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…

What do I have to do to develop a great sales team?

An ideal sales team of veteran salespeople would allow each dealership to maximize revenue.  In reality, sales departments experience a high level of turnover.  As a result, there is no easy answer to this question.

Focusing on what we can’t control while ignoring what we can is a pathway to frustration and declining success.  Fearing turnover is no excuse for not investing in training your sales staff.  A…

Combat is a leadership laboratory. That laboratory is a proving ground for veterans like Leif Babin, who shared his insights on leadership and teamwork at last Fall’s Driving Sales Executive Summit. A former Navy SEAL and co-founder of management consulting firm, Echelon Front, LLC, Babin gave an inspiring keynote address where he translated his experiences as a SEAL and SEAL Officer…

The Business Case

In 1989 the Internet came online and disrupted the car buying and selling process by tipping the scales heavily in the consumer’s favor. The easy access to pricing and product information made shoppers better researchers and negotiators, and to an unprepared industry this shift was unsettling. Since then, manufacturers and their dealers have…

Change is never easy, especially when you’re dealing with individuals who are entrenched in their beliefs. It sometimes feels like trying to make a U-turn in the middle of a narrow street without the maneuver of a three-point turn; stopping, backing up and then going in another direction, yet that is exactly what is needed in most cases. The consensus is that no one has had…

WAAOL - All Automotive Advertising News All The Time

The Auto Industry…

There are probably a thousand reasons or more that customer service and retention is a valuable automotive sales training topic, but here are just nine that affect all industries that should get your attention.

1 .   86% of buyers will pay more for a better customer experience. But only 1% of customers feel that vendors consistently meet their expectations. (CEI…

by Steve Conner

Responding to your customer’s interest in your vehicles consistently and with the right persistence is a very difficult task for sales managers at most dealerships. According to recent research published at the Harvard Business Review, over 30% of leads are never called at all. There are four parts of the published research to digest and learn from to apply solid policies to your dealership’s lead management program.

The following parts of the study include best…

A few weeks ago, I was training a ten-store team while facilitating some very ground-breaking and paradigm-shifting conversations about the phone. The Director of Operations preached to a team of new hires—some thoughts most dealers have become all too familiar with:

“We’ve been flying by the seat of our pants too long,” said the director to the newbies. 

“Pick up the phone, find out what they want and…

Rejection is part of the sales professional experience, but selling is a personal experience for both the salesperson and the buyer.

Long sales cycles, endless follow ups via email and phone and no-after-no cannot only be brutal on the morale of a salesperson; it is often not much fun for the buyer either.  Now when a salesperson is able to bring to the table a human…

 Perfection is unsustainable, while personal progress is obtainable.

Stay green and let yourself grow!

When someone claims to be “green”, what first comes to your mind?  They are making an effort to reduce their carbon foot print on mother earth?  Maybe they are a vegetarian?  Or they are actively recycling?

When I hear…

Sales letters are important tools for interactive marketing, lead generation and nurturing sales opportunities.  In the age of digital marketing, usually one of the earliest experiences a potential consumer will have with an organization is some impersonal written for the masses word format.

Selling is like dating.  Imagine you are on a first date; would…

Having just finished a morning plyometric workout (and still "huffing and puffing" like an old steam engine), I sat down at my console where an AUTOMOTIVE NEWS alert was waiting for me.  I clicked away and found an article titled, "The Sales Game Has Changed..."

This article has multiple…

Late last year I was reading the Sunday paper and came across a story that was a collection of quotes from Nelson Mandela, who had passed away the previous week.  Reading those quotes made me very reflective both personally and professionally. One of his quotes that really struck me…

Sometimes our focus on growing profits can lead us to make decisions that have us working harder and not smarter. For example, cutting corners in regards to recruiting and training sales personnel. The fear of loss of investment if the employee leaves, can spiral into an evolving sales team in which more and more members lack the necessary skills to increase profits.

The…

In today's marketplace, I submit that it is no longer acceptable to merely satisfy our customers and employees.  That statement is not ground-breaking, we've all heard it.  In most cases, providing what I call "Ridiculous" Service does not come naturally.  As a matter of fact, it's quite un-natural.  We create habits even when it comes to serving.  If we are going to blow…

On August 28, 1963 in front of Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., Martin Luther King Jr. delivered a speech that became a pivotal turning point in U.S. history.  What made Dr. King’s dream a reality was his literally devotion to being in action.  He acted despite adversity, ridicule and criticism.  His thoughts and opinions were not popular and were considered not acceptable at the time.  What would…

What's a better investment, a studio apartment in Midtown Manhattan or one space on your used car lot?