Today's dealerships face numerous challenges in their pursuit to stay afloat. They are experiencing increased competition, fast-evolving consumers, and tighter margins on car sales than before. Car dealerships must also add new employment regulations and laws to their list of the wave that already impacts how they manage their workforce. The new employment laws and regulations not only exposes car dealerships to lawsuits from workers but also increase the cost of legal compliance and labor.

With so many things to worry about, it can be hard for dealerships to balance their responsibilities with providing great customer service and making decent profits. This is especially true for small and midsize dealerships. Below are some of the employment and legal document management challenges that dealerships around the world face.

Changes in the FLSA Exempt Classifications Interpretation

The FLSA excludes some workers of car dealerships from its overtime requirements. For example, people involved in servicing and selling automobiles are exempted from the list. Auto dealers in the United States have always relied on the guidelines from the labor department, which exclude service advisors from overtime requirements. However, the federal agency reserved its position in 2011 and ruled in favor of overtime pay for the service advisors. The decision to reverse the regulations conflicts with decisions made by courts in other states. That means dealerships must comply with the new guidelines or risk misclassification lawsuits from their former service advisors.

Fair Pay Act

The fair pay act forbids car dealerships from gender-based discrimination when it comes to compensation. However, the bill has been amended twice in two years, creating more litigation for auto dealers. In 2016, the fair pay act was expanded to include all employees irrespective of their position or title. That means car dealerships must involve all their workers when conducting a pay comparison. Later on, the federal agency amended the law to include record keeping requirements. In 2017, the agency expanded the legislation to compel car dealerships to pay disparities based on ethnicity and race. Car dealerships with less ethnic diversity and gender positions are likely to see more litigations and agency action than before.

Workplace Harassment Rules

New workplace harassment regulations in the US went into effect in 2016. These regulations have raised complaint procedure requirements and workplace harassment regulations applicable to workers of car dealerships. Previously, the law required that all car dealerships with more than 50 employees train their supervisors in various topics related to workplace harassment. The new requirements demand that the training to cover supervisor obligations, victim's legal remedies, abusive workplaces, and remedy and strategies to prevent workplace harassment. As such, car dealerships have to comply with strict workplace harassment training regulations while training their supervisors.

Conclusion

Abiding with these and other laws can make a car dealership not only compliant but also prosperous. In many instances, car dealerships need to make slight changes to their existing procedures and policies to remain compliant with employment law requirements.

The automotive industry is a rewarding career path for people who love autos. If thinking about driving makes you excited and you like the idea of building a dream car, an automotive career may be in your future. The entire drive behind sales is getting people excited about stepping into that new vehicle. If they don't feel the need to re-experience the driving satisfaction when they visit an automotive dealership, chances are that they will keep searching. It is hard to make the sales if you are not excited about the product yourself. Although the automotive industry employs a wide range of people who wind up making it their career just for the pay and benefits, those who have a true passion for automobiles are sure to be satisfied with a lifelong career.

The Changing Face of Automotive Repair

Auto mechanics is no longer what it used to be. The types of problems that are being corrected are more often than not highly technical in nature and no more than 50% mechanics. This has led to a hurdle for automotive dealerships who are looking to keep the fleets of vehicles that they lease and sell in tip-top shape. In years past, many mechanics were grandfathered into the trade by starting out in more modest roles like pumping gas at a service station. Nowadays, the specialization of vehicles by manufacturers and computer trends of technology are limiting general repair to a handful of independent garages and commercial franchises. This means that auto manufacturers are willing to train and pay top salaries to qualified candidates who are both intelligent enough to understand the technology and athletic enough to do the physical labor.

The Advantages of Working at a Dealership

Dealerships work in high volume and offer numerous positions beyond automotive repair. All the positions require a dedication to learning professional skills because there is a lot of fast money on the line. Unlike houses that take months and months to build and just sit there for another century, vehicles are exposed to constant wear and tear. The quality customer service makes all the difference in the high-volume business model of dealerships. In order to retain skilled professionals for sales, management, repairs, and administrative roles, the dealerships have to offer competitive benefits, healthcare, salaries, and wages.

The Realities of Dealership Work

Not all car dealerships are created alike. Many dealerships find it hard to resist ordering high volumes of vehicles to maximize their capacities. This can result in lots that are impossible to manage and inefficient work that wastes a lot of skill. Choosing the right dealership to build your career is important. If you are work at a dealership with a congested parking lot, you may find that most of your day is wasted. Your real job description will be "lot jockey."

