TurnUPtheSales.com
The Big Lies
The biggest lies are those we tell ourselves, personally and in business. We’re going to look at a few here that we, owning or working at dealerships, tell ourselves--and that cost us profits every day.www.keithshetterly.com Copright 2011
All Rights Reserved
TurnUPtheSales.com
The Big Lies
The biggest lies are those we tell ourselves, personally and in business. We’re going to look at a few here that we, owning or working at dealerships, tell ourselves--and that cost us profits every day.www.keithshetterly.com Copright 2011
All Rights Reserved
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TurnUPtheSales.com
Honestly, to Tell You the Truth, the Honest Truth is that We Aren't Here to Rip You Off!
"Negotiation is the art of reaching agreement by trust while lying." -- Keith Shetterly, 2011
Wow! My friends have pointed out that I needed another article for "trust-eroding" words and phrases--spoken or written--that can kill sales, so here comes Part 2 of what is now a series. What do I mean by "trust-eroding"? Well, that's best explained by going right to the first example:
Honestly. You're eroding trust directly with the use of this word--because when you reach a point in a conversation where you say, "Well, honestly, . . .", does that mean to the customer that you were lying the entire time before you said that phrase? YES. My opening quote is true of negotiation, in that the customer knows things like the dark history of their trade and/or their credit score that can kill a deal, while the dealer knows the invoice, holdback, step money, bonus motivations, etc. that can make a deal happen. And nobody wants to reveal any of that right out at the front. It's hard enough to establish trust in any negotiation because of that situation, so you don't need to call yourself out in some mistrustful way while you are negotiating! Using "honestly" puts you backwards immediately and erodes trust.
The Fix: Instead of saying "Well, honestly, . . . ", say "Let me share something more with you . . . ". The first says you're a liar, the second says to the customer that they've successfully negotiated and corned you into revealing more information--and it's usually a very good idea to stroke the customer's ego during a sale. So, "Let me share something more with you . . . " is now your trust mantra! And, as well, never, ever, use the next phrase . . .
To Tell You The Truth. This sounds a lot like "honestly", and there is certainly that full aspect for this phrase, so if necessary please read the previous item on "honestly" again. However, there's even more for this phrase: It's often mis-applied as a bonding-with-the-customer moment, as in "I'm breaking a rule here to reveal this . . .", but "To tell you the truth" actually says to the customer that, not only have you perhaps been lying up to this point, but that you also might lie again in the future! You'd have to beat this phrase to death as a preface to every statement you make in order to theoretically offset that, but that repetition in reality would just erode trust even further. Avoid "to tell you the truth", even as a preface phrase like "To tell you the truth, I don't know." Really? Thank goodness you didn't give another lying answer to the other questions I asked already or as you will to the next ones I'm going to ask!
The Fix: Use the phrase "Let me tell you one of our secrets . . ." instead. Again, you're stroking the customer's ego, bonding with them, and telling them (again) that they've cornered you in the negotiations into revealing more information. And NOT eroding trust!
The Honest Truth Is. Yep, here's the "Ultimate Trust-Eroding Combo Pack" built on the last two phrases. Are you saying there is a "dishonest" truth? And, whatever that is, the customer is now thinking, again, that you're a liar, that you're going to be a liar--and, additionally, that the very next words you are now about to utter after this phrase are most certainly a lie. "The honest truth is that my sales manager has done as much as he can, and this is the lowest price he can offer." Sure it is.
The Fix: Say, instead, in this case "The fact is . . ."--because facts are evidence, and truth is philosophy. You are telling them a fact they can choose to believe because they know you've worked hard on their behalf with your sales manager. You've let them know that, right? You're not using "The honest truth is . . ." because you're shortcutting the sales process, are you? Exactly. Use "The fact is . . ." because your work on their behalf is a fact, your sales manager has negotiated fairly, and your dealership does treat its customers the best in the area.
We Aren't Here to Rip You Off. Ugh!! Really? If you're not here to do that, why did you have to tell me that?? Alert! Alert! Trust erosion ahead! This phrase, and those like it, attract customer suspicion like honey attracts bees.
