All three competitors met the criteria of a minimum of three coached calls. Amanda had a total of ten coached calls, Richard squeaked in with three and Tom had a whopping seventeen. Those who averaged a score in the 4’s are to be commended for their efforts. We know it’s tough to accomplish this level of perfection! Those who did not win a prize hopefully enjoyed extra commissions as a result of increased appointments scheduled.  Here is a look at those who finished with scores of 4.0 or better.

It’s what every customer wants, to be satisfied!  The point became very evident to me one day during a recent business trip.

On my way to visit a client, I found myself at the Atlanta airport searching for a quick bite to eat.  I jumped in line at a Sbarro, ready to order a slice of pizza.  There were several people in front of me and I noticed things were not moving very quickly.  The pizzeria was staffed with four people, but only one person was taking orders, the same person was also fulfilling the orders and then working the cash register.  Now I like a get it done person just as much as the next person, but in this case the one employee was not getting the job done.  A South American tree sloth would have beaten this woman in a speed contest.

I started to notice other customers in line and they were all displaying signs of frustration and aggravation.  Several customers behind me jumped out of line and gave their business to another eatery.

I then started observing the other three employees.  One was assembling pizzas while the other two seemed to be doing meaningless stuff as they engaged in conversation.  This staff of four might have thought they were doing their job, but to me they were failing miserably.  Without satisfied customers, pizza making becomes irrelevant, since eventually there will be no customers in line to make the pizzas for.

Unfortunately many of us experience this type of service on a daily basis.  I for one am not going to tolerate it anymore.  Now that my cell phone has Socialcam installed (thanks Todd Smith), I’ll be making videos of poor experiences like this one and sharing them on YouTube.  As Brian Pasch mentioned in his recent article, ZMOT (zero moment of truth) is going to have a big influence on consumers as they choose whom to do business with.  I’ll enjoy helping be the demise of a poorly performing business so that the doors can be opened for those who do want to satisfy their customers!

So why share this story?  This is a huge opportunity for us to improve how we handle our customers.  I am not only talking about dealerships, but I am also talking about the vendors who sell to dealers.  We’ve recently seen a few vendors take a bashing on the public forums and they too need to act.  To keep this article focused, I’ll keep my suggestions geared for the dealer.

These are some of the more common areas where dealers fail to satisfy customers:

• Internet leads going unanswered for hours
• Unattended chat sessions
• Customers struggling through a phone system trying to reach a real person
• Service customers waiting to talk with a service adviser
• Customers waiting to pay their bill at the cashier
• Customers expecting to be followed up with and never receiving a phone call
• Sales processes taking too long
• Oil changes that take two hours

The list could go on and on, but you get the point.  Every customer touch point needs to be examined and processes need to be put in place to meet the expectations of our customers.  Get this right and prosper.

Every employee needs to be on the lookout for disgruntled customers, you’ll know them by their body language and facial expressions.  If you’re reading about it online, then it’s too late, you’ve failed!   If you see somebody constantly looking at their watch, then it’s time to act.  A great place to start is with a simple apology.  Engaging a customer in conversation will put them at ease.  Cross train your employees to help others during peak busy times.

Most importantly, each employee needs to treat his or her job like it was their own prospering business.  Take pride in what you do and fulfill your responsibilities.  Try to give every customer a “WOW FACTOR”  What’s a “wow factor” you ask?  It’s going above and beyond the expectations of what your customers expect and providing an even greater service.

To summarize this article, here’s a great quote from Jack Welch: “Only satisfied customers can give people job security.  Not companies.

The automotive industry is filled with mediocrity; the time to act is now!  — Jerry Thibeau

A direct marketing event is a big investment for your dealership. Below you will find some tips on how to get the best return and maximize your promotion. Event sales can generate $200,000 – $300,000 gross for your dealership when successful, introduce your dealership to new potential customers, and energize your sales team.

