A sales meeting should pump your team up not deflate them. Where they leave the sales meeting feeling defeated. Part of what makes a sales meeting successful is ensuring that you have all of your information in front of you - such as reporting and team performance - allowing you to quickly offer your sales team what is going on. However, more often than not the sales meeting is not productive, and your sales consultants do not feel that they have gotten anything productive out of it. To avoid this feeling, here is the ultimate guide to having a successful sales meeting. 

Not Everyone Has to Attend. Split the team into Two Groups. 

More often than not the sales manager will say “great weekend,” or “bad weekend,” but does not offer why it was a bad weekend other than providing excuses such as the leads being down, bad weather, or whatever other excuse was available. Instead of giving reasons as to why you did not hit the objective to the team, it is best to look at their individual performance. Offering each of your sales consultants a report that shows the following: sales opportunities, internet leads, phone calls, texts,  emails, demos, to’s, quotes, & sold customers. In which case, the report will outline what their activity was for the month to date in addition to the weekend. 

At that point, as a manager, you can see where the store is for the month and what each of your sales consultants is contributing to the store. For those who are not hitting their objective, it is best to have a separate one on one meeting. As you do not want to “deflate” the top performing sales consultants in front of those who are not meeting their goals. Instead, this time - during the meeting - can be used to work on areas that need improvement. Where your sales consultants can take away an “actionable” item from the meeting. Whether that is improving their demo or making more phone calls, which will, in turn, increase their appointments. 

As for the top sales consultants their meeting it is best to work with them. Taking the time to ask them what, if anything, they need to hit their objective. If they need some assistance in catching up with their follow-up, then take the time to make that phone call or email. In doing so, the sales consultants will know and most likely appreciate your efforts to assist them. 

Discuss Key Information. Marketing Programs. Sales Objectives. 

Another critical aspect of having a successful sales meeting is to ensure that what is covered is both relevant and necessary. Where more often than not dealers do not take the time to explain the current marketing efforts to their sales consultants. Making it harder to achieve the objective when the customer calls in and the sales consultant is unaware of the special the customer is referring to on the phone. That said, if a new marketing campaign were to come out is best to have a quick ten to the fifteen-minute meeting to discuss the latest specials. Making sure the sales consultants are aware of the program. 

Once you have taken the time to discuss the current marketing campaigns, you should outline the sales objective. Making sure the sales consultants know what the number is that the store needs to hit for the month. However, there is more to hitting the objective than simply sharing a number. You should take the time in the meeting to outline the plan of action. Namely, how it is that your still will hit the objective working as a sales team. 

Vendor Updates. Any Changes?

Vendor updates are often overlooked or unnoticed. That said, the sales meeting is the time to bring up any concerns or issues or updates with your vendor. Namely, if the CRM has been updated and there is a change in the sales process - how you access deal packets, etc. - then it is best to remind everyone so that your day is not interrupted multiple times to review the same update. Allowing you to focus on what is most important. That is working with the sales consultants to increase sales. 

Bottom Line: Meetings do not have to be complicated or frustrating. Your sales meeting should pump your sales team up. They should be leaving the sales meeting excited and ready to take on the month. And part of what allows for that to happen is ensuring that they know where it is they stand for the month. Working with your sales consultant to outline a plan of action - based on their activity - of what they will do to contribute to your store's sales objective.

Another key aspect and takeaway of a successful sales meeting are to ensure that when you are having a sales meeting to take the time and make sure that your sales consultants are aware of any current specials taking place.  Remembering that a sales meeting does not have to take all morning or afternoon. The more prepared you are - having an outline - the more successful your team will be for the month. 

Do you have an agenda for your sales meeting? Do Your Split Your Team Into Two Groups? 

Not all CRM platforms are created equal. And given the CRM is the foundation for many positions such as BDC, Sales Consultant, Sales Managers, Service, Equity Mining, etc. it is essential that the CRM offers the core competencies, which is what defines what the CRM is and what it can (and does) do for your business.

