It's one thing to be great on the phone, have efficient systems in place, or even flaunt a sleek, modern website. But, oh boy, it seems like we're a bunch of klutzes trying to fit a square peg in a round hole with those tasks. Now, ever wonder why we trip over these hurdles? Maybe we're spewing the worn-out "time is a luxury we can't afford" excuse, or even the grand old "we've sold cars since the dinosaurs roamed, and we're doing peachy." Peachy? Really? Is being stuck in the mundane rut of "peachy" enough when it doesn't hack it anymore? My personal favorite is the guy that’s “so busy” he doesn’t have time to actually manage and just spins…

It feels like we have a crystal-clear view of the monster that is our challenge, but we're too frozen to fight back until it lands a sucker punch. Even when we're swaying from those punches, we lash out impulsively rather than addressing the root cause. That being, the absolute need for our Sales Consultants and BD Agents to be trained in an ongoing manner, our systems to be as smooth as a Ninja, and our website to be a welcoming front door for our clients. But, there's a tricky buzzword, "experience," that often sends us down a twisted rabbit hole, a loop that's been our record on repeat for over two decades. The endless saga of auto industry discussions about change, only to half-heartedly implement and forget about.

Newsflash: roping in a trainer for a day of jargon-loaded sessions doesn't count as training, sorry to burst your bubble. Just as a sudden, impromptu brainstorming session with your GSM isn't a genius move. Ever pondered whether pulling a GSM from the thick of his workday is a brilliant strategy? Blindsiding them with a half-baked problem, expecting them to spew out immediate solutions, which turn out to be just that - rushed verbal diarrhea. What happens to team morale when they go back and regurgitate the same nonsense about their performance? Worse still, let's assume you revisit the GSM a couple of days later for updates, and they give you a blank, deer-caught-in-headlights stare. Sound familiar? Well, you might then turn to a random sales consultant or BD agent for a quick "quiz," only to get the same shocked stare in return. Add to this the GM breathing down their necks while they're on a call, and you've got a perfect recipe for a disaster (and turnover).

So, what does this paint? An unpretty picture, that's what. And no, this isn't about playing pinata with the GM. It's a wake-up call to a rampant issue. Everyone wants to level up, but to do that, you need ammunition - clear goals, training, and seamless processes. Without these, we're basically trapped in a chaotic battlefield, drowning in uncertainty. Nobody wants to be the joke of the lot, but it's a foregone conclusion when a nincompoop is running the show. It's high time we ditch the dunce cap and zero in on what can bring about real and sustainable change at the dealership level. Give your GSM a minute of your time, let them rally the troops to ensure the website is all shiny and new, guarantee there's a refresher on procedures, and crucially, set up a system for continuous training. Stop being the hare and start being the tortoise; because when $h!t hits the fan - and it will - chance favors the prepared.

Investing a little time in your managers can reap the results we want, not just in trust, but in fostering a positive, proactive atmosphere in your dealership. It's common to view training or change as "rocking the boat," in the sense that “if it ain't broke, don't fix it.” But, have we hit rock bottom to the point where we've forgotten how to patch things up? Maybe, but the silver lining is there's no shame in wanting to "repair" the root of the problem. Confronting the issues that can potentially derail us as we adapt to the evolving new normal. If you're genuinely keen on solving the problem at its source, take a breather and complete a free Phone and Web Mystery Shop and let’s see what’s truly what...

When it comes to training, there are an endless number of things that you can prioritize. While the specific issues you may be facing at your dealership may be unique, there are certain things that every sales training schedule should include.

Set More Quality Appointments

Setting appointments is the lifeblood of automotive sales. While you may see some foot traffic coming in from people looking to buy a car, there are so many dealerships out there that you need to be proactive about driving people to come to you and buy a car from your store. Your phone agents are the key to this. If they are spending time on the phone with potential customers, but they are constantly failing to convert these conversations into appointments, then they are wasting their time, the customer’s time, and your dealership’s time. Training should focus on getting them to set commitments and increasing the average ratio of appointments set to phone calls. But not every appointment made is a good appointment. Not only do your phone agents need to be setting appointments, but they also need to set appointments that actually show. It may take several steps in training to get to this point, but your end goal should be to have more appointments with more people showing up.

