Do you remember the days when the music you listened to was looking through the vinyl in the record store and being mindful that you didn’t scratch your record while you were putting it down or using the radio dial to locate an FM or AM station? Do you remember taking an extra dime to pay for the phone, or spending the evening answering calls, or heading out to the theatre to watch the latest blockbuster? Have you ever spent hours searching through the library, perusing the family’s encyclopedia, and looking through magazines and newspapers for information?
The way we consume media has changed. Films, music, and even TV are now delivered via computers and mobile gadgets. Cell phones, email, and social networks are now common methods of communication. The Internet has almost completely substituted all other methods of information gathering and information delivery. Even newspapers are likely to disappear soon. However, even though our methods of engagement are innovative, the basic elements remain the same: we enjoy music and watch films and interact with people.
It’s the same for business. The methods we use to reach, communicate with and interact with customers have evolved; however, the selling process has not. In reality, everything, except for the method used to buy and sell, is replaced by something brand new. The fact is that every customer visits the dealership to buy and drive from an agent.
Attitude
Everyone is aware that business is in decline, but are your salespeople suffering, too? Sales managers and salespeople can be a part of the negativity that is slamming Americans from all angles or sell automobiles. In virtually every single store in the United States, people have stopped selling, and while managers have been unable to manage and stores have stopped growing. At APB, more often, we witness two scenarios taking place that managers and salespeople are pushing so hard that customers are swayed into non-action and don’t know how to decide or aren’t offered the option of getting be-backs or buying now or no buy. In essence, they’ve left the fundamentals of blocking and tackling and instead adopted an attitude that is negative and has turned into an unfulfilling prophecy. Maintaining a positive mindset is crucial for any business looking to make a share of those sales.
The majority of stores focus on the units they sell to reward top performers. Alongside negative publicity, this is among the fastest methods to reduce motivation and instill negative thoughts. It also reinforces the perception of management that salespeople are responsible for their poor performance and salespeople’s perception that people do not have the money and do not really want to purchase. Terms that can kill deals before they even begin, such as no, don’t, will not, or won’t, have been incorporated into the vocabulary of the team, which has helped put an end to your business’s success.
We are living on a technologically advanced information superhighway that has revolutionized the way we conduct business. Nowadays, the only two things customers have to do without visiting the dealer is to try it before they buy it, regardless of how much research has been conducted online. While it’s essential for retailers to take advantage of every chance and device to connect with potential customers and provide the information that will generate interest, the end goal of these tools should aid in bringing customers to your store.
What’s Your Job?
What happened to the time where sales managers had to drop everything for sales? Sales managers’ job is exactly the same as it was a decade ago: helping salespeople sell their products and help customers purchase. It’s more than just selling. There’s something more crucial than taking care of your customers and closing the store that’s before you. Salespeople’s role is to act as a Selection Specialist that helps customers find the perfect product or service that meets their specific requirements. The projections should be the salesperson’s main focus or her simple plan to assist a client in choosing and purchase particular merchandise or service. In this manner, the salesperson takes the opposite approach:
1. Make sure to ask specific questions that are clear and non-pushy but not confrontational or threatening and which provide specific information that strengthens the salesperson’s ability to move through the sales process. Discover how the buyer plans to make use of the product or service – for recreation, work, etc.
2. Find out what the customers’ real preferences are regarding design colors, comfort, and more. Also, what they think of the product or service they are currently using. They act like Selection Specialists.
3. Pay attention to the responses of the customer. This is the most crucial and frequently ignored part of becoming an expert in Selection. A knowledgeable salesperson can tell that a client has decided on a specific product or service, only is it then that they can move on to the next step.
4. Find the best product or service – the one that matches the needs of the consumer.
5. Moving to an introduction functions, features, special information, warranties, offers, and more. All of this is part of the process of selecting.
If you attempt to make a sale to a customer on something they don’t want or desire, you will end up without a product. The key to success is making the right selection. If salespeople realize that their task is to assist customers in finding the best products or services, “now” becomes irrelevant. What is the point of “now?” If the buyer doesn’t have all the information required to make a decision on which option to choose, then what can the customer make a purchase “now?” The fact that a customer can complete the purchase the next day or in the week ahead is irrelevant; what’s important is that they purchase and purchase at your shop. If buyers are interested in evaluating buying something, it is essential that the salesperson gather sufficient information prior to when the customer departs to keep in contact with them, particularly during the first 72 hours following the purchase. At a minimum, the salesperson needs to take note of basic, precise data and present the most effective price on the item or service that the customer is looking for prior to leaving the store. They should also design and execute the follow-up plan to get the customer back to conclude the sale. This method allows the salesperson to secure the deal and allows for him or her to create more revenue and referrals.
Anytime there’s a problem, there must be an answer. The basic principle of selling – which is the only constant in our profession – will allow dealers to gain market share from competitors that only concentrate on closing the deal today. Keep in mind that a salesperson’s role isn’t in selling but instead to help customers purchase.
