To Sell or Not to Sell? That is the Question!

There seems to be a lot of confusion in our industry about when to sell preventative maintenance. I mean let's face it, the factories just don't recommend much anymore because a low maintenance vehicle is very attractive to buyers. While this is great for marketing and selling cars, it is creating a lot of confusion in Service Departments across the country.

If you ask 10 stores to show you their preventative maintenance menus they would each have a different version or, worse yet, none at all. When stores have not set guidelines of when services are to be recommended it creates a very dangerous situation. Your advisors and technicians are deciding what should be sold and when; so every time one of your client's work with a new advisor they are getting a different message. This type of inconsistency is exactly what drives clients away and gives our industry a bad reputation. They will leave either feeling ripped off or as if the last advisor didn't do a good job informing them about all the preventative maintenance items that would benefit their vehicle. I can't tell you how many times I have stood on a drive coaching advisors to give full presentations and I hear a client respond with, "Why didn't anyone ever tell me about these services before?"

Some dealers have menus that are very aggressive while others feel a moral obligation to only sell what the factory recommends. I think we are making it much harder than it needs to be and the right answer lies somewhere in the middle. Yes, we absolutely want to recommend all the services in our client's owner's manual, but if you look closely even the manuals have at least two different schedules. One for normal driving conditions and one for severe driving conditions. This raises the question "What are normal conditions?" Research shows the following:

  • No towing
  • No extensive idling
  • No temperature drop below 32 degrees
  • No short trip driving (less then 10 miles)
  • More than 50% of your driving is sustained at high speeds in warm weather
  • No driving on salt or chemicals
  • No off road driving
  • No high humidity
  • No mountains

Now I have to ask WHO qualifies for the minimum amount of required maintenance? Are we really fulfilling our obligation to advise our clients on how to take care of one of their largest investments by sticking to these plans?

There is also the question of tire care, which is usually completely ignored in our manuals. Every single tire manufacturer recommends that a rotate, balance and alignment be sold annually or every 12-15 thousand miles as preventative maintenance. This often gets overlooked. I always recommend that dealerships run specials to help their advisors become more successful at selling multiple services. A tire saver package is usually a big hit, and once they start they will never stop.

Now the point of this article is not for me to tell you what to sell. The bottom line is you MUST set a standard and require that all follow it. It may even vary from model to model. If an advisor or technician questions the need for any service, have a meeting to discuss the necessity with all of your facts and benefits ready to present.   Make sure everyone is clear that following your guideline is not an option but part of their job requirement. I mean after all, do you think that McDonald's lets each of their employees decide if their customers really need to add fries to their order? Just food for thought!

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Comment by Sally Whitesell on April 9, 2013 at 8:52pm

I know, I almost said it wasn't a four letter word but it is;-)

Comment by Jason Mickelson on April 9, 2013 at 8:19pm

Thank you Sally.  I agree, sell is not a bad word.  However, it does have four letters.  : )

Comment by Sally Whitesell on April 9, 2013 at 11:38am

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and add your great comments Jason!  I love the tone of enthusiasm I can hear ringing through your, "Sell, sell sell!".  It really isn't a bad word.

Comment by Jason Mickelson on April 5, 2013 at 7:29pm
Sell sell sell! Life is a buffet of sales opportunities. Tom, I agree that asking for the business by offering options is a good idea, but it seems that you would have to sell in order to have the opportunity. Selling is identifying needs and offering solutions by showing how value exceeds cost. Sally, nice recommendation. I like your definition of normal conditions.
Comment by Sally Whitesell on February 4, 2013 at 9:07pm

I do find great value in the inspection sheet as a second opportunity to give a personalized benefit based presentation.  The first is at the write-up after you have put the client at ease about their primary needs and concerns. 

Comment by Sally Whitesell on February 4, 2013 at 9:05pm

Tom it is so hard to elaborate in this short space. I think we are selling in every part of the write-up. We sell ourselves, our services and as you said, the all important next visit.  The key is to sound like a friend not a sales person.

 

Comment by Tom Wiegand on February 1, 2013 at 11:18am

Excellent post, Sally!  My answer/suggestion:  Not to sell!  As a "writer" we wrote and sometimes sold.  As an "advisor" we advise 100% of the time, offer suggestions and recommendations (and they are different), and ask questions like: "which would you prefer we complete for you today?"  When we quit trying to "sell" everything, and only sell next appointments effectively, our advice will be better respected and our relationships will improve with every customer.  Do you find that menus are less threatening to a customer when explained and shown with an inspection report? 

Comment by Amy Kern-Smith on February 1, 2013 at 10:57am

Wow!  I am amazed by the driving conditions for minimum maintenance!  Great post, Sally.

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