Lagging in car sales, not sure what to do differently.
Hi everyone.
My name is Ian Knell and I am relatively new in car sales. I started about 12 months ago at a very high volume, high pressure dealership where I was top salesman every month 12-15 cars.
I recently moved to another dealership due to the stress level from management. I was getting sick every morning before work and was constantly rode hard even though I was a top performer.
I took my customer database with me and I always kept in contact with my customers, I sold more new than used and I really built up the brand I was selling. I almost think too much because now it seems I am having difficulty turning those customers into the new brand I work with.
I am a very hard worker, I am always first here in the morning and last to leave at night. I make sure signage is in vehicles every day and make sure the lot is tidy and the cars are parked properly. I do my lot walk every morning and I always give exceptional service,
I am struggling with the lack of traffic here and I have exhausted all my leads pretty early at the new dealership. I am looking to get prospect ideas for a town about 80k population.
Some things I have tried:
Orphan database - I have difficulty when it comes to this because I am basically cold calling and I should really have some reason lined up why someone should buy now that hasnt recently, but I find I don't have great reasons and I dont think I am coming across in the right way over the phone. I think my message is sounding too "canned" if that makes sense.
Service customers:
I try to meet and greet everyone who comes into service, but I find I don't know the ways to move a service customer from service to a sale I find I get trapped into talking to them about the weather yada yada and I don't feel like Im strong enough to make a conversion. If I get a customer in front of me I have probably an 80 percent closing ratio, but service customers for me are a tough nut to crack.
I am looking for some pointers because at this point I am considering going back to my former dealership and putting up with the abuse and stress just so I can make ends meet.
Thank you in advance,
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mark Handlon on
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Your orphan calls should sound something like this: Your former sales person is no longer at this dealership and I am your new "account manager". I wanted to introduce myself, find out how the vehicle is performing and get to know more about you, your personal interests and hobbies and the rest of your family members. I would also like to have the privilege of meeting you the next time you are in for service.
If you present your phone call as a sales call, you will probably put the customer in an uncomfortable position. If you present the call as a customer care call, you will have much better success. You may not sell that customer a vehicle now, but they may have another family member looking to purchase in the near future. Find some common interests with the customer that are not related to the vehicle or a sale. That customer will have a totally different perspective of you and the call if you show them you care about them and not your next sale. This call is a "prospecting" call in which you are gathering information and planting seeds for the future. Reach out to these orphans at least once every three months or as the seasons change. Share articles or similar interests each time you contact them. A good CRM will allow you to make all pertinent notes and also allow you to schedule when your next call to these people should be made.
It takes at least two years to build a (your) business, so consider staying put and making this dealership your home if you can.
Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Hanson on
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I'm pretty new to car sales but for the service people I do two things first I look in the bay for some older model cars then find out who has them and what they are having done. After that I approach the customer and mention that I know they are having such an such done on their vehicle, how do you like that car? Have you considered looking at newer models or a different car all together? If you have time we can test drive something and I'll give you $15 off your services today (this is huge if they are doing a $30 oil change). If I don't see any cars like that I just hop in grab some coffee ask them what they are having worked on and talk to them like their an old friend I haven't seen in ten years.
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Permalink Reply by Steve Stauning on -
Try these talk tracks with your orphan calls: http://stevestauning.com/how-to-set-and-sell-owner-marketing-appoin...
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Steve,
Everything you have stated is 100% accurate! Most sales people do not have the discipline to follow the simple steps you clearly lay out. There was nothing better than hearing another sales person complain about being a greeter for me to my customers when they arrived.
Once again- "You can lead the hose to water but you can't make him drink".
Thank you for sharing your insights!
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Permalink Reply by Scott L Pope on
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after 40 years in car sales. Welcome to the club . What you're expierencing is normal in the car business. The more people you can Lease this time of year, the more consistant your buiness will become. Hey, I've never worked for a good Dealer yet. You can't do enough, you can't sell enough and they think you owe it to them.
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Permalink Reply by steven chessin on
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Ian
If you were the top-salesmen with 12-15 at the high-pressure store what can you expect at a low-pressure store ? The suggestions here are all good - but conventional - where you want nuclear. You are a "business-within-a-business" but can't close deals without floor traffic or leads. You are not a marketer. ---- That said, I believe that there ARE solutions for both you and the store but neither you, nor the store are identifying the cause of the weaknesses or the solutions.
A lack of appointments ---- comes from a lack of appointment closing --- comes from a lack of leads ---- comes from each foundational layer of professionalism. Maybe the decision to pick this store vs the high-pressure -- was also the wrong choice. Maybe you can find a professional, successful store without nauseating hard-sell abuse of the sales team to whip them into performing. You obviously do not need or respond to that. A different team might be the answer.
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