All this technology is becoming very popular around and among dealers.  Sales people can pull up apps and show customers all the details about a particular car in stock.  Customers can shop and research before they get to the dealership, and an Internet staff can track web visits and initiate contact with potential customers.  All at the speed of light.

     Thanks to the innovation of Steve Jobs and Apple, we can "i-anything" we want.  But there is one important ingredient to success in auto sales.  And if we're not careful, it will become a lost art.  I'm talking about eye contact.  As with trends in the past, dealers and managers are jumping on the technology train like it's the last way out of town.  While there is no doubt that tech tools can add to a dealers success, it's not the end all that some would have us believe.  Sooner or later we are going to have to talk to customers face to face.  And if we forget how to do it, customers will find "old school" pros who still understand human contact.

     Picture this.  You head out to your service department and take a look around.  What do you see?  Along the walls or in the middle are huge red, black, or blue boxes with countless drawers.  In each compartment are tools that your tech use.  When asked, most dealers estimate that their techs have about $15,000 - $20,000 in tools in those boxes.  Take the time to actually ask them.  An average tech will have about $25,000 - $45,000 in tools and your master techs will approach over  Shane tries to be sold at a Jeep Dealer $60,000.

     I bring this up to show you how many different tools there are to fix each of your customers' cars.  Yet, I've never seen a job where a tech was forced to use every tool in his or her box.  More importantly, they haven't invented a single tool that can do any job.  In other words, use the tool you need for the task at hand while feeling confident if a surprise problem shows up, you probably have the right tool to handle it.

     That's what I feel about technology.  It's an awesome tool.  In fact, I am committed to using it to its full potential in building my business.  No dealer should be without the most current technical applications.  That said, technology is just a tool in the box.  It may be your favorite tool, or even the best tool.  But, it's a tool none the less.  Feel confident with the fact that you have it, but know what your other tools can do for you as well.

    I even remember my first calculator.  It was $85 and I got it in 1969 as I was starting high school.  But, how much use would it be if I never learned basic math skills?  It's the same with all the tech toys.  You can push buttons, access apps, and all that, but if you never took the time to master basic selling skills, you may as well be playing PONG!  

John Fuhrman is the Senior National Trainer for Carolina Automotive Resource Services, a unit of The Dealer Resource Group.  His ten books have reached 1.5 million readers and he has trained sales professionals around the world.  John Fuhrman - Permission to reprint this post in its entirety, including contact information, is hereby granted.