AutoSuccess Sep03

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. biz . biz . biz September 2003 “You now have a world-class grip.” pg.22 Sarah Gauss Sarah Gauss Maximizing Profits Maximizing Profits on Every Deal on Every Deal Profit From Your Architecture Profit From Your Architecture With a Customer Friendly Lot With a Customer Friendly Lot The Three The Three Currencies of Success Currencies of Success Practical Ways Practical Ways to Increase Sales to Increase Sales Your Feelings-Journal: Your Feelings-Journal: A Master Tool A Master Tool Improve Your Closing Ratio Improve Your Closing Ratio

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AutoSuccess addresses the specific, researched needs of new car and light truck dealerships by providing entrepreneurial, cutting-edge, solution-based editorials to increase dealership profits and reduce expenses AutoSuccess, magazine, sales, new, used, selling, salespeople, vehicle, dealer, dealership, leadership, marketingFor Similar content visit http://www.autosuccesssocial.com/

Transcript of AutoSuccess Sep03

Page 1: AutoSuccess Sep03

.biz.biz.biz

September 2003

“You now have a world-class grip.” pg.22

Sarah GaussSarah Gauss

Maximizing Profi tsMaximizing Profi tson Every Dealon Every Deal

Profi t From Your ArchitectureProfi t From Your ArchitectureWith a Customer Friendly LotWith a Customer Friendly Lot

The ThreeThe ThreeCurrencies of SuccessCurrencies of Success

Practical WaysPractical Waysto Increase Salesto Increase Sales

Your Feelings-Journal:Your Feelings-Journal:A Master ToolA Master Tool

Improve Your Closing RatioImprove Your Closing Ratio

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AutoSuccess Magazine is published monthly at 756 South First Street, Suite 202, Louisville, Kentucky, 40202; 502.588.3155, fax 502.588.3170. Direct all subscription and customer service inquiries to 877.818.6620 [email protected]. Subscription rate is $75 per year. AutoSuccess welcomes unsolicited editorials and graphics (not responsible for their return). All submitted editorials and graphics are subject to editing for grammar, content, and page length. AutoSuccess provides its contributing writers latitude in expressing advice and solutions; views expressed are not necessarily those of AutoSuccess and by no means reflect any guarantees. Always confer with legal counsel before implementing changes in procedures.© All contents copyrighted by AutoSuccess Magazine, a Division of Systems Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without express written consent from AutoSuccess. AutoSuccess may occasionally make readers’ names available to other companies whose products and/or services may be of interest; readers may request that names be removed by calling 877.818.6620. Printed in the USA.Postmaster: Send address changes to AutoSuccess Magazine, 756 South First Street, Suite 202, Louisville, Kentucky 40202.

A Model for Sales Success Tony Ray Munson Practical Ways to Increase Sales Timothy Gilbert Motivating Your Sales Team Bob Bullock Your Feelings-Journal: A Master Tool Leo Weidner The New Guy: Experience and Results Steve Hiatt Profi t From Your Architecture With a Customer Friendly Lot Jeff Margaretten Improve Your Closing Ratio David Thomas Five Principles of Effective Advertising Rob Mudd Maximize Your Menu Presentation George Jackson Wholesale Auto Auction Basics: Do It Right Don Elliott Sales From the Internet: Protect Your Computers Dennis McDonough Maximizing Profi ts on Every Deal Sarah Gauss The Three Currencies of Success Mark Tewart Managers Evaluation: Successful Leadership, Part 2 Joe Verde Get a Grip and Save Your Swing Brian Manzella Profi t Starts With the Selling Process Terry L. Isaac Secure and Maintain Bernard Boule The Role of a Leader Brian Tracy Yellow Pages: The Search for Automobile Related Headings Stephanie Hobbs Three Tips for Using Innovation in Your Organization James Feldman

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A Model for Sales Success

Tony Ray MunsonBy Tony Ray Munsonsales and training solution

An interview with superstar sales person, David Sanchez at Perry Ford - Lincoln - Mercury:

Munson: “How long have you been selling automobiles?”

Sanchez: “Twenty-four years now.”

Munson: “How did you get started?”

Sanchez: “My dad wholesaled cars in Mexico, and I started helping him. I was always selling and trading things, so after I moved to California, I thought I should sell cars and help out the Hispanic people in the area. I went to a local Ford store and kept asking for a job. One day, I was in the owner’s offi ce, and I looked on the board at the top sales persons name. I told the owner that if I didn’t out sell his top sales person that month that he did not have to pay me. The owner liked my

persistence and attitude and fi nally said I could start the next day. I said if I was going to beat the top guy, I better start today, and that’s what I did.”

Munson: “How did you do?”

Sanchez: “I sold 17 cars in that partial month and was the top sales person. I made good money and have done well ever since.”

Munson: “How many cars do you average a month?”

Sanchez: “Around 27, I have sold up to 48.”

Munson: “How much are you making a year?”

Sanchez: “About $220,000 or so. I also spend a little to make a lot.”

Munson: “What do you spend money on?”

Sanchez: “My customers. I usually have a service bill around $1,500 per month

for things I buy or take care of for my customers. I also send them cards and letters every 45 days, and I do my own advertising.”

Munson: “Do you use a follow-up system?”

Sanchez: “Absolutely, I have for years.”

Munson: “Do you take ups?”

Sanchez: “Not many at all. Most of my business is from repeats and referrals. I only work about four days a week and usually play golf four times a week. I have a customer base I follow, I prospect and I advertise.”

Munson: “What type of prospecting do you do?”

Sanchez: “I make some cold calls and then whenever I meet someone new, I talk to them about their vehicle and possible business down the road.”

Munson: “That’s a different approach than most sales people are using, you’re working smarter, not harder.”

Sanchez: “Exactly, plus I have saved money and invested it, so I don’t feel that I come across as though I need ‘this sale’ to pay rent. I have seen too many sales people through the years blowing their money and living check to check.”

Munson: “You could be a great role model for a lot of sales people out there.”

Sanchez: “I enjoy what I do, I work it my way, and it has been very successful for me.”

Munson: “Why aren’t you a manager?”

Sanchez: “I have been offered, but I don’t want that job at all. I just like doing my own thing.”

Munson: “Even though you say you only work four days a week, it sounds as if you are working and prospecting all the time?”

Sanchez: “Actually yes, all the time. I have fun with it; everyone is a prospect.”

Tony Ray Munson is the President of Sales Systems International, Inc. He can be contacted at 866.265.6575, or by email at [email protected].

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Page 5: AutoSuccess Sep03

5september 2003

sales and training solution Timothy GilbertBy Timothy Gilbert

Practical Ways to Increase SalesTo increase sales in your service department a service writer can add an additional hour of billable

time to each customer pay repair order. The easiest way is to make better use of the service menu. The concept of a service menu is to show the customer how competitive the shop is and to remind the customer of things they may need to have repaired; the basic services are: tire rotation, alignment, tune up, oil change, etc. Use this opportunity to show the customer other options.

One approach is the service pyramid. It creates a menu that lists, by mileage, suggested service work. For example, at 15,000 miles, the service pyramid suggests an oil change and alignment. At 30,000 miles, add a minor maintenance package, which includes a transmission fl uid check, belts, etc. At 50,000, recommend the normal scheduled maintenance work plus tires. At 60,000 miles, recommend all of the above (if the customer has not had the regular factory suggested maintenance done) plus a timing belt replacement. At 75,000, add brakes. The purpose of the service pyramid is to make it easier for service writers to suggest additional work.

All of this can be adjusted for each specifi c shop based on their vehicle histories. Certain makes and models have unique repair histories that each shop should take into account. Have each service writer think of additional repair work that can be added at each interval. Set it up as a contest, and reward them.

Try these two additional recommendations. First, try using a free (or nominal) vehicle inspection, particularly after a vehicle has exceeded its warranty period. A quick 15, 20 or 25-point inspection can offer a number of valid opportunities for repair work. For instance, a quick look under the vehicle might reveal an exhaust pipe leak, or a hose leak, or possibly a suspension problem. Alerting the customer to a potential or existing problem is a valuable service. Even if the inspection indicates that everything is okay, it lets the customer know you care, and you are more interested in their safety.

The second point is that the older the

vehicle, the more work may be needed. Older model vehicles represent the single greatest sales opportunity for service work that exists today. Help customers keep their car in good mechanical condition. It is good for them, and it is good for you. Look at older vehicles as opportunities. In this regard, do not overlook trim opportunities. More wear and tear is inevitable as a vehicle ages. Molding, seats, fl oor mats, door panels can oxidize, wear down, lose their color or get rips or tears in them. Keeping them in good condition adds resale value to an older vehicle.

Another way to increase labor sales is to keep good service history records on each vehicle. The more you know about a given vehicle, the more you can help keep that vehicle in good mechanical condition.

One good suggestion per repair order can add volume to the shop and profi t to the dealership.

In your used vehicle operation, the objective is to turn inventory just a little faster to achieve a better gross profi t on each unit sold. The fi rst and easiest way to increase used vehicle inventory turn by one day is to get each vehicle on the lot one day sooner. The more organized the department is on handling trades, the more money it can make. The clock starts ticking as soon as the customer hands over the keys to their trade-in. It can take anywhere from three days to a week to get a vehicle ready for retail. If the used car manager can set as a target getting every vehicle to be retailed on the lot within two days of receipt, it will reduce inventory turn time by at least one day.

Another suggestion for increasing turns is to have a daily schedule for every vehicle on the lot. Have an advertising plan for vehicles based on how long they have been on the lot, stepping up the advertising as the vehicles age. Have a display plan as to where to put new vehicles and where to move them to give them maximum exposure as they age.

