Back and forth.  Up and down.  Back and forth.  Up and down.  Back and forth goes the salesperson negotiating with the customer.  Up to the sales manager’s desk the salesperson walks and then back down to their desk they go with another price.  Another attempt.  This volley with the customer has become archaic and antiquated.  It is disliked and disgusting.  The days of penciling deals over and over must end.

No more No. 2.  No more pencils.  That strategy is done.  It’s finished.  Someone tell your sales managers.  Break into their desks and steal out the pencils and multi-colored Sharpie markers.  The consumer has moved beyond this tired strategy and is ready for new days of selling!  Stop the negotiating with customers and start the educating.

It is time your sales managers and sales people end the rigmarole they’ve used for years and do away with how they’ve penciled deals.  Instead, your managers and salespeople must learn how to overcome objections and negotiate through education.  The consumers are coming in with very specific expectations and very detailed research.  Why put them through the constant back and forth?  Instead, you must utilize the online resources and data at your (and the customer’s) disposal to validate the price you charge.

Dedicate yourself to understanding what all is available to your consumers online and begin using the third-party data as evidence to defend the price you are charging.  I’m not advocating a one-price solution here.  Negotiation is still allowed and going for gross is still acceptable, but be prepared to answer the “WHY?” question when it arises with real data.

We have now entered the era of Validation Selling.  We must prove the reason we price our vehicles by utilizing the data they already have.

Moreover, we must eliminate the tactic of writing down our offer on a half-blank sheet of paper with markers and pens and begin presenting our figures on a fully-printed out pricing proposal.  All figures must be entered into the CRM and printed out as if it were an official contract.  This must happen from the very first offer.  Having it printed and available in a clean format lends credence to the numbers your sales team present.  Certainly more validity than a four-square with $24,995 scribbled across it in thick blue ink.

Get on board with Validation Selling.  (Yes, I'm coining a new term here.) Throw out any previously-held beliefs that the customer still enjoys the ‘back and forth, up and down, crossed-off price here and slightly lower price penciled there’ strategies that you’ve grown accustomed to.  Educate yourself and then educate the customer with online, third-party data – or be prepared to overcome it.  You will sell more vehicles and build a quality customer sales experience at the same time.

This is how to sell vehicles in 2012 and beyond.  Education over Negotiation.  DealerKnows are the Validation Selling Specialists.  Let us explain it to you.  

Back and forth.  Up and down.  Back and forth.  Up and down.  Back and forth goes the salesperson negotiating with the customer.  Up to the sales manager’s desk the salesperson walks and then back down to their desk they go with another price.  Another attempt.  This volley with the customer has become archaic and antiquated.  It is disliked and disgusting.  The days of penciling deals over and over must end.

No more No. 2.  No more pencils.  That strategy is done.  It’s finished.  Someone tell your sales managers.  Break into their desks and steal out the pencils and multi-colored Sharpie markers.  The consumer has moved beyond this tired strategy and is ready for new days of selling!  Stop the negotiating with customers and start the educating.

It is time your sales managers and sales people end the rigmarole they’ve used for years and do away with how they’ve penciled deals.  Instead, your managers and salespeople must learn how to overcome objections and negotiate through education.  The consumers are coming in with very specific expectations and very detailed research.  Why put them through the constant back and forth?  Instead, you must utilize the online resources and data at your (and the customer’s) disposal to validate the price you charge.

Dedicate yourself to understanding what all is available to your consumers online and begin using the third-party data as evidence to defend the price you are charging.  I’m not advocating a one-price solution here.  Negotiation is still allowed and going for gross is still acceptable, but be prepared to answer the “WHY?” question when it arises with real data.

We have now entered the era of Validation Selling.  We must prove the reason we price our vehicles by utilizing the data they already have.

Moreover, we must eliminate the tactic of writing down our offer on a half-blank sheet of paper with markers and pens and begin presenting our figures on a fully-printed out pricing proposal.  All figures must be entered into the CRM and printed out as if it were an official contract.  This must happen from the very first offer.  Having it printed and available in a clean format lends credence to the numbers your sales team present.  Certainly more validity than a four-square with $24,995 scribbled across it in thick blue ink.