Sure, it is often easy to blame the manager for now “knowing” the CRM. And while that is the case in some instances. There are truly bad platforms out there.

Here are some of the top reasons your CRM is failing you!  

Interface

The user interface is an integral part of the design. There is nothing worse than a poor interface that was overly “engineered.” And what I mean by that is the average user (rightfully so) does not think like and or use the CRM as an engineer. The “road to the sale” (workflow) should be intuitive and approachable.

Namely, it should not take more than 5-6 steps to add a customer. Where the poor client is taken to more than 3-4 screens to add a customer in what looks like to be an exploded excel sheet. But more importantly, the color scheme and purpose from everything to the color, font, and icons have significant meaning that can - in so many ways - define the CRM’s image.

The icons (the “workflow” items: i.e., phone call, email, text, etc.) should be just that - representing the outcome. An “in-bound” outcome should show as “inbound.” Yet there are CRM platforms out there whose interface does not differentiate a task. Where all things are the same. Making it very confusing for the end user.

Lack of Innovation - Compromising User Experience

Long gone are the days where a CRM platform should have the excuse continuing to “add” to their legacy platform without revamping the integrity of their prehistoric platform. Such as chat programs, appraisal tools, etc. Oddly, too, one would think that vendors would have standards to ensure that their platform is not compromised within the CRM. As a dealer, though - if none of the new vendors for (chat, text, etc.) can work with them it is a tell-tale sign of an entirely outdated CRM.

I am sure many of you have experienced the pleasure of a lagging system when trying to access a third party vendor within the CRM such as chat, texting, inventory, etc. Where it either freezes or shuts down. Or worse, the texting “tool” cannot send images or video in a compressed file.  Imagine if that was resolved and the product offered a mostly seamless end user experience!

Inability to Search Effectively with the CRM

As you might know, all data entered into the CRM is stored in data tables. Hundreds and thousands of them. That said, marketing to unsold customers has become known to be an art form. When is the last time you asked your marketing manager or BDC manager how long it took them to pull a marketing list?

It most likely took quite a bit of time! In today's market, there are several types of lead sources phone-up, campaign, Internet, Equity Mining, etc. All of which - more often than not - require a different message. One size fits all is an outdated approach that will cause for there to be a significant opt-out rate essentially destroying opportunities.

That said, the CRM platform needs to adapt to the ability to pick and choose which sources to highlight being able to pull multiple at a time. Pulling on OEM (especially for those that share a CRM) one at a time takes hours! In what should be a relatively simple task.

Reporting

One thing that is understandable is the subset list  of “reports.” As it would be an enormous cost to the CRM provider to offer each dealership *free* customizable reporting, which can hinder the performance and the integrity of their platform. Makes sense. But what does not make sense, though, is not to offer the ability to quickly do an advanced search that can pull data in an accessible format.

For example, a BDC Manager might want to pull multiple Internet Lead Sources looking for appointments set, show, sold, etc. Looking to see how many times that customer has been touched, if they received a quote, did they open the emails? Yet you have to look at multiple (yes, numerous) reports capturing that data! Exporting all of that data to an excel sheet, which puts your dealership at risk for data theft.

Lastly, as a BDC Manager, a few other things the platform should be offering is “average days to sale” & “Busiest time of the day” where the BDC Manager can see how many days - once the lead hits the CRM - does it take to close the customer? Or what time of day does their traffic hit the CRM? All of which helps ensure they have the right staffing to manage the influx of business. Guessing what times are busiest can destroy potential opportunities.

User Profiles

It is never one size fits all! And having to create multiple profiles to complete a job is not necessary either. More often than not the CRM has multiple preset profiles where you either have it all, or you have limited access. Giving all personnel the access to potentially delete data, change workflows, delete templates, or manipulate reporting is a dangerous slippery slope! Not to mention, if your CRM does not have an audit trail or reporting on user activity - including logins with IP address - then you could be compromising your system. When is the last time you checked your CRM for data exports? Where your sales consultant or BDC Manager could easily export your entire database giving it to vendors in which case they can sell the very data you have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for?