The better dealerships operate with a seamless workflow that allows employees to focus on improving their professions. The parts counter computer technicians retain experience to quickly locate and order the correct parts every time. The sales team is able to match customers with test-drive vehicles that fit perfectly. There is a large difference in the quality of career opportunities between congested big city dealerships and those who have opportunities for advancement.

Conclusion

If you are interested in management, sales, customer service, automotive repair, or reception, dealerships offer a wide range of positions. The 25 words of a great hire should demonstrate that they are passionate about automobiles and willing to go through the years of training to become professionals at what they do. Automobiles are the second largest single investment that the majority of Americans will make in their lives. Work experience at a dealership, therefore, offers a range of automotive-related job securities like no other trade. Learning how to repair vehicles is by far the most desirable because you have the benefit of transforming any vehicle into one of the best-kept cars on the roads.

This article is part 2 of a 2-part series highlighting the struggles of hiring employees at a car dealership. This article will focus on how to find new potential hires for a car dealership. The previous article focused on the differences between hiring employees at a car dealership compared to hiring at any other business.

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If you are looking to hire more people for your car dealership, it can be quite a hassle. After all, you want to find the right candidates. That way, you can ensure they are a great fit and will support your mission. So to help you fill your spots with the best candidates available, use the following tips:

Determine Your Needs

The first place to start when deciding on any new hires is what your needs are at this moment. If you need more service department employees, sales employees, or management personnel, then your approach is going to vary.

Sit down and map out where you want to be in a year's time. This will help you determine the kind of people and skill sets you need to hire for. That way, the decision will be easier when you find the right person.

Use Social Media

Long gone are the days where you had to wait for the right person to come walking into your door. Today, you can reach a larger market just by advertising online. Using social media can work two ways.

The first way is the push approach. You can put out branding, stories, and other content. This makes you more visible. You could get some great recruits passively from this. The other way is to search social media for profiles who mention they are working or looking for work in your industry and reach out to them personally.

Recruit in Person

Going to events or other in-person meetups is a great way to find new talent. There is something special about face to face relationships. You can get to know them better in a shorter period of time, which could cut down on the time wasted to try to find the right new hires.

Use Your Current Employees

Encourage your current employees to reach out to their social circle about job opportunities. If they are star employees, then they are more likely to bring even better people in to add to your team. Consider offering a finder's fee to make it more enticing.

Use Personality Tests

Everyone has a unique personality. It is hard to know what theirs is without testing it in some way. There are many digital personality tests that you can have them take before hiring them. That way, you know they are the right kind of person for that role.

Use a Professional Service

While the above methods can work, sometimes you just don't have the time. And in a dealership, time is of the essence. When you outsource the hiring function to a professional service, you are freeing yourself up to focus on what you truly are great at. Plus, you can spend more time on higher level strategy in your business.

Using corporate outplacement services in United States is a great way to get an edge on the competition. Not only do they save you time, but they are skilled in finding the right people because they do it every day.

When searching for the best hires for your car dealership, it can be difficult. However, it doesn't have to be. When you use the right approach, you can save time and money while finding the perfect fit. So leverage the resources above and hire new employees that fit your brand.

This article is part 1 of a 2-part series highlighting the struggles of hiring employees at a car dealership. This article will focus on the differences between hiring employees at a car dealership compared to hiring at any other business. The second article in this series (found in my list of published blogs) will highlight how to find new potential hires for a car dealership.

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If you are in charge of hiring at your dealership, then you have a lot on your plate. However, it doesn't have to be hard. If you understand the key ways in which hiring is different at a car dealership then you can adopt the right tools and strategies to be more successful. That way you new hires are a perfect fit for your company.

Attitude

The first thing about the car dealership industry is that you have to hire for people with the best attitudes around. Attitude is the number one factor in a great salesperson and if they don't have it, they are not going to contribute to your company.

To find people with the right attitude for your business, you need to be able to see how they react to certain situations. In addition, the kinds of words they use and thoughts they have will show you if they have a negative attitude or positive attitude. Customers want a positive experience when they are buying a car, so make sure each new hire passes this test.

Experience

When it comes to car dealerships, experience is always a plus. If you have someone who has been selling cars for years it is going to be an advantage much of the time. However, what is unique is that sometimes someone with no experience is actually a plus.

If a candidate is coming in with the motivation to learn a new skill this can be a great way to boost your company. They will work harder and longer than others. It also means that they have not built bad habits yet from other places that might not have the same high standards that your dealership has.

