Written by AutoSuccess on 09 December 2014.

http://autosuccessonline.com/news/blog/625-spotlight-joe-clementi

Dealing with today's informed customers is as challenging as any time in history. Information is readily available as dealerships around the country lean on the Internet to compete for market share.

Third-party Websites acting as consumer advocates continue to compete for the attention of the Web-savvy…

The struggle for a competitive edge requires skill enhancement. Knowledge of products, technology and problem solving all take on new meaning while working with today’s customer.

Consumers no longer accept mediocre presentations, canned closing questions and product demonstrations that lack comprehensive knowledge. The customer is and will continue to be, more prepared for the buying process. They will ask questions that an untrained salesperson will not be able to…

Like any well-run organization, success in the dealership environment is interdependent on how clear the processes are and how efficient the associates perform within that system. There's an old business axiom that states “it’s either a process problem or a people problem". Each department is linked together through a myriad of different…

The end of month is here and if you’re excited and ready to embrace it chances are you are having a good month.  If you are on the other end of the spectrum, well then most likely you have already given up.

If you have been trying to find the “secret” to massive success by “hoping” that it will arrive on your “someday ship”…                           

What…

Every single day salespeople come to work. They come with a purpose or an…

In today’s economic environment the division between success and failure is as clear as it’s ever been. Having the right people, processes and products are essential for a dealership to be competitive.  Being a single-point,…

You have heard it before and you know it’s true; knowledge plus action equals power.  Your knowledge is based on your expertise on your product offering, needs analysis and the ability to offer solutions.

Competence comes from knowledge and the route of knowledge is grounded in continuous education. …

Find a mediocre sales person and you’ll find him/her surrounded by peers with like views, opinions and excuses.  They will tell you why their sales volume lacks consistency and their gross profit production is far below the median.  They practice the excuses so well that they’ve become experts a closing themselves on mediocrity.

They come to this new job with…

Shortcuts and quick fix solutions

We live in a quick fix; fast solution, immediate results driven society where 24 hour news cycle and instant feedback rule our social lives.  Read a book now and you become an expert that can teach the topic.  Start a diet and in 90-days you will have the body of a super model.

The need for instant gratification prevents some people from realizing incremental long-term success. That would be the equivalent of planting a rose…

While the experts pontificate on which direction the automobile business is headed, thousands of professionals go about their day totally unaware of the chatter. Intellectual enthusiasts debate the next greatest enhancement to the business as innovators sell their wares. Change, as a necessary evolution; is as essential as the invention of the integrated…

Creating consistency from your sales staff requires constant management and coaching. Counseling performance is the process where the sales manager(s) have a formal review of prior production, monthly sales requirements and the dealerships standards.

Having the proper documentation and reviewing the coaching stage of the deficiency is imperative. The goal is to alter the behavior to accomplish a common goal. A proper analysis of the job production should be compared…

What single piece of evidence can you present to a potential customer that will separate you from the competition? Before you answer that question I want you to think about the “purpose and not the result.”

Technology can be a great neutralizer in the effort to differentiate one sales person from another. Statistics according to a recent article in Automotive News…

In the automotive business, we expect there to be critics. We understand that there are detractors to our business. No one understands the value of “the voice of the customer” better than an automotive dealer. In fact, there’s been a whole business built around “relationship management” specifically for the automotive industry.

Social media has taken this concept…

Collaboration not confrontation

The day starts with an offer that’s hundreds below cost with a trade in that’s thousands away from its actual cash value.  The salesperson spent hours from the initial greeting to the vehicle selection process only to have their bubble busted by a ridiculous offer. Of course, the offer is substantiated by the dealer down the…