A submarine has individual compartments to protect itself from disaster. When attacked, the crew moves through each compartment, closing the hatch of the previous compartment behind them. Selling requires the same procedure: moving completely through each compartment, or step of the sales process, to arrive safely at a successful sale. We all know salespeople who skip steps to get to the close faster, without shutting the other hatches behind them. And chances are,…

Marketing to referral customers is the most sure-fire way to build your sales today. It's much cheaper than advertising to cold prospects, referral customers are generally more satisfied with your services, and the closing ratios are much higher. But most importantly, IT'S EASY TO DO!

Follow these 5 tips to increase your referral business:

1)…

The best sports teams spend a great deal of time preparing for their next game - analyzing past performances, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and creating a game plan for success.

The best sales professionals do the same thing. They know what they're good at, what they need to work on, and where they stand in relation to their goals. Most importantly, they plan for success rather than wait for it to come to them. In short, they…

Hiring and maintaining a strong sales staff can be one of your greatest challenges as a manager. And with the available pool of talent shifting to a new generation - Generation Y - the old ways of doing business are changing. Gen-Y employees require different approaches to attract, retain, and motivate them within your dealership.

Everyone is quick to point out Gen-Y's shortcomings and idiosyncrasies, but they…