Auto Sales Training by Bob Morey

Offering over 30 years of retail automobile sales training expertise. With experience in: Sales basics, Desking skills & methods,Inventory control, F&I techniques,Closing word tracts and much more. On site training at your convenience.

Wednesday, February 09, 2005

More is more.

Of the lot-ups we greet, those that we get to a write-up, have a significantly higher tendency to end in a sale. How do we get most of the people we talk to, sitting down in front of us in a closing booth? Even if only to fill out on a worksheet the proper spelling of their name, their phone #, address and trade-information? Try these on the difficult ups… the ones trying to escape. What do you have to lose, they’re leaving anyway.


• You know, before you go, I just got an idea I’d like to share with you.
(The “idea” is to find a manager and do a T.O.! Bring the customer in and sit them
down, fill out as much information that you can on the worksheet and say: “I’ll
be right back”. Get a manager for a T.O.)


• (If prospect raises credit-red-flags), Before you go, Mr. Prospect, I’d like to
offer you a service we perform free here at ABC Toyota. Without any cost to you,
we can get you a auto loan pre-approval; and usually, right away. Even if you
don’t buy from ABC Toyota, the pre-approval is good for 30 days at any other
dealer…all I need is a few minutes and a little information, O.K.?

• Before you go, would it be of help to you to just get an approximate evaluation
on your car? It would only take a few minutes, and won’t cost you a thing…I just
need your keys and a little information.(Fill out worksheet, go to manager and ask for a T.O.)

Remember: Activity breeds activity.

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Don't make secondary, 2ndary#%@* By Bob Morey

Too often we see dealers who sincerely want to get their fair share of the secondary-finance business but don't get to first base. An abridged version of our training in this area follows this simple formula: Px3.

In the business of selling anything, understanding the 3 P's are the basis for success.

The 1st P is for Prospect. You must have a goodly quantity of folks through the door who have a need for your product. In the Secondary market, the number of people you attract to your facility is simply a function of how effectively you advertise. No one medium is particularly better than another so long as the story you put forth offers a modicim of"Hope"

Additionally, the Prospect pool for secondary finance that comes to you will reflect the level of "Hope" you build into your advertising. Too much Hype with the "Hope", and too many of your prospects will likely need a co-signer to pay cash. Which leads us to the second P, your People; sales and finance employees.

Your People not only require ongoing training and updated tools to match the ever-changing fabric of the financinal carpet we tread daily, but they have to buy into the value of seconday finance as a worthy and well-compensating profession.

To the extent: that your People see a smooth running, consistent process that frequently offers them success; and explains, reasonably, reasons for occassional lack of approvals, un-funded deals and scarcity of secondary-friendly inventory; your secondary department's bottom line will reflect minimal to exceptional ROI.

In other words, they will buy into it if it works and they understand the workings of it. Let the salesman occasionaly structure his own deal, and then critique it for him. Have your sales people and Secondary F&I manager attend auction with your inventory buyer and make them find the vehicles that will match your lender's qualifiers. Make your People believers.

The last P is for Product. Look at the inventory requirements for secondary finance through the eyes of your lenders and your secondary F&I person. Analyse the vehicle requirements of all of your lenders, (they're not so different from one to the
other). Decide whether you're area's demographics and your advertising draws in upper , middle or lower level paper and then, buy accordingly.

Lastly, don't let the quality of a poor product dictate future business. If you can't justify spending reconditioning money to make the vehicle safe, wholesale the vehicle. As-Is does not have the same meaning to people who have to pay 21% interest rates. They'll camp out on your door step longer and tell more people how you put it to them.

Saturday, January 22, 2005

Don't be afraid to Close the sale by Bob Morey


Too many salespeople have it backwards. They're afraid to ask for the sale or follow-up with customers because they don't want to appear "pushy." However, you stand a much better chance of offending a customer by not asking un-flinchingly for the sale or by neglecting those follow-up calls to cinch the deal.



