Do you have what it takes to be a Phone Ninja?
Some of you may already know me from Dealer Refresh or ADM, but for those of you who don't, let me introduce myself. My name is Jerry Thibeau (pronounced teebow) and I am the Founder and President of Phone-up Ninjas. We specialize in helping automotive professionals improve upon their phone skills.
I love participating in these forums since it's an opportunity to build relationships. I believe there's no better advertisement than giving back to the community. Therefore I am going make an offer to personally train a sales rep or BDC agent at no charge. Here are my requirements:
- They must be open to learning new techniques.
- You must have some sort of call tracking service where I can search for calls, or you're willing to send them to us on a regular basis.
- Must be willing to share coaching sessions with this forum. Personal information will be stripped from the call.
- I want somebody who needs help with their inbound phone technique.
Here's an example of what we'll be doing: http://phoneupninjas.com/members/review.php?coachingid=1414&rco...
Thanks,
Jerry Thibeau
President
Phone-up Ninjas
jerry@phoneupninjas.com
585-749-2015: Cell
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jerry Thibeau on
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So far we have two confirmed for this project. Carol Schaefer from Gary Lang Auto Group and a yet to be named rep from Dallas Dodge Chrysler Jeep. I am still waiting to hear back from Justin Conway and Jason Pereira.
We're going to be doing an online training session for these folks tomorrow at 5PM - 6PM Eastern Time to get them started. If you would like to jump on, please send me an e-mail and I will send you an invitation.
Jerry@phoneupninjas.com
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Let's start off by properly introducing our two trainees. First we have Carol Shaefer with Gary Lang Auto Group in Michigan, and second we have Melanie Shead with Dallas Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Georgia.
This afternoon both ladies joined me on an online training session where we taught them the proper procedure for handling a phone-up. They really had some great questions.
I would like to get things kicked off with a before snapshot of Carol's phone technique. This is how she handled a call before any training: Carol's Call
We hope to have a before snapshot of Melanie for you shortly.
Stay tuned for more, this is going to be a lot of fun!
Jerry Thibeau
Phone-up Ninjas
585-749-2015
jerry@phoneupninjas.com
www.phoneupninjas.com
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Permalink Reply by Gale Ekern on
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You are right, should be a lot of fun
Jerry Thibeau said:Let's start off by properly introducing our two trainees. First we have Carol Shaefer with Gary Lang Auto Group in Michigan, and second we have Melanie Shead with Dallas Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Georgia.
This afternoon both ladies joined me on an online training session where we taught them the proper procedure for handling a phone-up. They really had some great questions.
I would like to get things kicked off with a before snapshot of Carol's phone technique. This is how she handled a call before any training: Carol's Call
We hope to have a before snapshot of Melanie for you shortly.
Stay tuned for more, this is going to be a lot of fun!
Jerry Thibeau
Phone-up Ninjas
585-749-2015
jerry@phoneupninjas.com
www.phoneupninjas.com
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Permalink Reply by Steve Richards on -
Gale Ekern said:You are right, should be a lot of fun
Jerry Thibeau said:Let's start off by properly introducing our two trainees. First we have Carol Shaefer with Gary Lang Auto Group in Michigan, and second we have Melanie Shead with Dallas Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Georgia.
This afternoon both ladies joined me on an online training session where we taught them the proper procedure for handling a phone-up. They really had some great questions.
I would like to get things kicked off with a before snapshot of Carol's phone technique. This is how she handled a call before any training: Carol's Call
We hope to have a before snapshot of Melanie for you shortly.
Stay tuned for more, this is going to be a lot of fun!
Jerry Thibeau
Phone-up Ninjas
585-749-2015
jerry@phoneupninjas.com
www.phoneupninjas.com
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Permalink Reply by Steve Richards on
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Jerry, nice offer. Based on your sample "coaching" recording on your site I would have reservations. First you seemingly (based on the coaching module) teach sales people to lie to the customer, no sugar-coating it, it's a fact. Second, the strategies and tactics you teach are 30 years-old; those tactics weren't successful back then, they sure won't work now.
Most automotive telephone training is actually causing the problem. We’re talking incoming phone calls here, but that holds true for other aspects of our business. Most telephone training kills the chance of creating an appointment from the incoming call.
The Caller wants something from the sales consultant – what is it?
1. They want to ask questions and get answers.
2. They want to start the process of elimination.
3. They are trying to be as dispassionate as possible (be responsible) before they come in and pick out a car.
4. They are trying to save time.
In doing all of the above the customer also comes to a totally emotional decision on where to actually go in and look at a car. After all, all new cars cost the same to the dealer and most dealers have the same cars.
