Counter Assertion

If you’re in a sales position of any sort, or you’re a customer
or client of someone “selling” you, you know that the most
common response to an objection or concern from a salesperson is
to cut price.

I know. I’ve been “in sales” since the age of eleven. And, when
it got tough to sell what I had to offer, the very first thing I
did was cut the price on the very thing of value I was offering.

It wasn’t that I didn’t think what I was offering was valuable.
It was that I just never thought to give the “reasons why” they
would benefit from what I was offering.

Well, I’m here to tell you that if people percieve you as being
like everyone else, all they have to go on is comparing price.

The job then, is to educate your prospects on the enormous value
you deliver. Otherwise, it seems, you’re just another company
delivering another commodity product or service.

The secret to establishing value for your product or service and
building credibility with your prospects and customers is
simple: Tell the truth.

* If your product or service costs more than your competitors,
tell them why. It will create value that they didn’t see before.

* If your product is made with a stronger material than your
competitor’s, tell them why. It will let them know that your
product is more durable than your competitions.

* If your guarantee is longer than the competition, tell them
why. It will show that you truly believe in your product and are
willing to stand by it no matter what.

* If you’re having a private sale for existing customers, tell
them why. It will show them how special they are and how much
you care about them.

* If you do business differently than anyone else in your
industry, tell them why. It’ll show that you’re not just another
commodity and copy-cat business.

* If you’re selective about who you’ll do business with, tell
them why. It’ll revere them as special and increase their
confidence in doing business with you over and over again.

You see, it’s very simple. Educate them. Tell them the reasons
why, and you become not only the leader in your field of
expertise, but you become the resource that your customers want
to follow and respect.

How many businesses you do you know that actually tell you the
“whole truth” about a product or service or special they’re
offering? Not many. And the one’s that DO explain the “method to
their madness,” are the one’s that are very successful.

Honesty and education breeds credibility and trust. Avoid being
vague when you communicate an offer. The truth and nothing but
the truth will help you become the business leader you know you
can be.

Automotive Sales Training, while not necessarily a glamorous
topic, is a subject that needs some attention. Dealers, as they
continue to battle the manufacturers with the higher and higher
CSI demands, the need for continued and professional automotive
sales training will only grow.

Think about it for a second as we walk through a typical
scenario. A guy/gal just finishes college, or they have heard
from a friend how lucrative the automotive sales business really
is…so they wander on down to their nearest dealership. (I am
obviously over simplifying here).

Once the dealership and this guy/gal decide that there is a good
fit; the automotive sales training begins. The problem, however,
is that we have found that the majority of fast paced
dealerships simply don’t have the necessary time to sit down and
ensure that their new staff members are properly trained.

Sure, many of them are trained on the “steps-to-the- sale,” but
in today’s day and age, automotive sales training needs to go
much more beyond the basics. Here are a few areas that
automotive sales training programs can no longer go without:

1. Sexual Harassment Training 2. Human Resources Training 3.
Contract Training

An effective and efficient Automotive Sales Training program
that goes without proper “Sexual Harassment” training is setting
the dealership up for a future lawsuit. Ok, having someone come
indo a 1 hour compliance seminar, then having the entire staff
sign a document stating that they understand the elements of
sexual harassment is not going to cut it. Not in the least. We
are hearing of dealerships that still maintain 100% of the
liability, as a sharp attorney is easily able to pierce that
“piece of paper,” arguing that it is merely a piece of paper and
not a true intention of the dealership to act in good faith to
prevent these actions.

Speaking of effective automotive sales training programs. If you
do not take the next step and have “Human Resources” training,
the dealership is once again looking for trouble: trouble that
you just don’t need and can easily eliminate. Look at it this
way, by simply engaging in a simple once-per-month course for
all 1st year employees to sit with the Human Resources manager
and go over the policies and procedures of the dealership, you
will be miles ahead of any future lawsuits.

Last, but certainly not least, is “Contract” training as it
relates to your automotive sales training program. What do I
mean by “Contract” training? Well, as we all know, most of the
individuals working in the automotive sales industry do not have
a finance degree. They do not understand the related contract
laws that apply in their state. However, these are the same
individuals that we rely on to ensure that applications,
customer statements and final paperwork are documented properly.
Granted, the finance managers in most states are required to
have some form of “insurance license,” but this does not mean
that they get the proper training around contract law and the
nuances associated with the contract. We are seeing day in and
day out, simple mistakes being made by staff at the dealership
nullifying the legality of contracts every day. This can easily
be avoided with a proactive management team.

My message here is simple: automotive sales training does not
end with the “steps-to-the-sale,” but actually should just be
the beginning of the new salespersons training program. Dealers
need to protect themselves in every aspect, and this is not
something that they can decide to do later.

Visit www.mindsetforsales.com to learn how you can acquire the
skills to stay ahead in this game!