Let me explain. Put yourself in the prospect’s shoes for a moment. Do you like to be treated as a serious buyer? How do you feel when salespeople disregard you and trivialize you as a customer? Do you feel "small" when they act like you're wasting their time and don't have the money to make the purchase for what you're looking at? Of course you do, and so do your potential customers. We all want to be respected. We want to be taken seriously. We're offended when we get the "brush off." Therefore, do you really think your prospects will feel "pressured" or "pushed" when you ask them to buy something? Doesn't asking them to buy give them the benefit of the doubt that they can buy? And doesn't that show that you have a higher regard for them? Of course it does.



If you aren't asking people to buy because you don't want to seem "pushy", chances are that deep down you’re using the perception of pushiness as a crutch. You're afraid to ask for the deal. You're afraid of hearing "no." So you hide behind the cloak of being a "professional" and not "high-pressuring" your customers.


Another reason you may be afraid of asking for the deal is because you know deep down that you haven't earned the right. Maybe you don't know your product well enough, or you didn't take enough time to build rapport with the customer and identify their needs. You can't fool yourself, and if you're not doing a quality job during the sales process, you're not going to feel confident enough to ask for the sale, and by all rights, you should feel reluctant to ask for the sale because you know you don't deserve it!



So stop hiding behind fear of putting on "pressure" or behind your own incompetence and turn pro, because pros ask for and get the order.They know that the difference between pressure and persistence is technique. They realize that customers want to be sold and want to be asked to buy, so they give them what they want. They don't always hear "yes", but they know how to use "no" as an opportunity to find out what the customer is objecting to so they can overcome it and make the sale.


So let's make sure we have this straight: you don't offend people by asking them to buy, you offend them when you don't! The same goes for follow-up. When you don't follow-up persistently with a prospect, you're telling that prospect that:



o They're not worth your time.
o You don't think they can afford the product anyway.
o You don't think they were really interested.
o That you're a weakling of a salesperson!



Following up persistently with a customer shows that you put a high value on their business. It shows that you're willing to earn their business and not just wait for it to fall into your lap. It sets you apart from the 99% of other pretenders in sales that won't go to the trouble to make the calls.



Following up can be one of your best competitive advantages; a real edge in a crowded market. Start doing a better job of closing and following up; basics, basics, basics, and watch your sales soar without having to wait on any more ups than you already are. Instead, you'll be doing a better job with the opportunities you have; one of the keys to rising above the crowd in sales

Feel good about you? by Bob Morey

Do you feel good about yourself? If you don’t, then stop trying to sell cars until you do. You’re wasting your time, pilfering money from your dealership, hindering people from making important life decisions about owning a newer vehicle, and becoming more dependent on others if you can’t convince yourself and others of your value to the process of selling a vehicle.

Watch a salesperson approach a prospect for the first time. You can often tell whether a vehicle will be sold; and where it will be sold. If the salesperson is genuinely smiling, has his shoulders back, holds his head up and puts a spring in his step, he’ll likely sell a car at his dealership. If he hesitates on approach to the prospect, has his eyes to the ground, lets his shoulders slump and has an un-pleasant expression on his face, the sale likely goes to the next stop the prospect makes.

When we believe in ourselves, we make others believers too. If we doubt ourselves, we plant concerns in the minds of the people we are trying to win over.

How confident would you be if the dentist you’ve visited for the first time didn’t smile when he greeted you? What if his eyes averted yours when you tried to explain why you were there? What if he said that he didn’t know how much of the root-canal charges were covered by insurance or how much you’d have to pay him after he finished the job? What if he told you that he didn’t have what you needed right now, but would call you when it came in? Would you wait for his call, tooth aching, or start looking for another dentist? What if he had bad breath??

Not the same thing? Sure it is. A majority of people will tell you they would rather have root-canal than go car buying. They’re faced with confiding to you (a complete stranger) their personal and sensitive formation, to see whether they should decide on the purchase of the most or 2nd most expensive item they’ll ever buy. They’re in front of you looking for information (and sometimes a reason to be somewhere else). If you don’t feel good about yourself, how will they feel about you? They will go elsewhere.