Resolve Concerns Quickly

The longer someone has to spend on the phone with an agent, the worse their impression of the service tends to be. While this isn’t necessarily fair, it is something that your phone agents need to be aware of and something they need to work with. In order to shorten phone call times, your phone agents need to be able to find information quickly, keep the customer on topic, and address concerns in a thoughtful but efficient manner. This isn’t an easy thing to do, and it takes training in phone skills, phone scripts, and knowledge databases to make sure that they can find the information that they need as quickly as possible.

Standardize Procedures

In order to make sure that all of your customers are being properly taken care of, you need to have standardized procedures set in place to help phone conversations run smoothly and issues be escalated appropriately. The thing is, if they aren’t properly trained in your dealership’s procedures and what is expected of them, phone agents will find their own way of doing things that may make life more difficult for everyone. Regular training on procedures is important to make sure that everyone is on the same page. This training also provides the opportunity for your phone agents to bring up any issues they are struggling with in regard to procedures. Make sure you listen carefully to these concerns. Your agents are the ones on the phone all day, and they know what the issues really are. They are also in the best position to help you find the solution to whatever problems you are dealing with because they are the experts.

Empower Action

The most effective phone agents are able to act for themselves within dealership procedures and satisfy the demands of your customers. You don’t want your phone agents to constantly be looking to you for approval; you want them to be empowered to act and problem-solve for themselves. The point of training is to give them the tools that they need to do this. While there are always going to be some issues that need to be escalated, empowered employees know how to handle these situations to the best of their ability, and they are often able to resolve conflicts that may have overwhelmed a less well-trained employee. Training should focus on helping phone agents learn how to use their tools, such as phone scripts and knowledge databases, but it should also focus on building their soft skills.

In addition to these areas of focus, you should make sure that you take the time to evaluate the performance of your phone agents individually. This can give you an excellent overview of any areas that need improvement, and it allows you to set goals with each of them that are tailored to help them and your dealership succeed.

Need help with phone scripts? Check out our free ones here!

Sales agents spend much of their time on the phone, so it’s important for this time to be used effectively. While some may be natural at selling, everyone can stand to have at least a little training to help them out. There are some areas of phone etiquette that you should be focusing on to help them be the most effective.

Active Listening

Active listening is one of the most important things a sales professional can focus on. Not only will it help them understand what the customer’s actual concerns and needs are, but it also helps the customer feel validated, which in turn helps them have a better experience and a more favorable impression of your dealership. However, active listening over the phone requires different skills than active listening in person. Because body language can’t play a role here, sales agents need to get comfortable with vocalizing affirmations and conversational cues. Active listening can also involve asking clarifying questions and restating what the customer has said to show understanding. One of the best ways to train on this is through Active Coaching. Not only should you be evaluating how your sales agents perform on actual phone calls, but you should also give them opportunities to roleplay and learn to verbalize what they may normally use visual clues for.

Conflict Resolution

If there is one thing that sales agents can count on, it’s that there will be angry customers that they have to deal with over the phone. No one really enjoys dealing with it, but it is a fact of life when you work on the phone. Active listening can play a huge role in fending off conflict, but when it rears its ugly head, you need to have the plan to deal with it. The number one thing you need to train into your sales agents for these situations is the ability to stay calm and roll with the situation. Nothing is worse than having a sales agent lose their cool and fight with a customer. They should also be given resources to resolve the conflict and the necessary information on what they can and can’t do to resolve the conflict. This is where phone scripts and other resources become incredibly valuable. Not only will they give your sales agents the path, but they also help them determine when the phone call needs to be escalated because they are out of options.

Information Gathering and Research

In order to answer any questions your customers have, your sales agents need to be experts in gathering information and researching any questions they aren’t familiar with. This is best accomplished if they can stay on the phone with the customer and give them the answer quickly, but it may occasionally require putting a customer on hold and searching out the information needed. Your sales agents need to be intimately familiar with the knowledge database and how to look things up in order to make sure they find the needed information as quickly as possible. Phone scripts can be incredibly helpful in this area, but you should also make sure that your knowledge database is well organized so they are able to search for any answers they may be unfamiliar with. Make sure you give your sales agents, especially any newer ones, adequate time to become familiar with how any search functions work and what the organization is. The less time a customer has to spend on hold, the better.

