Tools, such as software, apps, websites, training platforms, and other advanced technology play a large role in our day to day operations in dealerships these days. Some of the brightest minds in the Automotive Industry have created tools to assist us in managing inventory, our customer relationships, and even our reputation.

However, all too often, the decision makers and people running these dealers view the tools as an “easy fix”. During recent visits to many dealers, one question they often hear from me is “What are you doing to improve your online reputation?” The common answer is “We just signed up with ______.”

To be clear, that is not the wrong answer. At least not completely. You see, software is a great tool to assist, however, it is not a strategy. Let me repeat. The software is NOT a strategy. If you want to run a first-class dealership moving forward, you cannot rely on the latest tech to get you where you want to be on its own. You have to develop a sound strategy with accountability measures and trackable growth in order to succeed.

Let’s outline a successful Reputation Management Strategy.

1.    Ask for the review: This is often where the software comes into play (which is fine), but it can’t stop there. Are all of your salespeople/service staff asking their customers for a review? Are they being reminded by their managers?

2.    Track growth: Do you have a dedicated team member or two tracking growth? How many reviews on each of the top review sites? Is your rating where it should be?

3.    Respond to all of them: Yes, you should respond to every review. Good or bad.

4.    Coach: Are you reading your reviews and using them for constructive feedback to improve your customer experience? That is, after all, the reason we want the reviews in the first place.

5.    Are you using your reviews in your marketing? Not much says more about what a potential customer can expect from your company that what a previous customer has to say. Use the reviews. They are powerful.

There you go. There is your outline. You can dive deeper into each step and personalize for your store, but the foundation is there. It has to go further than just signing up with the latest software that helps you ask for reviews.

Remember, software is not a strategy.

It’s no secret, in many markets the final two months of the year can be a tough time to get the results you were able to get in the summer selling months earlier this year. The truth though, is a lot of your top-tier salespeople have some of their best months in November and December.

Let’s explore why, and what you can do to be a top contributor for the next two months.

CRM is king

Obviously, this is true year-round. Day in and day out a professional (you are a professional, right?) salesperson makes the most of the tools they have.  The CRM is the most crucial tool to your success, and becomes even more vital in the slower months.

If you are in a market where the weather gets bad, and potential customers are more hesitant to leave the comfort of their homes, you will need to master your CRM activity to make the most of your opportunities.

Hopefully, your CRM provider and CRM Admin at your dealership have worked together to set up a proper follow-up process conducive to your success. Now, you must follow it! This is not optional. So many times, I see salespeople with overdue CRM activities and they fall way behind.

I get it. You were busy yesterday. You sold 2 cars. You had that one guy come up from service and take up 30 minutes of your time. The internet went down in the store for an hour, so on, and so on.

We all have things interrupt our daily plan and activities, but if you want to be successful, you have to make the time and find ways to keep up with your schedule.

Those who become masters at working within their CRM will not only have better success than their peers who don’t, but developing these habits now, during the slower months will also carry forward into the new year.

Make it personal

It’s very easy to get caught up in our day to day work that we often make our follow up about the car and the car only. When we do follow-up (probably not often enough) with our previous and current customer base, we send them some run of the mill email asking them “when can you come in” or a phone call saying, “how’s the car treating you”.

Guess what? Every car salesperson in the history of car sales is doing the same thing. Albeit, probably not even doing that as often and consistently as they should. You have to find ways to set yourself apart.

Call them and ask how they are doing.

Send them a card (you do have the holidays coming up).

Send them a video email to say hi.

It will take a little bit more work and creativity that most of your competition won’t do. This alone will set you apart and make you more memorable.

This may not sell you a car today or even this month, but once again, you are developing habits that will carry into next year and make you that much better.

Don’t believe that guy

You know who I’m talking about. The guy that’s been at the dealership 8 years. He spends half the year near the top of the board, and the other half in the middle because he spends most of his day staring out the window waiting for that good up.

He’s going to tell you how bad the winter is in car sales. He’s going to tell you that there is no traffic. He’s going to tell you that you won’t make any money.