So you say: I’m ok; I feel great! And maybe you do. But do you project it? Are you so in control of your life that others want to be around you? Do other people look to you for advice, recognizing that you’re special? Are you the positive force others want to tap into? Do you feel so good, and project it, that others feel good just being around you? Not that good? Why not?

When we visit with "accepted" professionals such as doctors or lawyers, what value do we put in them and why? They have specialized knowledge - so do we. They give us vital information that can help influence our important decisions - so do we. They are recognized as holding positions of authority - we engage in activities that may change people for the rest of their lives!

Furthermore, every time we deliver a new vehicle, hundreds of people get to keep their auto-industry related jobs. We are pros. What is your value to the person in front of you who hopes to buy a vehicle? If it’s apparent to him you are a positive force who will help him travel through a foreign process while giving him assurances to justify and validate his hopes, he’ll see you as a professional.

On the other hand, if the way you act and what you say is a replay of his last experience with a car salesman, you have no value to him - you’re just another carsalesman.

So, in order to be seen as valuable by prospective buyers, you must bring value to the table. Unless you see value in yourself, you’ll bring no value. It’s that simple.
Start building your "VALUE ARSENAL". Evaluate and repair your personal life if need be…health/ surroundings/ security / finances / love-life & family / friends / education / life goals. (In that order).Practice communicating beyond the average: confidence…approach…posture…expression…vocabulary…humor…positive demeanor. Expand listening skills. Learn human nature. See other’s signs:"I’m important"… learn four comfort zones. Distinguish fears vs. needs. Be aware of egos. Expand own attention span…

"People act either because of an expectation of gain or a fear of loss". Improve selling / negotiating skills…fact-finding expertise…listening skills…value vs. cost…analogical persuasion…earn trust…give to get. Activity breeds activity.
Knowledge of process and product…be the authority… anticipate change… know of future trends…have valid answers ready; know questions and concerns before encountered…anticipate failure, expect success…people buy for their reasons, not yours.



A Morey selling basic

People buy for their reasons, not ours! Your job is that of a detective more than as a salesperson. You must find out the customer’s motivation for coming into your place of business by asking “Fact-Finding” questions.

KISS

One of the first lessons I learned in the business of retailing automobiles was the KISS rule. KISS is an acronym for Keep-It-Simple-Stupid. One visual depiction of this rule is: open mouth, insert foot; a good concept to keep at the foremost part of our brains!

Jackie Cooper, an industry legend in auto-retail sales training, told me a story once about how he blew a sale he’d just closed. Jackie was noted for going into car dealerships for 2-3 days and training “on the floor”. Jackie insisted that, all customers who were not closed, be turned over to him before they left; but only after that customer had been turned over to every manager in the store. In other words, Jackie was so confident of his closing skills that he wanted to be the last person the customer talked to.

At a Cadillac dealership in Texas, Jackie had the opportunity to take the last turnover to an elderly woman who was going to go home and “think about” buying the new Cadillac she had just driven. Jackie managed to get the lady back to the negotiating table where she finally agreed to buy; right then and there.

While writing up the deal and without thinking, Jackie asked a question of this lady he had asked hundreds of other people in order to create a vision of ownership as a help in closing them. This question creates a “word picture”, as Jackie called it.

“Ma’am, do you think this Cadillac will fit in your garage?” Jackie asked casually. Frequently, when you have a customer who has yet to take mental ownership of your product, you can ask them a question like this one, and they’ll mentally picture the vehicle in their garage: taking mental ownership. Jackie’s problem was that this lady had already said yes, she’d own the car. She already mentally owned it!

As Jackie tells the story, the lady was ready to O.K. the figures on the buyer’s order just as he asked that question. “At that very moment, I watched in horror as she stopped signing, placed the pen down on the table and said: ’You know, I don’t think it will fit in my garage.’ ”

Jackie of course drove the lady and Cadillac to her garage and tried every way possible to make it fit… it didn’t.

