and ease of obtaining information. That’s a big variable, but the same reason I am excited about this field.It will be forever evolving.The dealers that tag along with this change will lose business, but those that lead the way will gain market share.As a dealer, you must recognize this and focus all efforts on developing internet initiatives and shying away for old school methods to gain conquest business.
AT&T just announced that they are abandoning their phone booth business across the nation.It wasn’t too long ago that I remember fishing around in my jeans for change to use a pay phone.The cell phone industry has enhanced the way people communicate in a short period of time.The internet is much the same way.Customers are not just sitting at their desks emailing back and forth with dealers, but they are carrying their computers with them.Telecommunications as a whole will be evolving the internet department.Every ISM has received a response similar to
“What colors do you have in stock?John Carbuyersent via blackberry”
Blackberries, IPhones, Smartphones, etc. all will affect the way the internet consultant interacts with the prospect.I can’t fathom how different Internet Departments will be functioning 8 years from now, but I am looking forward to it.
Technology is not just changing the customers’ car-buying processes, but making dealers reconsider the attributes they look for in a quality candidate.In regard to the Internet Department, I have found success hiring and training college graduates to handle inbound e-leads and phone calls.Having the determination and discipline to complete college seems to parlay well into handling the daily grind of internet sales.I call this monotonous multi-tasking.Anyone who has sit and handled hundreds upon hundreds of e-leads understands that finding a person with the commitment and skill set to succeed in this hectic, yet sedentary role is the real challenge.College graduates seem to adapt better since they are used to sitting in classrooms with similar work ethic.A degree is something I personally look for in a candidate.However, a determined applicant without a degree who exhibits perseverance, good business sense, and strong computer skills can still be good candidates.I want someone who can essentially learn through “internet osmosis”.Their knowledge and talent in the position will increase from simply being immersed in a successful Internet Department or BDC around their peers.
Though the oldest of individuals seem to be making their way online to shop for vehicles, the highest percentage of internet shoppers will always skew to the younger generation.Fill your Internet Department, BDC, and even showroom with this demographic and see the lines of communication open and the rapport-building flourish.
Finding the “write person” for the Internet Department is much like catching lightning in a bottle.Good candidates for this position don’t come around often.A dealer principle may have struck gold finding you, but they cannot always be relied upon to find another.I believe the best person for evaluating talent is the very same people that perform the daily duties in the department.If you are a General Manager, GSM, or Sales Manager, trust your Internet Sales Management team to determine the strongest person for the job.Quality ISMs will see the traits that make themselves successful in the right applicant.Who better to find the “perfect fit” than someone else who competently handles the very same responsibilities?
While this hiring practice may seem unconventional, it certainly is a new way to look at the evolution of the recruiting process.Be a forward-thinking dealer.Trust those that understand the technology to make the decisions regarding it. Allow successful ISMs and BDC reps to surround themselves with their own kind.We are a rare breed.
The world is continuously adapting to new technology and telecommunications.It is time for dealerships and, more importantly, their employees to do the same.
Will Your Internet Department Sink or Swim?
Saturday, October 4th, 2008An Internet Sales Professional should be a life raft.You can stop an internet customer from drowning in a pool of builds, specs, and prices.You can save them from visiting one salesperson-flooded dealership after another.
Now ask yourself…are you a life raft or are you an anchor?
A life raft will answer a question quickly and, more importantly, competently.
An anchor will attempt to drag the customer into the store by giving them either as little information as possible or by flooding them with prices.A life raft offers quality answers after the initial email and gives customers realistic expectations and fair offers.An anchor promises the imminent arrival of a vehicle they have little chance of obtaining.
One thing that an Internet Sales Professional (ISP) can be sure of is the internet-savvy consumer knows a price waits for them right around the corner; one website away.More and more, customers demand to have all their questions answered… and sooner rather than later.Vague answers are no longer adequate bait to lure today’s consumer.