The Fix: Just learn that real trust is built, not on what you aren't, but on what you are--and say instead: "We are an honest dealership . . .". Simple and says it all. And back-able by appropriate additions such "our online reputation with our customers shows", "our fifty years in business means", etc. Trust is built on positives, not negatives!
Now, hit your sales floors (phone, UPs, Internet, email, etc.) knowing how to get, and keep, trust from your customers with the words you use. Honestly, they're very important! :)
by Keith Shetterly, keithshetterly@gmail.com
Copyright 2011, www.keithshetterly.com
All Rights Reserved
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
Honestly, to Tell You the Truth, the Honest Truth is that We Aren't Here to Rip You Off!
"Negotiation is the art of reaching agreement by trust while lying." -- Keith Shetterly, 2011
Wow! My friends have pointed out that I needed another article for "trust-eroding" words and phrases--spoken or written--that can kill sales, so here comes Part 2 of what is now a series. What do I mean by "trust-eroding"? Well, that's best explained by going right to the first example:
Honestly. You're eroding trust directly with the use of this word--because when you reach a point in a conversation where you say, "Well, honestly, . . .", does that mean to the customer that you were lying the entire time before you said that phrase? YES. My opening quote is true of negotiation, in that the customer knows things like the dark history of their trade and/or their credit score that can kill a deal, while the dealer knows the invoice, holdback, step money, bonus motivations, etc. that can make a deal happen. And nobody wants to reveal any of that right out at the front. It's hard enough to establish trust in any negotiation because of that situation, so you don't need to call yourself out in some mistrustful way while you are negotiating! Using "honestly" puts you backwards immediately and erodes trust.
The Fix: Instead of saying "Well, honestly, . . . ", say "Let me share something more with you . . . ". The first says you're a liar, the second says to the customer that they've successfully negotiated and corned you into revealing more information--and it's usually a very good idea to stroke the customer's ego during a sale. So, "Let me share something more with you . . . " is now your trust mantra! And, as well, never, ever, use the next phrase . . .
To Tell You The Truth. This sounds a lot like "honestly", and there is certainly that full aspect for this phrase, so if necessary please read the previous item on "honestly" again. However, there's even more for this phrase: It's often mis-applied as a bonding-with-the-customer moment, as in "I'm breaking a rule here to reveal this . . .", but "To tell you the truth" actually says to the customer that, not only have you perhaps been lying up to this point, but that you also might lie again in the future! You'd have to beat this phrase to death as a preface to every statement you make in order to theoretically offset that, but that repetition in reality would just erode trust even further. Avoid "to tell you the truth", even as a preface phrase like "To tell you the truth, I don't know." Really? Thank goodness you didn't give another lying answer to the other questions I asked already or as you will to the next ones I'm going to ask!
The Fix: Use the phrase "Let me tell you one of our secrets . . ." instead. Again, you're stroking the customer's ego, bonding with them, and telling them (again) that they've cornered you in the negotiations into revealing more information. And NOT eroding trust!
The Honest Truth Is. Yep, here's the "Ultimate Trust-Eroding Combo Pack" built on the last two phrases. Are you saying there is a "dishonest" truth? And, whatever that is, the customer is now thinking, again, that you're a liar, that you're going to be a liar--and, additionally, that the very next words you are now about to utter after this phrase are most certainly a lie. "The honest truth is that my sales manager has done as much as he can, and this is the lowest price he can offer." Sure it is.
The Fix: Say, instead, in this case "The fact is . . ."--because facts are evidence, and truth is philosophy. You are telling them a fact they can choose to believe because they know you've worked hard on their behalf with your sales manager. You've let them know that, right? You're not using "The honest truth is . . ." because you're shortcutting the sales process, are you? Exactly. Use "The fact is . . ." because your work on their behalf is a fact, your sales manager has negotiated fairly, and your dealership does treat its customers the best in the area.
We Aren't Here to Rip You Off. Ugh!! Really? If you're not here to do that, why did you have to tell me that?? Alert! Alert! Trust erosion ahead! This phrase, and those like it, attract customer suspicion like honey attracts bees.
The Fix: Just learn that real trust is built, not on what you aren't, but on what you are--and say instead: "We are an honest dealership . . .". Simple and says it all. And back-able by appropriate additions such "our online reputation with our customers shows", "our fifty years in business means", etc. Trust is built on positives, not negatives!