Ask the sales people about each vehicle in sales meetings, “Why haven’t we sold stock number 12345? Is there a problem with that vehicle we need to know about?” They will tell you what customers have said or thought about that vehicle. If there is a problem fi x it and then push the vehicle in your advertising.

Another way to increase inventory turn is to make sure that titles have been properly and expediently transferred over to the dealership. Even after a vehicle has been sold the deal cannot be closed out until the title work has been completed. The car may be gone, but the inventory has not changed, because the deal has not been closed out. This can add days to the length of time a vehicle stays in-house.

Next month, we will talk about how every sales person can sell just one more vehicle each and every month, for new and used sales departments. The motto of every sales person should be, ‘one at a time and then one more’.

Timothy Gilbert is an Associate Professor and Chairman of the Automotive Marketing Department at Northwood University Florida Campus. He can be contacted at 866.274.3792, or by email at [email protected].

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Motivating Your Sales Team

Bob BullockBy Bob Bullocksales and training solution

All sales teams need to be m o t i v a t e d . Methods of motivation vary. There are other

options to motivating your sales team other than cash rewards. Cash is not necessarily king. When a customer purchases a car, price is only one of the factors that are incorporated into that decision. A sales person’s motivation also includes multiple factors.

Assume that you have addressed the immediate needs of your employees, a competitive salary, good commission structure, benefi ts and a healthy working environment. If your employees are fairly compensated, you are freed up to target their ‘psychic income’ and encourage improved performance.

Psychic income was defi ned as a person’s desire for status, fame, glory, recognition and attention by psychologist Abraham Maslow. Awards like travel and merchandise tap the psychic income of employees. Cash does not.

Reasons why travel incentives beat cash as a motivational tool:

Travel incentiveshave great motivational power.Cash is almost always viewed as a part

of normal compensation, an entitlement that is due the employee regardless of performance. Once this pattern of reward is established, it becomes diffi cult to change or terminate.

Travel incentives have trophy value.You can’t mount cash; you can’t show it off; you can’t photograph it. Cash has only a temporary association with the reward. You can’t brag about cash, but you can brag about an all-inclusive sports vacation. The photos will tell the story.

Travel incentivesprovide personal fulÞ llment.Travel incentives offer guilt-free enjoyment of a reward and can be shared with dependants. Cash is typically expended on short-term needs or is laden with questions, “How should I spend it?”

Travel incentiveshave promotional appeal.A travel incentive has greater perceived value than cash. A tropical vacation for two that includes airfare, a luxury Caribbean or Alaskan Cruise with exotic ports of call, chilled champagne in the cabin, plus four star dining, has signifi cantly more appeal than an equivalent amount of cash. A sports vacation for two that includes airfare, hotel and two lower level tickets to

an NFL game will get your sales force moving. Graduate the reward program, and you’ll get even better promotional value.

Travel incentivesyield better performance at a lower cost.You can’t buy performance nearly as well as you can motivate it. Dedicate three to fi ve percent of yearly compensation to travel incentives and yield the same gains that 15 percent of compensation in cash rewards would produce. This amounts to a three-fold decrease in spending to achieve the same results.

An additional thought to consider when creating an employee incentive program: create senior/junior partnerships within the company, pairing or grouping senior employees with more junior employees. By linking seasoned and junior employees under the banner of an incentive program, the competitive and independent approach of a sales team can be focused to bring more junior sales people up the curve.

Bob Bullock is the Sales Manager at The Odenza Group. He can be contacted at 866.873.0026, ext. 225, or by email at [email protected].

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7september 2003

leadership solution Leo WeidnerBy Leo Weidner

Your Feelings-Journal:A Master Tool

What if one simple tool could s u b s t a n t i a l l y increase your sales and profi ts, reduce your stress

and improve relationships with family, colleagues and customers? There is such a tool, the feelings-journal. This is a powerful tool thousands of professionals have used to substantially increase their income and overall success.

Many people have a hard time getting in touch with and expressing their deepest emotions. If you’re struggling with the concept of writing your feelings, keep in mind that from a brain science and personal performance standpoint, it is one of the most powerful activities you can engage in. Writing in your feelings-journal will reward you with four primary benefi ts:

1. Crystallize your thoughts.Work through problems, prepare for important meetings, discover solutions, expand on ideas, gear up for an important sales pitch—all in advance.

2. Cathartic.Write out worries, negative thoughts and emotions. With this baggage cleared out, your health, success, attitudes, energy and relationships substantially improve.

3. Communication.In selling, being able to share feelings and show empathy for customers is a huge advantage. Those who master this talent become top producers. Feelings-journaling allows you to practice and develop these skills.

4. Inspiration.Feelings-journaling opens up extensive neural pathways to the right side of your brain signifi cantly increasing your creativity, insight and intuition, making you more successful in your personal and business life.

Feelings-journal checklist.Feelings-journaling is a learned skill. In the beginning, many people can’t think of anything to write. Develop a feelings-journal checklist. Reviewing this list will ignite feelings and start you writing. Make a list of the things in your life you are most concerned about, most desirous to achieve or most grateful for. Your checklist could look something like this:

General.What am I feeling today? Why?What is important in my life? Why?What area in my life needs more attention? Why?What am I most excited about? Why?

Family.How has _________ (name of spouse) blessed my life?What are _________’s (name of spouse) strengths?What areas of concern, complaints or disappointments do I have?How have each of my children blessed my life? (List each child separately.) What are each of their strengths?Are there any areas of concern I should focus on? Why?

Profession.What am I working toward in my career? Why?What am I most concerned about today or this week? Why?How can I improve or take advantage of opportunities?

Physical health.How do I feel physically? What can I do to improve? Why do I want to?How’s my diet? What can I do to improve it? What will this do for me?

Spiritual.How is my relationship with God?What can I do to improve it?How will this help me?Is there a recent, or not so recent, spiritual experience I should record?

Social.How can I improve my interaction with people?Do I have personality traits that are negatively impacting my effectiveness with customers or colleagues?How can I change these?

This is just a sample checklist. Make your own list according to what’s going on in your life. If you’re trying to work out how to pitch a new car or product, how to improve profi ts, how to deal with a partner or employee, put it on your checklist, and you’ll be amazed at the solutions that come to you. Obviously, you don’t write about every item on the checklist at once. Use the checklist to stimulate your feelings and help you start writing.

Remember fi ve simple principles:

Be completely open,honest and unrestricted.Write whatever you are feeling—positive or negative. Be totally honest and unrestricted. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar or sentence structure; just let it fl ow.

For your eyes only.If you have the slightest suspicion that someone could somehow get hold of your journal and read it, your brain-mind will not allow you to write it in a completely uncensored manner. When you write negative feelings about people, places or things, destroy the record so no one sees it again, not even you.

Develop your skills over time.Feelings-journaling does not come easily or naturally to most people—especially men. But with practice and time, you’ll become progressively more comfortable and skilled at it. Be patient, start out slow, only fi ve to ten minutes a day, and build up from there.

Same place/same time.Set a regular time (preferably fi rst thing in the morning) and a quiet, private place where you can ponder, think and record whatever is on your mind.

Make an appointment.Feelings-journaling is an appointment with the most important person in your life, you. If you ‘try to fi nd the time’; you’ll likely never do it. Make this appointment a maximum priority. The remarkable benefi ts in every aspect of your personal, family and business life will amaze you.

Leo Weidner is the Chairman of LifeBalance Institute. He can be contacted at 866.429.6826, or by email at [email protected], or visit www.lifebal.us.

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Page 8: AutoSuccess Sep03

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The New Guy:Experience and Results

Steve HiattBy Steve Hiattsales and training solution

In the last two issues we have covered the i n t e r v i e w i n g , hiring and training of two ‘New Guys’

at my dealership. Some of you have even called to talk to them, thanks for the support.

At this point, we have had two full months of selling time to evaluate both sales people. Their results are our number one indicator of success. To date, the fi rst New Guy is in single digits, and the second New Guy is already in the high teens. With this in mind, we made a few changes to our approach.

The fi rst new guy, Bryan, has been transferred to one of our used vehicle stores, for several reasons. The single most important reason is because the staff to manager ratio there is the smallest. We feel he can get more one on one time there to help direct him to

higher sales levels. As is often the case, he needs help in some selling skills and attitudes. In skills, we must help him isolate objections and then close until his tongue bleeds. The attitude area is only in realizing that the chance to make the sale is right now and that customers need that gentle nudge to make the decision immediately.

The second new guy, Jason, has been steadily improving. His objection handling skills are improving rapidly, and he attempts a close even if it doesn’t seem like the perfect time, and his results are very good. We really need to help develop his client base by coaching him in prospecting and follow-up. The majority of his current sales are from walk-in traffi c, and if it starts to die, so will his sales. Most dealerships would let someone like this ‘just be left alone’. The diffi culty with that approach is, it won’t prevent slumps. And, too many slumps create turnover. Since turnover means start over, we need to create

multiple streams of leads with Jason to ensure success.

The areas of prospecting and follow-up are important for both sales people. After all, a warm prospect is easier to close. Since Bryan, needs to improve his closing techniques, wouldn’t it be easier to practice on warm prospects?

Some of the niches for the New Guys are to introduce themselves to local banks and credit unions so that the loan offi cers will send them the leads on people who are getting pre-approved. They are also going to work with tow companies and body shops for other leads. Often a tow truck driver or body shop knows when someone needs their car or truck replaced the soonest, because they are at the scene, or the car is towed to their lot.

Prospecting that has worked best for us is going out and seeing the people they have already sold at their workplace. Who doesn’t like to talk cars? Especially when they are getting paid to do it. Customers actually seem very receptive to this.

Continued role-playing for both of the New Guys is high on the list. Sharpening skills in an environment where there is coaching, and there isn’t a sale at risk, takes the pressure off and increases the odds of being successful in the next live situation.

