Process

Handling phone calls may seem like a simple task. You have a greeting, provide info, ask for an appointment and hope for the best...right? Well, it's a bit more complicated than that. Instead of just winging it, it is best to follow some sort of a process. We want each call to focus on the basics: obtaining customer info, solidifying a vehicle and setting an appointment.

Greeting

Start with a really solid greeting. Having a friendly, upbeat and complete greeting will help to establish a positive relationship with you and your potential customer. Most often I hear people answer “sales”. That is not a good greeting. A plain greeting like that does not help to establish a good relationship and it sounds totally incomplete.

Think about how you introduce yourself to a customer in person. You likely extend your hand and say “Hi, I am XYZ, it’s a pleasure to meet you. How can I help you today” or something along those lines. You have a warm introduction and immediately work to establish rapport with the customer. Your greeting over the phone should have those same qualities. Remember to say “thank you for calling” or “good morning” then add the dealership name, your name and finally ask “how can I help you”. Remember to smile during your greeting so it sounds inviting and friendly.  

Build Rapport

After your greeting you will want to build rapport with the customer. This means you should be listening to what they need and focus on how you can help. Remember to pay attention to what the customer says after your greeting, so you can figure out the best way to help. Keep a pen and paper nearby so you can write down any important information the customer gives you. Usually they will say “hi this is XYZ and I was looking at an ABC vehicle”. If you write this down, it allows you to confirm the details later on and wow the customer with your attention to detail.

In this step we want to figure out what vehicle the customer is interested in. Perhaps we need to ask some choice-based questions so we can narrow down our inventory selection, to find them the perfect vehicle. In this type of situation I suggest asking around 3 questions. Using choices help you to control the call and keep things broad. I tend to hear things like “what color do you want” instead of “do you prefer a lighter or darker shade for the exterior”. When you ask an open question, you allow the customer too much control and risk needing to narrow the vehicle search down too much. Stick to choices as best you can. Sometimes the customer is calling in on something specific they saw on your website. The key to these types of calls is complimenting their vehicle choice, creating urgency by mentioning popularity, and lastly asking if they are open to anything similar.  You never know what could go wrong in the call to prevent the customer from being interested in the vehicle they initially inquired on, so having a “plan b” vehicle is important.

Keep in mind that no matter which of these types of calls you receive (specific or generic), you should always ask for the customer's contact information prior to delivering availability information. This helps keep your need for their contact information relevant. If you deliver inventory details right away, you lose your leverage for needing their contact information.

Set an Appointment

Ask for an appointment, and be sure you ask with choices. When we ask yes/no questions, it makes it easy for your potential customer to wiggle out of setting an appointment, so stay in control. Always ask at least twice for an appointment and choose your phrasing carefully. Remember that if the customer needs to check with someone before they can schedule, you can work this into your tentative appointment technique. Simply say “ok, well your time is really valuable and we do get busy. Let’s setup something tentatively, and if you check with XYZ and it is not going to work out, it’s no problem at all. Just call me and we can reschedule it”. This gives your customer a solution to their problem and helps you lock in the appointment.

Closure - a "staple step"

Regardless of whether or not you have set an appointment, you should always ask for their email, give out your contact details and give directions. This is essential for many reasons, but always keep this in mind: If the customer doesn't have your information, they cannot call you back or pass your information on; email is a free tool for communication and advertising; many customers show up without an appointment, confirming they know where you are located is a must. 

This is probably one of the most commonly skipped steps. Only around 5% of reps give out their contact information, that is hardly anyone! Be sure you step up your customer service game and sell your info.

Recap

Before your call is over, be sure you recap. This allows you to summarize what is going to happen in the future. Whether you need to remind them of their appointment time or when you plan to follow up, recapping the call is crucial. You want the customer to have clear expectations, so if an appointment is set, remind them of the day and time. Tell them who to ask for when they arrive, and wish them a great day! If you were unable to set an appointment, be sure you explain when you plan to follow up, but also let them know if they need anything else, they shouldn’t hesitate to reach out.