Bottom Line

While in many cases the employee does need additional training. Take a minute to put yourself in their shoes. Looking to see what s/he is struggling with. If it is a CRM issue work with them. Asking yourself, how much business are you willing to leave on a table to use a compromised, unreliable, uninspiring platform?

By the way, if your platform cannot send photos via text than - wow - what else is outdated underneath the hood?

2017 was full of surprises, twists & turns. All of which offered a year full of new ideas and perspectives. Everything from email marketing in both sales & fixed-ops, customer video’s, email response issues, payments online,  to the debate on email marketing and its relevance, texting with the good and bad side - to last but not least, the importance of responding to negative reviews online!

Here are the top posts! It has been an incredible year and I very much look forward to seeing what 2018 brings to the industry!

No Response

I am not sure what’s worse the customer reading an email and not responding or not reading your specially written email at all!

A no response lead can be taken personally. I mean you have just spent probably 5-10 minutes writing an email responding to the customer's inquiry. In hopes of their responding, setting an appointment, and purchasing a vehicle!

Before beating yourself up for not getting a response - you need to step back and ask yourself what did you say in the email? Did the customer ask a question you missed? Did you send inventory options? Did you send your current specials? Namely, did you email include a call to action? An action that sparked “FOMO” (fear of missing out).

I have seen several emails sent out that did not answer the customer's main question (which is often overlooked depending on where the “comments” are displayed in the lead), didn’t sell the dealership, no branding, - the list goes on!

Top Reasons to Respond to Negative Reviews

There are two sides to every story. We live in a world where the customer is not always right. However, we know first-hand that it is ingrained in our minds that, well, “the customer is always right.” This is a slippery slope that leads to us chasing the customer that costs us thousands of dollars. The one that leaves hateful, irrelevant reviews.

That negative review though can also have a damaging effect on the brand. However, in retrospect, the customer will also look at your average rating. Sure there may be some instances where you have an off day. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t respond to the review, and close the issue!

Emails Are Here to Stay

Have you ever found yourself writing what you think to be an incredible email to only realize that the lead did not have an email! It’s the worst. For real.  

Whats even worse, though, is that most of the time we do not put enough thought into the email we’re sending the customer. Sending the customer a tangled mess of value statements, payments, sale price, self-promotion - failing to ask the customer for their business!

You have to ask yourself - why put that much effort into an email when you do not ask for the appointment!?

Texting - The Good Bad & Ugly

Texting is an integral part of business whether we like it or not. Texting is also not relevant solely because its what Millennials want, either. In fact, recent statistics have shown that the number of “click to call” continues to increase on mobile devices. A large part of that number is, in fact, millennials.

The fact of the matter is that our devices have offered a new means of communicating. And with a new means of communication comes the Fear of Missing Out, frustration, indifference, excitement, results, & issues - prompting the question - quite literally - what and how does texting affect the sales process? What is texting?

Top Reasons You Should Offer Payments Online

Convenience is a luxury. A luxury that many people seek. So why then haven’t we offered a simple solution that not only gives into the customer's expectations but also saves the dealer money too.

As of now, many customers are forced to pay for their services at the time of pick-up, which - in many cases - causes frustration, inaccurate discounts, and most importantly it results in an upset customer who just spent 100+ dollars - the customer who will destroy you on social media- what gives?

Progressive dealers are offering their clients a luxury amenity - one that s/he will remember - that is being able to pay his/her RO online!

Concerned? I get that, and security is a *key* concern for sure. But trust me, it is safer than the customer's credit application left in the employee lounge, or the driver's license and customer information left on the showroom floor.

Thanks for all the support this year! I am excited to contribute in 2018 Happy Holidays & Happy New Year! 

Driving sales Executive Summit isn’t just for the top level executives. It's also for the influencers. The ones that are working on the dealer level making changes through process development, vendor management, and their various business management related duties. 

I started in the industry in 2012 - having just graduated college - with zero experience in the auto industry. I quickly realized the opportunities that were available. Seizing the moment, and developing not just a job, but a career. 