So callers are consciously looking for specific answers but subconsciously are looking for a good feeling; wondering if they would be better off at the store they've called than any other store. What most telephone training encourages are strategies that create a feeling but it's the wrong feeling. Only a small percentage of callers visit a store; because the sales people are taught to handle the call in a manner you're suggesting. Evade, block, answer a question with a question, lie to the customer, work them for a name and number, put them on hold, etc. - you wouldn't put up with it if you called a place to get information, why do you expect an automotive prospect is going to respond any differently?
There is supporting evidence. For example, it’s practically impossible to get salespeople to say what they are trained to say. That‘s significant because the single most reliable indicator that something does not work is the fact that people will not use it. There may be initial resistance, but almost anything that makes a job easier is quickly adopted. Secretaries balked at word processors, service techs disliked engine analyzers, and everybody hated email, at first. But nobody is asking for a return to typewriters, timing lights and “next day” delivery. Salespeople are no less interested than other people in finding an easier way. (It is often said that they are more interested.) So if what they were trained to say really made prospects more cooperative and more inclined to buy, then the best salespeople would always say it. But it never does, so they never do.
I'm sure you're a fine and well-intentioned fellow; but you've been mislead by the "industry experts" who have mentored you. It's 2010.
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I am not going to let this thread be hijacked. I started a new thread to deal with Steve Richards. My reply to Steve Richards
Steve Richards said:Jerry, nice offer. Based on your sample "coaching" recording on your site I would have reservations. First you seemingly (based on the coaching module) teach sales people to lie to the customer, no sugar-coating it, it's a fact. Second, the strategies and tactics you teach are 30 years-old; those tactics weren't successful back then, they sure won't work now.
Most automotive telephone training is actually causing the problem. We’re talking incoming phone calls here, but that holds true for other aspects of our business. Most telephone training kills the chance of creating an appointment from the incoming call.
The Caller wants something from the sales consultant – what is it?
1. They want to ask questions and get answers.
2. They want to start the process of elimination.
3. They are trying to be as dispassionate as possible (be responsible) before they come in and pick out a car.
4. They are trying to save time.
In doing all of the above the customer also comes to a totally emotional decision on where to actually go in and look at a car. After all, all new cars cost the same to the dealer and most dealers have the same cars.
So callers are consciously looking for specific answers but subconsciously are looking for a good feeling; wondering if they would be better off at the store they've called than any other store. What most telephone training encourages are strategies that create a feeling but it's the wrong feeling. Only a small percentage of callers visit a store; because the sales people are taught to handle the call in a manner you're suggesting. Evade, block, answer a question with a question, lie to the customer, work them for a name and number, put them on hold, etc. - you wouldn't put up with it if you called a place to get information, why do you expect an automotive prospect is going to respond any differently?
There is supporting evidence. For example, it’s practically impossible to get salespeople to say what they are trained to say. That‘s significant because the single most reliable indicator that something does not work is the fact that people will not use it. There may be initial resistance, but almost anything that makes a job easier is quickly adopted. Secretaries balked at word processors, service techs disliked engine analyzers, and everybody hated email, at first. But nobody is asking for a return to typewriters, timing lights and “next day” delivery. Salespeople are no less interested than other people in finding an easier way. (It is often said that they are more interested.) So if what they were trained to say really made prospects more cooperative and more inclined to buy, then the best salespeople would always say it. But it never does, so they never do.
I'm sure you're a fine and well-intentioned fellow; but you've been mislead by the "industry experts" who have mentored you. It's 2010.
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Permalink Reply by Vinnie Torrente on
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To All,
"We all want to succeed" (There are many opinions out there on every aspect of training) Techniques word tracks/scripts along with process...The business has changed the past ten years; We can all agree that one thing HASN'T "People sell CARS" sell yourself sell the dealer..Wether through internet or phone never stops selling! Jerry I am sure that many dealers and owners appreciate your training. I believe that there is sales professionals and management where your training has had an impact on sales and productivity. I know in CA that techniques used on some parts of the east coast won’t have the same effect as the West. One thing is certain no matter who's training it's not self gratitude it's the impact it will have on someone else’s life.
Ps: Nobody should ever write something negative on a blog.
Thank you to all the trainers
Vinnie Torrente
Jerry Thibeau said:I am not going to let this thread be hijacked. I started a new thread to deal with Steve Richards. My reply to Steve Richards
Steve Richards said:Jerry, nice offer. Based on your sample "coaching" recording on your site I would have reservations. First you seemingly (based on the coaching module) teach sales people to lie to the customer, no sugar-coating it, it's a fact. Second, the strategies and tactics you teach are 30 years-old; those tactics weren't successful back then, they sure won't work now.