Final Thought

Whether you choose to use word tracks or simply follow an outline, keep in mind you want to strive to provide really great customer service. If the customer has a great experience over the phone, they are much more likely to actually show up for their appointment. Happy customers also tend to refer friends and family as well. Listen to the customer, control the conversation and remember to smile to improve voice tone and inflection. Good luck!

During my career I have heard many arguments about whether a word track or a script is effective. Of course being a telephone trainer, I absolutely stand behind their effectiveness. Here are a few of the reasons I have heard over the years and my perspective on the topic.

The List

1. “Scripts make me sound robotic”

This is a good one, I hear this all the time. The problem with this reasoning is that you are blaming the word tracks for making you sound robotic. The truth is, word tracks are simply guidelines for you to utilize and they help you control the call so you can accomplish your goals. The more you practice, the less likely you are to sound robotic. Sounding amazing on the phone is something you have to work at. 

Only you have control over your voice tone, which is what would make you sound robotic. If you know your call process and follow the order designed to control the flow of the call, you will never have to worry about it. Practice is the key to using any word track.

2. “Scripts won’t work on my customers”

Another popular comment. This is simply untrue. The reason I say this is because if you are an expert at your word tracks, your customer will never even know you are using one.  Having trained thousands of salespeople and coached tens of thousands of calls in my career, I have heard some absolutely amazing phone calls. Most of them were scripted calls. All of those reps practiced over and over so they could master their techniques, provide the very best customer service and ultimately sell more appointments! What this boils down to is that you have to dedicate yourself to learning the process, because when you know it like the back of your hand, you will love its effectiveness.

3. “The Script doesn’t work for me”

This is probably my favorite one. Whenever I start training a new rep, this is the first thing they say, usually about one week in. Generally I would say “okay, let's break this down a bit, what are you having trouble with?” and most often they all had the same answer: no one will give me their contact info. Upon further inspection the reason they were failing is because they skipped entire portions of the process. For example, you cannot just start the phone call off with asking for the customer's contact information. You have to build rapport first, that is why it’s step 2 and comes before asking for their information. Without establishing a relationship with the customer, you will not be nearly as successful at obtaining their info. You want to first establish how you can meet their needs and have a good reason for needing their contact information before asking for it. One cannot state the script doesn’t work when they only attempt bits and pieces of it. Most word tracks are designed around the psychology of a customer, which is why order and content are key.   

4. “I am afraid of the customer's objections or questions”

I completely understand that learning and using a script can be intimidating, but allowing fear to stand in your way isn’t going to help you succeed.  Most word tracks have plenty of objection handling techniques which are there to guide you when the call gets tough. Knowing your process, where to locate these techniques and practicing them will only increase your confidence. The more you practice, the less fear you will feel. The only way to overcome objections is to know what to say, and scripting provides you the tools you need to make that happen.

5. “I sell more cars than anyone here, I don’t need a script”

Keep in mind that scripting is not designed to teach you how to sell cars, it teaches you a process to handle phone calls. Someone who rocks at selling cars might freeze when they pick up the phone. That is because building rapport in person allows you to use body language and facial expressions to assess how well it’s going. Over the phone you do not have that luxury, which makes it more difficult to know what to say. Following a word track takes the guess work out of handling the phone call. It also stops you from giving the customer too much information over the phone, which can push them away.  

Now I will say that one of the ways the two are alike is that they both follow a process and have techniques that are effective. If you are a salesperson, what techniques do you repeatedly use that help you sell more cars? Now why is using a script any different?

Final thoughts

If you are completely against using a script, perhaps it’s just because you haven’t found the right one to work for your store. They are effective and having a process will only help your staff provide great customer service and set more appointments. Additionally, I firmly believe that you should not say the same thing to every customer over and over, but order and content do matter. For example, I always suggest complimenting the vehicle if the customer inquiries on something specific. Does this mean I suggest you say the same phrase to every customer? No, because I feel you should have the freedom to choose your verbiage. What matters is that you take the time to compliment the customer’s choice, which is how you start to build rapport.

Don’t hate the script, embrace it.

Service Calls

Handling service calls can be one of the easiest processes to learn. Service calls typically have a clear goal that’s easy to reach – setting a service appointment. Unlike sales calls where you have work hard for your appointment, service customers usually call up already know what service they need to book. That being said, its still a good idea to have a set process for handling service calls, so that you can easily provide outstanding customer service and double check all of the customer details.