Setting Appointments

No matter how much time a sales agent spends on the phone with a customer, if they aren’t able to set appointments and commitments, then they aren’t being effective. While sales agents won’t be successful 100% of the time, it is important for them to be effective at setting commitments and appointments with the people to whom they speak. Phone scripts are helpful for this, mainly because they prompt the necessary parts of the conversation. Still, you should also employ active coaching and stealth testing to see how each agent is doing and whether they use their resources appropriately to set commitments.

Good phone etiquette training is an integral part of helping your sales agents to be effective employees and to see success in their phone conversations. These sales agents are a large part of the overall impression of your dealership, so make sure you prioritize helping them find success.

Would you like to know how Phone Ninjas can help you? Click here to learn more about our methodology.

We’ve all come across the “just looking” tire kicker that hits our lot on a sunny Saturday afternoon or the one calling around every dealership for a deal but won’t disclose their timeframe to buy. They have what feels like a million questions or no questions at all, they want to drive your entire inventory, or they just want to peek into a window or two and not be bothered. Each person is different regarding their purchasing process and prowess and how they warm up to a sales professional.

While some customers’ processes are cut and dry, others seemingly have their sales associates jump through six flaming hoops before they decide to purchase. Regardless of the nature of the customer, the sales associate should be working to perfect their craft with each experience they encounter.

Effective sales associates are efficient in each process that they complete. Over the phone (if they take phone ups), they are communicative and lead the customer through the call to an appointment. When working with a customer in the showroom, it’s the same. We work to keep clear and concise communication happening throughout the customer’s time at the dealership, which we anticipate leading to a sale. *always assume the close*

The question is, how does this happen? Through trial and error, we find what works and what doesn’t work in the communication process with our customers. Efficient sales associates are taking note of their interactions with customers, training from management or consultants, and evolving as they grow. They are consistently working on themselves, which in turn creates more opportunities and, of course, that statistically creates more sales.

Occasionally, when a new process is implemented on a sales floor, it can create a stumbling moment for everyone involved. However, great associates will strategize on how to overcome the hurdle and make it work because, as we know, most new processes are set in place to benefit the group, not hinder them. If the new process has multiple steps, superior associates will work on what is easy and then focus on one trouble spot at a time. It’s not about making it perfect right away either. Make the process whole by completing the steps mechanically and then it will become more natural as the “process” develops into a habit.

Just like practicing the piano, if you practice every day, you don’t lose the skill, you develop into a great player. If you do not practice the piano every day, what you learned while playing during your initial training will most likely fade away in the back of your brain with the algebra formulas you never use from high school. Skills used, practiced, and perfected on a regular basis will become habit. Skills that are not practiced or cultivated will never truly be a skill or a benefit to the person they were initially taught to.

So, what does this have to do with shoppers and buyers? If we do not work to utilize our skills with EVERY customer we encounter, whether we think they are buying or not, we will never know. We need to continue to work every opportunity with the intention of completing the process from start to finish with them. Keep working through the process and focusing on the sticking points to provide excellent customer service to each customer that we come across. If we broom the “tire kicker” they very well may go to our competitor based on their initial experience with our dealership. Take advantage of every experience and make the most of it. It will pay off in the long run. 

Artificial intelligence is one of the current buzzwords in business. Everywhere you look, articles and posts talk about how artificial intelligence can redefine your operations. Artificial intelligence has quickly become one of the most important tools your dealership can use to increase sales and the customer’s overall impression of your dealership and the sales process.

Identify Customer Behavior

In sales, one of the most important things you can do is understand how a customer thinks and is likely to act. This information can help you provide better customer service and more personalized interactions, especially during phone calls and in-person meetings. Artificial intelligence can analyze your conversations and customers' online behavior to help you understand what they need and want. Customer data is one of the most valuable things you can use in sales, so you should ensure that the data you are collecting is accurate and safeguarded. Data gathered from artificial intelligence can also identify customers’ root problems, spot customer trends and suggest actions to improve them, and capture your customers' emotional and cognitive responses in real time.