Save them from vague answers, repeated urges to visit, and automated follow-up responses.If you want to be competitive, you have to answer their questions on the first email.Please notice… “email”.Don’t be the person that calls them immediately, even if it is under the veil of “Did you receive the information I sent you?”They are sitting at their computer with their inbox open!They know you did not send anything!You can always call later; but you can’t change a bad first impression.Send a personalized email first.
Internet Sales Professionals have the opportunity to separate themselves from the typical salespeople on the dealer floor.These are the very people the consumer fears and want to avoid speaking to in the first place.And let’s face it, we ISP’s are all just glorified sales reps with good word tracks, better organizational skills, and fast fingers.However, customers have higher expectations of us.Johnny Car-Buyer doesn’t want to believe he is talking to a Sales Rep that can type.Nor does he want to be conversing with a technician from a computer store.He wants to believe he is speaking to a knowledgeable friend that is looking out for his best interest.Johnny needs a life raft.
Any ISP worth their weight in leads will tell you that directing an internet customer to act is just as easy as a walk-in customer.We all have the same job duties.We all are fighting toward one goal.“Get the customer in.”How we go about this and how we view our job description, though, is what separates you from the next ISP a few miles away.How do you direct an internet customer, you ask?Your first email will rarely spur someone to hop into their car, drive to see you, and drive off with the exact vehicle quoted.Not anymore.A few years ago this was a little more common, but people want all of the information nowadays.They don’t do this solely by collecting prices.Internet customers ask follow up questions.It is how you respond to these questions that determines your worth as an Internet Professional.
Build trust by moving the internet customer one step at a time.Build the relationship, connect with the customer, and move them toward you.This is how you differentiate yourself from other ISP’s and endear the customer to you.Customers want to be guided on their car-buying process.Replying to customers’ questions will give you the opportunity to direct them to the dealership. If handled correctly, you can guide them straight to your lot.You don’t need to light a fire under them in the first email.You simply need to give them reasons over time to see you.It is a process.
Some dealers operate by inundating their internet leads with mass amounts of information, whether it was requested or not.This is called the “Info Anchor”.The anchor drowns the customer with builds, specs, and prices, hoping to look like they are being upfront with their information, but, in reality, just trying to save themselves time from following up.You don’t need to purchase ALL of the leads possible. You simply be more thorough with your leads so your closing ratio increases.
Like everyone else, I shop my competition.Their initial emails with amazingly low price quotes, attached list of all features and options (and even discounted warranty prices!) are absurd.Even though they are not being vague, they are supplying the customer with too much information:The Info Anchor. However, try to ask them a follow up question and wait for a response.Continue to wait.Take a nap.Take a trip.Take a coma.You will keep waiting because they hardly ever answer follow ups.They give it their one shot and they’re done.That is when Life Raft (me – and not just because of my size) floats in and saves them.I keep them headed toward land by answering any remaining questions they have.I don’t make their vehicle purchase seem like a too-good-to-be true mirage, but a tangible and reachable goal. An overflow of information will simply numb them from realizing the difference between a fair deal and a nit-picky deal.You will just send them shopping.Doing this is creating your own worst enemy.
Here is my request to all ISP’s.This is what I am asking you to do.
1) Do not give the lowest possible price for a vehicle.Offer a competitive price that reflects the value their vehicle deserves.You are selling something of value.You are selling a motor vehicle that will be carrying their most important commodity – their family.
2) Don’t offer to beat everyone’s deal.You will only send them scavenging for quotes.In latter emails, simply tell them you will stay competitive with other offers.
3) Build value in what you do.Buying a vehicle can be a painful process.You are saving a customer from going through a potentially-frustrating and painstaking process of visiting an endless number of dealerships to get the same questions answered.
4) Tell them the truth.It is a lot easier to remember what you have said to them in the past.
If a customer feels that you have saved them time, energy, and a little money…you have already become their life raft.You have become a real Internet Sales Professional and you have earned the sale.