Mike overy of the BDC experts will show your sales, service and BDC team how to reach more customers. After over 20 years teaching dealers we have found that contact ratios are as follow.

100 Calls 20-30 contacts and 4-8 appointments with one contact number.

These numbers are of course based on a trained BDC staff member calling sales, service or internet customers.

We are asked by customers, clients, owners and sales and…

Now the first thing we need to remember is that certain people gravitate to certain lines of work and for that matter, certain groups. Being a sales person doesn't make you a certain way, being a certain way makes you gravitate toward that line of work. Now if we agree on the sociology of the group, we see why this maybe more of challenge than you think.

The outgoing, friendly person who enjoys making friends traditionally moves toward a sales type of work.

The technical type…

The secret paths on the journey to sales success do not exist.  There are no hidden doorways that inherently lead to a pool of wealth.  The trek requires tenacity, perseverance and commitment and is no place for the weak spirited. The route is littered with mediocre, unfulfilled promise…

You better hope they are!!

For those of you who have been in the car business a while, the service business has changed dramatically over the years. With the quality of vehicles getting better and aftermarket garages getting bolder, we have to rely on servicing vehicles as much as 'fixing" vehicle. 

So to service a vehicle, you need to sell service. 

I've overheard numerous service calls that went along the lines of; "Mr Customer, you need brakes and…

Ask yourself, what true baggage am I carrying on a daily basis that is now a barrier for my growth in my entire life? Everyone has something keeping them back. Get rid of the baggage. Do not allow another day to go by, without seeking out a way to crush the barriers.

Fact: It was a Wednesday afternoon in 1993, a real nice fall day in New England.…

How to uncover the real objection in a car deal?

That’s the question isn’t it! You have done the road to the sale; you have taken a look at their old car. Your customer loves the new car and just won’t sign. You have followed them up and the customer isn’t calling you back. Now what should you do?

You take it to the next level, you have the manager speak to them, and you even call them every day for a week, still nothing. What is the next step?

 …

The biggest mistake salespeople, sales managers and BDC staff make is they forget to thank the customer after they leave the dealership. It always amazes me that when customers take time from their busy life to visit their local dealership, the dealership staff forget to follow up that customer and tank them.

How many times in your life have you been to an open house, a car dealership, an electronics store or another retailer to make a big purchase and that salesperson, manager or…

Have you ever heard this phrase??

In every conversation…someone is buying…and some one is selling…

Let me repeat that…

In every conversation…someone is buying…and some one is selling…

It could be a simple conversation…

DealerElite blogstar Stephanie Young reached out again and asked me to post for the site.  I hope it can help some sales and marketing types out there in the auto world!

Summertime. 

Everyone is out and about with the kids, going on vacation, hitting the pool, and grilling out.  Schedules are booked with parties and other social obligations…and you can’t…

The biggest mistake salespeople, sales managers and BDC staff make is that they let notes in their CRM or on paper convince them not to call customers back. As I always say you need to get the consumer out of you before you make the call. Someone is going to be sold and the question is who. How can you expect to re-motivate customers to visit the dealership if you are not convinced when you call them. The question is are you selling them or are they selling you?…

Do you remember the ad you answered for your first sales job at a dealership?  What was the minimum education level they wanted?  PhD?  Masters?  Not likely.  Most have listed that you need a high school diploma for consideration.  And, as I recall, no one ever really checked.  If that's the minimum, what if they told you that to be really successful you'd need the equivalent of five college educations? …

Our recent poll, "What is the number 1 challenge most dealers have with improving profits?" shows that RECRUITING TALENT and PROCESSES are the #1 challenge to improving our profits as dealers. The question now becomes:

• Are RECRUITING TALENT and…

“What is the number one challenge most dealers have with improving profits?”  1) Employee Turnover, 2) Capital, 3) Inventory, 4) Process, and 5) Recruiting Talent.  Of those polled, 30% answered “Recruiting Talent”.

It is not rocket surgery (it is easier to build a rocket than trouble shoot and repair one) as to how talent affects the dealership’s bottom line.  What puzzles me is why…

When I first started working in the industry over 25 years ago now, I always asked this question. We know that customers "Hate Buying Cars" for the most part. We also know that like visiting a dentist, lawyer, or doctors office they would not be in a store unless they were servicing their car or needed a new or used vehicle.

So the question is why is it that customers who visit the showroom don't buy cars?…

BDC, Internet Department, Web Sites.  Yes it seems that dealers are really jumping in on doing business in the 21st century.  Me too.  I am always looking for ways to spread the word, promote, solicit, and generate business using the power and the economy of the Internet.  In fact, just this morning, I sent out a small blast to 500 select dealers promoting a new service offering.  I was amazed and shocked at what I learned.

Our…

How can car dealerships all over the world get more appointments that show up at your automotive dealership? In order to determine the answer to this fantastic question, we need to look at the problem first.

The problem is: salespeople, managers, service writers, even BDC representatives are not giving customers a reason to return the dealership. They may be calling the customer back, but best intentions rarely get you to the finish line.

The question is what are they…

In recent articles, in training, and in other discussions, I've commented that monkeys can close deals.  Now, when I say this in front of a live audience, I am looking for an expected reaction so that we can engage in a good program.  In all cases, it is not to insult those who are successful "closers."  But, the reality is, closing a deal is merely the result of proper planning and execution of the real key to selling - the process.

I would expect true closers to actually…