Boost Productivity

There are endless tasks that need to be done at a dealership, especially in the sales and phone sales departments. Finding a way to streamline these tasks allows employees to focus more on productive activities, spend quality time on the phone with customers, set appointments that show and buy, and follow up on successful sales. Artificial intelligence can take over some of the menial tasks and free up your sales and support agents. Not only does this help things move faster, but it can also help your records and other tasks be completed more accurately since they aren’t exposed to human error. These tasks also tend to be the least favorite part of the workload, so removing them can also improve morale. These tools can also make your phone agents' jobs easier, leading to more overall success.

Assist in Coaching

To have effective sales, your phone agents need to be properly trained. Artificial intelligence is an incredibly valuable tool for coaching and training. Just as it can analyze your customers in real-time, it can also measure and analyze your agents’ performance while performing their jobs. This data can help you identify performance patterns and decide what kind of coaching each employee needs. During individualized training, artificial intelligence can also provide assistance at any point and immediate feedback during the training process rather than having to wait. Allowing mistakes to be corrected at the moment prevents them from being reinforced. With the data gathered by the system, you can also allow employees to have more customized training, which will work to your advantage. Combined with experts' coaching sessions, artificial intelligence training can help your entire department of phone agents reach new levels of productivity and success in appointment setting.

Improve Communication

Your clients care about the communication they receive. In fact, the communication you have as part of the sales process is often one of the things that leaves the biggest impression on clients. Artificial intelligence allows you to set up automated messaging filled in with the details of your interactions that best reflect where the customer is in the buyer's journey. These digitized communications are perfect for following up effectively after setting an appointment. Reminders as the appointment approaches make it more likely that they will actually show up. Appropriate messaging after the appointment can improve the overall impression that your customer has of the entire experience, and it allows you to get real-time feedback on their impressions.

Suppose you aren’t using artificial intelligence as a dealership sales strategy. In that case, you are missing out on some of the most valuable tools you have at your disposal to improve the performance of your phone agents. To succeed with the state of the auto industry today, you need to use your resources to improve.

Are you looking for more resources to help with training your phone agents? Click here to learn more about our active coaching service!

Ouch!

Let's preface this article by saying it isn't about beating anyone up. It's about offering realistic insights into the struggles we're currently facing. If we don't tackle the issues we face head-on, we're asking for a rude awakening in the coming months. For those living under a rock, according to a recent NY Times article, auto sales in 2023 will be at a low that we haven't seen since 2011. Sure, with the increased gross profit, that'd be okay. But is that the perspective of looking through rose-colored glasses?

It's no secret that interest rates have steadily increased. And while half of a point here and there is minimal – it is considerably higher than it was at this time last year. So, while dealers previously could easily justify selling over MSRP in the past due to supply shortages – can they do the same when inventory levels start to saturate, and interest rates continue to climb to an all-time high? The reality is that the dealers will have to start selling again. And if we don't have a game plan, whether that'd be managing inventory or handling a sales process, then we're in trouble.

One of the biggest things dealers will have to be cautious of in the next year or so is what the OEMs will do regarding pricing and inventory. If dealers can maintain lower, nimble inventory levels, then it might work out. But even if dealers maintain lower inventory levels, it doesn't mean they will sell their vehicles. If the rates continue to climb, the customer may be more reserved when purchasing a car. Let us also remember that those customers who bought pre-owned vehicles in the last three years did so at an all-time high. And they will most likely be in trouble when it comes time to purchase another car. Think about it: those who bought in the peak of 2021 will already have their vehicle for a mere two years! If when those customers come back to possibly trade in their cars, are we really going to be able to get them into a new car?