Now, hit your sales floors (phone, UPs, Internet, email, etc.) knowing how to get, and keep, trust from your customers with the words you use. Honestly, they're very important! :)
by Keith Shetterly, keithshetterly@gmail.com
Copyright 2011, www.keithshetterly.com
All Rights Reserved
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
Irregardless, the Copacetic Analyzation of, Like, Per Se is &@#%!
Want to make more sales or maybe just sound smarter? Then learn which words make lots of people--from your peers, to your bosses, to your CUSTOMERS--cringe. Spoken or written, these words lose you sales!
Irregardless. It's a common word now that is most often misused as a synonym for "regardless"--and it is not. It's a double negative of "regardless"--instead of meaning "in NO regard" to something, like "regardless", it means "NOT in NO regard" to something, or actually then IN REGARD to something! So, saying "Regardless of the high interest rate, you got a new car!" is not the same as "Irregardless of the high interest rate, you got a new car!" The first sentence says to the customer that he or she is getting a new car and just ingore the minor pain of the interest--the second sentence says the customer got a new car AND the interest rate is painful.
The Fix: Just use the proper word "regardless" whenever you would say "irregardless", and you will be correct! However, if you are mentally stuck needing an "ir-" word for what you mean by improperly using "irregardless", then properly use "irrespective"--which is an "ir-" word that actually has the same meaning as "regardless". And is a likely culprit for the historical slip-up that led to the modern mis-use of "irregardless"!
Footnote: Yes, despite claims to the contrary, "irregardless" is a word accepted even by Merriam-Webster now. It's the way it is used as a synonym for "regardless" that is wrong! Which is why many grammar/spell-checks alert on it.
Copacetic. It's a word. And it may sound to you like it comes from some education--however, the very origin of the word is not clear. It means "very satisfactory", but it shows up quite often as a synonym for (of all things) the common (but also of mysterious origin) word "okay". As in "Are we copacetic?", "Things here are copacetic.", "We're all very copacetic.", and so on. Is it a word much seen in educated speech? No. It sounds, perhaps, lofty and powerful, and someone using it often blazes out with "copacetic" like it's a code word for the phrase "smart folks like me will know this word".
The Fix: Just use "okay" instead! Or be specific, when it makes sense, as in "Are we selling enough GMCs?" or "Is the department morale good today?"
Analyzation. You mean "analysis", don't you? Yes. "Analyzation" is, again, a real word to Merriam-Webster, though even as I type it the grammar/spell-check of this site alerts on it. It's a really pompous and uneducated-sounding way to say "analysis". So . . .
The Fix: Just learn to always use "analysis" instead. This one's not that hard.
Per se ("per say"). Ugh. It's a latin phrase for "in itself" and is sometimes defined as "as much". And it's the one phrase that get's littered across some conversation almost as much as the word "like" (see next entry), as in "Well, I'm not saying, per se, that you stole my customer. Or that, per se, you're a snake. However, you did, per se, end up with a commission on a $6,000 gross that you didn't, per se, share with me." Even if you read that sentence back and mentally substitute "in itself" or "as much" for "per se", you'll understand that this is just speech that only sounds irritating, not educated.
The Fix. Stop saying it. Period. Ever. You'll feel better. And soon laugh at anybody you hear saying the phrase. As it is almost as irritating as . . .
Like. "Oh. My. God. Like. Totally..." The use of "like" as an idiotic-sounding "bonding pause" in speech has a long, long history, as in "Yeah, like, I was, like, going to, like, the store, and, like, my Mom, like, wouldn't, like, give me any money!" So, it's been around the speech of teens for decades. And it's use this way is, hands down, the most obnoxious mis-use + over-use of any non-profane word I can think of in the English language! Luckily, many teens grow out of the need for it. However, some job applicants are headed to a sales floor near you, still in their early twenties, using it. Or maybe you use it yourself.
The Fix: ABSOLUTELY STOP! This mis-use + over-use of "like" has been scientifically demonstrated to melt the brains of lab mice, stop the hearts of anyone over 40, and absolutely and totally end the career of anyone in sales.
&@#%! (Profanity). Don't use it. At least not to sound professional. And certainly not in sales.