BEFORE:

1. Training: Prep your team with the right tools such as phone training and knowledge about the upcoming event. Make sure they understand the concept of how to move a customer along in the sales process from being a passive looker into a buyer.
2. Promotion: Pick the right artwork and product to promote your event. Through the use of Marketvision, we know exactly how each direct mail product performs. For example, in the last 12 months, the oversized postcard with a key is the #1 performing product.
3. Inventory: Make sure your lot is fully stocked and you have the right pre-owned inventory with plenty of financing options available.

DURING:

1. Lot Outfitting: Dress up your lot to make it look like something special is going on and create an exciting atmosphere for potential buyers. This type of decoration can also help gain extra exposure from the drive-by traffic that passes by your dealership every day.
2. Track Results: Use some sort of a tracking tool, like Marketvision, call tracking phone numbers, credit websites, landing pages and personal websites to capture all the activity from the sale. These tools allow you to add to both your customer and prospect database.
3. Team Accountability: Have a 5 minute “jumpstart” meeting everyday of the sale. Provide lead lists to your team from the data that you captured the day before from the UPS that visited the showroom or website. Award small gift cards or cash to the salesperson that talked to the most UPS, captured the most email addresses, and sold the most cars.

AFTER:

1. Organize the Data: Download all the customer information gathered throughout the sale and upload it to your CRM system.
2. Sell More Cars: Use the contact information gathered during the event to create lead lists for your sales reps to call for the several weeks. Continue the spiffs and incentives to capitalize on the promotion well after the sale dates are over.
3. Zip Code Analysis: Work with your direct mail company to analyze the best performing zip codes and make tweaks for next time based on the best and worst performing zip codes. Marketvision collects this data automatically for you, and our AEs analyze the data to help you prepare for future sales.

For a free, no obligation consultation on your next event sale, contact Jamie Welch, Senior Account Manager for Tri Auto, jwelch@triauto.com or direct at 317-644-5726

For Chrysler dealers:

Important News!  Chrysler Co-Op Staffed Sales Event Program Starts in August!

I’am not sure if you are aware, but Chrysler is co-oping 30% up to $4000 any staffed sales event that happens in Aug and Sept and maybe thru the end of the year.  This is over and above any normal PAP co-op reimbursement.  Below you will find a link to a presentation that Tri Auto, a direct marketing company I know, submitted and had approved by Chrysler. You can send this link out to your peers in the dealership or other Chrysler stores for the co-op program involving staffed events. If you have any interest or questions, just let Jamie know and she will help get all the specifics in order.

Just click on the link below and:

1. Input your name (when you send to a peer, have them input their name)
2. Access code is: marketvision

http://marketvision.mytinder.com/view/chrysler-staffed-event-mail-program-jerry-thibeau/

Thanks and let Jamie know if you have any questions.

Her direct line is 317-644-5726 and her email is jwelch@triauto.com

This is a story of how one dealership went from bad to great on the telephone in just 6 months.  Since I started Phone Ninjas in 2009, I have seen my fair share of success stories, but the one I am about to share with you is a classic.

This past February I received a call from Joe Webb, President of Dealer Knows Consulting asking me if I would be willing to join him on a joint training adventure to Granger Motors in Granger, Iowa.  He would focus on Internet skills with the sales team and I would work with the BDC on how to handle incoming phone-ups.  I eagerly accepted his offer and we made plans to visit Granger in March.

Upon our arrival, we met with the General Manager, Tim Hommer for the first hour to go over our game plan.  Tim informed me that I would be training four women with little automotive experience.  Their only experience had been answering the phones as receptionist and routing calls to the appropriate dealership departments.  This seemed like nothing out of the ordinary for me since I had trained quite a few green peas in my day.  Unfortunately I was in for a rude awakening.

Training took place in the BDC, a small room with just enough room for the five of us.  After being introduced, I informed the team that I was going to teach them how to sell appointments.  I made the wrong choice in words when I used the word “sell.”  I quickly got, “we were never told we would have to sell anything.”  Looks of enthusiasm quickly turned to fear and I knew this would be a challenge.