Most automotive telephone training is actually causing the problem. We’re talking incoming phone calls here, but that holds true for other aspects of our business. Most telephone training kills the chance of creating an appointment from the incoming call.
The Caller wants something from the sales consultant – what is it?
1. They want to ask questions and get answers.
2. They want to start the process of elimination.
3. They are trying to be as dispassionate as possible (be responsible) before they come in and pick out a car.
4. They are trying to save time.
In doing all of the above the customer also comes to a totally emotional decision on where to actually go in and look at a car. After all, all new cars cost the same to the dealer and most dealers have the same cars.
So callers are consciously looking for specific answers but subconsciously are looking for a good feeling; wondering if they would be better off at the store they've called than any other store. What most telephone training encourages are strategies that create a feeling but it's the wrong feeling. Only a small percentage of callers visit a store; because the sales people are taught to handle the call in a manner you're suggesting. Evade, block, answer a question with a question, lie to the customer, work them for a name and number, put them on hold, etc. - you wouldn't put up with it if you called a place to get information, why do you expect an automotive prospect is going to respond any differently?
There is supporting evidence. For example, it’s practically impossible to get salespeople to say what they are trained to say. That‘s significant because the single most reliable indicator that something does not work is the fact that people will not use it. There may be initial resistance, but almost anything that makes a job easier is quickly adopted. Secretaries balked at word processors, service techs disliked engine analyzers, and everybody hated email, at first. But nobody is asking for a return to typewriters, timing lights and “next day” delivery. Salespeople are no less interested than other people in finding an easier way. (It is often said that they are more interested.) So if what they were trained to say really made prospects more cooperative and more inclined to buy, then the best salespeople would always say it. But it never does, so they never do.
I'm sure you're a fine and well-intentioned fellow; but you've been mislead by the "industry experts" who have mentored you. It's 2010.
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Permalink Reply by Jack E Curenton on
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Jerry,
I was intrigued by your offer and I listened in on the call Carol made and your comments. I enjoyed the process greatly as I thought your critique was spot on in helping her to identify her mistakes and what corrective action would help to not repeat those mistakes on future calls. Now, I didn't feel her mistakes were major, just in need of a little tweaking (as per your recommendations) and she would have had a more successful ending to the call.
That customer was a golden opportunity to sell 2 vehicles, as the customer all but screamed SELL ME ON A REASON TO COME TO YOUR STORE!!
Here is the mistake many sales people make...the priority in selling has to first be to sell the prospect on wanting to see you, your product or a qualified salesperson…then qualifying yourself to see if this suspect is an actual prospect and only then trying to sell them.... but Face to Face...You can't pickup a check over the phone (unless you're doing internet sales)
Your suggestions, if they had been implemented during the call by Carol, could have accelerated the sale process into an actual visit in the showroom...I also consider myself an experienced trainer in sales/selling and saw the "Escapes" Carol left for the customer to drive a truck through to make her escape. After a little utilization of your suggestions she will be able to “Close” more on in coming calls and the results will be more person to person opportunities to sell cars.
Best regards,
Jack E Curenton
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Permalink Reply by Dallas Dodge Chrysler Jeep on
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I truly believe that proper phone techniques are the key to the next level, especially in internet sales. I have been around a long time and yes things in the business have changed substantially, but not as one would believe. The thing that has changed is the availability of information and that is what makes the phone so crucial. Any consumer who is even slightly familiar with the workings of the web is calling your dealership because they did some research, they know you have what they want and they are trying to determine, from the tone and tenor of the call, if they want to do business with you. That is the first and sometimes only opportunity to shine, so your sales people better make it a good one. You ask for a customers name and contact information because that is what a professional does, it is step one in a relationship that is just starting. You give that person on the phone your full name and contact information because you should give them at least what you expect from them. The days of "yeah the car is here, dont forget to ask for *** when you get here are over. They know the car is there, they know the price, they know their budget, the thing they dont know is you and your store. Every word you say on the phone tells them about you and your store and I can tell you that, as in person, a customer is going to give you 30 sec to a minute to make that impression and earn their additional time and hopefully their business.
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We're waiting for Carol and Melanie to get us some call recordings. In the meantime, here's one of our current customers (gave us permission to share) scoring a perfect score on a phone-up.
Listen here
Enjoy!
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