Chris Vitale's Blog (86)

Take it or Leave it...

“Take it or Leave it” has been a very common theme occurring in the auto industry over the past two to three years. While it seems to be that customers are evolving and adapting to this moniker (or reality), is it something that we should be allowing to stay as a practice in our place of business?



Those of us that are taking a look at the bigger…

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Added by Chris Vitale on January 23, 2023 at 9:10am — No Comments

5 Skills That Can Help Appease Difficult Phone Customers

Difficult phone customers are the most nerve-wracking thing to deal with as a sales agent or customer service representative. Even if you have years of experience, having someone get upset or yell at you can just ruin your day. Luckily, there are skills that you can develop that make these calls easier and can even help you deescalate the situation successfully. …

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Added by Chris Vitale on January 21, 2023 at 1:01pm — No Comments

Who Needs a Consistent Sales Process? (hint, we all do!)

We'd be lying if we said we didn't enjoy the stint when cars drove off the lot faster than we could purchase more inventory. But as that winds down, we must ask ourselves, "are we prepared to sell cars again?" Let's be honest; in the last three years, we could easily overcome objections, and more so, we could even hold record levels of gross. But did we actually follow a sales process in this frenzy? Most will…

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Added by Chris Vitale on January 18, 2023 at 10:00am — No Comments

BDC and Sales/Service Staff: There’s a difference in their phone process… but should there be?

There is nothing better than a well-oiled machine when it comes to working efficiency. On a dealership level, by that, I mean - everyone has a set of specific tasks, they focus on completing while co-workers perform separate/similar work for the greater good as well. In theory, this is the way a great business operates and succeeds. But is that truly the case when it comes to phone etiquette and process at a…

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Added by Chris Vitale on January 17, 2023 at 9:00am — No Comments

How to Use Inbound and Outbound Sales Techniques to Boost Revenue

When it comes down to it, your dealership’s success relies fully on your ability to close sales successfully. There are various ways to accomplish this, but inbound and outbound sales have become the buzzwords of car dealership sales. But which one should you use, and how do you make them work for you?

 

Inbound vs. Outbound Sales

To understand how to use each sales method properly,…

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Added by Chris Vitale on January 16, 2023 at 2:00pm — No Comments

What's the ideal appointment system in the shop? Service BDC or no Service BDC?

There are a few points to consider when debating on adding a service BDC. How big is your shop? What are your primary appointments being made? Are your advisors overworked, or can they handle making their own appointments? These are all important things to consider when determining whether a service BDC is right for your shop. 

A large shop should be bringing in much work. That statement alone…

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Added by Chris Vitale on January 11, 2023 at 9:00am — No Comments

Did we learn anything from Carvana?

It's hard to believe that March 2020 will soon be three years behind us. Digital Retailing became more than just a call to action on our websites three years ago. Many dealers quickly responded to the pandemic by offering customers the ability to purchase their vehicles online. Or in some cases, dealers provided at-home delivery. But just because dealers offered customers the ability to purchase their…

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Added by Chris Vitale on January 10, 2023 at 8:30am — No Comments

How to Improve Your Outbound Calling Strategy in 2023

With the start of the new year, you should be looking forward to what you can do to make 2023 a success for your dealership. While there are endless marketing strategies to employ, having a solid outbound calling strategy should be at the core of your efforts. Whether or not it was successful for you over the last 12 months, there are things that you can do to make it more…

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Added by Chris Vitale on January 9, 2023 at 11:30am — No Comments

Vehicle Upgrade Personnel in the Service Drive: Benefit or Detriment?

Over the past few years, managers have been working to turn every stone in the dealership regarding opportunities. One phenomenal idea created is called an “upgrade” or “exchange” program. If you’re not up to speed, a sales associate spends time in the service lane, and their job is to speak to potential service customers and work to convert that customer to a new vehicle sale AND retain a trade from the…

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Added by Chris Vitale on January 4, 2023 at 12:00pm — No Comments

New Leads with NO Response... oops!