I hope these three articles have given you a way to compare your process and results against ours. As a dealership, you can screen, lead, guide, motivate, recruit, hire and role-play until you are blue in the face, and in the end, the individual you hire has to take the ball and run with it. Some sales people have that killer instinct or edge that allows them to read people and know right when to close, with the tenacity to continue when the odds are against them. Look for these traits, and encourage them whenever you see them. Recap what they do right, and focus on those skills.

Steve Hiatt is the General Sales Manager of Hiatt Pontiac GMC, Hiatt Outlet and Hiatt of Auburn. He can be contacted at 866.265.5616, or by email at [email protected].

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Page 9: AutoSuccess Sep03

9september 2003

marketing solution Jeff MargarettenBy Jeff Margaretten

Profi t From Your ArchitectureWith a Customer Friendly Lot

“What can I do to spruce up my lot, make it more fun to walk around?” In July, we

discussed the short loop, now let’s talk about what can be done now that we’ve eliminated it.

Let’s begin thinking of simple ways to create an outdoor shopping environment that is festive, yet frugal; organized, but not stoic; visually tempting and still easy to plow snow during the winter.

Customer’s needs are simple; less is more. Less confusion, more freedom, less obstacles, more power. Give them what they want, and they will gladly walk around and spend time with you.

Create a pedestrian environment.Much of the auto-buying experience is focused on walking the lot. Make the experience more enjoyable, and people will stay longer than anticipated. Start by separating the rows of back-to-back cars by four or fi ve feet, then paint the asphalt yellow. Lay a row of brick pavers into the asphalt to create a pedestrian crosswalk and viewing aisle. A shade tree, with a park bench offers relief on a sunny day. A gazebo in the middle of a larger lot, especially on a nice day, can be a quiet place to look at brochures among the product or an extra closing booth needed during peek time. Place a cooler of lemonade inside, and you have a chance to converse.

Let the cars do the talking. From a buying perspective, the customer has already decided to visit your dealership to buy a car or at least shop for one. The vehicle is their goal. The sales person is someone who can assist them with that goal. From a selling perspective, the customer is the goal. Sexy vehicles on display by the front door will have customers out of their car and touching the product. As the buying opportunity builds, they will wonder about which additional upgrades and colors you may have in stock. Your product will encourage them to fi nd and talk to a sales person on their own.

Invisible sales team.This is the most common mistake made by the auto industry. The car lot is the only retail environment where you will fi nd the sales people waiting outside to greet a customer the second they see them pull on the lot. Remember, in a buying environment the vehicle is the goal; in a selling environment the customer is the goal. Eager sales people at the front door are looking for ups. Yes, they are there to help the customer, but from the customer’s perspective all that sales person wants to do is sell them something. Dealers have set up this method because it has been so easy for customers to take the short loop and avoid the sale. An intimidated customer is more likely to be cautious and less trusting, making it harder for your sales team. A ready customer seeks assistance. Give the customer the opportunity to

look for help. Then, have someone there immediately to answer their questions.

Flanders and Patch Ford, winner of a 2000 Ford Boston Region Golden Shovel Award, is a perfect example of allowing their architecture to create buying opportunities. A vehicle display and customer-waiting patio, complete with landscaping and park benches, sits directly between their customer parking and showroom. It has doubled the size of their showroom, enhanced their front entrance and serves as a consolation area. On beautiful days, service customers prefer to sit outside. When they see the cars, they start talking to the sales team. It’s a very customer friendly situation.

Inviting customers to voluntarily park, shop and talk (at their own pace) is the key to eliminating frustration and nervousness about the sale. Design your property to force and entice customers to park before they look and then look before they talk. This is the way to create a pedestrian friendly environment that encourages browsing, promotes conversation and increases sales volume. Employ these simple site layout ideas, and soon, you too will profi t from your architecture.

Jeff Margaretten is the Managing Principal of P3 Automotive. He can be contacted at 866.856.6791, or by email at [email protected].

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10 autosuccess.biz

sales tips with David Thomas David ThomasBy David Thomas

Improve Your Closing Ratio When do you start to close your customer?

A. During the test drive. B. During the walk-around.C. Standing on the showroom fl oor. D. When your customer starts to leave. E. When your boss tells you. F. None of the above.

The correct answer is F. You should start closing a deal in the fi rst three seconds after you greet a new customer at the dealership. No, you’re not asking for the sale in the fi rst few seconds, but you are starting to build a relationship and initiate rapport. It’s really simple. People want to (and will) buy from someone they like. I didn’t sell over 3,000 cars because I was the best sales person. I sold a lot of cars because I made extreme efforts to be likable and to be easy to do business

with. I always promised my customer an enjoyable buying experience, and I lived up to the task. I started doing every deal with personality, not with discounting or sales tricks. If you do this, you will close more deals and make more money.

Here are some suggested tips:

• Be aware of the fi rst impression that you make. You either relax your customer or scare them immediately. • Smile – even when you’re on the phone. A smile disarms and puts everyone at ease. • Be enthusiastic. It’s contagious. If you’re excited, they are excited.• Be knowledgeable. Know the answers to the questions your customer asks.• Be user friendly. It should be easy and pleasurable to do business with you. • Dress professionally. Your appearance will effect their overall impression of you and your product. • Watch your body language. If you look stressed, your customer will become stressed. • Make eye contact. Show your customer the respect that they deserve. • Be fun and exciting. People like to laugh and be entertained. • Be sure to connect. People know if you really care about their needs. • Ask questions with positive answers. How are you? Isn’t it a beautiful morning?• Nod your head while you listen. Instill positive feelings.

Some auto dealers do an outstanding job of making customers (your guests) feel at home and comfortable in the fi rst few seconds of their arrival. Remember to make everyone feel like a guest in YOUR home. How do you greet your friends when they arrive at your home for a visit?

Customers shouldn’t have to and don’t want to walk through a crowd of sales people in a ‘smoke fest’ on the front porch of the dealership. If you must smoke, do it away from customer areas. I remind you of this because you would be amazed at the impact that your initial greeting has on the closing process. Customers decide in a matter of seconds

if they like you and if they are inclined to buy from you. What does all this have to do with the closing? It’s simple. If they don’t like you, they probably won’t buy from you, or they will be much more diffi cult to close. Put more energy into the fi rst few minutes when you meet, and it will make your test drive and product presentation much more effective.

Now that you have fi ne-tuned your greeting, work on your closing. Turn what the customer fears most into the most enjoyable part of the buying experience. How do you do this in an effi cient, profi table, timely and friendly manner?

Your goal is to: maintain gross, minimize any negotiating, motivate an immediate buying decision.

Focus on a relaxing, friendly closing environment where the customer truly perceives a win-win outcome. This can be the easiest and most enjoyable part of selling a vehicle if you let it. A typical closing could sound like this:

Sales associate: (Manufacturer’s name) has built an enjoyable car to drive. How was your test drive?

Customer: Very nice.

Sales associate: Our service department has made it easy and enjoyable to service your new car. You met your personal advisor, correct?

Customer: Yes, he is great.

Sales associate: This (vehicle make and model) is enjoyable to drive. We’ve made it enjoyable to service as well. My mission is to make it enjoyable to buy. I pledge to keep it simple and straightforward.

Customer: Fantastic.

If you truly strive to produce an enjoyable buying experience for your customers, be a good communicator, be straightforward and keep it simple, you will be surprised how many customers just say ‘yes’.

David Thomas is the Owner of Subaru of Dallas. He can be contacted at 866.429.6803, or by email at [email protected].

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Page 11: AutoSuccess Sep03
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12 autosuccess.biz

Five Principles of Effective Advertising

Rob MuddBy Rob Muddsales and training solution

Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, says in, The G.E. Way, that business is pretty simple.

His three keys to success are: simplicity, consistency, repetition. Implement these three keys and the following fi ve

principles into your advertising for increased success. Here are fi ve principles for an effective advertising message:

1. Attention getting headline2. Simply stated, true value3. Urgency 4. Repeat the offer 5. Ask for the order

The Expectancy Theory says, “People experience what they expect to experience and see what they expect to see.” Your message must manage this.

The presentation of these fi ve principles can vary greatly, hard sell to soft sell; it doesn’t really matter as long as these primary elements stay consistent. It is like baking two cakes, vanilla and chocolate; they taste different, but the basic ingredients stay the same (sugar, fl our and eggs). The same holds true for your message, they may sound different, but the basics remain the same.

Once you adhere to the principles of creating your message, let your target demographic hear what you have to say and continually remind them. Each day the average person is hit with over 3,200 different messages. Your message has to make people want to hear what you have to say. Clarity and simplicity is comforting in today’s very complicated world. Simplify everything.

Last year, 16.8 million new vehicles and 43 million used vehicles were purchased. In the US, there are 180 million licensed drivers. By dividing 59.8 million vehicles by 180 million people, divided by 12 months, you come up with an estimated 2.63 percent. This is the percentage of the market looking to buy a vehicle during any given month. The only challenge is that you do not know their names. This is why you have to stay consistent, and keep the message simple. Don’t waste your valuable advertising message with confusion. Get to the point, tell them what you have to sell and why they need to buy it from you, and ask them to come buy it now.

You have to stay consistent with your advertising message. You need to keep your message out there looking for that 2.63 percent. Keep your message simple, consistent and repetitious. And, always keep these fi ve principles in mind to make your advertising most effective.

Next month, we will address implementing the advanced equity program into your advertising message.

Rob Mudd is the Senior Vice President of The Mudd Group. He can be contacted at 877.804.3485, or by email at [email protected].