Organization Skills

When it comes to cars, there is a lot of information to keep track of. You need people with great organizational skills. This way, they know which make, model, and year the cars are and how to present them to your customers in the best way possible.

People Skills

Even if the people you are hiring at your dealership are not going to be talking with customers that much, they need great people skills. Everyone that the customer comes into contact with will leave an impression in their minds. So the service departments needs great customer service skills just like any other department in the store.

Entitlement

You can't afford people who are entitled in the car business. There is too much competition and the margins are too thin. You need people that understand how their job is evaluated. Performance based mindsets are valuable in an industry with so much at stake everyday. It helps you keep your team in check, even if they don't feel like it on that particular day.

Technology

Using technology is the way to set yourself apart in the hiring process. From fielding applicants online, to using applicant tracking systems, to finding them on social media, it will give you a huge edge. However, be sure not to go overboard. You are not always going to find that next hire online. Sometimes, you need to roll your sleeves up and go looking for them out in the real world.

Leadership

At a car dealership, the hiring process doesn't stop once you bring someone on board with a salary. It is always ongoing. You need to have solid leadership to train your new hires in the right strategies and approaches. That way they continue to produce for you right away and well after.

When it comes to hiring at a car dealership, it is one of the more stressful positions. After all, you need candidates that are hard working, great with people, and know how to sell. If you use the tips above then you can get the best people in the door and build your brand even bigger than it is now. That way your position and your company are secure for the long term.

Car dealerships have a vast amount of assets spread over a large area. This can create an enormous security challenge. Depending on the location and design, criminals have many ways to access and exit the lot. Below are some tips to help protect your dealership from crime.

Positioning of Cars

It is important to position cars in a manner to prevent easy movement or towing. Park vehicles to block driving lanes, entry and exit points. The cars should also have the wheels turned and emergency brakes set. The most valuable cars should be parked in the middle of the lot or on the showroom floor. The key here is to make stealing the vehicles as difficult as possible as a deterrent. Most thieves prefer easy targets to decrease the chance of being caught.

Well-Lit Premises

Proper lighting is an excellent and cost effective way to deter criminals. Thieves prefer to do their work in the cover of darkness to avoid being seen. Good lighting also can improve surveillance video footage. Also, witnesses can get a better view of the perpetrators with proper lighting.

Vehicle Alarms

If the vehicle has an alarm, it should be set. This will be an additional obstacle that thieves would have to overcome. If the vehicle does not have an alarm system, it may be worth the investment to purchase one. This can also add value to the vehicle when it is sold. Also, insurance companies typically give discounts for cars with alarms.

Surveillance System

Installing an outdoor camera system can be an excellent deterrent in preventing theft. Thieves will be less likely to take the risk of being caught on camera. The cameras should be positioned to see the entire lot. The cameras should also be capable of producing quality images at night and inclement weather. If a crime does occur, the video could help law enforcement catch the perpetrators.

Security Patrol

Hiring a security company probably is the best way to prevent theft. Most criminals will not attempt to compromise a dealership if a guard is watching the premises. A security officer can immediately investigate suspicious activity and alert law enforcement if necessary. This is probably the most costly option, but could be well worth the investment.

Controlled Gate Access

Gated access control can prevent vehicles from entering or exiting the lot without proper access. Gates would prevent thieves from driving cars off the lot, or driving vehicles such as tow trucks onto the lot. The gate can also be equipped with an alarm in case criminals decide to climb over the gate. This would immediately alert the police or the dealership of the breech.

Properly Screen Employees and Contractors

Sometimes the biggest threats to a dealership are insider threats. Who better to steal from a lot than employees or contractors. Employees have access to the vehicles and important information. They can either use this to their own advantage or pass it along to friends, family or associates. They also know the type security the dealership has and how to possibly defeat it. Contractors who work on the lot such as groundskeepers, electricians, HVAC, and other trades could gain important information while performing their job. It is important to do proper background checks on all employees. This is not possible with contractors, but only hire reputable firms that do proper background checks on their employees. Also, keep a close eye on contractors and keep them restricted to the areas where they are performing the work.

In closing, there are numerous threats to your dealership. Many of these threats can be minimized by following the tips above.

Searching for new hires is an inevitable part of running a business, especially if it’s growing quickly, and especially when it’s a car dealership. When this time comes, it is beneficial for you as an employer to ponder about why people would want to work at your dealership. The most important question you want to ask yourself is, “what can I offer to my employees so they will want to stay for years to come?”