The Fix: You know what to do.
Now, everybody, either &@#%! go forth and copacetic-ally perform some, like, analyzation of, like, your professional usage of English.
Or instead just remember this article . . . per se. :)
by Keith Shetterly, keithshetterly@gmail.com
Copyright 2011, www.keithshetterly.com
All Rights Reserved
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
Irregardless, the Copacetic Analyzation of, Like, Per Se is &@#%!
Want to make more sales or maybe just sound smarter? Then learn which words make lots of people--from your peers, to your bosses, to your CUSTOMERS--cringe. Spoken or written, these words lose you sales!
Irregardless. It's a common word now that is most often misused as a synonym for "regardless"--and it is not. It's a double negative of "regardless"--instead of meaning "in NO regard" to something, like "regardless", it means "NOT in NO regard" to something, or actually then IN REGARD to something! So, saying "Regardless of the high interest rate, you got a new car!" is not the same as "Irregardless of the high interest rate, you got a new car!" The first sentence says to the customer that he or she is getting a new car and just ingore the minor pain of the interest--the second sentence says the customer got a new car AND the interest rate is painful.
The Fix: Just use the proper word "regardless" whenever you would say "irregardless", and you will be correct! However, if you are mentally stuck needing an "ir-" word for what you mean by improperly using "irregardless", then properly use "irrespective"--which is an "ir-" word that actually has the same meaning as "regardless". And is a likely culprit for the historical slip-up that led to the modern mis-use of "irregardless"!
Footnote: Yes, despite claims to the contrary, "irregardless" is a word accepted even by Merriam-Webster now. It's the way it is used as a synonym for "regardless" that is wrong! Which is why many grammar/spell-checks alert on it.
Copacetic. It's a word. And it may sound to you like it comes from some education--however, the very origin of the word is not clear. It means "very satisfactory", but it shows up quite often as a synonym for (of all things) the common (but also of mysterious origin) word "okay". As in "Are we copacetic?", "Things here are copacetic.", "We're all very copacetic.", and so on. Is it a word much seen in educated speech? No. It sounds, perhaps, lofty and powerful, and someone using it often blazes out with "copacetic" like it's a code word for the phrase "smart folks like me will know this word".
The Fix: Just use "okay" instead! Or be specific, when it makes sense, as in "Are we selling enough GMCs?" or "Is the department morale good today?"
Analyzation. You mean "analysis", don't you? Yes. "Analyzation" is, again, a real word to Merriam-Webster, though even as I type it the grammar/spell-check of this site alerts on it. It's a really pompous and uneducated-sounding way to say "analysis". So . . .
The Fix: Just learn to always use "analysis" instead. This one's not that hard.
Per se ("per say"). Ugh. It's a latin phrase for "in itself" and is sometimes defined as "as much". And it's the one phrase that get's littered across some conversation almost as much as the word "like" (see next entry), as in "Well, I'm not saying, per se, that you stole my customer. Or that, per se, you're a snake. However, you did, per se, end up with a commission on a $6,000 gross that you didn't, per se, share with me." Even if you read that sentence back and mentally substitute "in itself" or "as much" for "per se", you'll understand that this is just speech that only sounds irritating, not educated.
The Fix. Stop saying it. Period. Ever. You'll feel better. And soon laugh at anybody you hear saying the phrase. As it is almost as irritating as . . .
Like. "Oh. My. God. Like. Totally..." The use of "like" as an idiotic-sounding "bonding pause" in speech has a long, long history, as in "Yeah, like, I was, like, going to, like, the store, and, like, my Mom, like, wouldn't, like, give me any money!" So, it's been around the speech of teens for decades. And it's use this way is, hands down, the most obnoxious mis-use + over-use of any non-profane word I can think of in the English language! Luckily, many teens grow out of the need for it. However, some job applicants are headed to a sales floor near you, still in their early twenties, using it. Or maybe you use it yourself.
The Fix: ABSOLUTELY STOP! This mis-use + over-use of "like" has been scientifically demonstrated to melt the brains of lab mice, stop the hearts of anyone over 40, and absolutely and totally end the career of anyone in sales.
&@#%! (Profanity). Don't use it. At least not to sound professional. And certainly not in sales.