Page 13: AutoSuccess Sep03

Maximize YourMenu Presentation

George JacksonBy George Jacksonf&i solution

In your F&I department, you have to ensure that you are utilizing your

menu form to the fullest. When you have an effective menu form, you will be able to give an effective menu presentation. A menu presentation is not just reviewing the form. It is a presentation philosophy. If you want to maximize your menu presentation, consider the following for your menu layout:

Products.Every product offered in the fi nance offi ce should be on the menu. Deciding the order of the products can be somewhat diffi cult. Factors such as profi tability, penetration, cost and dealer participation (reinsurance, retros, etc.) have to be considered. The decisions on how to lay out your products on the menu form should be made jointly by the dealer, GM and F&I manager. Another option that has to be evaluated is how many products you should actually offer in the F&I department. Having a menu makes the F&I presentation more effi cient, but having to many products available could become diffi cult. A good number to offer is fi ve. Even with the effi ciency that a menu form adds to the presentation, if you review too many products, your customer may lose interest.

Plans. Four is the most common and most productive number of plans to offer on your menu form. You want your customers to feel as if they have been given enough options to choose a plan that will fi t them.

Visuals.Finally, when creating your menu, make sure you have pictures and/or icons for each product. This adds to the visual effect of the menu and puts less emphasis on the text. It makes it look cleaner and will give it a more professional and current look.

Presentation.Now that the form is in place, a consistent and professional delivery is a must. Your menu form and presentation

should disclose the base payment without coverage (because no coverage is always an option), disclose term, APR and WAC (with approved credit).

The fi rst plan on the menu should include all of the products and each product should be verbally disclosed, fully and completely. This is where the presentation begins and the need is generated for each product. For example, stating to the customer that he/she will get credit life protection in the plan is not enough. It should be disclosed in the following manner, “You will also receive credit life protection. This will pay off the loan in the event of your death and leave your estate with a free and clear title to the vehicle. This coverage is not rated by your age, health, job or hobbies, and there is no physical required. There is no waiting period for coverage, and it pays in addition to any other coverage you may already have.” When disclosing the fi rst plan, don’t sell and don’t close. Let the customer listen without your opinions.

As you proceed from plan to plan, simply tell the customer what he/she receives, what has changed, what he/she forfeits from the previous plan and how that affects them. An example would be, “This plan is much like the previous plan. Your service contract is now for fi ve years rather than six, and you forfeit the disability coverage. This means that if you did become sick or injured and unable to work, the monthly payments would still be your responsibility.” Once the presentation is complete, ask the customer if he/she has any questions, direct them to the payment options and then ask, “Which plan would work best for you?” Putting emphasis on these areas is the surest and quickest way to increase your F&I income and maximize your menu presentation.

George Jackson is the Director of F&I Training for American Financial & Automotive Services, Inc. He can be contacted at 866.280.0301, or by email at [email protected].

13september 2003

Page 14: AutoSuccess Sep03

14 autosuccess.biz

Wholesale AutoAuction Basics: Do It Right

Don ElliottBy Don Elliottsales and training solution

Understanding the rules of an auction can make a trip to an auction on sale day produce maximum results.

Wholesale auto auction rules vary from state to state and at each individual location. However, basic regulations are consistent at most auctions.

For fi rst time auction buyers, it is imperative that your dealership is properly registered before auction sale day. Wholesale auto auctions stipulate that all transactions are for licensed automobile dealers only. Retail customers and minors are not allowed. A copy of a dealership’s license and a credit application are minimum requirements to purchase at auction.

Each dealership is responsible for identifying its buying representative on its application. Many states require that the representative must have an individual wholesale automobile license.

Credit limits for each dealership are established before the sale day. Auctions expect dealers to provide proper payment at the end of the sale. Any dealership authorized as a ‘cash only’ buyer must provide cash or a certifi ed check paid to

the order of the auction immediately after the sale.

Once approved as a buyer, the auctions will provide a bidding number specifi c to that buyer representative. Keeping the bid number easy to spot by the auctioneer assures that a bid will be taken. The auctioneer in the lane is the ultimate judge of the successful bidder. Auction law generally provides that when the auctioneer ‘drops the hammer’ and announces ‘sold’, the sale contract is made.

Generally, the auctioneer’s responsibility is to determine the highest bid price that is acceptable to the seller of each unit that crosses the block. It is the seller’s responsibility to represent the condition, history, model, year and equipment to the best of their knowledge when the car is offered for sale. Any misrepresentation could result in arbitration.

Auctions use a selling light system to alert bidders about the general condition of the vehicles being sold. The meaning behind each light varies somewhat between auctions. In general, a green light means that the vehicle is represented by the selling dealer to be mechanically sound and will pass some form of test drive by the buyer. Vehicles sold under a

yellow light indicate caution and buyers are advised to listen for announcements about defects or mechanical history issues. Again, it is the seller’s responsibility to disclose any defects and to make sure that such defects are noted on the bill of sale. Cars sold under a red light are sold as is. A red light means that there is no arbitration available with the possible exception of frame damage or cracked engine blocks. Older cars and high mileage cars are typically sold under the red light, although, they may be otherwise mechanically sound.

If the seller does not have the vehicle title at the auction at the time of sale, an additional light, usually noted as ‘T/A’ (title attached), will alert the buyer that they may have to wait for the title after the sale. Auctions generally will not accept vehicles that are non-titled, titles that are marked ‘void’ or titles without provisions for an odometer statement.

To make a bid, it is necessary to catch the auctioneer’s attention and have them acknowledge the bid. Often, auctioneers will use ringmen to help spot bidders. The ringmen will alert the auctioneer of a buyer’s intent to bid.

As the high bidder, the next step for the buyer is to collect the block slip or bill of sale from the block clerk, usually stationed in the auction lane. Block slips can be exchanged in the checkout area for gate passes and titles upon completion of payment arrangements. At all auctions, buyers must identify each vehicle as paid in full, usually with a gate pass at the security offi ce before the car can be removed from the property.

Auctions provide many post sale services, including transportation, fi nancing, post-sale reconditioning and inspections. These services allow buyers and sellers alike to get the most from their auction experience. When combined with the auction rules and regulations, these services can mean the difference between a satisfactory or outstanding day at the auction.

Don Elliott is the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at ADESA Corporations. He can be contacted at 866.429.6848, or by email at [email protected].

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15september 2003

marketing solution Dennis McDonoughBy Dennis McDonough

Sales From the Internet:Protect Your Computers

There are many worms and viruses out today that could potentially cause you computer problems. Be

aware of these notices and how to protect against them.

Many notices about computer viruses that people receive are not legitimate. You can confi rm a notice at CERT. The CERT Coordination Center is a renown and respected information source. CERT is located at the Software Engineering Institute, a federally funded research and development center at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. CERT can be found on the web at http://www.cert.org. CERTs website contains information that ranges from protecting your computers against potential problems, solutions to current problems and predicting future problems.

Blaster is the latest worm, the next wave of harassment for computers without current Anti-Virus software or the released critical updates. The amazing thing about the worms or viruses that are being released on the web is that they can easily be stopped. Virus creators are not computer geniuses that are creating something really new. They watch for discoveries that others make as security holes in the operating systems. The hackers take that information and set up a program to propagate itself out to other computers. Kits are even available for download; it isn’t diffi cult.

Worms and viruses cost all computer users time and money. Computer systems would be much faster if they did not have to run these extra software programs. Just remember, Blaster is not the fi rst and will not be the last program that disrupts the Internet.

You can help stop the next threat now by taking a few simple steps:

1. Run anti-virus software: Software is available for download, and some excellent programs are free. Installation is just the beginning. Set up fulltime protection, including email. Schedule an automated update process, and scan your system on at least a weekly basis.

2. Use a fi rewall: No good network administrator would connect their companies network to the Internet without a fi rewall. Do not connect your computer to an Internet service provider without one?

Think about a fi rewall being the watchdog that keeps things away from your computer. A fi rewall can be a hardware device or software on the PC. There are many good fi rewalls to choose from today at a minor cost or free.

3. Run the Windows automatic update manager: This is a free service from Microsoft. If you are running Windows 98, NT, ME, 2000 or XP this service can be set up to work for you automatically. This is installed by running the Windows update icon in your start menu. If it is not there, open Internet Explorer, select the tools menu and select Windows update.

Once your system has been updated, you can go to your control panel, and click on the Automatic updates icon. In the settings area the third item will schedule downloading and installation of new updates for you.

Not all worms or viruses are made for Windows computers. Windows seems to be the number one target. Check with your operating system developer for their latest protection system.

Take the time to see that all of these tasks are complete on your computers. Your Internet connection will be faster, and your computers will be more reliable and available for you to use.

Dennis McDonough is a Consultant for eCarLots.com. He can be contacted at 877.354.1998, ext 202, or by email at [email protected], or visit www.eCarLots.com.

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Sarah GaussMaximizing Profi ts

on Every Deal

By Sarah Gauss

16 autosuccess.biz

Dealerships have great potential to generate a lot of profi ts. If you look close, you might see a few places where your potential profi ts are slipping away.

One of these places is unknowingly, yet commonly, found at the sales desk. Without the ability to write-up each sale quickly and effi ciently, time is unnecessarily spent. Without easy access to customer qualifi cation data, time may be wasted on a sale that won’t happen. Without being able to offer a customer acceptable sales and/or leasing options, the potential buyer might just opt to walk out the door.

How can you stop this from occurring and maximize your profi ts? The solution is to incorporate easy-to-use technology that helps you manage and control the key steps during the vehicle sales transaction.

Understanding the threekey steps prior to the close.There are multiple recognized steps in a dealership’s overall sales process, lets focus on the three related to the working deal: write-up, qualifi cation and negotiation.

During the write-up step, or ‘penciling the deal’, the sales representative gathers pertinent information about both the customer and the selected vehicle. If the customer has a vehicle for trade, information on this car should be recorded as well.