Three years went by, and I knew I wanted more. I wanted to push myself working with others who wear the same shoes, and several hats. That is other BDC Managers who know and understand the daily struggles. Whether that is juggling answering leads, managing marketing, to influencing and working with the managers to increase the sales consultant's performance. 

DSES was something I dreamed about getting to attend. Every time I had asked to go to a conference, it was shot down. But shot down with Merritt. There had to be a reason to attend other than a quick trip to Vegas. I agreed. And it wasn’t until after three years had passed that I knew what my ‘why’ was regarding training. Realizing that while I am quite young - this is a make it or break it moment in my career. It also showed that I am not just loyal, but I am invested in their company. 

This year marked my 3rd trip to DSES and second year as a Best Idea Finalist. I cannot say that I was not bummed out that I did not take first either time. But that is not going to stop me.  Instead, it pushes me (much like the other classes do at DSES) to revisit what my ‘why’ is, and what I can do to better/improve the way we handle and approach change in our industry.

This year also marks my 6th+ year as an auto industry guy - in these six years I have created a foundation. A foundation that affords new opportunities, classes, and experiences that will define not just who I am, but rather what I do - and will do. This, however, all stems from the energy, charisma, and excitement that DSES embarks! 

Whether you are a BDC Manager, HR Director, GM, or even a sales consultant - DSES is the place to BE in October. And not just for the conference, DS offers an extensive catalog of industry, defining, leading standards that define what the industry is and stands for. 

It is time you attend DSES, and understand what your WHY is and start being a DOER. 
See you there next year!

Phone call quality is incredibly important, right? I mean the way your service advisor answers the phone - handling the customer - shapes the way the customer views your Service Department. 

So it is no wonder why dealers hire mystery shoppers or phone call quality experts to help them! The problem, however, is that all too often the GM or Service Managers are not on the same page or do not buy into the program. So then why would the advisor? It starts from the top and works itself down to the bottom. 

Here are the top reasons mystery shopping doesn’t work: 

What’s the end-goal? 

The trainer is not always the one to blame. In most cases, the dealer hires a training company who offers them a “fix.” That is training the advisors how to answer the phone, get the appointment, and most importantly - sell services! This all sounds fantastic, right? The idea that after having a trainer come in that your ROI will have a notable difference in the next month. But that is not how it works. 

If you do not have a clear expectation for what the mystery shopping will do for your service lane, then it becomes nearly impossible to track results. Not to mention, as a GM or Service Manager you might become frustrated with the program. All of which translates to the Service Advisor. 

Their Goals Aren’t Your Goals 

One training session is not going to fix all the issues. Most importantly, as mentioned above the change happens from the top down. That is the owner & GM being on the same page as to what the process is and should be at the dealer level. 

The trainer should use their materials in a way that compliments your process. Otherwise, you are sending mixed signals to the team which can cause a lack of interest or disengagement. That said, to have buy-in from the Service Manager I would offer that you ask him/her how you can help their team improve. Asking what some breakpoints are and how they can be addressed. 

Take a minute, and look at it from their perspective (with your thoughts), and this will help ensure that they feel a part of the process. Otherwise, they will become disengaged, which will be evident (again) to the service advisors. Not to mention, as the GM you too will become frustrated with the lack of improvement which can also cause a lot of dissension. 

Every Shop is the Same 

If your shopper fills out the same form, with the same questions, with the same process each and every time it becomes more apparent than the ever. And while there is the age-old argument of “if they know it is a shop they should knock it out of the park” it doesn’t work. The advisor feels beat down or worse - they feel like they are missing out on an actual opportunity to earn money. 

One of the things that a dealer should consider is paying their advisor to take the training for the day. So they do not feel as if they are “losing,” but rather you are investing in them. Offering them that you are cognizant of their being concerned with losing opportunities. However suggesting that the training will only help them increase their revenue.  

Coaching inbound calls 

This one is always the *trickiest* in that - in most cases - the Advisor is not *focused* on the customer whose on the phone. Instead, they are focused on what is in the lane in front of them. The customer who is standing at the counter also feels this pain. That said, the coach should offer two different types of critique. The first being that if they are on the phone (and a client pulls up), they gently address the customer letting them know that they will be with them shortly. 

