It happens every day. You sit in your morning meetings and you review the daily log from the day before and you ask each salesperson, “What is going on with Mr. & Mrs. Smith?” And then it happens, the salesperson goes blank and gets that “deer in the headlights” look. You wait….. and nothing. Across the table there is always “the guy.” You know, the salesperson who thinks he is “The Man!” He starts chiming in and picking at the “deer in the headlights.” The sad thing is, when it comes his time to answer for his prospects, he then becomes the “deer in the headlights.” Now, through this whole play, there is that one guy. You know exactly who he is -- quiet, not really wanting to say anything, low key. When you get to him, he tells you exactly what is going on with each and every prospect he has, and you know it is all true information. Why? Because you, as a great manager, have been checking the notes in your CRM. And, you as a great sales manager, have been doing follow up calls yourself……. Or have you?

Here’s the deal folks: If you aren’t, I promise you that your competitors are.

Why is it that we expect and manage our sales associates to follow up with their prospects, yet we fail to do the same? If you aren’t, that quiet guy who answered every question about his prospects will be sitting in your seat in less than a year.  

I would challenge each and every manager who reads this blog to push themselves as well as their sales team to assign a period of time each day to truly focus on follow-up. I know that as the only manager in a dealership you are thinking “When the heck am I possibly going to have time for this?” I say you can! Instead of looking out of the glass and admiring the lot, PICK UP THE PHONE! Your sales team will see this. And, if you show them that you do it, and then manage them to do it, they will. In time, you will reap the benefits. Higher RDR numbers, More Be Backs, More Sales, and Higher Profits.

The choice is yours as a manager…… or you could just wait until that quiet guy who answered all of your follow up questions is asking you what is going on with your prospects.