Are you looking to increase your sales for the 2nd-4th quarter this year?  We are all looking to increase our sales year over year.  Here are 50 creative things you can add to your to-do list to bring in customers to your auto dealership and make that happen.

1. Send hand written thank-you notes to ALL the people who visit the dealership and follow them up.
2. Work EVERYONE-in or out of the market.
3. Be more of a doer.  Make things happen.  Concentrate on the activities that will get results.
4. Concentrate on getting more owners from prospects and bird-dogs.
5. Treat every customer as a buyer for today.
6. Do outside prospecting-‘I must get 3 sales a month from outside sources.’
7. Come in and work the service lane once a week.
8. Catch showroom overflow whenever possible.
9. Do service follow up a day or two after your customer was in for service.
10. Prospect the body shop weekly-get with your body shop manager for leads.
11. Get EVERY customer in the CRM and follow up!
12. Concentrate on following the ‘Road to a Sale.’  Always give a complete feature and benefit presentation 100% of the time.
13. Know what cars are coming in on trade and on ordered cars.  Have or find a prospect for all trades.
14. Work to keep a Positive Mental Attitude at all times (Leave stuff at home).
15. Seek people out, go to their business.  Do whatever it takes to get face-to-face with all prospects.
16. Close everyone you get in front of-stop the shopper.  Now, while they are ‘Hot’, sell…sell…sell.
17. Sell from stock-“Mr./Mrs. ____, I can save you money if you buy from stock, because we can give you a better buy and no price increase on cars in stock.’
18. Work an extra hour on you shift one night a week.
19. Have planned appointments every Saturday.
20. Pick out another salesperson and try to be responsible for keeping each other’s attitudes up.  Remember, Iron sharpens iron.
21. Adjust your attitude to ‘positive/upbeat’ every morning while you are getting ready for work.
22. Make 5 cold phone calls, without fail, EVERY day.
23. Write letters to selected business people.
24. Work owners effectively (bird dog programs).
25. Follow-up on personnel promotions listed in the newspaper.
26. Take a CPO vehicle when following up on owners and prospects.
27. Read and study (through training tests, research on automotive sites)
28. Relax.  Work toward developing a better physical condition and, therefore, being more alert mentally.
29. Have a better knowledge of inventory.  Know what’s coming in and the approximate time and date and walk the inventory EVERY day.
30. During scheduled floor time, be on the floor with a positive attitude at all times.
31. To start the day with a positive mental attitude, get up 30 minutes earlier and play an inspirational CD.
32. On days off the floor, do at 2 hours of face-to-face prospecting.
33. Plan and mail more cold letters.
34. Plan and do more cold prospecting.
35. Review weak points with team captains.
36. Review product knowledge.
37. Walk the inventory more often.
38. Follow-up an owner’s neighbors’ automotive needs.
39. Walk the used car lot and your CPO inventory every day.
40. Sell 75% of the people in the first closes. (Sell completely before you go for the close.)
41. Check family, friends, and neighbors.
42. Don’t forget about your owners-Keep close contact.
43. Review old buyer’s orders and your upcoming lease expirations for prospects (renewals).
44. Mail out-Follow-up with a phone call in 2 days.
45. Effectively use floor time and hawk the lot.
46. Be sure that you don’t shortcut.  Follow the ‘Road to the Sale’ every single time.  Turn over to manager 100% of time.
47. Keep smiling.  It improves your face value.
48. Always look for the positive.  Be a ‘good finder.’
49. Social Network – Let everyone on your facebook and twitter know that you are in the business and let them know of specials or cream-puff trades that are coming in.
50. Last but not least, HAVE FUN!