I began teaching the scripts and was met with reluctance every step of the way.  Two of the reps felt uncomfortable asking customers for their name and numbers.  All of them felt uncomfortable asking for an appointment.  By the end of the day I had made three of them cry and one was threatening to quit.  By the next morning one of them did quit.  However, as she was the most opinionated and the other three trainees often fed off her comments, I figured this could only make training a little bit easier.

Things seemed to improve for a few hours, but by lunch time the other three were threatening to quit as well.  They were dead set against trying anything I was teaching them.  Tim had to intervene on a couple of occasions to keep them from a mutiny.

Nine years as a trainer and this was by far one of my most challenging engagements.  By the end of the final day I had covered the material in full and the team started taking calls.  They actually showed some promise when a few appointments were set.  Unfortunately things deteriorated once I left.  The team quickly became information givers and; the only time “appointment” was mentioned was if the customer brought it up.  Often the staff would transfer the calls to a salesperson which resulted in only more information being given and no appointments being set.

The Phone Ninjas staff monitored and coached calls for a month and no progress was being made.  Tim and I met at Digital Dealer 10 to discuss options.  One option was to terminate the BDC staff and focus on training the sales staff.  Tim and I both viewed this as a last resort since so much time and money had been invested in the BDC.  Tim asked if I would have one last heart to heart with the team to see if we could salvage the BDC.  So I arranged a conference call with the team and proceeded to tell them that it was time for action or they would all be looking for jobs in a tough economy.  They all agreed jobs were tough to come by in Granger, Iowa.  There was no sugar coating it and, they would either deliver or be gone within 30 days.  Tim was 100% behind this decision and had the same conversation with the team.  Tim had made the right decision.

During the conference call one of the team members asked if she could have a private conversation with me.  I agreed and asked her to call me later that day where she proceeded to inform me that she wanted to adapt and that she needed this job badly.  She also said that she thought one of the team members was sabotaging the success of the department.  I conducted a second interview with another team member and this concern was reinforced when the same message was echoed.  I tried to talk with the person in question, but she did not want to talk.  I suspected they were right and closely monitored their progress.  Sure enough their claims became legitimate and Tim decided to part ways with the person in question.

Tim quickly replaced her with a new candidate and we were off and running again.  We decided to do a few rounds of phone role play over the next month to get the team back on track.  Progress was being made when we noticed coaching scores improve.  Each month they progressed and became more confident as demonstrated in the scoring chart below.

Today I am happy to say they are the highest scoring dealer ever on our coaching program. In July they achieved the highest monthly average ever achieved with an average score of 3.47 on a scale of 0-4 across 20 coached calls.  Only a small handful of dealers ever achieve an average score over 3.0 by month’s end.  As of the completion of this article, this dealership has managed to achieve more with an average score of 3.82.

In preparation for this article I asked Tim a series of questions to help those of you who may be contemplating installation of a BDC.

Jerry Thibeau: What made you decide to go the BDC route?
Tim Hommer: Two members of my staff and I went to Digital Dealer 9 in Las Vegas in October 2010 looking for an upgrade to our CRM.  Each of us decided it would be best if we each went to different sessions and; I went to one titled BDC on a beer budget.  This intrigued me since I had been floating the idea around about doing a BDC with our current receptionist.  Every night the three of us would eat and discuss what we wanted to bring home.  The last day I went to a session where we listened to phone calls from different stores and they were mostly bad.  One thing I remember was a story about calling Southwest airlines where a real person who is trained to help you answers the phone.  “I can help you with that” was the phrase that stuck with me and I wanted that to be our motto at Granger Motors.  We picked out three CRM’s for further investigation and in the end decided on Vin Solutions.  I had decided that we were also going to go with a BDC solution because our sales staff was inefficient on the telephone.

Jerry Thibeau: How did you go about choosing the people to staff your BDC?
Tim Hommer: Not being a large store with megabucks to spend on a BDC we decided to use our current receptionist staff.  We had our general receptionist, a part time receptionist and a full time service receptionist.  We decided to add a fourth person to the mix in case one didn’t work out.  Once the team was complete we had only added about 30 hours per week in payroll and two more people to our insurance rolls.