When you first start hiring employees, strategic action for retention needs to be taken in order to keep them productive and focused on the work. There are variety of ways that it will benefit you in the long run. These include:

• - Continually attracting high-quality employees

• - Low turnover rates (and related costs that come with high turnover rates)

• - Trust between employees and senior management

• More efficient workers

In order to maintain these benefits, you want to develop an employee benefits plan that will make your dealership attractive to applicants. Some of the most important parts of this plan include options that will ensure job satisfaction and employee engagement.

Invest In Your Employee’s Professional Development

Investing in developing a strong workforce will help you and your employees by giving them more of a reason to stay and grow with the company, as well as giving you the opportunity to educate your employees in order to promote them to higher positions in the company. This can also free up positions to be filled by new employees, this continuing the cycle that ultimately gives you the opportunity to keep hiring and retaining new employees for your company.

In order to see a high return on investment from putting money towards your employee’s professional development, you must make smart decisions so that it will be worth your while. You can do this though having your most senior level employees train those with less experience (while giving the senior level employees incentives for giving up their time), or give your employees the opportunity to be open and honest about what types of programs your company can pay for their professional development.

Give Your Employees Small Perks to Show You Care

Your employees give 40 hours (or more) of their week to your business, and if they are doing a great job, then the least you can do is show how grateful you are. This can be shown in creative ways such as office-wide contests that provide friendly competition and fun prizes. In addition, perks can include taking an employee out to lunch for their birthday, offering Fridays off during the summer, or providing breakfast in the mornings. Little things like this can be helpful in employee retention, and overall employee morale.

At the end of the day, the best way of retaining employees in your business is showing them that you care, in addition to making the realization that they are more like your family than your employees. Once this shift in thinking happens, you’ll have smarter ideas to make your employees happy, as well as building a more successful company. Keeping communication open and transparent in your company is another benefit to employee retention as well. If your employees feel that they can talk to you, they will more likely stay at your company and be more productive.  

All those brand new and certified used cars sitting on a lot practically sell themselves. The great looks and features do help move a car slightly. If the cars were capable of entirely selling themselves, however, no dealership would employ any salespersons. If you landed the job as a car salesperson, be prepared to do what is necessary to collect those commissions.

"Selling cars" is a simplified description regarding doing what is necessary. A good salesperson possesses a range of different skills capable of closing deals. Here's a look at a few top sales traits.

Work on Becoming a Better Communicator

While you may speak fine at home with friends and family, your professional vocal skills might be lacking. Speaking for sales purposes requires a useful set of skills. Every syllable must be understood. Delivery must come with enthusiasm. An overall positive nature shouldn't be missing from any wording. Impacting and persuasive speech contribute to sales success. So, anyone hoping for moving models off a lot should spend time working on developing his/her speaking abilities.

A great communicator isn't just a great talker though. Talking all the time doesn't exactly lead to determining the customer's needs. Salespersons who follow a script as a way to cheat learning communications skills, in particular, spend too much time talking. Work on becoming a smart listener who picks up on the customer's concerns. This way, you may find it easier to guide the customer to the car he/she would be happiest. Also, active listening allows a salesperson to figure out what customers aren't all that serious. Why waste time on these individuals?

Highlight Lesser-Known Benefits

Specific cars come with unique attributes not everyone readily knows. A vehicle known for handling well on wet roads may appeal significantly to someone constantly dealing with inclement conditions. If a top car accident attorney singled out a particular model for safety features, passing on the unofficial endorsement to a potential buyer might be a good idea. The average customer might not be entirely familiar with the benefits of a particular vehicle. A savvy salesperson knows to tip a would-be buyer off about all positive traits. Doing so makes it more likely to sell cars, which is the prime purpose for being a salesperson in the first place.

Embody Perfect Body Language

How you speak should be congruent with the way you move. Posture and mannerisms contribute to strong sales skills. If your body language doesn't back up all the positive things you say, your words won't carry credibility. You run the risk of coming off as scripted. Customers feel a little wary about scripted pitches. Such pitches don't appear natural nor convincing. To cut down on these problems, work on developing the right posture, facial expressions, and movements. Your physical presence should stress believability and confidence in a fluid way.

Watching impressive colleagues on the dealership lot can be an excellent way to pick up on decent body language. A word to the wise - don't limit yourself to fellow sales professionals. Try to pick up on profound body language skills from any source. Entertainers can be a great source of inspiration. So can politicians. Look closely at how they utilize mannerisms to get their intentions across.