We have all likely experienced times when we gave the customer more information than they needed and, as a result, lost a sale or gave up some profit. Recently, during one of those long, uneasy periods of silence, when the customer is trying to decide whether to say yes, I was tempted to ask the customer how our car compared to the one like it she had seen at another dealership. Wisely I kept my mouth shut and she bought moments later. Not until after she was getting ready to drive away in her new purchase did the lady mention the other vehicle. Whew!

The rule of thumb for KISS is to say no more than is needed, to sell the benefits of the car and once the customer says yes, keep your mouth shut and keep writing!

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Hire me, I'll train everyone!

Traffic down?...
need to close more deals? ...want more gross?

Fundamental to success, is that success demands more than mediocrity.
If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’re going to get what we’ve been getting.

1 day, crash or burn, re-train, in house seminar. (10 hours).

• Simple desking techniques to increase close % & gross…(2 hours)
for Desk and F&I managers. Techniques and role-play.

• Greeting tracks to get 80%-90% of ups on paper w/ bureau
(1 hour) for Salespeople & Desk manager(s).

• Greeting-to-the-commitment role-play (1hour per sales
person, one-on-one: up to 7) for salespeople.

Salespeople need to get more ups in the door and on paper. I’m sure you’ll agree that the more opportunities we have to pencil a proposal, the more opportunities we’ll have to sell a car. It’s proven that the more involved the prospect gets in the process, the more apt they are to buy.

Try this sample track:
Salesperson says at intro:
“One service we offer free of charge to our customers, Mr. prospect is a no-charge pre-approved auto loan that you can use anywhere for up to 30 days, even if you don’t buy from us! ... I just need a little information.”

In-House Seminar investment…

1 day $ 1,200*… 2 days $ 2,160*… 4 days…$ 3,840*
* + travel expenses if more than 100 miles from Indianapolis, Indiana.


Call today: 317-326-4424
Morey & Associates (25+ years auto training experience).




















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Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Please Comment!

Your feedback is important to us. If you have any selling "gems" you would care to pass on, we'd be happy to publish them as well and give you credit. CLICK ON THE *TIME STAMPS* UNDER EACH ARTICLE OR POST TO MAKE YOUR COMMENTS. Thank you.

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

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Tuesday, December 14, 2004

How to Start Your Own Newsletter or Ezine

Communicate like a PRO. by Bob Morey

Essentially there are six areas of communication we need to become good at in order to be masterful communicators; the most important is the ability to listen like a communicator: very difficult to do.

  • Show that you are listening:


1. Lean forward with your eyes on the speaker.
2. Nod your head from time to time as the customer talks.
3. Do not cross your arms or take on a superior posture, (hands behind your head).
4. Ask customer to clarify a point you may be unsure of.
5. Repeat back to them an important point they were making by rephrasing it.
6. Combine their ideas and paraphrase them back to them to show your understanding.
7. Take notes of key words and ideas.
8. Never interrupt the customer.
9. Don’t be distracted. Move to a business-friendly space if you can.

  • Never debate.

1. Even if the customer’s point is wrong in your opinion, say something like “I can see how you might see it that way; yet another way to look it could be…”
2. You may win a debate with a customer: you will lose the sale.

  • Learn the English language well


1. Expand your vocabulary: add 10 words a day, work crosswords, consult a dictionary and thesaurus when in doubt.
2. Avoid slang terms, especially “car” terms. e.g. use “negative equity” instead of “upside down”…”own” instead of “buy” etc.
3. Use proper English. Avoid barbarisms such as ain’t got, ‘taint, git it, etc.

  • Stay on subject.

Too often we allow ourselves to get off track. If we spend too much of the customer’s time off subject, they have to leave and we don’t sell a car. Don’t daydream.Don’t talk about you, get talking about themselves.

  • Be positive.

Use humor and expect the best of every contact. Don’t let either the customer’s or your negativity to get in the way of the customer’s concerns or your response to them.

  • Keep your input brief and to the point.

Avoid wordiness. Often, less is more.







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