Jerry Thibeau: What were your thoughts after being operational for a month?
Tim Hommer: That I had the wrong people in place and this was not going to work out.  I could not get them to follow a script.  I called you and we decided to formulate a game plan at Digital Dealer 10.

Jerry Thibeau: What would you say was the transformational moment that turned it all around?
Tim Hommer: When the staff was informed that the BDC would be closed if progress wasn’t made.  The second round of individual training was taken more seriously.

Jerry Thibeau: How would you rate the effectiveness of your BDC now?
Tim Hommer: They are doing a great job on phone-ups, but we still have some room for improvement.  In July we appointed 79 phone shoppers.  31 of those customers showed for an appointment and we sold 12.

Jerry Thibeau: What were they before you started your BDC?
Tim Homer: We had no way of tracking prior to the BDC or Vin Solutions.

Jerry Thibeau: If you had it all over to do again, what would you do differently?
Tim Hommer: I would not change a thing.  The first couple of months were very difficult, but perseverance paid off.   Our dealership would not be where we are today without Vin Solutions, Joe Webb and the Phone Ninja, Jerry Thibeau.

Jerry Thibeau: Do you have any future plans for your BDC?
Tim Hommer: We plan to expand the scope of the BDC over the next year to start being more pro active with our customer base on outbound calls.  We would also like to start surveying our customers so that we may strive for excellence in customer service. END

I would like to address the low show ratio Granger Motors is experiencing.  When dealers become more proficient at setting appointments, they generally draw people in from a wider radius resulting in a lower show ratio since people typically do not drive the longer distances.  Even taking the distance factor in to consideration, the show ratio is still lower than it should be.  Our goal at Phone Ninjas is to continue coaching the staff to make the appointment sooner than later, since appointments made sooner have a higher show ratio.  Joe Webb from Dealer Knows Consulting has recently altered the CRM action plans to include management confirmation calls, appointment reminders, and missed appointment follow-up calls.  A combination of these three actions will help increase the show ratio.   To learn more about the management confirmation calls and missed appointment calls, please visit our phone scripts under “Ninja Tools” at www.phoneninjas.com.

The real key to this dealerships success was when Tim decided to explore the world outside of Granger Motors by attending Digital Dealer 9.  Tim was introduced to new concepts and technologies that have changed the way dealers sell cars   The quickest way to become an old dog is to stop learning new tricks!  The automotive industry is filled with innovation and it’s time to see the forest through the trees, just as Tim did one year ago.

The team from left to right, Tim Hommer, Amanda Ladwig, Casey Olson, Brenda Hemmingson and Albert Schmitz

I randomly mystery shopped five different dealerships across the country to see if anyone was delivering a powerful message when asked, “What is the best price on this pre-owned vehicle?”  I used AutoTrader for my search engine.  For each market I used a 25 mile radius search on a 2010 or 2011 pre-owned Camry.  I then chose the dealer who had the most expensive Toyota Camry at the top of the list.

Call one was to a D.C. area Toyota dealer.  On this call I got a salesperson who had limited skills when it came to handling phone-ups.  When asked the best price question he offered me a couple hundred dollars off.  He did take my name and number and offered to call me back.  About 30 minutes later I got a phone call from another person at the dealership who was presumably his manager.  He did give me a very good explanation on their pricing policy, but failed to ask for the appointment when finished.

Listen to call one here:

Call two was to a Boston area Toyota dealer.  This salesperson was about as poor as it gets when handling a phone-up.  When I asked the “best price” question I was told that the price advertised was the lowest.  He never asked for my information by the end of the call, nor had he offered his information.  I did get a call back from a sales manager about 30 minutes later and he played the range game with me.

Listen to call two here:

Call three was to a Detroit area Toyota dealer.  This salesperson had some phone training, but the problem was that it was not delivered properly and he was confrontational with me when I would not give him my phone number.  Had he given me a reason to give a number, I would have provided it.  He was very close to saying the right things, but could have explained the dealership process a little better.

