Car Sales 101: A Case Study
Car Sales 101: A Case Study
My wife decided to look at several different vehicle options. She visited three dealerships to look at vehicles. At two of the three, the sales people seemed to ignore her as she looked at vehicles on the lot. Maybe it was because my wife had just been at the gym and had gym clothes and a sweatshirt on – Mistake No. 1.
At two of the dealerships, the sales person never asked my wife’s name – Mistake No. 2.
None of the sales people offered a test drive or much of a demonstration – Mistake Nos. 3 and 4.
Only one of the sales people asked for my wife’s number before she left so they could follow up with her – Mistake No. 5. All three of the sales people did not treat her as she could or would buy the car by herself – Mistake No. 6. All of them made sure to mention to bring her husband back and they would make me a good deal – Mistake No. 7. Two of three did not follow up after the visit because they did not get the phone number – Mistake No. 8. Two of the sales people took repeated cell phone calls during the time they were with my wife – Mistake No. 9.
The next day my wife and I just happened to stop and look at one other vehicle she had not previously seen. The sales person did not make any of the mistakes mentioned above. He greeted us promptly, he made quick rapport and he asked questions. The sales person treated my wife with respect and gave her the most attention since it was going to be her vehicle. The sales person made friends with my son and related well to him. The sales person gave an energetic and long presentation/demonstration. The sales person presented and negotiated the purchase professionally. He made the sale. The delivery was handled with attention to detail and my wife was made to feel special in her purchase. My son was given a special teddy bear at delivery. The sales person followed up with a phone call, a thank-you card and a dealership introduction letter.
Was the sales person that made the sale doing extraordinary and super-human things? Was this sales person using special and secret sales techniques with magic-bullet closes? The sales person was executing the basics of selling - THE BASICS.
The good news is that nine times out of 10, the basics are all that is needed. The bad news is that so many knuckle-head sales people aren’t giving even a whiff of effort or professionalism to their jobs and their customers. For the sales people who do the right things, selling becomes easy because you have so little real competition. So many sales people whine, bellyache and moan and groan about how competitive the market is and how price is the only reason people buy. The whiny salesperson cries that you can’t make gross profit or resulting income.
Show me any industry or field without tons of competitors. Show me any industry where some of the players aren’t using price as their main weapon. Every industry has these environments. The reality is that none of those things matter. You are faced with MOT’s (Moments of Truth) everyday. In those moments you either choose to win or you choose to lose. Go back to the basics and do what you know to do and are trained to do. If you treat people at a higher level than you ever have and you remember that the word “sell” means “to serve,” you will sell as much as you can handle. Competition and price matters will wane. You will win and win big.
Car Sales 101 A Case Study - To learn more about this author, visit Mark Tewart's Website.
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The time had come for my wife to get a new vehicle. Let’s take a look at the good bad and ugly of her experiences. What occurred during her visits is a microcosm of what happens in automobile dealerships every day.
My wife decided to look at several different vehicle options. She visited three dealerships to look at vehicles. At two of the three, the sales people seemed to ignore her as she looked at vehicles on the lot. Maybe it was because my wife had just been at the gym and had gym clothes and a sweatshirt on – Mistake No. 1.
At two of the dealerships, the sales person never asked my wife’s name – Mistake No. 2.
None of the sales people offered a test drive or much of a demonstration – Mistake Nos. 3 and 4.
Only one of the sales people asked for my wife’s number before she left so they could follow up with her – Mistake No. 5. All three of the sales people did not treat her as she could or would buy the car by herself – Mistake No. 6. All of them made sure to mention to bring her husband back and they would make me a good deal – Mistake No. 7. Two of three did not follow up after the visit because they did not get the phone number – Mistake No. 8. Two of the sales people took repeated cell phone calls during the time they were with my wife – Mistake No. 9.
The next day my wife and I just happened to stop and look at one other vehicle she had not previously seen. The sales person did not make any of the mistakes mentioned above. He greeted us promptly, he made quick rapport and he asked questions. The sales person treated my wife with respect and gave her the most attention since it was going to be her vehicle. The sales person made friends with my son and related well to him. The sales person gave an energetic and long presentation/demonstration. The sales person presented and negotiated the purchase professionally. He made the sale. The delivery was handled with attention to detail and my wife was made to feel special in her purchase. My son was given a special teddy bear at delivery. The sales person followed up with a phone call, a thank-you card and a dealership introduction letter.
Was the sales person that made the sale doing extraordinary and super-human things? Was this sales person using special and secret sales techniques with magic-bullet closes? The sales person was executing the basics of selling - THE BASICS.
The good news is that nine times out of 10, the basics are all that is needed. The bad news is that so many knuckle-head sales people aren’t giving even a whiff of effort or professionalism to their jobs and their customers. For the sales people who do the right things, selling becomes easy because you have so little real competition. So many sales people whine, bellyache and moan and groan about how competitive the market is and how price is the only reason people buy. The whiny salesperson cries that you can’t make gross profit or resulting income.
Show me any industry or field without tons of competitors. Show me any industry where some of the players aren’t using price as their main weapon. Every industry has these environments. The reality is that none of those things matter. You are faced with MOT’s (Moments of Truth) everyday. In those moments you either choose to win or you choose to lose. Go back to the basics and do what you know to do and are trained to do. If you treat people at a higher level than you ever have and you remember that the word “sell” means “to serve,” you will sell as much as you can handle. Competition and price matters will wane. You will win and win big.
Car Sales 101 A Case Study - To learn more about this author, visit Mark Tewart's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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