If you listen to him, he’ll be right.

You can 100% control the success you have to close out this year. Trust me, there are plenty of top performers out there that do not care what month it is. As a matter of fact, they are probably looking forward to the next two months because they know most of the others will be focused on the wrong thoughts, waiting for the “busy” months.

Approach every day with a plan, stick to it, and you will find that November and December can be two of the best months of the year.

Go close this year with a bang!

In my time as a manager in the automotive field, I have lived by the mantra “protect the process.” This advice has worked well, and I still very much believe that a process must be protected to create the proper culture you are looking to achieve.

The real question is, do we sometimes get caught up in our process that we forget what we are truly paid to do.  Solve the problems that our prospective customer may have.

Protect the “Experience”

This does not change what we do. We still have a process to operate by. The change is in our mindset and the way we are training our staff. Are they more worried about our “process” or are we concentrated on their “experience."

Sales have been taught a long, detailed process for many years in this industry. From the greeting, to the close, we have to train and live the customer experience. Does your current process do this? Has your staff been trained to follow the process, or to use it to provide exceptional customer service?

For many years, we were taught one process for the lot, and a short process on the phone. It has grown much beyond that as our customers are reaching out via various mediums. We have lot process, CRM process including follow up, and lead response. Are these all set up with the customer experience in mind, or do we still operate with a “just get em’ in” mentality? You need to be able to adapt within your process depending on the stage of the buying cycle that your customer is in, and also based on how they want to do business.

This is not new, and the scary part is we still have many dealers operating 10-15 years behind the way their own customers are buying. Imagine spending 15-20 hours doing research online to finally picking out the perfect vehicle for you. Then you make the trip to the dealer to see it in person, only to be greeted by a salesperson that begins asking you 100 qualifying questions about what you are looking for.

Does this accomplish what we are looking for? Are you providing an experience, or just going through the motions. You need to have a short, streamlined process in place that a salesperson can adapt to based on the needs of the customer. Be prepared to confirm the information the customer has researched, and then provide them a quick, professional transaction.

This will protect your customers’ experience, and in return, protect your bottom line.

RELATED: Building Flexibility Into Your Processes

We are just a week away from this years Driving Sales Executive Summit in Las Vegas at the Bellagio on October 12-14th, 2014. This conference is widely known as a progressive meeting of some of the greatest minds and thought leaders in the Automotive Industry. 

If you are making the trip to Vegas this year, then you have taken the first step to improve your business and move the needle. You will be surrounded by greatness from all areas in business.

Here are a few tips to make sure you get the most out of your 3 day adventure. 

1. Have a plan: Conferences move fast, and there is too much information for any one person to consume. You need to go into this event with a plan laid out on what you are wanting to accomplish. During the breakout sessions, you will have to choose between some incredible speakers and topics. Don't wait until the last minute to choose which one you want to see. 
2. Choose topics wisely: We all have areas of strengths and weaknesses. If there is a breakout session on a topic that you consider a weakness of yours, then I would highly recommend sitting in on that session. Driving Sales brings in a large breadth of speakers and industry experts from all areas of the automotive industry. Use them to expand your horizons.
3. Meet new people: The beauty of Social Media is that so many of us across the country are able to make new friends in this industry from miles away. Make sure you meet AT LEAST 5 new people during your visit. There are so many great minds and not all of them will be speaking. Engage in conversation with some of your peers and you are guaranteed to walk away with knowledge.
4. Take notes: Lots of notes. You will experience a little information overload in the 3 days you are at DSES. Make sure you document as much of your trip as possible. Also, you can follow and use the hashtag #DSES, as many of your peers will be live tweeting quotes and information. 

This conference is a great opportunity for you to enhance your skill set and knowledge of todays fast paced automotive marketplace. Don't waste your 3 days. We are very fortunate that Jared Hamilton and the Driving Sales team put on this great event each year. Make the most of it. Your career will thank you later.

Have a great trip, and say hello if you see me! 