After the write-up, the qualifi cation step ensures that the selected vehicle accurately meets the prospect’s fi nancial needs. During this step, the manager reviews the write-up information and with the prospect’s written consent, runs a credit report on the prospect to

determine his/her ability to pay.

Finally, during the negotiation step, the manager calculates the fi nancial variables of the deal to produce options that are satisfactory to both the customer and the dealership.

The challenge for the manager is to have all the right tools during each of these steps in order to construct and close the best deal.

Tools that help managersconstruct more proÞ table deals. Software technology has been developed to help managers better manage the steps described in a seamless fashion. The resulting effi ciencies can lead to bigger dealer profi ts.

A number of products are available to help the dealership control and manage deal write-up, qualifi cation and negotiation.

What to look for in desking solutions.When selecting the technology solution that is right for your dealership, take these key criteria into consideration:

1. Captures data accurately the fi rst time2. Ability to compare a wide variety of lenders (captive, non-captive)3. Includes an up-to-date leasing component 4. Utilizes an ASP (Application Service Provider) option5. Part of a fully integrated, seamless solution6. Easy to use and learn

1. Capture data accurately.The information captured during the write-up and qualifi cation steps needs to be accurate and complete. Just as

important, once this information is entered, it should go into a retrievable database. Otherwise, the manager will waste valuable time re-typing the same information over and over.

You should therefore look for an integrated product that easily shares/swaps information gathered during the write-up, qualifi cation and negotiation steps. Taking this even further, any information gathered during the initial meet and greet and test drive should also be accessible, resulting in even less of a need to re-input data.

2. Ability to compare a widevariety of lenders (captive, non-captive).About 90 percent of the customers walking into a showroom are going to make their purchase decision based on payment affordability. To ensure a sale is made, it is essential to be able to show customers that a payment plan is indeed possible. By having the right tools available, dealerships can offer leasing alternatives to increase the odds of closing a deal.

The right desking solution for your dealership should provide the sales manager with the ability to compare numerous programs with speed and accuracy. Most dealers have relationships with an average of fi ve lenders to address consumer vehicle fi nancing needs. Each lender has multiple lease programs according to term, tier, vehicle and other criteria. They also have their own rules for excessive mileage charges, acquisition fees, lease termination and calculating the dealer reserve.

In the past, the sales manager typically referred to books and bulletins and hand-calculated each permutation of the deal in the F&I system to fi nd the best fi t for

Page 17: AutoSuccess Sep03

17september 2003

both consumer and dealer. It can be time consuming and is prone to error.

Technology has automated the process to not only save time but also increase accuracy while also providing additional options to structure the best deal. The right technology solution should take the sales manager through the following simple three-step negotiation process right on their desktop system:

• Vehicle identifi cation: The manager can confi gure the vehicle or retrieve one from inventory. If a deal has already been entered, the deal can be instantly recalled. • Gathering and comparing lender info: Displays the best programs that meet the requirements.• Bank detail: Provides a worksheet allowing the manager to review the deal details and work out any fi nal numbers.

With this information, the manager can quickly quote lease and balloon fi nance payments using accurate lender information. They can also generate dealer-closing lease vs. buy comparisons.

When choosing the right technology solution for your dealership, look for one that provides the ability to compare multiple vehicle options. This will allow the opportunity to encourage up-selling, helping you maximize your front-end gross. The solution must also have additional options for structuring the deal, so the back-end gross can be maximized as well.

3. Includes up-to-date Þ nance data.To eliminate the need for the manager to monitor constantly fl uctuating interest rates, it is recommended that you choose

a provider that already maintains leasing information for both new and used vehicles from one centralized location that can be accessed by simply logging on to the site.

Several desking solutions available today not only offer leasing information but also deliver them in a simple online format. These products allow the dealership to compare terms, mileage and lease programs from numerous lenders over the web instantly.

4. Utilizes an ASP option.Many technology solutions available to dealerships today run on an ASP deployment confi guration. This means that the application runs on a centralized web server in a secure data center with 24/7 support. ASP can allow a dealer to focus on the core business and leaves the day-to-day technological management responsibilities to the service provider.

5. Part of a fullyintegrated, seamless solution.The gathering of customer data and analyzing both lending and leasing information are just one part of a dealership’s fully integrated technology solution package. This data should be just as easily accessible to the dealer as other desking and F&I information, including:

• Vehicle inventory information• Electronic credit approval• Electronic lending approval• Automated business forms • Additional business offi ce

functions

If confi gured correctly, a dealer should have the ability to access credit bureaus, pull information from the DMS, look up lending institutions and interface

with F&I all from the same location or screen.

Please be very careful when considering the possibility of using a new technology vendor. Not all systems easily integrate with competitive systems. If you aren’t cautious and verify its compatibility, you may fi nd yourself playing referee between several vendors and/or trying to reconfi gure your complex technology system yourself.

6. Easy to use and learn.The right product needs to be accessible by all employees and easy to learn. Some of the easiest to use products feature rich web-enabled tools. These provide a graphic user interface, drop-down menus and simple point and click commands.

Ease of use is particularly important when the sales manager is constructing several deals simultaneously. It is critical to be able to switch between deals without the worry of losing critical information.

An investment thatquickly pays for itself.By asking the right questions and knowing what to look for, you’ll be able to select the right technology solution that’s best for your dealership. You will fi nd that you can operate more effi ciently, capture lost sale opportunities and help plug any profi tability leaks. In due time, the only fl ow you’ll see is the positive one that leads to your increased revenue stream.

Sarah Gauss is the Product Manager for Front-End Applications at ADP Dealer Services. She can be contacted at 866.441.2785, or by email at [email protected].

Page 18: AutoSuccess Sep03

The ThreeCurrencies of Success

Mark TewartBy Mark Tewartsales and training solution

18 autosuccess.biz

Everyone wants to succeed. So why is it that all people don’t succeed and reach the level of

success that they desire? The answer lies in the three currencies of success: money, talent and time. Everyone spends those three currencies every day. Learning to maximize those three currencies can propel anyone to achieve greater results.

It is common for people to dwell on the pressures caused by money. These pressures can be caused by having too little money or not managing an abundance of money. The pressures become an addiction when they cause you to lose sight of what you must do with your talent and time to get rid of money problems. Everyone has God given talents. The key becomes the efforts you spend to increase those talents. Daily education is critical to success. Read is the root of ready. Read, listen to tapes/cds, seek mentors, mastermind circles and any other source that will help you increase your talents. Once you have the knowledge, you must then take action. Knowledge without action is futile.

There are twenty-four hours in every day. Time is the one currency that when it is spent, you can’t get it back. Successful people tend to get over 50 percent more bang for their buck, with their actions in that time. To increase productivity, use action management

to monitor and change your actions. Success comes from living successfully. To live successfully, a person must consistently work on three areas that will increase their three currencies of success: sales skills, people skills and life skills.

All sales people should aspire to reach the level of unconscious competence in their sales skills. In other words, they must be able to handle most sales situations without having to think or blink. Repetition is said to be the mother of all skill. Meeting and greeting, profi ling, presentation, demonstration, closing and negotiating are areas of sales skills that must be worked on every day. Just because you know how to do something does not grant you the ability to do it right every time. A professional baseball player knows how to bat, but a slight change in the action can make a huge difference in their results. Try audio taping the best answers to the most common objections you get and playing them on the way to work and at different times during the day to increase your sales skills.

People buy cars from people. Sales people help customers fi nd emotional solutions to their problems. Therefore, people skills help bring sales skills to another level. Active listening is one example of people skills. Active listening involves not only how to listen but conveying to the customer that you are listening. Try using the acronym EARS: encourage, acknowledge,

respond-repeat, save. Ask questions, nod your head to their answers, use words and phrases of acknowledgement, such as: sure, you bet, be happy to, absolutely and then save the information you receive for the rest of the sale.

Weaker life skills are the reason for lower sales productivity more than either sales skills or people skills. Life skills combine the ability of one to set goals, maintain a strong selling attitude, to take action even when you don’t feel like it, handle rejection without quitting and be willing to pay the price for success that many people won’t. Any person seeking success must get leverage on themselves to want the pleasure of the result more than the pain of not having tried hard enough. Zig Ziglar once said, “You must get sick and tired, of being sick and tired.”

The last piece of the puzzle in maximizing the three currencies of success is the ability to learn and maximize the amazing power of your brain. Often, you have goals that your conscious has selected. A challenge arises when your unconscious reactions are in direct confl ict with your conscious. For example, you have a goal to lose fi ve pounds. But, when you walk past a bakery and smell the freshly baked cookies, you walk in and order a dozen and eat them. Later, your conscious mind regains control and begins to beat yourself up for the actions that were in direct opposition to your goal. To get the best results, you must have both the conscious and unconscious minds working in tandem. Try writing one goal in a positive paragraph form as if you are already achieving it. Now, write that paragraph 100 times a day for thirty days. You might think that sounds crazy, but successful people are willing to do what unsuccessful people won’t.

Try increasing your sales skills, people skills, life skills and brainpower every day, and you will soon see an increase in your three currencies of success.

Mark Tewart is the President of Tewart Enterprises. He can be contacted at 866.429.6844, or by email at [email protected].

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Joe VerdeBy Joe Verde

Managers Evaluation: Successful Leadership, Part 2

Last month, we began looking at your personal performance and how it is critical in determining your

growth. We concluded that you have to be serious about improving or nothing will change. We began with a checklist for improvement and a personal rating scale (1 = pits through 10 = perfect). The following are numbers 16 through 40 of the ‘Mini-Evaluation for Managers’. This will complete the evaluation. With follow-through, honesty and hard work in each of these areas, you will become a successful manager.

16. Your sales training classes:Rating: _____ In my classes we only talk about ‘how-to’. For example, I show them how to actually bypass price instead of just saying they shouldn’t talk price. If I even hold classes, I spend most of my time grinding them and saying you should, you need to or you better do it right. Besides, that how-to stuff is a lot harder to cover, especially since I don’t know how myself. And don’t forget, I’m busy.