Get on board with Validation Selling.  (Yes, I'm coining a new term here.) Throw out any previously-held beliefs that the customer still enjoys the ‘back and forth, up and down, crossed-off price here and slightly lower price penciled there’ strategies that you’ve grown accustomed to.  Educate yourself and then educate the customer with online, third-party data – or be prepared to overcome it.  You will sell more vehicles and build a quality customer sales experience at the same time.

This is how to sell vehicles in 2012 and beyond.  Education over Negotiation.  DealerKnows are the Validation Selling Specialists.  Let us explain it to you.  

We know that social networking is going to Change the World, but dealers are jumping in without any plan of action. You need to understand the medium and Get Ready before you Walk Out In The Rain or you’ll have a Losing Hand. Listening to one of the greatest musicians of all time, Eric Clapton, can give you advice on how to become successful at social media when he sings:

“It’s in the way that you use it, 
It comes and it goes.
It’s in the way that you use it,
Boy don’t you know.
And if you lie you will lose it,
Feelings will show.
So don’t ever abuse it.
Don’t let it go.”

As countless dealers create FB (and G+) pages every day, they need to develop a posting and sharing strategy and it MUST be tied in to what you are doing on the ground within the community. There are six primary ways that I see dealers posting on the social sites:

1)  C.R.A.P. – an acronym developed by my friend Eric Miltsch where he believes in posting Coupons, Reviews, And Pictures. This also includes service specials and fixed ops discounts.

2)  Celebrating your Customers – this is the posting of customer testimonials, pics of happy customers, and milestone purchases/services/mileage images.

3)  Celebrating your Employees – this is the posting of reviews, employee biographies, videos, personal accomplishments, and more to endear your staff to your followers.

4)  Celebrating your Community – Sharing your involvement in local events, charities, and organizational activities in and around your primary market area. Your goal is to align yourself with important aspects of local goings-on and act as a valuable, participating member of the nearby community.

5)  Trivia – Since your social prowess is determined by the amount of engagement you have on the social pages, many dealers post questions asking the opinions or their fans. (ie – ‘What was the best Christmas gift you ever received?’ Or ‘Where is the best place to eat barbecue?’) Any way to get others to comment or elicit a response.

6)  Being an Extension of the OEM – This is where dealers share information about the newest models, concept cars, third-party validating reviews, and OEM-style material that helps further the brand, but not so much the dealership.

So you are at a Crossroads. You don’t have to decide right now. Wait until After Midnight. Whichever way you choose, I urge you to listen to some Clapton and recognize that your success will be based on “the way that you use it”.

If you are only utilizing one of the strategies above (which is what most dealers are doing), you need to Reconsider Baby. Instead create a plan to post using ALL of the tactics above. Tell the Truth, you don’t have as many Lay Down Sally’s walking onto your showroom as before so you need to begin reaching them in a contemporary fashion. My guess is that if you look at your most recent posts on FB, with The Shape You’re In, it’ll take Five Long Years to see any reward from your current strategy.

If you aren’t involved in social networking at all, you’ll be Standin' Around Crying Tears in Heaven and Groaning the Blues without a franchise because these are the places the public is turning for information. Only those that develop a social marketing plan From the Cradle will look Wonderful Tonight. There is a way to be the Cream of the crop while marketing your dealership socially and that is to be a little like Clapton.

We know that social networking is going to Change the World, but dealers are jumping in without any plan of action. You need to understand the medium and Get Ready before you Walk Out In The Rain or you’ll have a Losing Hand. Listening to one of the greatest musicians of all time, Eric Clapton, can give you advice on how to become successful at social media when he sings:

“It’s in the way that you use it, 
It comes and it goes.
It’s in the way that you use it,
Boy don’t you know.
And if you lie you will lose it,
Feelings will show.
So don’t ever abuse it.
Don’t let it go.”

As countless dealers create FB (and G+) pages every day, they need to develop a posting and sharing strategy and it MUST be tied in to what you are doing on the ground within the community. There are six primary ways that I see dealers posting on the social sites:

1)  C.R.A.P. – an acronym developed by my friend Eric Miltsch where he believes in posting Coupons, Reviews, And Pictures. This also includes service specials and fixed ops discounts.

