Hands on training.
What do you think of real hands on training? Not just in the class room or on the show roon floor. I mean real hands on training on the lot taking people on demos, service walks, going outside prospecting and walk arounds. Do you think this is much better and gets way more results?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve Richards on -
Depends on how you do it. If the "hands on training" is based on the personality of the trainer it's worthless. Most trainers, when they apply their selling "skills" in a hands on situation, use their confidence and personality to demonstrate for the trainees "how" to do it. Personality isn't transferable, nor is any other trait. Only skills are transferable. Much of the training we see consists of a trainer demonstrating skills which are 30-years old, woefully inadequate, tired, worn, and Neanderthal-like. Hands on or not, it is counter-prouductive.
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.
Why don’t more dealers recognize there is a problem with the sales strategies and tactics taught to their sales teams? The simple answer is that most dealers have sold many cars, but few have ever bought one while experiencing the typical retail sales process. So rarely (if ever) has anyone said to them what their salespeople are trained to say to prospects.
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Permalink Reply by Fran Taylor on
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You have a interesting answer Mr Richards. I agree you have to be liked and trusted before people change. If a trainer teaches why, when, how and what is the benefit to the sales person to change is so important. It's a much easier to train when you can back it up with plenty of referrals. As far as old school, some of old school is still best. I think a combination of old and new is best of all. Nothing will ever take the place of showing someone how to do domething compared to telling them. Thank you sir.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Richards on
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Fran, we agree, showing is powerful, but can also be intimidating. And showing someone the wrong way to do things, which the vast majority of sales trainers are quite adept at doing, is responsible for more lost sales and sales turnover than any other one factor. To draw an analogy; I, looking to improve my golf game, visit a local PGA Professional. A lesson plan is drawn up and executed. The PGA Professional may be a very competent golfer, but an incompetent teacher. Showing me how to hit a "cut" 6-iron is a far cry from teaching me how to hit the same shot. Further, much of the golf teaching strategies from the 50's and 60's have been found to be counter-productive. If this "professional" is still doing it the "way it's always been done" (just like most automotive sales trainer with few exceptions) my golf game will regress. A sales trainer who spends more time talking about his personal "history" of success than studying modern sales strategies is a dangerous and damaging human being - and our business is over-populated with just that type of individual; you know who they are.
As for “old school” I must respectively disagree. Other than the vehicle presentation and test drive, nothing from the old school works with any degree of consistency and most of it runs both prospects off the lot and sales people out of the business. “Old school” creates an offensive (to the consumer) sales process, an expensive (for the dealer) sales process, and an inefficient (for all parties) sales experience.
I enjoy your writing, keep it up!
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THANK YOU. I didn't want to knock others but you are right. Lots of sales people tell me they go to training and it is like entertainment rather than training. Very few are specific in training. It's all about attitude but trainers don't tell you how to keep a good attitude. Prospecting, get your name out there but don't tell you how. WEW DO THIS KIND OF TRAINING. As far as old school I'am talking about going out to people and get leads and sell cars. Roll the red carpet out like I was taught. Doing a service walk every time. Thats almost unherd of today. An appointment board in the show room so the manager can see what is going on as it happens instead of being hidden in some computer. Most stores don't have coloring books for the kids. A show and tell book sold me a lot of cars. I could go on and on. This I guarantee will sell cars today. Sales people want to know who you are, why should we listen to you and what's in it for them. I don't brag but tell them I sold 40 to 50 cars a month in less than two years doing what I 'am about to tell them. I show them referral letters form salespeople now selling 30 to 45 cars a month by doing this training or dealers that doubled there business in twenty months. Forget the ra ra stuff that comes when they know just how easy it can be by making a few changes. I have written more success articles in Auto Success magazine than any other trainer. I also work with some of the largest dealers in business. I'am sure there is some trainers that really gets on the floor but I honestly don't know any. Yes sir I guarantee this traing not only works but is the best and I can back it up with many referrals and some are # 1 in the USA. I'am just letting people know there are different choises they have when it comes to training there peple. Thank you sir for your comments.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Richards on
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Fran, using your definition of "Old School" I concur; I call the skills like prospecting, selling the service department, and rolling out the red carpet basic, but necessary sales skills, not old school! More valuable that what one did in the past for himself is what one is doing now for others - you qualify as a pro in my book.