Listen to call three here:

Call four was to a Dallas area Toyota dealer.  This call did not go well for the dealership or the salesperson.  When asked the best price question I was told they would consider any reasonable offer.  I told him his price was high in comparison to another dealer on AutoTrader, and at that point he gave up without trying to get my information or offer his.

Listen to call four here:

Call five was to a San Francisco area Toyota dealer.  The number listed on Autotrader directed me to a salespersons cell phone which is one of the worst mistakes a dealership can make.  My initial call was off-lined since the salesperson was out of the dealership.  He offered to call me back, but I told him I would call him back ten minutes later.  When I called back he offered to take $600 of the asking price yet he never even asked me to come in.  When I mentioned I might stop by he just told me to ask for him and never attempted to get my information or set the appointment.

Listen to call five here:

How should the “best price” question be handled?

1. Ask about the trade! Just like with a new car we need to bring the trade into the equation.  Not one person asked me if I was going to trade in a vehicle.  When the customer tells you they have a trade, I encourage you to ask questions to indicate your interest in their trade.  Never tell a customer “oh that’s a wholesale piece.”  What you should say is, “I am confident we can get you top dollar for your trade.”  When is the last time you had your vehicle professionally appraised?  Not only will we get you the lowest price on this Camry, but we’ll also get you as much money as possible for your trade.  When are you available, now or later today?

2.  Invite the customer to the dealership! Don’t get hung up on giving a price out over the phone.  I personally wouldn’t buy a pre-owned lawn mower without first laying eyes on the product, why should a car be any different?  I suggest saying something like this:  “(Customer first name), all of our vehicles are priced at or below book value.  If they weren’t, we wouldn’t be the largest dealer in our market!  The best thing for you to do is come on down to the dealership and look this vehicle over.  If you like the car, we won’t let price stand in the way of you making a fair purchase.  You are going to love this Camry and it really is a nice one!  When would be the best time for you to come in, now or later today?”

3. Sell the dealership and warranty! Be prepared to tell the customer about your dealership’s advantages and warranty policies on pre-owned vehicles.  If your vehicle is certified it can often command a higher price and you will need to explain the value of certified to your potential customer.

4.  Give a price as a last resort. “Customer first name), I am not authorized to give out final pricing and I’ll need to check with my manager.  I can tell you that he/she normally gives better pricing when customers are here at the dealership.  As you know your presence is your leverage.  Would you like a price over the phone, or would you like to come in and get a better price in person?”  Go for the appointment!  If they want the price over the phone, this will be a rare occasion where you’ll have to off-line the caller and call back with a price.

5. You are your own little business within a business, invest in this process and watch it work. Would you spend $20 bucks to make a few hundred?  Then keep a few gas cards in your possession and offer them as a way to bring customers in.  “When you come to our dealership you’re going to be happy with the deal we give you.  If I can’t earn your business, I’ll give you a $20 gas card for your time.  That sounds reasonable, right? Are you available today or tomorrow?”

6  Use Video! If you are unable to secure an appointment, make a video of the vehicle of interest and sell, sell, sell!  Include videos of other like vehicles as well.  Make sure you secure the customers e-mail address so you’ll know where to send the videos.  Once delivered, make sure you make a follow-up call and ask for the appointment.

I would like to address all the managers reading this article.  We need to lead by example.  It’s easy to tell an employee what to say, but a good leader will pick up the phone and teach their employees how it’s done.  Often managers won’t do this for fear of failure themselves.  I often get managers on the phone when shopping dealerships and they struggle right along with the sales team.

I also suggest that used car managers take the time for regular meetings to introduce new units to the dealership.  Once or twice a week the sales team can walk the lot to learn about the inventory.  The salesperson who took the trade in can give the briefing on the new arrivals.  Vehicles bought at auction can be introduced by the used car manager.  Knowing your inventory will help increase sales.

Do you have a unique way of handling price objections on pre-owned vehicles?

I’ll start off by saying that the price question is one of the most feared in the business and is often fresh on the minds of sales people.  It is not the customer they fear, they fear having to go ask the manager for a price.  Most managers don’t like to give pricing over the phone and will inform sales people to just try and make the appointment.