If the customer is flipped, having paid at or above MSRP, or paid 135% of the used car value, the banks will most certainly limit their book-out values. So, are we ready and prepared to deal with the aftermath of selling at record-high profits? Is this going to come back to bite us? I mean, sure, we could do cash for clunkers as we did in 2008. But it's just that the beaters aren't necessarily going to be worth the money the customer needs to purchase a new vehicle. Not to mention, the banks – with increased APRs – aren't necessarily going to offer approvals with substantial negative equity without considerable cash down. And are the OEMs going to be prepared or willing to start offering increased incentives to purchase vehicles? If you've seen the latest trends in OEM incentives, they're actually down year over year, and it's not likely that they're going to go up.

So, what does all of this mean? Well, it means that we have to be strategic in the coming months. We don't have much room for error. Those with digital retailing on their websites – such as offering pre-approvals and monthly payments, ought to ensure their online processes are clear and to the point. How many customers have potentially exited due to the "potential" financing not being within their range? This will only worsen as trade-in values ease, and the lenders are only willing to book out so much of the value.

Bottom line: look, this isn't about being a pessimistic doomsayer; it’s about making sure dealers have a plan to tackle the issues we're going to face. If there is anything we have learned in the last decade is that dealers are resilient and often tackle challenges head-on. Tackling those challenges head-on means that we must have effective processes on the dealer level. Ensuring that we're correctly handling every opportunity we get. Long gone are the hay days of the pandemic when the customers came to us without any objections. There will be objections we have to face, and if we don't face those objections head-on, we will have a hard time.

The good news out of all of this is that there are resources available to ensure that you're on the right track. Every phone call counts more now than ever. Take a minute to submit for a free stealth test. We will mystery shop your dealership, offering insights on what your team can do to improve their customer service. And no, this isn't a one-time phone call review. It's a long-term strategy for improving and refining their technique. A technique that will prove itself valuable in the days ahead.

Are you ready to tackle the challenges ahead in 2023?

Who doesn't like a nice front-end gross profit? Most of us would be lying if we said otherwise. In the last three years, things have been different, right? For the first time in years, we consistently held a healthy front-end gross profit on new vehicles. Something that seemed to be of a bygone era. Previously, we'd focus on how much we're willing to lose to hit the stair-step program from the OEM. It has been refreshing, though another conversation is to be had for those dealers who have charged egregiously above MSRP (I’ve never sold a car for over MSRP in my life). So here we are today, and it's as if the days of losing front-end gross are behind us. Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? As inventory supply eases, we must prepare ourselves for the days ahead.

There have been several articles as of late that indicate the days-to-market supply has steadily increased. It's evident that increasing inventory levels will provide customers with more options. Options they haven't had in the last three years. Where previously, the customer had a choice, you either purchase what I have on the lot, or you don't. Heck, vehicles were selling before they even hit the dealers’ lots! But there's a good chance that's about to change in the coming months.

How will that change? Well, it depends. Some suggest that it will be a chaotic dance between the OEM, Dealer, and the customer. Noting that whoever "blinks" first will set the tone on pricing. Will the OEMs start to provide customers with incentives? Will the Dealers fall back into offering discounts off the front-end gross selling under MSRP, or worse yet, below invoice? Or will the customers refuse to pay at or above MSRP? Who will blink first?

There are a few things to note in these questions:

1.    Customers will have more options if there is an increased supply of vehicles on the dealers’ lots and having more options can create less urgency on the customer's behalf.

2.    Whereas arguably, the last three years have created a deep sense of FOMO if the customer didn't purchase the vehicle, they'd literally be missing out.

3.    But with more inventory and increased APRs, the customer might be less enthused to purchase a car.

a.    You pair that with dealers slipping in responding to customer inquiries or the Sales Consultants unable to follow a sales process on the dealer level, and we're potentially putting ourselves in a tough spot.

A tough spot that might make it harder to sell a vehicle to the customer. Think about it, if the customer no longer has FOMO - as there're more options to choose from - will they be as willing to pay at or above MSRP with increased financing costs? Not to mention, we have to think about where the OEM will stand in this situation. Suppose the OEM starts to offer the customers increased incentives paired with increased inventory and potentially less demand. In that case, it can create a trifecta of madness that has the potential to upend the days of selling at or above MSRP.