Work on How to Close

Selling a car means someone pays for the vehicle and drive it off the lot. Talking with potential customers, highlighting the benefits of the vehicle, and handing out literature can support an eventual sale. The steps don't add up to much when the would-be customer never buys. Anyone involved with sales as a profession must learn how to close a deal.

Closing involves bringing together a multitude of skills to convince the would-be buyer he/she is making the right decision. Naturally, you can't close every potential sale, but you can increase the number of closings by making a strong commitment to improvement. Look at what you did right with successful closes. Analyze situations that didn't end in a sale. Shore up your strengths and work on improving on weak areas.

The perfect job is different for everyone. Some people would like a shorter commute, others think they could do with a raise or better benefits. However, one of the places businesses really seem to lack on meeting their employee's needs is by investing in furthering their growth. Programs that implement leadership or development training might seem old-fashioned, but it gives the workers a way to learn new things outside of the office that might actually help the office. And it works on all sorts of levels, regardless of the type of training.

Practice Makes Perfect, But So Does Good Training

From software training all the way to leadership training, there are many different kinds of programs that managers and bosses can implement to make sure their employees are doing their best. Many businesses pride themselves on their training initiatives. There are also options to utilizing these programs, including weekend seminars, conferences, on the job training, crash courses, or classes at a nearby university. Each of these have their pros and cons, but the important part is that there are numerous programs designed to work around your schedule, you just have to know how to utilize them.

Win Win Win Situation

It might seem like this kind of investment in employees isn't really worth it, but studies show that this is far from the case. And the benefits for both you and your employees will make it all worthwhile. Studies have shown that by training your employees regularly, it encourages them to work harder and be more engaged in the workplace. Not only that, but it makes them more prepared to implement the skills they've learned to benefitting your workplace. And the skills don't have to be directly relevant to one specific faction of the company.

Quality sales training initiatives can provide a lot of information that other parts of the office could benefit from knowing, such as a supervisor. By having that knowledge under their belt, they may be able to assist a salesman who isn't performing his best. Or if a member of the IT department is learning a new type of software, it might be helpful to have someone from human resources or another department if that software might have an effect on them and their workload. This relevance to their job will also make them more likely to retain the information. And if it turns out later that this specific software has to be taught to the rest of the office, it would be worthwhile to have someone who knows about it and is less likely to use confusing jargon that the rest of the office might not understand. Plus, they're gaining important leadership skills by teaching others about something. It increases their own understanding and gives them experience they may not be used to having, all because of one training initiative.

Benefits of Cross-Training

Providing training like this also allows the office to become more close-knit and understanding of one another's departments and the work they're responsible for regularly. And it allows the manager or person implementing the training to gain knowledge about the workers and what kind of learning strategies work for them. This will make it easier to use better strategies to make sure that everyone grows at a rate that works best for them. And that will keep them open to the idea of development and learning new things while allowing them to learn as easily as their peers.

Concluding Thoughts

Regardless of the training that they receive from you, your employees will remember that you wanted to invest in them and their wellbeing as well as their personal growth. That shows that you care about their professional career in the long run and you want them to succeed. This is the kind of attitude you want to show your employees, as it will make them more appreciative and want to work harder in return. And if nothing else, that's a pretty good pay-off for your investment.

Rather than a genetic predisposition or birth talent, one learns sales talent. That means managers who lament that their sales team doesn’t make the numbers they need to simply have not trained them to do so. This comes as great news to every business that relies on sales of some type, and wait - that means every business. To train your sales team, you first need to determine the school of thought or mindset used by your sales manager.

Common Complaints of Sales Managers

Certainly, sales talent exists. Hopefully, your human resources department hires well. Don’t despair if they didn’t or if you’re a startup who hired new graduates. When your sales manager does complain that the team doesn’t have the talent to make the target numbers, ask why to determine their mindset. How you tackle the problem and develop your sales training program depends on their mindset, as team leader.

• Sales managers who see talent as a static metric based on the natural talent of incoming and existing hires require education themselves to the effect that sales success is learned.

• Sales managers who see talent as a metric within their control based on working with and mentoring the incoming and existing hires require direct support from you to develop a sales training program.

Here’s how to tell which mindset your sales manager has. Those who see talent as a static metric blame low numbers on a non-competitive compensation program; HR policies that don’t allow necessary hiring and firing; talent loss to a competitor; HR recruiting errors. Managers who see talent as a metric within their control blame low numbers on a young, growing team; onboarding and training programs that lack in multiple areas; lack of customer value. To succeed in sales, you need to turn your static metric sales manager into a developmental manager, then develop a successful sales training program. If you’ve already got a developmental manager, you can jump right into developing your training program.