My coaching staff and I listen to approximately 1,000 recorded sales calls per month and find that less than 10% of the customers are looking for a true purchase price.  Often it’s the sales person who leads the customer into asking the, “what can I buy it for” question.  Or the customer starts asking questions such as, “do you have any lease specials’ and the sales person thinks an exact price from a manager is needed.

To help you better understand this issue, I decided to play the part of a tough customer who wanted an exact price over the phone. I selected five Honda dealers around the country and shopped the Honda Odyssey since it’s always been an in demand vehicle.  I chose a Honda EXL with Honda DVD rear entertainment with a sticker price of $36,830, including a destination charge of $780.

Four out of the five dealers offered a discounted price over the phone.  Three out of the five dealerships asked me for an appointment, but in a weak manner.  Only one of the five dealers asked for my last name.  The New Your City dealer was the only dealership not able to obtain my phone number, but they did ask in a weak manner.  The amazing part of this exercise, not one dealership called me back later in the day to follow up with me.  This should be a must do for every sales manager when no appointment is made.  Here is a list of the pricing I was able to obtain:

NYC            $33,651
Charlotte  $33,151
Florida      $34,830
Chicago     $36,830
LA               $34,757

Using the audio files below, you will hear how they each addressed the price question.  I’ve also embedded comments about how they handled themselves on the phone.

NYC
Charlotte
Florida
Chicago
LA

How should you handle the price question?

1. Ask about the trade! Not one person asked me if I was going to trade in a vehicle.  When the customer tells you they have a trade, I would then encourage you to ask questions to indicate your interest in their trade.  Never tell a customer “that’s a wholesale piece.”  What you should say is, “I am confident we can get you top dollar for your trade.  When is the last time you had your vehicle professionally appraised?  Not only will we get you the lowest price for the new Odyssey, but we’ll also get you as much money as possible for your trade.  When are you available, now or later today?”

2. Sell the value of your dealership. What makes your dealership better than the others in your area and be prepared to share that information on the phone.  It might sound like this: “I know getting a good deal is important to you and I can appreciate where you are coming from, but there are a lot different ways to save you money on a new Honda Odyssey.  If you’re flexible on colors, I may be able to get you a better deal depending on our inventory.  You can also be guaranteed that with our huge selection, I’ll not only help you find the right vehicle, but I’ll make sure you get the lowest price around.  We’ll even back that with a price match guarantee.  We’re the largest Honda dealer in the area and we did not get that way without being aggressive on our pricing.  Not only that, but we’re also very proud of the fact that our customer satisfaction levels are among the highest in the industry.  Not only will you get an excellent deal, but you’ll also get outstanding service. When are you available to come down and pick out your Odyssey, today or tomorrow?”

Or

“With an in demand vehicle like the Odyssey, pricing fluctuates on a daily basis depending on what we have available.  My manager is more aggressive with discounts when you’re here in the dealership.. I’ll be glad to get you a price, but I can assure you you’ll get a better price in person.  When is a good time for you to come in and get your best price, now or later today?”

3. If the customer continues to ask for a price, give them a price. By not giving a price YOU ARE the high price.  You could say something like: “the price on the Odyssey you’re considering is (Give Discounted Price).  I can promise you that I will honor this price I quoted you.  I’ve been working here for five years now and I take great pride in treating my customers with honesty and with integrity, and my dealership also operates in the same manner.  The price I’ve given you is a fair price, and I really would like to earn your business.  Are you available to come in now or later today?”  If no appointment is set,”I understand completely and I would like to follow-up with you on the phone.  Should I do that today or tomorrow?”  Try and build as much rapport as possible with your customers, if you treat them properly on the phone, you have a better chance of earning their business.

4. You are your own little business within a business, invest in this process and watch it work. Would you spend $20 bucks to make a few hundred?  Then keep a few gas cards on your possession and offer them as a way to bring customers in.  “I promise you that when you come to our dealership you’re going to be happy with the deal we give you.  If I can’t earn your business, I’ll give you a $20 gas card for your time.  That sounds reasonable, right?  Are you available today or tomorrow?”