2)  Celebrating your Customers – this is the posting of customer testimonials, pics of happy customers, and milestone purchases/services/mileage images.

3)  Celebrating your Employees – this is the posting of reviews, employee biographies, videos, personal accomplishments, and more to endear your staff to your followers.

4)  Celebrating your Community – Sharing your involvement in local events, charities, and organizational activities in and around your primary market area. Your goal is to align yourself with important aspects of local goings-on and act as a valuable, participating member of the nearby community.

5)  Trivia – Since your social prowess is determined by the amount of engagement you have on the social pages, many dealers post questions asking the opinions or their fans. (ie – ‘What was the best Christmas gift you ever received?’ Or ‘Where is the best place to eat barbecue?’) Any way to get others to comment or elicit a response.

6)  Being an Extension of the OEM – This is where dealers share information about the newest models, concept cars, third-party validating reviews, and OEM-style material that helps further the brand, but not so much the dealership.

So you are at a Crossroads. You don’t have to decide right now. Wait until After Midnight. Whichever way you choose, I urge you to listen to some Clapton and recognize that your success will be based on “the way that you use it”.

If you are only utilizing one of the strategies above (which is what most dealers are doing), you need to Reconsider Baby. Instead create a plan to post using ALL of the tactics above. Tell the Truth, you don’t have as many Lay Down Sally’s walking onto your showroom as before so you need to begin reaching them in a contemporary fashion. My guess is that if you look at your most recent posts on FB, with The Shape You’re In, it’ll take Five Long Years to see any reward from your current strategy.

If you aren’t involved in social networking at all, you’ll be Standin' Around Crying Tears in Heaven and Groaning the Blues without a franchise because these are the places the public is turning for information. Only those that develop a social marketing plan From the Cradle will look Wonderful Tonight. There is a way to be the Cream of the crop while marketing your dealership socially and that is to be a little like Clapton.

At the 2011 DrivingSales Executive Summit, an event will take place that is a first for the automotive industry.  DrivingSales presents the first DealerKnows Digital Media Battle.

Hosted by Joe Webb and Bill Playford of DealerKnows Consulting, twelve hand-picked dealership and vendor superstars will face off against each other in a Digital Media Battle.  

A series of six topics will be debated:

Dealership Mobile Apps
(For vs. Against)

Live Chat
(In-house vs. outsourced)

Followers
(Quality vs. Quantity)

QR Codes
(Worthwhile vs. Worthless)

Facebook marketing
(All in vs. All out)

And the Title Bout:
SEM vs. SEO

Round by round, the battlers will step forward and face off against their opponent.  The trick?  They have no idea who they are facing.  They only know their topic they’ll be speaking on. 

Don’t miss out on a high-energy, industry-first that will surely be one of the talks of the DrivingSales Executive Summit.  The DealerKnows Digital Media Battle presented by DrivingSales.com.  Come see the punches fly on Monday, October 10^th during block 2 (11:45am).

At the 2011 DrivingSales Executive Summit, an event will take place that is a first for the automotive industry.  DrivingSales presents the first DealerKnows Digital Media Battle.

Hosted by Joe Webb and Bill Playford of DealerKnows Consulting, twelve hand-picked dealership and vendor superstars will face off against each other in a Digital Media Battle.  

A series of six topics will be debated:

Dealership Mobile Apps
(For vs. Against)

Live Chat
(In-house vs. outsourced)

Followers
(Quality vs. Quantity)

QR Codes
(Worthwhile vs. Worthless)

Facebook marketing
(All in vs. All out)

And the Title Bout:
SEM vs. SEO

Round by round, the battlers will step forward and face off against their opponent.  The trick?  They have no idea who they are facing.  They only know their topic they’ll be speaking on. 

Don’t miss out on a high-energy, industry-first that will surely be one of the talks of the DrivingSales Executive Summit.  The DealerKnows Digital Media Battle presented by DrivingSales.com.  Come see the punches fly on Monday, October 10^th during block 2 (11:45am).

What is Your Internet Sales Religion… Baptized at Birth or Born Again?