This is not a post intended to be a "ground breaking" best practice or the latest great technology that you should adapt in your store. This post is directed to be a great reminder of fundamentals that apply to everyone. We all rely on fundamentals. General Mangers, General Sales Managers, Internet Directors, and all other roles in the dealership rely greatly on basics to help them put their knowledge into play. The Driving Sales community is made up of many top-level performers that understand each topic listed below. Here is your refresher.

1. Attitude is first:  You must believe you can. Posture your brain for success by believing in your product, in your company, and most importantly, in yourself. 
2. Culture:  We all have the power to create the environment that we are surrounded with. It starts at home. Trust me, it will transfer to your work environment if you allow your personal surrounding to be negative. Mangers need to create the right co-worker environment. You know that 15-20 car guy that is toxic, but we 'put up' with him because of performance. Don't do it. You can replace them and build a better culture.
3. Find a Mentor:  The people that we put ourselves around is key. Stay away from the "poison" type and make sure you seek out other people that are where you want to be. There are plenty of very, very smart and hard working people in this industry. Reach out to one of them and see what you can learn. 
4. Search Information:  Look for new ideas. Expose yourself to "out of the box" ideas and keep an open mind. It may not make sense at first, but once put into action the new idea may take you to the next level.
5. Prepare to Win:  Plan your day, everyday. Not just at the beginning of the month when your manager or owner ask for the forecast. Look at it daily, and be ready to make adjustments. Have goals and keep them in front of you at all times. Write them down multiple times daily to keep them on the top of your mind. 
6. Become the MVP:  Be so valuable they would be crazy to replace you. Knowledge is the starting source for your value. If you become a resource to your company, or even our industry, the sky is truly the limit. 
7. Give Answers:  Our job as salespeople is to produce solutions. Your customer does not care what you know, or what you think. They want you to find their solution. Become a problem solver and you will find that when you provide your customer with what they want, then you in return will accomplish what you want.
8. It's Your Fault:  Take responsibility for your actions or lack of action. Don't make excuses and find a way to fix problems. We all have growing pains and need to look in the mirror to find how to get through them. Business slow? You must pick up your level of action and develop your skills to adapt.
9. No Fear:  No risk=No reward. Build your self-confidence to develop a fearless approach to your business. 
10. Never Quit:  Most salespeople don't make the sale because they quit too soon. Most customers have to be asked multiple times before they commit to buy. Called the customer 8 times with no answer? Call again. The grass may seem more green on the other side, but our results come down to how we handle our current situation.

There you go. 10 ways to can make a difference in your career today. Hopefully this helps you out and you are on your way to a better tomorrow. 

It is the day after Thanksgiving.  "Black Friday" for those of you who take advantage of the sales that the retail stores are offering, or to most of us who are working and having a sale of our own. This means we have two days left in November to finish strong and then the month of December to close out the year.  In some cases, December is vital to hit the projections you set for yourself this year.  Make no mistake, this post has nothing to do with ignoring December and concentrating on 2014.  It is actually just the opposite of that.

Do you normally make a New Years Resolution?

Resolution or not, usually the New Year offers a time to set new goals, make changes, and for some reason it seems to bring extra motivation than we have during the previous 11 plus months.  Some of our goals are personal challenges such as taking better care of our bodies, spending more time with our families, and some are business related such as income, higher sales numbers, a promotion, etc.  

My plea to you today is don't wait.  Don't wait until January 1st to start making the changes you would like to see.  In order to change a result, you must first change a habit.  Habits don't change overnight.  You can't stop smoking for one day and consider yourself a non-smoker, you can't make more phone calls today alone and hope to sell more cars next month.  It takes a consistent effort day after day to develop the right habit to improve the desired result.  Most people say it takes 20-30 days to change a habit.  If you start TODAY you will have a new habit by the first of the year.  If you start in January, your new habit will be a month later.  Don't wait too long.  Start your 2014 goals today, develop the right habits, and you will succeed next year.  