The Fix: You know what to do.
Now, everybody, either &@#%! go forth and copacetic-ally perform some, like, analyzation of, like, your professional usage of English.
Or instead just remember this article . . . per se. :)
by Keith Shetterly, keithshetterly@gmail.com
Copyright 2011, www.keithshetterly.com
All Rights Reserved
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
"Free", Like Freedom, Ain't Free!
Google Places. Facebook. Twitter. Foursquare. Etc. All free. Car dealers have to love that price, right?
My caution is not about whether to use these services, as YOU MUST USE THEM. It’s not an option any longer—it’s just a matter of when you can get to using them with the attention they deserve for the result you need.
My caution IS, however, about knowing what you’re getting with “Free”. With “Free”, you have no contract , you have “Terms of Use”. And you don’t have a platform you bought with agreed-to deliverables and some controls, you have a service you are gaining whose deliverables CHANGE. And whose data presentation and on-screen arrangement is NOT up to you!
The latest case in point is Google Places. Your GOOGLE business reviews are prominently displayed there, but previously your business “star rating” included 3rd Party review stars. You might agree with Google’s business decisions on changing that, but it still impacted dealers who went from hundreds of reviews in the star rating to a handful. Dealers who invested in 3rd Party sites for their reputation, and dealers who could use their 3rd Party sites in their burgeoning “Reputation MARKETING” efforts, were left out of the direct impact of the Google Rating Stars.
SEO, for example, has been like this for years, constantly changing, and so that has made SEO companies viable because there’s always a new twist to getting the dealership high in the search rankings. So, it appears this story is not new, right? Except you bought SEO services to chase this rabbit around Google’s “free” search engine race track, and it was always a fight to the top. With Google Places, now it’s also—VERY importantly—a fight for reviews in a system that the shopper sees on SERP ONE but that are arranged in a presentation YOU DON’T AND CAN’T CONTROL. And that changes without notice: Talk to some dealers who have had their Google Places “pulled” because GoogleBots thought they were gaming the system. YES, Google, this dealer really has SEVEN manufacturers under one address (more than five categories), and YES they all share the same main phone line. And so on. Well, maybe you've won that one for now—until something else in this “Free” service changes, whether for information, presentation, search results, or reviews. Or whatever else becomes “Free”.
You can only stay on top of this part of your advertising if you dedicate the time to use them AND to get and stay educated on what all these “Free” services are doing. And what they may be planning. PCG Consulting (Brian Pasch) is on top of it. Tier 10 (Ralph Paglia) is on top of it. And there are more educators and consultants that I don’t know about who are on top of it. They can educate you, but in the end be sure YOU are on top of it. And that you get what you need from it.
Because “Free”, like Freedom, Ain’t Free!
by Keith Shetterly, www.keithshetterly.com
Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved
keithshetterly@gmail.com
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
"Free", Like Freedom, Ain't Free!
Google Places. Facebook. Twitter. Foursquare. Etc. All free. Car dealers have to love that price, right?
My caution is not about whether to use these services, as YOU MUST USE THEM. It’s not an option any longer—it’s just a matter of when you can get to using them with the attention they deserve for the result you need.
My caution IS, however, about knowing what you’re getting with “Free”. With “Free”, you have no contract , you have “Terms of Use”. And you don’t have a platform you bought with agreed-to deliverables and some controls, you have a service you are gaining whose deliverables CHANGE. And whose data presentation and on-screen arrangement is NOT up to you!
The latest case in point is Google Places. Your GOOGLE business reviews are prominently displayed there, but previously your business “star rating” included 3rd Party review stars. You might agree with Google’s business decisions on changing that, but it still impacted dealers who went from hundreds of reviews in the star rating to a handful. Dealers who invested in 3rd Party sites for their reputation, and dealers who could use their 3rd Party sites in their burgeoning “Reputation MARKETING” efforts, were left out of the direct impact of the Google Rating Stars.