17. How you teach: Rating: _____ I teach by example. After I train them, I take each sales person and show them how to do whatever it is we’re learning. Just like in golf, watching a video will show you what you need to do, but going to the range after and practicing with a teacher will develop skills faster. I’m not very good at teaching, so I just say things like - “You need a good presentation”, “I want you to prospect” and “Get out there and close.” And I just can’t stress this enough; I’ve been too busy.

18. Your procedures: Rating: _____ You know you can’t leave such a broad subject like selling up to each individual you hire. We put in writing everything we expect from our sales people, and then we teach them how to do everything we expect, correctly. From their appearance, to greeting their customers, to working deals, to how and when to follow up after the sale, everything is spelled out. They’re all familiar with these guidelines, properly trained in each

area, and they follow procedures or fi nd a job somewhere else. I don’t tell them that stuff – these guys should already know what they’re supposed to be doing every day. Besides, I don’t want my sales people to get mad at me by forcing them to do things they should be doing but that they don’t want to do.

19. Your standards: Rating: _____ I’m still hanging on to ‘good old John’ – the disruptive sales person (or manager) whose production is way below average, the one I refer to as my most loyal sales person, and the one we feed and protect. I realized if he really were loyal, he’d do everything he could to help us sell more instead of doing just the opposite. To work here, we expect and require every person, including our experienced sales people, to do the job they were hired to do, with no exceptions.

20. Controlling the sales force:Rating: _____Without saying about, around, close to or somewhere between, can you write in the exact current monthly selling average for the dealership? (If ‘yes’ enter exact units.) Yes: #_____ No

21. Controlling the sales force:Rating: _____ Without saying about, around, close to or somewhere between, can you write in the exact current gross profi t per unit for the dealership? Yes: $_____ No

22. Controlling the sales force:Rating: _____ Do you know the exact current selling average for each sales person? Yes No

23. Controlling the sales force:Rating: _____ Do you know the exact current profi t per unit for each sales person? Yes No

24. Controlling the sales force:Rating: _____ Do you know the exact current average for repeat customer penetration for each sales person? Yes No

25. Controlling the sales force:Rating: _____ Do you know the exact current average for the leasing penetration for each sales person? Yes No

26. Controlling the sales force:Rating: _____ I require sales people to give our prospects a quality presentation and demonstration, and we require a minimum of at least 75 percent penetration and demonstrations, and we constantly work on improving them. In real life, regardless of what our tracking says, we know our sales people only give three or four out of every 10 any kind of presentation and demonstration much less a quality presentation or demonstration. The real numbers are closer to one or two out of 10 if you added the word ‘good’ to the question. We have no standards, and I created or contribute to this problem, because I generally accept any creative excuse as to why they didn’t want to spend the time with the customer.

27. Controlling the sales force:Rating: _____ I require sales people to follow a specifi c procedure when they write up a customer, so we maintain control of the deal. They basically do whatever they want. We know we lose sales this way, but it’s easier for us this way.

28. Controlling the sales force:Rating: _____ Because attitudes are so critical in sales, to maintain a positive selling environment for everyone, we send a sales person with a negative attitude home immediately and after counseling, if it continues, we fi re them, and no one is exempt from this rule. We let them hang around and destroy the other sales people’s attitudes and cost us sales every day they show up. When their own sales drop, we usually feel bad for them and give them a house deal or two to pep them up. Because we do this, we set the example that being a negative underachiever is acceptable and in fact, approved by management.

20 autosuccess.biz

sales and training solution

Page 21: AutoSuccess Sep03

29. Controlling the sales force:Rating: _____ Do you have negative sales people (or managers) who destroy the attitudes of the other sales people and probably won’t change? Yes No If yes, why do you let them work there?

30. Procedures: Rating: _____Do you or another manager speak to each customer who was written up before they leave, whether they purchased or not, so you can make an extra two out of every 10 lost sales now? Yes No, there isn’t time. We’re too busy working bad deals, handling negative people and trying to hire more because of the turnover we have since we don’t hire correctly, train or manage effectively.

31. Customer follow-up:Rating: _____ Since follow-up works and sales people don’t do it, do you personally call or send each customer who bought a vehicle a thank you note, so they’ll come back next time? Yes No, but we do give them house deals so they can at least make some money.

32. Sales people: Rating: _____Since your top sales people work hard to get there, do you work hard to make sure those people are rewarded well and acknowledged for their success? 33. Sales people: Rating: _____Do you encourage: Profi ciency. Double shifts.

34. Do you sidetrack your best sales people by talking about management as soon as they improve, even though they aren’t qualifi ed, or do you keep them on track and focus them on how rewarding a career in sales is for a professional sales person?Rating: _____

35. Which sales person is most productive? The one who works one shift (6 hours), talks to two or three ‘ups’ a day and sells 10 units a month. The one who works bell to bell, talks to six or eight ‘ups’ a day and sells 13 units a month. (Tip: This is just a math problem.)

36. Do you keep dead weight on the sales force because it seems easier than making them productive or fi ring

continued

them and then hiring and training a new person? Yes NoRating: _____

37. Would you agree that your people management skills and what you do at work each day defi nitely has an affect on sales production? Yes No - It’s all their fault!Rating: _____

38. All of these questions have been about results management. Were you qualifi ed to manage people when you were promoted, or were you just a good sales person? Rating: _____ Yes No - But I worked hard as a sales person, and I deserved a shot at management and I deserved a chance to destroy sales, create turnover and the chance to cost my dealership hundreds of thousands of dollars in profi ts each year (because of my lack of training or effectiveness in management).

39. Have you dug in to learn all you can about management since you were promoted? Yes No - I’m the boss now, and I don’t need to learn any more. Plus, you gotta understand that we’re in a unique situation at our dealership, it’s

just not that easy to fi nd good people who want to sell cars and like I said before, I’m already too busy.Rating: _____

40. Circle the number(s) below of the topics you feel you could make improvements in, so your dealership could sell more cars (use august article also):1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12,13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39.

On your commitment.Become a leader at your dealership. Write in the date you’ll start working on the areas you have decided you could make improvements in, so you can become a more effective leader and manage more effectively than you are now.

___ / ___ / ___Success is still up to management, not the market.

Joe Verde is the President of The Joe Verde Group. He can be contacted at 866.429.6689, or by email at [email protected], or visit www.joeverde.com.

21september 2003

Page 22: AutoSuccess Sep03

Get a Grip and Save Your Swing

Brian ManzellaBy Brian Manzellagolf tips

22 autosuccess.biz

To control the golf ball, you must control the three parts of the golf club: the clubhead, clubface and

clubshaft. The clubhead controls how you apply force to the ball. The angle and direction of that force is the dominion of clubshaft control. The clubface, in relation to that direction, controls sidespin. Most golfers make mistakes in all three areas, and their ball striking and scoring suffers proportionately. Poor clubface control is often the root cause of most of the poor clubhead and clubshaft errors.

Typically, when golfers start playing, they hit mostly right curving slices. To compensate for this often right-to-right shot pattern, they start swinging the clubhead much more to the left. This so-called ‘over-the-top’ motion will start the ball farther left but do nothing to eliminate any slice. Golfers will then throw the clubhead past the hands to incorrectly reduce the amount the clubface is open. Add the all too common ‘reverse pivot’ and poor grip, and you have the recipe for most of the bad swings you see.

The fi rst step in learning to control the clubface and eliminating some of the compensations that are probably a part of your swing, is to grip the club as well as possible. Even though every book ever written on the swing tries to explain the grip, most golfers have poor grips. There is no reason you can’t have a grip as good as Tiger Woods. All it takes is a little know-how.

Look at your left hand. Under the thumb, in the palm, is a fl eshy area, the thumb pad. Beneath the little fi nger is a similar, but smaller area, the heel pad (pic 1). The positioning of this heel pad is very critical to a proper grip. It should rest directly on the top of the club’s grip. Start with the club on the ground and the clubface

little fi nger with the left hand. If you overlap, place the little fi nger in the crease between the left trigger and middle fi nger (pic 4). Now, angle the right hand so that the index fi nger points more down the shaft, and the left thumb lines up with the right hand’s life line (pic 4). Fold the right thumb pad over the left thumb, and extend the right forefi nger away from the middle fi nger. Hook the trigger fi nger around the club so that most of the hook is behind the grip, and place the thumb close to the hand at the thumb’s base but away from the forefi nger at the nail (pic 5). This will create a ‘pucker’ at the base and angle the thumb away from being straight down the shaft.

You now have a world-class grip. It may be very different than how you gripped the club before, but like I tell my students, “It took ‘them’ six hundred years to develop that grip, and it only took you a few minutes to learn it.” Take the time to do the steps every time you grip the club, and in no time, you will be able to complete your grip in less than ten seconds. Some of you will hit the ball better immediately with this grip. Some slicers will stop slicing, and most hookers will stop hooking. Others will at least feel how superior it is for solid contact.

Next month, we will learn to use this grip to control the clubface so well that you may never slice again.

Brian Manzella is a PGA Teaching Professional. He can be contacted at 866.873.0036, or by email at [email protected], or visit www.brianmanzella.com.

scoring lines pointed straight away from you. Hook the trigger fi nger under the grip, and place the pad on top of the grip. If you do this correctly, you should be able to lift the club off the ground without using any other fi ngers or the thumb (pic 2). Finish the left hand grip with these three simple steps: 1. Close the last three fi ngers around the club. 2. Place your thumb in a short position just to the right of the grip’s centerline, and make a thumbprint. 3. Loosen the trigger fi nger off the grip and then re-grip with it slightly looser.