Plus, don't forget some of the challenges that December can bring.  Certain areas have to deal with bad weather, and we all compete with Santa Claus.  Start working towards your new habit and there will be no need for any excuses on why this month was bad.  You will raise your level of effort and focus and roll into the New Year on fire! 

Have a great month! 

It has been clearly stated that the best way to great reputation management is to truly offer great customer service and a great experience. I couldn't agree more, and the best feeling in the world is a "organic" happy customer review. That being said, don't be afraid to ask your customers for their honest opinion of their experience with you. Here are 4 ways that you can improve your chances of receiving a rave review.

1.  Practice being consistent not amazing.

In order for a customer to be willing to log onto any particular website and leave you a positive review of their experience, you do not need to provide some out of this world, amazing experience. You must be consistent, and take care of the details. As with anything it is the little things that will set you apart from any other dealer they contact or visit. We have received positive feedback for small things such as the right route on a test drive that let them feel the car properly, quick responses to concerns, and for the in-store experience being consistent with their online conversations. Every once in a while you can deliver that “home-run” experience with a customer, but if you go for consistent every time, you will come out on top more often.

2.  What are you doing when the customer isn't looking?

In order for you and your dealership to deliver a consistent “great” customer experience, you have to live it all the time. Are you talking about this in meetings? Does everyone in the dealership know what your brand message is? Are all employees communicating the same messages to each customer? If you have a BDC in your store, is the BDC agent and the sales consultant when the customer is turned over on the same page? If a customer ask a question and they get a different answer from two separate employees, is that great customer service?

3. Pay attention

What are your customers saying? I have heard salespeople say before that they were afraid to call a previous customer because they knew they may have had problems with their vehicle. A customer with a problem will gladly tell you what you can do to improve. No dealership in the country has perfect customer service. You will occasionally upset someone, but the key is to learn form those mistakes and fix the process that allowed the mistake to happen. Also, take a look outside of the automotive industry. There are a lot of hotels, restaurants, and other business delivering excellent customer experiences. Learn from them and find a way to implement ideas into your business.

4. You have to CARE!

Not pretend, but actually care. It's easy in sales to get caught up chasing the commission and loose sight of who is really creating your paycheck, the customer. As Jay Baer says in his book Youtility, “If you sell something, you make a customer today, but if you help someone, you create a customer for life.” If you approach each customer as an opportunity to help someone fulfill a need, or a want that they have you will have a lot of genuinely organic happy customers! 

Having been in this wonderful business we all know as the "Car Biz", for a around 11 years, I can truly say I am blessed to have found my calling and am very lucky to love what I do.  I have been able to experience and learn several different positions over that time frame, and can say I have enjoyed all of them for the most part.  (Service Advisor was not my favorite.)  

This business can be very rewarding, and in one swift kick, can also be very humbling, as we all are to familiar with the "hero to zero" mentality that we have living from one month to the next.  Momentum is vital, and sometimes after you loose it, can feel like it's nearly impossible to get back.  

Today is the first of August and we all just completed the ever so popular, "last day of the month".  It amazes me the amount of urgency and importance that we put on this ONE day.  Most months provide around 25 or so working days, depending on your stores scheduling, yet we put so much emphasis on this one day.  Why? 

What would happen if we put forth this same level of urgency all month long? Why are we waiting? Yesterday, I had discussions with multiple salespeople regarding what they needed to get done in this one day.  The amount of focus was amazing. Nothing else mattered; not the game from the night before, or the fact that their favorite football player got injured in training camp, or any other distraction that we all seem to get caught up in over the other twenty something days in the month.  

The top of the class in this business have this figured out.  They come to work and take amazing amounts of action to make sure that they hit their goals and go beyond.  They refuse to let it ride on one day.  Make sure you take the actions necessary everyday and the last day of the month will turn into just another day.

So here we are.  It's August 1st.  Did you come in this morning and take a deep breath, or did you come in with the same attitude you had yesterday, and make the most of it.  This month is huge.  We have 27 working days at our store, including 5 Saturdays. Oh yeah, one of those Saturdays is the last day of the month.  