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Permalink Reply by Katie Colihan on
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I think it depends on who you're training. The so-called "new guys", will absolutely be more open to receiving such training. But if you're trying to update your salespeople on new ways to approach customers/objections, I'm sure your veteran staff won't be open to the hands on training.
I also think it depends on how you approach the training, whos doing it, what's being covered...maybe how you approach it is also the determining factor to how many of your staff will be on board the training train!
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Couldn't agree with you more Katie. Thats why I start out showing the old pros people who changed and how they make $100,000 or more a year and hardly take ups. You are right some won't change but a few will. Sales people that have been selling 8 years or more shouldn't have to take ups. I never have found a cure for a lazy person. Thanks.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Brown on
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Fran
I reckon it differs by individual, but should be part of the learning experience. Lots of sales people want to be shown the 'how to' physically as you suggest. This is why the team leader as a coach is so critical to the success of the sales person.
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Mr Brown I couldn't agree with you more. You can walk in 100 dealerships and I dought it if you will fing one that actually has taken there sales people on a demo. Or taken them out and show there sales people just how easy it is to prospect. Yet you talk to a dealer about the internet and they will all listen. The managers today are doing things on the computer that they didn't do ten years ago. The sad thing is most dealers spend less than $500 per sales person on training a year. This has always been the case for most stores. I really believe dealers can do a better job with the customers they have just by having someone actually do hands on training in all areas like we do. Thank you Mr Brown for your comment.
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Permalink Reply by JP Buzzworthy on
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I'm on the fence on this one. So much of what is said to a prospect is contrived ahead of time or said for very specific reason, in order to lead a customer down the road to a sale.
Shadowing someone that is working a customer may cause more confusion than good if you don't train the person ahead of time with regards to what will be said to say to prospects, and why, before hand.
Case in point:
You're a half mile away from the dealership, ending the test drive.
Salesperson: SO...other than price and the things we've already talked about, is this the car you want to own, today?
Customer: Well....I suppose if you can get the price right, yes.
Salesperson: You had mentioned you really needed to be around $400 a month on this car. So if we can keep it around 400 to 425, no more than 450, you'd be ok with that?
Customer: Yes.
Salesperson: Great, park it right there in the SOLD LANE and we can go inside and finish up!
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We all know that the above presentation was chock full of trial closes, assumptive closes, final objection probing and even a payment bump.
When done smoothly, to the "naked ear", it sounds like a normal harmless conversation.
To a Green Pea, it would sound like a normal harmless conversation.
Unless you sit that future superstar down and explain the road to the sale first. Explain the variables that can come up during the test drive trial close. Teach them how to overcome them, before they witness it happen in real life, they just won't "get it".
If anything I think a good way to train, would be classroom training, followed by role play, and then maybe go out as a team, but instead of SHOWING THEM, have the trainer be the shadow and take real time stock of what the salesperson said and come up with feedback based on reality.
Just my $.02
JP Buzzworthy, one man internet department.
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I honestly love your answer Mr Buzzworthy. If a salesman can't tell you the steps of a sale and what you are to do in the steps of a sale, he shouldn't be taking customers. I train one week in class to get this done and one week on the floor. If you have a salesman that has been in the business for 7 years and still taking ups he needs training. What I have found is the guys- gals that are selling 20 or more are equally interested in training as a new person.. Those are the people most willing to make changes and are eager to learn new things. It's easy to me. I teach Why, when, how and what you will get for making the changes. Sales people really love it when you say, follow me I will show you just how easy it is. When you tell them you were selling 40 to 50 cars a month in less than two years doesn't hurt eighter. Thank you sir.
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Permalink Reply by aaron kominsky on
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I see hands on training as amust in order for any salesperson to ever want to succeed I also feel you need to be a complete pro fessional at all times steps of any type of sale are needed to be repeated over and over agian you have to pratice drill and reharse every step , everyday of yur professional selling carerr and if you're a amgr the same goes for them with their tasks at hand It's not rocket science , YOU CREATE A WORLD CLASS EXPERIEINCE BUNDLED TOGETHER WITH THE RIGHT KNOWLEDGE AND PROPER SKILL SETS AND YOU WILL BE A TOP NOTCH PRO ! we all know the 5 to 8 car guys who fall into them but wat does it take to be the 30 plus? Attitude , number ` focus plus discipline = results
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