To check the critical left hand to clubface relationship, with the club in your left hand only, lift the club in front of you until your left arm is parallel to the ground. The back of your left hand and left arm should be fl at to each other and directly facing the sky. After checking this position, look at the score lines on the clubface, they too should be parallel to the ground, matching the left arm and left hand (pic 3). When you have this alignment, you can monitor the clubface with the back of your left hand. This easy equivalent makes clubface control much more reliable and is why it has been employed by players like Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, David Toms and Tiger Woods. Look at pictures of any of these players from the target view, and at the top of their swing, the left wrist is fl at, and the clubface matches it perfectly.

Start the right hand grip by circling the middle two fi ngers around the grip with no help from the palm. Make sure the ring fi nger is as close to the left hand trigger fi nger as possible (pic 4). Next, either overlap or interlock your right

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Page 23: AutoSuccess Sep03

Profi t Starts Withthe Selling Process

Terry L. IsaacBy Terry L. Isaacsales and training solution

The selling process that the sales person implements with the customer determines the

profi tability of the dealership. Many of today’s customers have a game plan when they begin shopping for a vehicle, and this number of prepared, informed customers will only increase. This is why it is so important to provide your sales people with a process so they can maximize profi ts.

First, look at a customer and some of the ways they prepare to buy a vehicle. The age of the Internet is and will be the main source of information for customers to use in buying from dealerships. There are other sources such as consumer reports, which will provide the customer with dealer cost including holdback information. Nearly half of Internet users who bought new cars used the Internet information at a dealership, only about fi ve percent of customers bought online. So, you have to prepare your sales people with the same (if not more) information.

Preparing our sales people with processes that will allow the customer to use their information is the key for setting a positive feeling for the customer as well as the sales person. I recently read a book on how to buy or lease a car without getting ‘ripped off’. It’s hard to believe some of the lengths people will go to while buying a vehicle. This is why dealerships cannot afford to ignore training sales people an effective selling process to achieve profi t and a ROI. Sometimes, it seems customers are more trained or better prepared than the sales person you put in front of them.

There are two parts to a selling process that the sales person must achieve with every customer. The fi rst part of the process is selling themselves, the vehicle and the dealership. Selling themselves breaks down to building trust between them and the buyer, without trust, chances of a write-up aren’t likely, resulting in another missed opportunity. Next, is selling the vehicle. Again, most sales people cannot or will not perform an effective demo, and many of them have more product training and certifi cations than ever

before. Make sure that your sales team is utilizing their training. Selecting the right car and giving an effective demo must be done to build value and to justify cost. Finally, selling the dealership and the service it provides gives the customer a complete package of what they’re getting for their dollars.

The second part of the process is understanding the sales person’s part in the negotiating process. One, they must stay neutral at all times; that means no price quoting, and if you think for one second it’s not happening; it is. One of the main reasons for lost profi t in a lot of deals is that the house was given away before you started negotiating. Think about this, the customer is coming into your dealership with bottom-line information, and the sales person is playing seller with your money.

The sales person must conduct themselves like a realtor selling a house. There are a lot of similarities in these jobs. The realtor cannot tell you what the fi nal number will be, but they will represent you in the negotiating process, and that is the way your sales people should have their customers feel about them. They must achieve this relationship.

There is no quick fi x to the challenge of training, but there is a way to change and that is through effectively training your sales people a selling process that will maximize every opportunity with every prospect. Profi t is not a dirty word, and the negotiating process is here to stay. It’s not going to go away; it’s how America buys vehicles. We are in the business to make sure our employees are making a living, and through effective training, they can achieve the rewards of this business. It is necessary for employers to train their employees on the job description they were hired to perform. The goal of every dealership is to have a ROI and to achieve success and a high standard of customer service. Now go out there, and train somebody.

Terry L. Isaac is the Corporate Sales Trainer for the Neil Huffman Auto Group. He can be contacted at 866.265.4680, or by email at [email protected].

23september 2003

Page 24: AutoSuccess Sep03

24 autosuccess.biz

Secure and Maintain

Bernard BouleBy Bernard Boulemarketing solution

There are several things you can and should do to secure and maintain your dealer demo plates.

You need to determine how many demo plates you really need to operate your store effi ciently. You need to make demo plates readily available to personnel who need them, when they need them. You have to know where your demo plates are and who has them. You need to know if any have been lost, stolen or misappropriated. And, you need to take control of your demo plates.

First, you should determine how many demo plates you really need to operate your store effi ciently. There are at least two basic categories of demo plates in most dealerships: those that are affi xed to vehicles used by certain employees of the dealership and those used for doing demo rides. For the most part, the demo plates that are affi xed to vehicles do not present a problem. Their location and disposition are known. As for the plates used for demo rides, some dealerships, for one reason or another, have decided that they need at least one plate for each sales person. These are the plates that are most likely to be a risk control factor. There are several reasons for this. First of all, the plates are not

permanently affi xed to any vehicle so their disposition is not known. They may be in a sales persons desk drawer, on a vehicle out on a demo drive or on a vehicle that doesn’t even belong to the dealer on business that has nothing to do with the dealership. The possibilities are endless and so is the risk potential. The larger number of plates you have in this category, the greater your liability exposure.

To fi nd out how many demo plates you need at your dealership for demo purposes, you have to look at your sales records. From this information, you should be able to determine how many demo rides your sales team gave in the busiest month, in the last 12-month period. Once you have determined the number of demo rides your team has given, say 1,200, you can multiply that number by the number of minutes of an average demo ride, say 20 minutes. That would equal 24,000 minutes, or 400 hours of demo time for the month. Now, divide the 400 hours of demo time by the number of sales people on your team, say 20, and you get the number of hours, in the period, that each member of your team actually needs a demo plate. In this example, that number is 20 hours per month. Since each member of your team was at work for at least 150 hours

during that period, you will fi nd that each member of your team only needs a demo plate for 13.3 percent of the time they were are at work by dividing the number of hours they needed a demo plate, 20, by the number of hours they were at work, 150.

Such mathematical calculations cannot always exactly represent the real world environment. There are times when there is more traffi c in the showroom than others. If a member of your team needed a demo plate 30 percent of the time he/she was on duty would you consider that to be a fair assessment? If so, you actually only need one demo plate for each three sales people, a total of seven demo plates for the whole team instead of 20. Now to make that work, all seven demo plates would have to be made available to all the members of the team all the time. That is where a good demo plate control system comes in to play, making all your demo plates available to your sales team all the time while keeping them safe, secure and in a known location when they are not in use.

Bernard Boule is the President ofM-Tech, Inc. He can be contacted at 800.642.4522, or by email [email protected], or visit www.m-tech.ws.

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Brian TracyBy Brian Tracy

The Role of a Leader

leadership solution

Your ability to negotiate, c o m m u n i c a t e , infl uence and persuade others to do things is

absolutely indispensable to everything you accomplish in life. The most effective men and women in every area are those who can quite competently organize the cooperation and assistance of other people toward the accomplishment of important goals and objectives.

Of course, everyone you meet has different values, opinions, attitudes, beliefs, cultural values, work habits, goals, ambitions and dreams. Because of this incredible diversity of human resources, it has never been more diffi cult and yet more necessary for diplomatic leaders to emerge and form these people into high-performing teams.

Fortunately, leaders are made, not born. You learn to become a leader by doing what other excellent leaders

have done before you. You become profi cient in your job or skill, and then you become profi cient at understanding the motivations and behaviors of other people. As a leader, you combine your personal competencies with the competencies of a variety of others into a smoothly functioning team that can out-play and out-perform all its competitors. When you become a team leader, even if your team only consists of one other person, you must immediately develop a whole new set of leadership skills. In order to determine what these skills are, you need to consider the genesis of high-performing teams. Teams generally go through four phases as they evolve toward high performance. These stages are called forming, storming, norming, and performing.

The forming stage is very important, perhaps even critical, to the success of the team. Your ability to select the proper team members in order to accomplish a particular task, personal or business, is the mark of the superior leader. If

you select the wrong people in the fi rst place, it becomes almost impossible afterward to build a winning team, just as it would be impossible to win athletic championships with unskilled or ill-suited players. In the forming stage, the team members come together and begin to get a feeling for each other. There will be a good deal of discussion, argument, disagreement, personal expression of likes and dislikes, and the forming of friendly alliances between team members. This stage, especially the discussions and conversations that take place, may seem time consuming, but it is absolutely indispensable to the development of a unifi ed group of people that you can lead. One of the most important qualities of a leader is that of patience. And patience is never more necessary than when you are going through the early stages of assembling your team.

The second stage of team development is called storming. Storming is a shortened form of the word ‘brainstorming’. It is during this stage when the group, whose members are now comfortable with each other, begins the hard work of setting goals and deadlines, dividing up the tasks and getting on with the job. During the storming phase, people learn about the contributions that each member can make to achieve the purposes of the team.

The third stage of team development is called norming. This is where norms and standards are established among the team members so that everyone feels secure and confi dent in his/her place. All members know what is expected and how it is to be measured. And all members are aware of the responsibilities and obligations that they have, not only to the job, but to each other as well. Your ability as a leader to promote the norming process is critical to the success of the team.

The fourth stage of team development is performing. In the fi nal analysis, your ability to get results is all that really matters. Your lifestyle, your rate of promotion and level of rewards, and your respect and esteem among your co-workers and bosses will all be determined by your ability to perform and to get others to perform.

There are basically fi ve qualities of the most productive work teams that you need to foster throughout the stages of

26 autosuccess.biz

Page 27: AutoSuccess Sep03

team development. The degree to which you accomplish this before you start working will determine your success as a team leader and the success of the team as a whole. The fi rst quality is the existence of shared values. You can foster this quality by asking the question, “What are our values?” or, “What do we stand for?” People will contribute the values they consider the most important. As they do, you or someone else can write them on a fl ipchart. The values will usually be something like: integrity, excellence, quality, caring about people, profi tability and harmony.