How to Develop Your Sales Team

Determine what your sales program and sales people need. This starts with building a persona of the ideal sales representative. Create a list of the key skills and traits of a successful sales representative. Next, interview each of your sales people to assess their experience and skill in each of the success traits. This identifies your areas of improvement.

These areas of improvement determine the basis of your development plan. For each area of development create action items with deadlines for each. Developing a sales training plan provides the business equivalent of a medical qigong program for general wellness. You have a professional develop the program then guide the sales people through it.

This guidance is your program execution. You may determine that the team needs sales classes or that each individual needs one-on-one training or both.

Provide feedback and watch how each sales person accepts and implements that feedback. Those who ignore their development plan or reject improvement input should be let go.

Publicly recognize talent improvements. Update each person’s strengths and weaknesses. Re-develop your sales development plan. As your team updates its talents, you must update the records of them and their skills to develop.

Best Practices

Organizing and continually updating this sales personnel information accomplishes one of the key best practices of any sales organization. Your metrics should reference how much the employee sells, how much they should be selling and at which appropriate sales techniques and behaviors they currently excel and which need improvement.

Another best practice consists of the periodic update of the sales skill assessments and re-honing of individual coaching and training. Creating a program that identifies sales potential and helps develop it doesn’t just bring improved sales numbers. It creates team improvements that develop better employees who value your organization and want to remain with it.

If you have low sales numbers, you don’t need to scrap your team and start over. You do need to train your team to learn how to sell. You can improve their skills and your sales numbers by investing time and effort into developing each individual’s sales potential.

Joe strolls into the home insurance office where he works as a salesman. It is early in the morning, and he has a cup of coffee in his hand. He feels energized and ready to make some sales.

He opens up his email and starts responding to a customers question when all of a sudden the sound of the doorbell catches his attention. He looks up, a smile on his face, and greets the customer. The customer appears to be in a hurry and stressed. A few drops of sweat slide down the customer's face as he approaches Joe's desk.

Before Joe has the opportunity to open his mouth and speak, the customer erupts into an angry tirade claiming that he never agreed to the new home insurance quotes and he needs to be issued a refund.

Without losing his cool Joe tries to calm down the angry customer. He pulls up the customer's insurance account and politely tries to explain why the rates have changed. After repeating himself several times and the customer's volume only getting louder, Joe raises his voice and tells the customer nothing can be done to refund him. The customer immediately gives Joe a death stare and storms out of the building. The customer announces to the room that he will never do business with the insurance company ever again, and he will never recommend their services to his friends and family. The manager then abruptly walks out of his office with a puzzled look on his face after hearing all the commotion in the lobby and sits next to Joe in an attempt to figure out what went wrong with the customer.

How could Joe have handled the situation differently? Should he have called the manager right away? How could Joe have better helped the angry customer?

Many of us have worked a job that requires us to interact with the public on a daily basis, and its never easy. Our patience is constantly tested. But if you know what to say, when to say it, you may be better able to calm an unhappy customer.

Check out these tips to adjust your mindset so that you are always giving a work situation your undivided attention.

1) View the problem from another person's perspective

When a work situation gets heated, take a step back, breathe, and try to understand why a customer might be mad. Step into their shoes for a second. Is there a valid reason for their outburst of anger?

Tuck away feelings of this is unfair, I don't get paid enough to handle this, or the customer is giving me unfair criticism.

2) Listen first, ask questions later

Humans have two ears and one mouth for a reason. A salesperson must be an active listener at all times. Listen to what the client has to say before you make any unnecessary judgments. Sometimes the client just wants to be heard. They could provide important feedback about an internal work problem occurring within the chain of command that you were previously unaware was happening. Do not start planning out how you are going to respond while the customer is still talking.

3) Repeat the customer's concerns

Once the customer has finished their rant, repeat their concerns as you are answering their questions to ensure that you are addressing the right problem. It is okay to ask the customer questions to make sure you understood them correctly. They will appreciate it. Start your response sentences with, "correct me if I am wrong..., "If I heard you correctly..., From what I heard, you are....

4) Maintain good eye contact and body posture

When a customer is speaking to you, look them directly in the eye. Respond with head movements to show that you are actively listening to what they have to say. Sit up straight and do not slouch.