The other being that if they do have a customer in the lane to get the customers information on the phone. Informing them that they will call them back in just a few minutes. The goal in this scenario is to offer excellent customer service to both customers. 

Bottom Line 

Before hiring a mystery shop or training company, the GM should write/jot down a list of items that they believe should be addressed. Have the Service Manager do the same. Compare the two lists and offer each person's perspectives. Working together to select which items take precedence. At that point, collaborate with a trainer & mystery shop company that understands your goals. Remembering that you shouldn't *bend* to their model. Instead, they need to work for *YOU*! 

Do you mystery shop your service lane? If so, what kind of pushback did you get, and how did you overcome that with your team? Do you think Mystery Shopping is a bust? 
 

OEM’s are continuing to develop Electric Vehicles, and while they are not dominating the market quite yet - it is important to take note on how they will - in time - affect the service department. Namely, dealer service centers will have to start taking notice of the EV trend and shift the services they offer to both accommodate the market and their new customer. Of course, while maintaining their profitability.

Electrek suggested that electric vehicle sales grew over 40% from 2012 - 2016 within the U.S. This is a staggering percentage - while it does not seem (on paper) large enough to shift both the conversation and services offered. It does suggest that dealers (especially those with OEM’s who are heavily pushing production) should start to entertain how they will provide services for their customers who have EV’s.

Here are the top items to entertain when discussing the servicing of Electric Vehicles within your service center:

Electric Vehicles Still need Service (but is there a catch?)

Just because the vehicle is electric does not mean that it is free of required services. And while it does not require oil changes or spark plugs - it will still need new brakes, ball joints, shocks, tires, cabin filters, and lastly it will, of course, have *more* electronic components. Components that will inevitably malfunction at one point or another requiring service.

That said, dealers will still be able to sell service agreements for these vehicles. Besides, when is the last time a dealer said: “oil changes are incredibly profitable.” With many dealers giving away oil changes to “retain” the customer.

Lastly, the OEM will still have required/suggested service intervals. Those intervals, though, will be focused on maintaining the vehicle.

Restructure Dealer Rewards Program

It is no secret that your dealer rewards program can be costing you thousands of dollars to run. Everything from the free oil changes to keep the customer in retention per the OEM’s guidelines - to the steep discounts you offer with coupons. All of which shaves money off your overall bottom line.

With the electric vehicle - you can restructure the rewards program to increase profits. The customer will still have to maintain their vehicle, but you do not have to give away free batteries, windshield wipers, brakes, etc. Instead, you can create service contracts that essentially become residual income. Offering the customer “rewards points” much like other brands do - such as “earn %” back on your purchase. In turn, allowing the customer to collect rewards points towards their service bill.

New Services that Dealers Can Make Money On

All things electric require knowledge and the ability to operate them. The customer - who will get a demo at the time of delivery - might require additional training on their vehicle. Dealers can (depending on location, etc.) offer in home services/tutorials for the vehicle. Charging the customer for the service. (No customer is going to pay for that, right?) Well, you’d be surprised. People do spend hundreds of dollars going to Apple’s Genius Bar to learn more about their ‘electronic’ devices, no?

Another component that the dealer will continue to make money on is the selling and maintaining of the vehicle's battery. Selling the customer an in-home charging station, which for those (even with extended mileage) will still most likely consider purchasing a charging system.

The takeaway from this is that while the electric vehicles do not own the market for now.  There will be incremental increases year over year. OEM’S will continue to promote and develop the electric vehicles. All of which is shifting the consumer's mindset as to what it has to offer - especially because anxieties are down regarding the range that the vehicle has to offer! 

It is better to join the conversation now than wait until it’s too late having developed an incremental plan that is both lucrative and adaptive to the current trend in the market. 

How do you handle EVs? Do you know how many you service daily? What are your thoughts on EV’s?