The second quality of top teams is shared objectives. It is absolutely essential that everyone take the time to discuss the actual reason for forming the team and the chief results that are expected of them. Leaders are those who can see the big picture. They are absolutely clear about what it is they want to accomplish and what it will look like. They have the ability to articulate this vision in the minds and hearts of others and to get everyone, no matter what their background or personality, working together in harmony toward the realization of that vision. People cannot hit a target they cannot see. Again, even though it may appear time consuming, everyone needs to have ample opportunity to discuss and agree on the ultimate goals desired before work begins. The more thorough the discussion on goals and objectives, the more effective the team will be when it begins working.

The third quality of highly productive teams is shared activities. Everyone knows what they are supposed to contribute to the achievement of the overall goals and objectives of the team. Everyone also knows what each of the other members is expected to do. All the work that has to be done is clearly divided up among the team members, and everyone knows their role in the process.

The fourth quality of high-performing teams is that the head of the team leads the action. You become the role model for all of the others. You go out in front. You continually look for ways to make it easier for your team members to do their jobs. You accept complete responsibility for the achievement of the overall goal. You start a little earlier, you work a little harder, and you stay a little later. You set careful priorities on your time and you always work on your highest value tasks. You never ask anyone to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself. You always put yourself out in front and go to bat for your people in every

circumstance. You are a leader, because you continually lead.

The fi fth and fi nal quality of high-performing teams is that individually and as a group, they continually evaluate their progress toward their goals and values. They are always asking themselves, “How are we doing, and how can we do better?” When they manufacture or sell products in the marketplace, they ask their customers for ongoing feedback and evaluation. They set incredible standards of excellence, and they are constantly striving to be better.

Whenever they have problems, misunderstandings, or diffi culties within the team, they reexamine their values, their goals, their activities, their assignments and their responsibilities. They are more concerned with what’s right than with who’s right. They are more concerned with winning than with not losing. High-performing teams run by excellent leaders, are determined to perform in an excellent fashion. All members know that their ability to work together in harmony and cooperation is the key to the success of every one of them. The wonderful thing about becoming a leader in your work and personal life is that you can practice the skills of infl uencing and persuading others toward a common objective. You can promote the principles of excellent teamwork by establishing your values and goals, determining your activities, and then leading the action. And, you can improve yourself by continually evaluating your performance against your standards.

One of the marks of excellent people is that they never compare themselves with others. They only compare themselves with themselves and with their past accomplishments and future potential. You can become an even more excellent person by constantly setting higher and higher standards for yourself and then by doing everything possible to live up to those standards. The more profi cient you become at getting the results for which you were hired, the more opportunities you will have to get results through others. And your ability to put together a team and then to lead that team to high performance will enable you to accelerate your career and fulfi ll your goals faster than ever before.

Brian Tracy is the Chairman & CEO of Brian Tracy International. He can be contacted at 866.300.9881, or by email at [email protected].

27september 2003

continued

Page 28: AutoSuccess Sep03

• Increase ad appeal by including fi nancing, products and services information.• Grab attention with larger ads, color and artwork.• Don’t forget the basics: location, hours, phone/fax numbers, websites and email addresses.• Highlight your advertisement with a trademark.• To attract younger buyers combine print with online yellow pages ads.Remember: Ads for online directories can be updated frequently.

Call Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association (YPIMA), 908.286.2392, or visit www.yellowpagesima.org for more information.

The search for automobile related headings attracts over two billion print and online yellow pages look-ups a year. Americans focus a lot of time on their vehicles, and the Yellow Pages Integrated Media Association (SM) confi rms this intrigue with cars and trucks by reporting that, of the top 300 Yellow Pages headings, 24 are automobile-related. Dealerships get a large portion of the searches. With a majority of look-ups in June and September, ‘Automobile Dealers - New & Used’ are the sixth most-searched heading in the print and online Yellow Pages with 284.9 million look-ups a year.

What consumers look for in an auto dealers Yellow Pages advertisement.

Yellow Pages:The Search for

Automobile Related Headings

28 autosuccess.biz

marketing solution

AutoSuccess�My usual reading consists of news and historical novels. But I was so impressed and �hooked� after reading a copy of AutoSuccess that I had to have my OWN subscription!

Being from a very sales-oriented family...aircraft, home builders, cars and commercial buildings...I�m aware that SALES practically run things! And the difference in successful and mediocre sales lies in product knowledge, skilled training, organizational skills and a sincere professional presentation. I�ve noticed �constancy of purpose� and follow-through are important too. And the information and ideas offered in your magazine can work in ANY sales business!

I Þ nd the interviews interesting, and I always look for articles by some of your regular contributors, especially David Thomas and Brian Tracy. Would I buy a car from them? Absolutely!

Keep up the good work!�

- Aggie ClarkeDallas, TX

Stephanie HobbsBy Stephanie Hobbs

Page 29: AutoSuccess Sep03

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TM

29september 2003

Three Tips forUsing Innovation in Your Organization

James FeldmanBy James Feldman

leadership solution

AutoSuccess�I really appreciate the help I receive from AutoSuccess Magazine. It is refreshing to have a reminder each month of the basics of the car business. I have attended several training seminars, and it is very easy to forget the basics of success in this industry. Your professionals bring back to memory all of the things I know I should be doing but have forgotten.

It is also great to get a new idea or hear of a different approach to the same old problems.

Thank you for bringing this information to me every month. Keep up the good work!�

- Carl Eaton,Accessories Manager,

Knudtsen Chevrolet

1. Give people positive reinforcement.You must show people that bringing their imagination on the journey is welcome. Information wealth fl ows directly from innovation, not optimization. Wealth, of any kind, is not gained by perfecting the known, but by seizing the unknown. We must all become successive producers of ideas, concepts and innovations. We must try them out to see if they work, if not, we will lose out to our competitors.

2. Listen more than you talk.Ask questions instead of selling. This could be the greatest innovation you have in your organization - the ability to listen. Understand your customer’s needs fi rst and then fi nd a solution. Raising your customer’s prosperity is the surest way to raise your own.

3. Management must fostera climate open to innovation.Creativity is the ability of the human mind to come up with ideas and solutions to pressing problems. It is the process of producing something that a. has value, and b. did not exist before.

Remember, failure and innovation are related. Success only comes when you learn from failure.

James Feldman is an Author and Expert on creative marketing solutions, business strategies and customer service. He can be contacted at 312.527.9111, or by email [email protected].

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www.jandlmarketing.com

profi t solution

How To Take Over YourMarket Through Conquest Sales!

Cheryl Cecil currently owns the car you sell. J&L Marketing

knows if she prefers to buy new or used. She only lives four miles from your dealership, and is looking for another car right now. We have her name, address, and phone number, along with thousands more just like her.

Will she choose your dealership to sell her the car she wants?

The implementation of the Shelby Bill in June 2000 prohibiting the use of registration information for direct marketing purposes led us to find a powerful alternative to registration data. After testing literally hundreds of other lists such as credit scores and niche lists, we have a new list that is producing outstanding results; much better than any other we have tested.

If you know who is ready to buy a new or used car, what stops you from selling them that car? Probably not much – the secret is knowing who is in the market now and what they want to buy!

What if we gave you a list of people just like our friend Cheryl that I mentioned earlier? We know that she is in the market, capable of buying, within miles of your dealership, and wants the type of vehicle you sell – right now! How difficult do you think she would be to sell if she heard

an offer from you that she couldn’t refuse?

Here is the secret – at this moment there are thousands of these people out there, waiting to be sold. But you can’t afford to wait and see if they will wander into your dealership. They are yours for the taking. But, you have to take action.

In short, we have developed and fi ne-tuned a highly-targeted list of buyers who have not bought from you in the past and are motivated to buy your product now.

And, we have paired this list with an incredible, high-impact verbiage that will be irresistible to anyone who is in the market. It is easy and painless for the customer, and delivers scores of quality traffi c for you the dealer.

Dealers who do not actively pursue this list will lose market share that they may never make up.

But, imagine the profit for your dealership if you sold twenty to thirty of these buyers every month? If you don’t take action, this profi t could go to the dealership down the street. The choice is yours. You have to give buyers like Cheryl a reason to come to your store and not your competitors.

If you know precisely when a person

is ready to get a new or used car, and all you need to do is make them an incredible offer, shouldn’t you do that?

FREE Offer!

Call my office now at 800.346.9117 and ask for Lisa Wilson, or e-mail her at [email protected]. And, as soon as we receive your reply we will immediately give you a FREE market analysis of your dealership, to see exactly how many thousands of customers like Cheryl are near your store and are waiting for you to sell them cars.

The Shelby Bill restrictions on vehicle registrations make the challenge of attracting quality traffi c (for conquest sales) to your showroom greater than ever. Today, I urge you to discover how powerful and effective this new list is - we have the results to prove it! Call or e-mail us immediately.

Let us bring this type of high quality, ready-to-buy traffi c to your dealership right now!

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To receive this FREE market analysis of your dealership, and see exactly how many customers like Cheryl are waiting for you to sell them cars, please call my offi ce at 866.856.6782 from 8:00am to 6:00pm EST and ask for Lisa Wilson.

Scott JosephBy Scott Joseph

Page 31: AutoSuccess Sep03
Page 32: AutoSuccess Sep03

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ADP, Inc. – Dealer Services Group / 1950 Hassell Road / Hoffman Estates, IL 60195–2308 / www.DealerSuite.com / 800.782.7234

©2002 ADP, Inc. – Dealer Services Group / Printed in U.S.A. ADP is a registered trademark of ADP of North America, Inc.

w.e.b.Desking is a trademark of ADP, Inc.