Get started now; Don't wait. 

Each and every day of our lives we all wake up with different ideas of what the day ahead holds for us. We all have different schedules and motivation. Some get up, go to work, and strive to become more successful, make more money, get promoted, or some just get through the following 8 hours (maybe more like 12) and go home and complete our normal routine until the next day. 

Regardless of what your daily routine is the one thing that does not change from the CEO all the way to the new hire is you have to strive every day to earn and keep RESPECT.

Too many times we get caught up in the things that are important to us, we sometimes forget what may visibly be important to our peers, family, bosses, subordinates, or customers.

As a leader it is crucial to have the respect of your employees. If they don't respect you, then there is no way in the world you are going to get their full potential at work.  Why would you?  You haven't earned it, and you don't deserve it for sure.  On the other hand, if you do have their respect then you are set up to succeed.  I want you to think about the favorite boss you have ever had.  I bet you would run through a brick wall to impress him/her.  If they ask something of you, I'm sure it wasn't questioned, you just got it done.  On the other hand, think of a boss that you didn't respect.  They could have the best idea in the world, but the whole time your reporting to them you can't get it out of your head the fact that you have no trust in them.  

Stephen Covey talks about the emotional bank account in the book "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". Are you making more deposits than withdraws from you peers emotional bank accounts?  If not then you may not have the respect that you want.

The same goes for employee relationships with their boss or superior.  You have to earn the respect you desire.  You may be one of the best at what you do, but if you come in late, are a bad influence on other employees, only do the minimum of what is expected, or always make excuses, then you have some work to do to earn that respect.  

How about your home life?  Does your spouse respect you?  How about your children?  The emotional bank account is ever so important with family.  It has to be a compromise.  If you want your child to respect you when discipline is necessary then you better work to earn the respect at other times.  Make continued deposits into their emotional bank account and you will have the respect.  They will appreciate the love you put forth as apposed to resent the person they don't respect for punishing them.

I am blessed to have a family that I completely respect and work to earn their respect daily through my actions.  I am also blessed to work for, and with a team of people who I respect and also hope to continue to earn respect myself.

“Respect yourself and others will respect you.”  -  Confucius

Listen!

Not to me, but your customers.  All of them!  Yes, even the one's you feel won't buy anything, even if you are busy when they call, even if you haven't sold a car for a few days and are in a terrible mood.  

Are you listening? 

Most clients like to talk about themselves.  Actually, not most, but all customers like to talk about what they like and their interest.  Do you know how to get them talking?  It's no big secret, and as a matter of fact sales trainers have been talking about it for years.  Just listen, your customers will tell you how to get them talking more.  Then, they will tell you why they want to buy, or not buy the product or service you are trying to sell them.

If a customers brings up price, is that an objection or a buying signal?  Could be both!  You have to listen to what a customer is actually saying.  They may not want a lower price, they may just need more information regarding the financial decision they are making.  They may just be telling you that you haven't built up enough value in the product, service, or yourself yet.  We constantly hear that price is not the main decision factor when people make a purchase.  

If a customer says "I want to think about it".  What does that mean?  It could mean multiple different things.  Do they really need to think about it? Probably not.  Research says customers spend close to 20 hours online shopping and researching cars before they even come see you, so they have already done all the thinking they need to do.  Asking more questions is vital, but more importantly "listen", I mean really listen to what their answers are and that will help you find the real objection.

Do you listen on the phone?

I hear it all the time when a salesperson takes a phone call and they are so concerned with trying to get the appointment set that I think they miss some of what the customer is saying.  If a customer ask a specific question, and you sidestep it with "when would you be able to come in", you probably aren't going to get a strait answer back from the customer.  They may schedule an appointment as a reflex objection just to get off the phone and never have any attention of coming in because you didn't meet their needs.  People are looking for a professional to help them, and they are nervous based on stereotypes and the amount of money they are spending.  

They are asking us for help everyday, we just generally don't hear them.

Image courtesy of Microsoft