You are on DrivingSales and attempting to learn (or share) the latest best practices of automotive Internet sales and digital marketing.  You have seen the light.

What brought you to this level of enlightenment is a different story.  We all have found our own paths, but there are only two primary denominations that we all follow.  You’ve been either “Baptized at Birth” or “Born Again”.

Being “Baptized at Birth” means that you came into this industry fully evolved and supportive of eCommerce initiatives.  You were a ‘connected’ individual and immediately understood the Internet could bring around an opportunity to change the culture of our industry.  You were already steeped in the online landscape and foresaw the powerful effect that the online medium would bring to the car business.

If you weren’t “sold” on Internet initiatives from the beginning, but are now, then you have been “Born Again”.  It could be that you simply have been in the industry long before Internet was prevalent.  You may have fought its arrival on your showroom floors, resented the customers walking in with loads of information from the online sites, or maybe you were simply hesitant to jump aboard the newest trends.  One way or the other, you saw the error of your ways, renounced your previous beliefs and have sought guidance and shelter under the sanctity that is eCommerce.  You are 100% dedicated to the medium now and bask in the warm glow that it shines upon us.

Everyone on here who knows me by know has heard of my history.  And many times this question will answer itself by either your age or how long you’ve been in the industry (or if you were hired directly into an Internet position.)  These upcoming questions are more relevant for those who began on the sales floor and in the fixed ops departments of dealerships, yet now represent the new culture of dealership employee, but I’d be interested in hearing your story.

Now I ask you… which one are you?  Were you Baptized at Birth or Born Again?  If you were Born Again, what was the deciding factor or instance that made you realize you needed to enter into the revival tent and join a new sect? 

Moreover, which people do you feel had it tougher?  Was it those Baptized at Birth that came in preaching about the medium, but not able to sell the people in the pews on the benefits…always fighting for buy-in?  Or was it the Born Again that embraced the medium a little later and had to rewire their thinking and understanding of how the world works to bring Internet into their homes and hearts?  Who had it easier and who had it tougher?

Tell us your story and give us a testament to your proud Internet sales religion.

What is Your Internet Sales Religion… Baptized at Birth or Born Again?

You are on DrivingSales and attempting to learn (or share) the latest best practices of automotive Internet sales and digital marketing.  You have seen the light.

What brought you to this level of enlightenment is a different story.  We all have found our own paths, but there are only two primary denominations that we all follow.  You’ve been either “Baptized at Birth” or “Born Again”.

Being “Baptized at Birth” means that you came into this industry fully evolved and supportive of eCommerce initiatives.  You were a ‘connected’ individual and immediately understood the Internet could bring around an opportunity to change the culture of our industry.  You were already steeped in the online landscape and foresaw the powerful effect that the online medium would bring to the car business.

If you weren’t “sold” on Internet initiatives from the beginning, but are now, then you have been “Born Again”.  It could be that you simply have been in the industry long before Internet was prevalent.  You may have fought its arrival on your showroom floors, resented the customers walking in with loads of information from the online sites, or maybe you were simply hesitant to jump aboard the newest trends.  One way or the other, you saw the error of your ways, renounced your previous beliefs and have sought guidance and shelter under the sanctity that is eCommerce.  You are 100% dedicated to the medium now and bask in the warm glow that it shines upon us.

Everyone on here who knows me by know has heard of my history.  And many times this question will answer itself by either your age or how long you’ve been in the industry (or if you were hired directly into an Internet position.)  These upcoming questions are more relevant for those who began on the sales floor and in the fixed ops departments of dealerships, yet now represent the new culture of dealership employee, but I’d be interested in hearing your story.

Now I ask you… which one are you?  Were you Baptized at Birth or Born Again?  If you were Born Again, what was the deciding factor or instance that made you realize you needed to enter into the revival tent and join a new sect? 

Moreover, which people do you feel had it tougher?  Was it those Baptized at Birth that came in preaching about the medium, but not able to sell the people in the pews on the benefits…always fighting for buy-in?  Or was it the Born Again that embraced the medium a little later and had to rewire their thinking and understanding of how the world works to bring Internet into their homes and hearts?  Who had it easier and who had it tougher?