Not to mention, if we as dealers do not offer the customer the experience they expect, i.e. a seamless transaction vs. one riddled with breakpoints and frustrations - are we giving the customer a reason to do business with us? Albeit, this isn't a doomsayer "run for the hills" mantra. But make no mistake; it is about ensuring that our dealers have strong, solid sales processes so that as pricing eases, inventory increases, and the OEMs reevaluate incentives, we're offering our customers a positive experience. Giving them a reason to purchase their next vehicle from us.

So how do you make sure you're prepared? Well, it's simple. Start with a free stealth test. Having insight into your store's potential breakpoints will allow you to tackle the concerns. It's tackling those concerns that can (and will) set your dealership apart from the rest. 

“Take it or Leave it” has been a very common theme occurring in the auto industry over the past two to three years. While it seems to be that customers are evolving and adapting to this moniker (or reality), is it something that we should be allowing to stay as a practice in our place of business?

Those of us that are taking a look at the bigger picture know that this way of sales is not something that will be available in this “seller’s market” for very long, nor should it be. One year, over the span of 15-30 that a customer may be purchasing cars for is not enough time to adapt to this “hot” market. We cannot forget that great customers stick with us, and all of our customers are going to remember their experience when they came to purchase a vehicle with our dealership. While we all know that not EVERY experience is a great one, we should strive for excellence for every customer that walks in our showroom doors. 

We need to have everyone on our team present a united front when it comes to this philosophy as well. The phrase “one bad apple can ruin the bunch” rings true. When everyone is on the same page working for the greater good of the team, we will prevail. Presenting a unified front on the phone and in person is also crucial to this cause. If we have one person with a poor attitude brooming customers at the front door or over the phone, it won’t take long before word gets around about a lack of empathy for the customer. With social media “reviews” and cancel culture running rampant, we need to strive for excellent customer service each and every time we interact with our customers.

Some customers are impossible to please, however if we have a standard that is set and followed, it is very easy to rest knowing that we made every effort to assist, and the customer was just unreasonable. Right now, there are plenty of reasonable customers getting the short end of the stick when it comes to genuine customer service because the staff assisting them only sees 30 days in front of their face. They think that because they hold the cards that they will be able to cherry pick customers or that by the law of averages, someone will want the vehicle that their initial customer did not.

The other item to consider is that growth is seen most through adversity. Sales is experiencing an unprecedented era where customers NEED to order/reserve ahead of time to get what they are looking for and sometimes there aren’t even vehicles to test drive. Learning to adapt to this has been tough across the board. Those associates that stick with the concept of customer first and foremost are going to come out on top in the end.

So, to sum this all up, we MUST focus on the larger picture. Focus on assisting each customer to the best of our ability including communicating all available options in an organized and professional manner. When this is done, and we are thorough with explaining the process and current market (even if that isn’t what the customer really wants to hear) we cannot go wrong.

A customer will take note of how they were treated over the phone and in person regardless of whether they heard what they wanted or not. And they’ll talk about it. Let’s make sure that talk is positive, and we are cultivating loyal customers for life. 

Difficult phone customers are the most nerve-wracking thing to deal with as a sales agent or customer service representative. Even if you have years of experience, having someone get upset or yell at you can just ruin your day. Luckily, there are skills that you can develop that make these calls easier and can even help you deescalate the situation successfully.

Don’t React

The worst thing you can do when you are on the phone with someone who is upset or being difficult is to match their attitude. Rather than giving you any real satisfaction or solving any of the problems, reacting and matching their attitude is likely to make things more difficult and escalate the situation. When you feel them start to escalate, make sure you keep your responses calm and polite, even if you want to scream back at them. Once you are off the phone, you can vent to your coworkers, but in the thick of it, keeping your cool and not reacting is the most valuable thing you can do.

Validate Their Feelings

One of the reasons that people get upset when talking to agents on the phone is because they feel they aren’t being heard or that they aren’t being taken seriously. Validating their feelings and acknowledging that a situation may be difficult or frustrating can go a long way to diffusing the tension. Validation doesn’t mean you have to agree with them, it just means you are acknowledging them. Rather than ignoring the emotions, if you give a difficult phone customer space to acknowledge that they are upset, you can take the wind right out of their sails.

