Things Will Change, If You Don't

Every dealership has an 8-10 step “road to the sale.” Every sales consultant from the novice to the veteran has the same step- by- step process outlining everything from the approach to the landing of a sale. Just as a roadmap (full disclosure, I cannot read one) or navigation system aid the driver in getting to a specific destination, so too does a dealership’s step- by- step program lead a sales consultant through a sale; consistently. That was the disclaimer; the map must be followed consistently in an effort to shorten the trip and make the sale. Make a wrong turn; the trip (sale) will take longer. If you are having a tough month, it is not due to inventory, bad credit, or saying, “Candyman” 3 times in the mirror; you are simply skipping steps.

The “road to the sale” is like inputting the right combination into a lock. When the right sequences of numbers are imputed, the lock is opened. Even though we know the correct combination- during a rough month, we sales consultants are guilty of insanely trying different combinations out of desperation to make a sale. There are 18,333 variations of a 3-digit lock; how many variations are you trying on your customer in an effort to make a sale? Now do you wonder why you are getting mixed results?

Certain customers will warrant adjustments- not changes in the “road to the sale.” If you have a customer who only wants “your best price” or refuses a test drive, you have to adapt and make the necessary adjustments in an effort to get them back on the “road to the sale.” Objections are detours in the road to the sale; although slightly off course, you will eventually find the main road again. Tiger Woods doesn’t change his swing in the middle of a tournament nor does Peyton Manning change the mechanics of how he throws a football; each make adjustments in an effort to win. The same is true for your career; when your “fight or flight” nature kicks in, resist the urge to make shortcuts (flight), and “fight” to stay on the proven course.

When we change course, we end up like a lost traveler, making things more difficult and the trip much longer. Plans work; families prepare budgets, pilots prepare flight plans, writers make outlines, and coaches prepare game plans all in an effort to get maximum results with little wasted effort. Being resistant to change will bring about consistent results.

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Comment by Marsh Buice on May 26, 2011 at 11:59am: Thank you Katie> I hope it helps; good luck closing the month out :)

Comment by Katie Colihan on May 26, 2011 at 11:44am: I even have a hard time staying focused at times. This was a great piece, and just the wakeup/shakeup that I needed!

Comment by Marsh Buice on May 25, 2011 at 5:24pm: Thanks Tony! I appreciate you reading and your comments>

Comment by Tony Provost on May 25, 2011 at 5:22pm: Great job. Having the discipline, to stay totally focused, is the true test for all of us.

Comment by Marsh Buice on May 21, 2011 at 9:00pm: Thanks for reading Patrick. Hope you have a gr8 weekend

Comment by Patrick Spencer on May 21, 2011 at 8:53pm: So very true!

Comment by Marsh Buice on May 21, 2011 at 10:41am: Sue, great comments!! I have to chime in on this one. You are 100% right, it starts on the desk. It often is the "do as I say not as I do" mentallity. We require our sales consultants to follow the road to the sale, but do not hold ourselves (managers) accountable due to the fact that a manger is rarely called out on it. We ask what kind of payment do they want to be at or what do they owe on the trade, but then turn around and blast a sales person because he just walked an up. The best example a mentor can show is the one he himself follows.

Comment by Sue Brief on May 21, 2011 at 10:31am: Nancy, thanks for the kudos. Its not really anything special, just an observation. When I worked in the dealership, I would drill this into my sales people's heads. Now, as an ouside consultant, I find that it is not easy. It really doesnt start with the sales people, it starts with managers who act and feel defeated. They take shortcuts, ask for credit apps before a customer even has a chance to sit down and expect the credit to be an issue. Under those circumstances, what are sales people learning? The big lesson? Why waste time with someone who "cant" buy. When I started in the business, any part of that behavior on my part would have gotten me booted out of the store, right after the customer left. Bottom line, I am seriously considering changing my way of doing things. My thought is that I wont even begin the internet marketing phase until all the managers and sales people are retrained in the basics of the way to treat a customer. My phiosophy? Why drive business in when the staff is only destined to drive them right out again. People used to take pride in being a sales professional, those people are becoming an extinct breed. The dealers who win are going to be the ones who give their customer a quality experience.

Comment by Tom Gorham on May 20, 2011 at 7:23pm: Oops! Sorry Nancy... I mean Sue! Oh well....

Comment by NANCY SIMMONS on May 20, 2011 at 6:35pm: Thanks Tom for giving me credit for Sue's amazing comment, but I must give credit where credit is due!!! The notification of the comment came to me on my phone via email, and I said..Wow, I said that? I am smart and forgetful!!!! LOL