Comment

Comment by Kurtis Smith on September 28, 2011 at 2:37pm

I do not believe it is passe, but I do believe it is incomplete as a stand alone process to meet the challenges that dealers are facing in the area of business development. The road to the sales if taught as a stand alone process creates reactive salespeople because they have to wait to for a client to engage them before any of the steps can be used. But if it is taught as part of a more complete process, then its relevancy cannot be denied, especially when described the way David explained it.

Comment by DealerELITE on September 28, 2011 at 2:22pm

David: dE would love another David Martin video!

Comment by David Martin on September 28, 2011 at 2:17pm

Thanks Craig. All automotive professionals I know understand this but many have taken their eye off the ball and need to be reminded occassionally.

Comment by Craig Lockerd on September 28, 2011 at 2:11pm

Well done!!!!

Comment by Mr. Natural on June 28, 2011 at 1:29am

Nice to meet you David...Indeed, good stuff, well put, so true....But here's my dilemma: I'm the Internet Director. We are a department of three, with our office in a VERY healthy small store. There's plenty of well paved road to the sale right out on the showroom floor. Triggers, trial closes, demonstrations, needs analysis, and all that good stuff. The problem is that from where I sit, there's a thousand blogs, consultants, trainers, who would have me think that they KNOW how to run a department like mine.

The problem is this...their solutions, their protocols, their processes all seem to be the same old dry stuff. Each one all looks and sounds the same. Nothing sets anyone apart from anyone else. Who decided for all of us that our internet efforts all had to look like all the T.V. ads from years gone buy? I don't want to be the guy in the sweater vest standing in front of the store that's "jam packed with great deals." I want to stand apart. I want to be somebody that your mom would say: "I like those guys, they really seemed interested...Lets go see what they can do. I think they'll work at our pace."

When I talk to a customer on the phone (and I talk to hundreds) I tell them that I care, and that I wanna' be their guy in the car business. Regardless of how much research they are doing, nothing will happened until they come to the dealership. You can't sell a car on the internet...well, perhaps one now and then. but when push comes to shove, they'll tell you they want the best deal they can get anywhere, and that's when I tell 'em: "Of course you do, and you know where that happens? Right here."

We all know that pit of despair we fall into when a customer we've had in front of us for two hours finally wriggles out of our best efforts, and leaves without the car for whatever reason. Once they have gone what have you got? NOTHING...Nothing, the same thing you have when there on the other end of an email. Nothing!

David, you put it so well in the above video, and it has been and still is, and always will be the right road. How about the road to the Internet Department Sale? Not the same road modeled to fit online. A new road that starts building the rapport, the trust, and relationship that in today's world we need just to get them in, not to mention to sell them something.

I'm getting tired of seeing 50 year old T.V. commercials re-structured for the internet. We're not static, we are interactive.

g~

Comment by David Martin on June 24, 2011 at 9:01am

Thanks, David. I have often seen the results of dealers without imbedded an sales process when we first take on a new client and it's not a pretty sight.

Comment by David Long on June 23, 2011 at 7:10pm

Good stuff David! I would like to see the results of the dealers that do not have a sales process in place.

Comment by Chris Saraceno on June 23, 2011 at 5:37pm

Another Great video! Thank you David

Comment by David Martin on June 23, 2011 at 10:56am

Thanks for all the nice comments. Most professionals in our business know that a sales process is critical. That's why whenever business slows down at a dealership, someone always says " we've got to get back to the basics". Makes you wonder why we ever get away from them. 

Comment by Brian K. Martin on June 23, 2011 at 8:20am

Mr. Martin is exactly RIGHT!. The "Road to the Sales" is even more important today in our price driven industry. Consumers have gotten away from quality and value and shifted toward deep discounts. The road to the sales is designed to establish the customers wants, needs and budgets; but, the road to the sales is also to help build value. Use the road to the sales to build value in the car, in the dealership and in yourself. If done correctly customers will pay the dealership more for the car because of the value they have received.

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