SEO, for example, has been like this for years, constantly changing, and so that has made SEO companies viable because there’s always a new twist to getting the dealership high in the search rankings. So, it appears this story is not new, right? Except you bought SEO services to chase this rabbit around Google’s “free” search engine race track, and it was always a fight to the top. With Google Places, now it’s also—VERY importantly—a fight for reviews in a system that the shopper sees on SERP ONE but that are arranged in a presentation YOU DON’T AND CAN’T CONTROL. And that changes without notice: Talk to some dealers who have had their Google Places “pulled” because GoogleBots thought they were gaming the system. YES, Google, this dealer really has SEVEN manufacturers under one address (more than five categories), and YES they all share the same main phone line. And so on. Well, maybe you've won that one for now—until something else in this “Free” service changes, whether for information, presentation, search results, or reviews. Or whatever else becomes “Free”.
You can only stay on top of this part of your advertising if you dedicate the time to use them AND to get and stay educated on what all these “Free” services are doing. And what they may be planning. PCG Consulting (Brian Pasch) is on top of it. Tier 10 (Ralph Paglia) is on top of it. And there are more educators and consultants that I don’t know about who are on top of it. They can educate you, but in the end be sure YOU are on top of it. And that you get what you need from it.
Because “Free”, like Freedom, Ain’t Free!
by Keith Shetterly, www.keithshetterly.com
Copyright 2011, All Rights Reserved
keithshetterly@gmail.com
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
Shut Up and Help Me Convert!
Those that know me or read my professional blogs know that I'm a GREAT believer in processes, and that I consider that many, many dealerships' profits would increase dramatically from just making THOSE EXISTING PROCESSES WORK FOR THEM. And we never want process to fail us, sure, but it's especially painful when we've gotten a customer in from a call, landed them on a car--and our process blows up in, say, finance. And they walk out.
Well, we need to consider our web conversions ARE JUST AS PAINFUL IF NOT MORE. We do SEO, PPC, integrated marketing campaigns, email, etc. . . . spend many thousands of dollars a month on all that . . . to get the shopper on to our website. And that visit somehow still blows up on, say, online pricing. Or website usability. Or unanswered questions and no one to talk to. And they click out. We call that "bounce rate", as in "We need a low bounce rate!!!".
Except what we should be saying is: "We need a high conversion rate!!!"
My mantra for 2011 for all vendors, consultants, and 3rd parties I deal with who want a dealership's business: "Shut Up and Help Me Convert!" Or go home and come back when you can.
Your website better be fewest clicks to inventory and get the shopper to submit a lead. You better support easy landing pages for a PPC campaign that offer incentives to convert. Your chat better offer a great experience that leads the customer to give up contact information. And your ability to drive phone calls from the web better be second to none.
I am not kidding. You had better shut up and help me convert, or get the hell out of my way, for the rest of 2011.
by Keith Shetterly, Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved
keithshetterly@gmail.com www.keithshetterly.com
No Comments
TurnUPtheSales.com
Shut Up and Help Me Convert!
Those that know me or read my professional blogs know that I'm a GREAT believer in processes, and that I consider that many, many dealerships' profits would increase dramatically from just making THOSE EXISTING PROCESSES WORK FOR THEM. And we never want process to fail us, sure, but it's especially painful when we've gotten a customer in from a call, landed them on a car--and our process blows up in, say, finance. And they walk out.
Well, we need to consider our web conversions ARE JUST AS PAINFUL IF NOT MORE. We do SEO, PPC, integrated marketing campaigns, email, etc. . . . spend many thousands of dollars a month on all that . . . to get the shopper on to our website. And that visit somehow still blows up on, say, online pricing. Or website usability. Or unanswered questions and no one to talk to. And they click out. We call that "bounce rate", as in "We need a low bounce rate!!!".
Except what we should be saying is: "We need a high conversion rate!!!"
My mantra for 2011 for all vendors, consultants, and 3rd parties I deal with who want a dealership's business: "Shut Up and Help Me Convert!" Or go home and come back when you can.
Your website better be fewest clicks to inventory and get the shopper to submit a lead. You better support easy landing pages for a PPC campaign that offer incentives to convert. Your chat better offer a great experience that leads the customer to give up contact information. And your ability to drive phone calls from the web better be second to none.
I am not kidding. You had better shut up and help me convert, or get the hell out of my way, for the rest of 2011.
by Keith Shetterly, Copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved
keithshetterly@gmail.com www.keithshetterly.com
No Comments
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