On a final note, I would like to address all the managers reading this article.  We need to lead by example.  It’s easy to tell an employee what to say, but a good leader will pick up the phone and teach their employees how it’s done.  Often managers won’t do this for fear of failure themselves.  I often get managers on the phone when shopping dealerships and they struggle right along with the sales people.

For those of you who would like to record your outbound calls for training purposes, we can provide outbound numbers that will record your conversations.  Just make sure you are aware of your state’s recording laws first.  If this is something you would like to consider, please call or e-mail us.

Next month I’ll repeat this process with pre-owned vehicles.

Click here to listen: Phone Ninja April Featured Call!

Here’s a picture of our lovely star at her dealership:

Material on this website, including audio files, are protected by copyright law and is copyright to Phone Ninjas unless credited otherwise. It may not be copied, reproduced, republished, downloaded, posted, broadcast or transmitted in any way except for your own personal, non-commercial use.

Prior written consent of the copyright holder must be obtained for any other use of material.

No part of this site may be distributed or copied for any commercial purpose or financial gain.

All intellectual property rights in relation to this website are reserved and owned by Phone Ninjas.

When that urge does arrive, people can choose to interact with us in one of four ways, by e-mail, chat, a phone call or in person at the dealership. Thus I like to call these four contact points, “the stages of a customer’s evolution.”

The lowest form of customer evolution is the Internet, we’re just a bunch words on a computer screen to one another, and unfortunately our industry does not employ a whole lot of wordsmith’s out there. Those of you just giving out prices are not even selling the value of your product or dealership! And we wonder why our industry has become so commoditized. Experts will tell you an Internet lead can often take several months to close. The problem, most of the people in our business are looking for instant gratification. Why should a salesperson follow-up with somebody for months when they can probably just look out the window and find a buyer sooner than later? Now I don’t like this anymore than you do, but this is reality. Without a rock solid follow-up process and people willing to execute, your dealership is missing opportunities.

A chat session takes us to the next step of our evolution process. Unlike an e-mail which can consume days of back and forth conversation, a chat session allows us to accomplish a lot more in a shorter time frame. According to Todd Smith, President of Active Engage, the average chat session generally last about 9 minutes. If done properly it can lead to a phone conversation where it becomes much easier to schedule the appointment.

The phone call, our next to last step in the evolution process allows us to use words and voice inflections, making it easier to secure a visit to the dealership in the form of an appointment. I can tell you from years of personal experience, it’s lot easier to paint a mental picture and build a relationship on the phone than it is to do so in an e-mail or chat session. The phone is the bridge that will help you appoint more Internet and chat customers to your dealership.

As you probably guessed, the final stage of evolution is when the customer makes the decision to visit your dealership. Now we have the ability to use all of our behavioral cues; words, tones, gesture, posture and facial expressions. This is a much more personal experience for you and the customer, and will provide you with best opportunity to earn your customer’s business.

I decided to write this article after recently observing a well recognized trainer providing his phone-up theories during an online training session hosted by a nationally recognized lead provider. This trainer, who will remain nameless, suggested that instead of giving out information on the phone, the salesperson should get the customer’s e-mail, and then e-mail that information to the customer. I couldn’t disagree with this more! You’re going backwards when you choose to employ this methodology. What if the customer does not agree with the information provided in the e-mail? On the phone we can at least try and validate our information, or overcome any objections we might face. No to mention we’re still required to phone that customer after sending the e-mail in an effort to try and secure an appointment. Getting a customer on the phone a second time can be a very difficult process. In my professional opinion, we need to make the most of that initial phone call and provide the customer with the requested information in order to try and secure the appointment. I emphasize “requested” since many salespeople go above and beyond the call of duty and provide way too much information, thus they de-motivate the customer from visiting their dealership.

In the first three phases of evolution we’re trying to sell an appointment, not a vehicle!  Sell the vehicle in your showroom and you’ll close more deals.

With fewer and fewer customers visiting showrooms these days, you had better learn how to master the first three stages of evolution, that’s if you want your fair share of customers visiting your showroom.