Tell us your story and give us a testament to your proud Internet sales religion.

You are a dealership.  Most people don’t like the thought of visiting you.  Through the years, a good majority of everyone who drives cars has had a frustrating experience at a dealership.  Maybe not yours, but they’ve had a bad taste put in their mouths by others.  They don’t want to be your friend, they just want to be serviced by you.

I don’t believe that in all of my (coughing) years I ever heard a normal person stand up for a car dealership’s reputation as another besmirches it in conversation.  I’ve never heard “Hey!  You leave XYZ Motors out of this.  They are great people – the lot of them!”  No.  Doesn’t happen.  When a dealers’ name is raked over the coals by an unhappy party, it is commonly accepted as unfortunate and realistic.  So when you ask someone to “Like” you on FB, is it for reasons personally worthy to a customer? 

My guess is, short of thinking they are going to win an iPad/TV or receive coupons for service, many could honestly go without seeing your customer reviews, pictures of happy customers, videos of salespeople, and alerts of the “big sale”.  These things don’t carry much weight with most.

Try to tap into what people REALLY care about.  Get your dealership involved in the community.  Sponsor Little League teams, attend the Chamber of Commerce meetings to network, give to charities and participate in their local events, get involved in the local schools and help run food drives, car washes, etc.  Give, give, and give to the philanthropies in your area.

Then… simply document (film, photograph, and blog) all of your involvements.  Be a spectator to the events and video your participation.  Those are the elements worthy of being shared socially.  People don’t want to “Like” your dealership, but I guarantee you that someone in your community feels pretty strongly tied to things such as Breast Cancer Awareness events or the local Special Olympics.  THOSE are organizations close to their heart.  Your dealership likely will never be.  However, if you can just tap into (and honestly serve) those entities that are meaningful to some, you will at least be in the right company.  You will start feeling more goodwill toward you because you yourself have given something back.

I’ve accomplished a lot in automotive retail, but I am more proud of the hands I’ve shook and the smiles I’ve made happen when participating in local community events than any metric I’ve reached.  If you want to make a difference and be “Like”able, then start by serving the community’s efforts before your own.

You are a dealership.  Most people don’t like the thought of visiting you.  Through the years, a good majority of everyone who drives cars has had a frustrating experience at a dealership.  Maybe not yours, but they’ve had a bad taste put in their mouths by others.  They don’t want to be your friend, they just want to be serviced by you.

I don’t believe that in all of my (coughing) years I ever heard a normal person stand up for a car dealership’s reputation as another besmirches it in conversation.  I’ve never heard “Hey!  You leave XYZ Motors out of this.  They are great people – the lot of them!”  No.  Doesn’t happen.  When a dealers’ name is raked over the coals by an unhappy party, it is commonly accepted as unfortunate and realistic.  So when you ask someone to “Like” you on FB, is it for reasons personally worthy to a customer? 

My guess is, short of thinking they are going to win an iPad/TV or receive coupons for service, many could honestly go without seeing your customer reviews, pictures of happy customers, videos of salespeople, and alerts of the “big sale”.  These things don’t carry much weight with most.

Try to tap into what people REALLY care about.  Get your dealership involved in the community.  Sponsor Little League teams, attend the Chamber of Commerce meetings to network, give to charities and participate in their local events, get involved in the local schools and help run food drives, car washes, etc.  Give, give, and give to the philanthropies in your area.

Then… simply document (film, photograph, and blog) all of your involvements.  Be a spectator to the events and video your participation.  Those are the elements worthy of being shared socially.  People don’t want to “Like” your dealership, but I guarantee you that someone in your community feels pretty strongly tied to things such as Breast Cancer Awareness events or the local Special Olympics.  THOSE are organizations close to their heart.  Your dealership likely will never be.  However, if you can just tap into (and honestly serve) those entities that are meaningful to some, you will at least be in the right company.  You will start feeling more goodwill toward you because you yourself have given something back.

I’ve accomplished a lot in automotive retail, but I am more proud of the hands I’ve shook and the smiles I’ve made happen when participating in local community events than any metric I’ve reached.  If you want to make a difference and be “Like”able, then start by serving the community’s efforts before your own.