The rise of the sales scientist is a reality as we see a far more scientific approach to driving sales,especially relating to all aspects of the car sales industry now and moving forward into the future. The automotive industry needs to consider the reality that in the monetary sales arena they have not kept pace, as younger professionals opt for careers that offer far more lucrative packages.The average industry basic salary here in South Africa as well as base salaries offered internationally are driving talent into other fields.

The thrust of this article is not about salaries or the old adage that if you pay people peanuts do not be surprised when you get a troop of monkeys working for you.What really interests me more is the ever changing dynamics in the industry and the battle between the skill sets of new age executives versus the old school traditional sales profile.

The question many older executives may have to start asking themselves is could they take on one of these new generation of sales scientists.The skill sets may well vary however could they clean the showroom floor outselling them with traditional skills, solid basics and showmanship? The other pressing question that many executives may seriously need to consider is how to get up to speed by equipping themselves with a digital briefcase, whilst learning new skills and applying them.

The answer perhaps lies in the fabric and make up of each executive and how they have chosen to develop themselves over the years or in some cases how they have not .The movie, The Matrix refers to a ghost in the machine or glitches in the program of the Matrix. The same applies to the sales field as anomalies exist. The human touch is still a very real and important driver in sales that many traditional executives excel at.

I have personally experienced and seen the cultivation of a reactive sales culture where an executive has the belief that because they have sent a client an email they are in communication with them. I prefer picking up the telephone and calling them and finding out if it is a good time to talk,before bursting into a sales dialogue. In my opinion the best form of communication is to talk to people but what is even more important than that is to listen them and to ask pertinent questions.

On a fiscal note executives can have a rewarding career and make a very lucrative living out of selling cars. The right attitude is a vital key in unlocking automotive sales success. I have visited a number of dealerships over the last few months and there appears to be a mismatch between the level of service and skill.The truth is if you do not have an understanding of what is important to people in their purchasing journey and why, you will struggle to understand them and have little or no chance of closing a deal.

I often ask aspirant candidates in a job interview situation to define the word sales for me. The answers are often very far away from what I would define as a good answer.

Sales very simply is the process of helping somebody to buy something.The true sales professionals follow a process, that is customer driven and more importantly that offers up value in the negotiation phase.They understand what is important by asking the right questions in the right manner.The discovery phase will go a long way in building trust and creating clarity and an understanding for both parties.

I believe the best way for forward thinking sales executive to thrive and prosper in the modern environment is to blend old school basics with the latest trends, technologies and a scientific approach to optimize sales. The old ways have a solid place in the business model as they add value as executives that employ excellent soft skills, rapport building aptitude and an understanding that they are in the people and service business do well in sales.

The battle between the emerging sales role of the scientist versus the traditional sales executive is certainly a topic of great interest that has pros and cons for both respective sales roles.

The scientist is more analytical and chooses a technologically driven strategy.The scientist is data driven however as a result could be a more reactive profile and may lack traditional communication and rapport building skills.On the flip side of the coin the traditional sales executive may be battling to drive the deals,create the footfall and manage their daily activities with little understanding of modern tactics and skills.

I believe that those that can embrace and adapt to change will make the transition to modern times with great success by developing and reinventing themselves. Happy ,motivated and engaged staff that are trained,coached and have developed the new skills that are needed in modern times will be the right people to have in the sales team.

In closing the automotive industry has to start thinking about and developing new roles within the framework of the dealership.A few that I like are the company coach,the product genius, the data scientist and the digital strike specialist.

Car dealerships needs to once again become a focal point and hub for personal contact and interaction with customers.One of the best ways to do this is to ensure you offer a superior service offering and that your dealership is a must visit destination that offers a customer centric experience. Delighting customers from the initial handshake to the handover with genuine care and authenticity coupled with superb follow up and after sales care will build trust relationships for life.