Focus on the Main Issues

Once people get going, especially on the phone, it can be hard for them to stop. It can easily snowball away from what is important and what you can actually help with. Rather than chasing down everything that they bring up and trying to solve all of the problems they may be upset about, choose one thing and focus on that. Start with the main issue, which will usually be whatever got them started with being upset in the beginning. This does require some active listening and verbal dexterity because you don’t want to make things worse, but with practice, you can keep them on track.

Offer Appropriate Solutions

No matter how much they want you to, there will be some situations that phone customers bring up that you will not be able to solve. Sometimes people want things that aren’t possible, whether it is because they don’t understand what they are asking or because they have unrealistic expectations. Rather than explaining why you can’t give them what they are asking for, give them the solutions that are available for their main issues. Focusing on what you can actually do to help them, rather than what you can’t do, can make the situation more productive. It also redirects the conversation in a more positive direction, which can diffuse some of the tension. 

Stick to Your Script

Phone scripts are incredibly helpful for navigating any phone call, and they are doubly important for difficult phone customers. The point of phone scripts is to give you the tools you need to deal with different questions you may get, the information you need to give, and the solutions you can offer. When you end up in a difficult conversation, these scripts not only give you the answers you need, they can help you avoid promising things that the company doesn’t offer or that aren’t a good fit for the situation. Even if you are nervous, you will have a resource in front of you that gives you the cues you need to handle the solution and lets you know when it is beyond your ability to handle and you need to call in reinforcements.

These skills don’t develop overnight, so make sure you practice them on all of your calls so you are trained and ready for the difficult ones. You can even work with your coworkers when you have slower call volumes to role-play difficult scenarios ahead of time to make sure you won’t be caught unprepared.

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We'd be lying if we said we didn't enjoy the stint when cars drove off the lot faster than we could purchase more inventory. But as that winds down, we must ask ourselves, "are we prepared to sell cars again?" Let's be honest; in the last three years, we could easily overcome objections, and more so, we could even hold record levels of gross. But did we actually follow a sales process in this frenzy? Most will admit they didn’t.

Given that customer response times have slid in the last three years, chances are that the sales process did the same thing. And while we've always struggled with consistency in our sales process, it will become even more critical in the weeks and months ahead. As inventory shortages ease, customers will soon have more options. So, if we're not equipped to answer their inquiries or effectively assist them, we're setting ourselves up for failure.

The good news is that it doesn't have to be complicated. It's time we get back to the basics - or as they say – block and tackle the core aspects of a sales process. Keeping in mind that the customers' buying behavior has changed in the last three years. But the fact remains that customers expect their inquiries to be answered. And more importantly, customers expect to know the next steps when they enter the dealership. It's safe to say that the customer is not coming into the dealership for the fun of it. They're at the dealership to purchase a car.

Make no mistake, though, as the customer has more options, their patience to deal with a lack of a sales process might not last. And do we really want to lose out on sales opportunities simply because we don't follow a sales process? Instead, we should first focus on ensuring our Sales Consultants and BD Agents are aware of the process and when it begins, online and/or on the phone. That is understanding the various options the customer has when inquiring prior to coming in. So that when your Sales Consultant or BD Agent is working with the customer online, on the phone, or in the dealership, there is continuity.

A fluid process both outside and inside the store will make a difference in the customer's overall experience. And having a good experience - because you follow a solid sales process - means more vehicles sold with better CSI. It sounds simple, right? But the hard reality is that, more often than not, each of your Sales Consultants and Sales Managers tends to follow their own processes. That only makes it that much harder to effectively manage the breakpoints in their processes. None of us are perfect, and all of us have room to improve. So why make it that much harder on ourselves by having to manage several different sales processes at once? Instead, focus on one sales process so that no matter who's working with a customer, as a Sales Manager, you can easily step in or assist your Sales Consultants without causing unnecessary breakpoints for your customers.

To get started, take a minute and check out our FREE stealth test. We could all use a tune-up as we work towards a new normal. That is following a consistent sales process!