As a customer, there’s nothing worse than being ignored or getting a response to your inquiry that doesn’t answer any of your questions. Before the world of Covid, many dealers heavily focused on answering leads in a timely fashion. Heck, even most, if not all, of the OEMs had standards in place to ensure that all leads were answered within a certain time frame. Yet during the height of Covid, when…

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Added by Chris Vitale on January 2, 2023 at 12:00pm — No Comments

4 Proven Ways to Improve Your Phone Training for Car Sales

Appointment setting is one of the best ways that a dealership can get people into the showroom to buy a car. But if your agents don’t see success on the phones, it can feel like a waste of time. Luckily, proven training methods increase your agents' efficiency in getting people into your dealership and closing sales.

 

Hold Regular and Ongoing Training…

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Added by Chris Vitale on December 29, 2022 at 12:00pm — No Comments

The Service Drive: Selling a job over the phone vs. in person

When breaking down the job of a service advisor in terms of selling work, a question that can get asked sometimes needs a bit more explanation. What is that question, you may ask?



Well, here it is:

 

To sell a job to a customer in the most effective manner possible… is it better in person or over the phone? A service department is a BUSY place. There’s always something going on…

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Added by Chris Vitale on December 26, 2022 at 10:30am — No Comments

The "sales to service" (and "service to sales") handoff is a little thing that makes a BIG difference!

The department-to-department handoff at a dealership is something that can be overlooked during the sales process. However, it’s a crucial step to creating a stronger bond between the dealership and the customer as a whole. Hearing, “I’ll buy a car from you, but I’ll never service my car here,” is something that should not be coming out of a customer’s mouth during the sales process. While that statement is…

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Added by Chris Vitale on December 20, 2022 at 11:00am — No Comments

How Active Coaching is Critical to Your Dealership’s Success

With the constantly shifting car market, it is more important than ever to focus on the things that will make your dealership successful and allow you to continue business as normal. While there are plenty of things that you can do to keep your inventory up to date, it is just as important to invest time and energy into making sure that your employees stay up to date as well. Ensure they’re getting the…

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Added by Chris Vitale on December 19, 2022 at 11:30am — No Comments

How to Maximize Holiday Sales for Your Dealership

With the holidays in full swing and plenty of shopping happening, it’s important for your dealership to get in on the action to close out the year with a bang. Cars are a fairly popular Christmas gift, so it is up to your dealership to find a way to get the maximum value out of this time of year.

 

Get Involved in Charity

Nothing…

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Added by Chris Vitale on December 15, 2022 at 3:08pm — No Comments

5 Mistakes Sales Reps are Making on Inbound Sales Calls

The telephone is your most reliable source of leads. Inbound phone calls allow dealerships to gather more detailed information about a customer's needs, resulting in higher conversion rates. Since six out of every ten inbound calls to the sales department have…

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Added by Chris Vitale on December 13, 2022 at 12:30pm — No Comments

Phone Skills: Fixed Ops vs. Sales | What’s different? What’s not?

Generally, when someone thinks of customer service for a company functioning out of one singular building, they assume it should be the same across the board. When it comes to a dealership, however, customer service can vary based on the job and its purpose. Not saying that it shouldn’t be excellent no matter the department; however, each department functions differently. Some interaction is B2B, other interactions are front facing to the public, and a large portion of interactions are…

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Added by Chris Vitale on December 12, 2022 at 11:30am — No Comments

Use Video to Differentiate Your Store

Using video to engage sales prospects is an effective way to provide information and enhance the customer experience. By creating engaging and informative videos, car dealerships can showcase their inventory, highlight features and benefits of specific vehicles, and even offer virtual test drives. This can help car dealerships position themselves as a trusted source of information and a go-to destination for car buyers.

 

Let's explore some of the reasons why your dealership…

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Added by Chris Vitale on December 9, 2022 at 3:54pm — No Comments

Service to Sales Handoff: When, How, and Why

At a dealership, we are responsible for doing everything we can for our customers. Sales and Service are set up to make a profit in their respective departments; however, sometimes their paths cross when it comes to assisting a customer to the fullest extent in an all-too-common situation… When to keep servicing and when to upgrade. 

The sales…

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Added by Chris Vitale on December 5, 2022 at 2:30pm — No Comments

Back to the Future

What Does the Future of the Automotive Industry Look Like?

 

The automotive industry may feel like it is in constant flux, but there is actually a lot more stability than you might otherwise think based on the news reports. That doesn’t mean that the industry isn’t experiencing some major developments. Technology is constantly changing how the world operates, and car dealerships…

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Added by Chris Vitale on November 23, 2022 at 5:30am — No Comments

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