We have all been there - well, those who haven’t are lucky or have done some seriously good research -  and booked a reservation online because we were not only mesmerized by the pictures. The price was right. You add perfect pricing with amazing photos, and man do you feel good! You feel like you have won something! Seriously.

This is all very exciting except for when you arrive the pictures are nothing like the ones you had seen online. It sure does set your experience off on the wrong foot, no?

Well, let’s face it. Dealers are also expected to uphold certain standards in appearance and atmosphere in the Service Lane.  

Here are some top things to avoid & do to enhance your customer's experience:

1. You want to make sure your building is free of smoke smell. There is nothing worse than walking into a building that wreaks of an ashtray. It will inevitably turn off the customer.

2. If you offer amenities such as hot dogs or sandwiches, make sure to keep the food area clean. Making sure the food is presentable. No one wants a burnt, shriveled hot dog that has been left out since yesterday morning. Lastly, make sure employees are not lounging in the customer waiting area eating the food. The customer might not feel comfortable settling in if there are employees in the chairs and eating the food.

3. The bathrooms should always be stocked, and if you do not have a cleaning company, you might want to assign a detailer/porter to check the bathrooms throughout the day. Our customer does not want to have to dry their hands on their pants. It is just awkward.

4. Try and keep the chairs as clean and orderly as possible. If you have leather chairs, make sure to wipe them down. If they are torn and dirty, it sure doesn’t make for a nice place to sit. Let alone spend money in.

5. Wi-fi - make sure to have wi-fi that is in alignment with your OEM standards. Not having wi-fi can make the visit a drag. Not to mention, it is a *great* way to get the customer’s name & email. This is common practice at hotels.

6. Music - try and refrain from playing music with curse words or content in which can be deemed too racy. Remember, it is a family environment. This isn’t a club.

The cleaner and nicer your service lane is the better the customer's experience will be. The better their experience is, the more s/he will spend!

How do you handle keeping your Service Lane clean and organized?

Convenience is a luxury. A luxury that many people seek. So why then haven’t we offered a simple solution that not only gives into the customer's expectations but also saves the dealer money too.

As of now, many customers are forced to pay for their services at the time of pick-up, which - in many cases - causes frustration, inaccurate discounts, and most importantly it results in an upset customer who just spent 100+ dollars - the customer who will destroy you on social media- what gives?

Progressive dealers are offering their clients a luxury amenity - one that s/he will remember - that is being able to pay his/her RO online!

Concerned? I get that, and security is a *key* concern for sure. But trust me, it is safer than the customer's credit application left in the employee lounge, or the driver's license and customer information left on the showroom floor.

Here are the top reasons you should allow your customer to pay online:

• Customers are busy at work, no? So if they are busy at work and you are offering them a “solution” to their being busy they might spend more. Think about it, you are in the middle of adding things to your cart at work - boss walks by - and all of the sudden you are clicking as hard as you can to get that order completed. Most of the time without even thinking about it. But the thing is you aren't thinking about your order - instead, you are thinking about getting back to work, but you are relieved you got the order in! (Whew, thank goodness for Amazon’s One-Click Purchase, seriously)

• Convenience = Luxury - there is the fear of the unknown - in so far as knowing exactly what your bill is for the repair. So if you can inform the customer of the *exact* charges for their services they have the peace of mind knowing what the costs are allowing them the convenience of coming in grabbing the keys and going!

• Having the customer pay at the time of service online can assist with accuracy. Having to rely on the cashiers - who are handling more than one thing at once - is asking for inaccuracies to occur. Everything from getting the wrong email (if you are expecting a receipt, you will always give a valid email, no?), wrong discount, or not knowing what the charges are, and what if the customer has a question about their charge forget it the advisors and manager have left for the day - so, they have to wait all night wondering what happened. All of which leaves a bad taste in their mouth

• Customers want convenience. In today's market, you not only have to sell a product, but you have to sell the advantages of your product and services. What about your services offers the customer a unique, hassle free experience?

Do you offer your customers the ability to pay online? If so, how has that increased your overall customer satisfaction?