The Greeting

Service calls all start with a greeting. When you answer the phone make sure you have an opening such as thank you for calling or it’s a great day. Next state the name of your dealership, it’s important to confirm the dealer name so the customer knows they’ve called the right place. Remember to state your name. Introducing yourself to the customer is an appointment part of demonstrating good customer service. We also want to ask “how may I help you” so that we know why the customer is calling. The final component of a great greeting is voice inflection. Remember to smile during your greeting and throughout your call to have the best inflection possible.

Customer Details

After the customer states why they are calling, you need to look up their information in the system so you can get them scheduled. Resist the urge to ask them if they have been there before for service. I know this is the first question that comes to mind, but stay away from it. If you are speaking to someone who has used the same service department forever, and you ask them this question, they are going to feel devalued.

Instead, start by asking for the customers phone number. This allows you to see if they have an account in the system, before you even have their name. After you type in the number, if no account pops up you can say “I apologize, I was unable to find that number in the system. Is this your first visit with us?”. If they say yes, be sure to welcome them, mention you appreciate their business and then obtain all of their information. If they say no, you can easily turn and ask “okay, could your account be listed under another number?”. Remember, at this point you still haven’t asked for their name, so no offense can be taken for you not knowing who they are.

Once you locate their account via phone number you can confirm their name, vehicle, address, secondary phone number and email address. Ensure all of the information you have is accurate, if not, make corrections for the customer.

Setting the Appointment

When you offer the customer an appointment, it is a good idea to do so with choices. Start off with broad options like “today or tomorrow” and then narrow it down from “am or pm” to 2 time options. Narrowing it down for the customer makes it easier for you to determine when the customer is available as opposed to trying to guess what might work for them.

Recap the Call

Now that you have your appointment set, be sure you confirm they know your location. You wouldn’t want the customer accidentally going to the wrong location. Also be sure you repeat all of the details back to the customer, this helps to solidify the customers commitment to the appointment day and time. Always end your call with something like “ thank you for your business, and have a great day!”.

Remember to focus on voice inflection and customer service, these two things will only strengthen your process.

Controlling The Call

If you are hoping to handle each phone call successfully, there is more to it than simply picking up the phone. Controlling the call plays a major role in our ability to obtain the customer's contact information and set an appointment. Let’s explore a few ways to control the call.

Answering Questions

Generally the customer starts the conversation with a question which makes it really simple for you to gain control. If the customer begins the conversation by asking about price or mileage on a specific stock number, you can in turn say "excellent question, I would be happy to check on that for you. By the way, awesome choice, that vehicle has been very popular" and move into obtaining their contact information.

This allows you to use the answer to their question as leverage to obtain their contact information. It also begins the rapport building process as you start with acknowledging their question, complimenting their vehicle choice and also creating urgency by explaining the vehicle's popularity. If you answer the customer's question right up front, you lose the opportunity to build rapport with the customer. 

Choices are Key

In a generic phone call, asking the customer questions helps you to narrow down the search for them- for example “cloth or leather, manual or auto, brand new or preowned”. When we ask them choice-based questions, it helps us to stay in control of the conversation while allowing the customer to make decisions. You can also choose questions that pertain to your inventory, that way you always have something to offer them.

When you ask the customer choice-based questions, you can potentially give them 2 options they hadn’t considered. In turn, this creates a sense of excitement and gives the customer a fresh perspective. Since we are trying to bring the customer in for an appointment, having them excited about the opportunity is a vital component.  

Also, asking questions about what the customer is looking for establishes trust between you, it makes them feel as though you understand exactly what they are looking for. This way when you go to ask for an appointment, the customer is confident you have something for them, all because you asked a few choice based questions.

When you ask the customer questions in a choice based format it makes it easier for the customer to make a decision and keeps them focused. The more options a customer has, the less likely they are to make a decision. This is why it is ineffective to ask the customer “do you want to stop out today”. This is a broad, open ended question. It gives the customer too much control and places too much pressure on them thus leading to avoidance. Instead, try asking them if they are available today or tomorrow and then narrowing it down to am or pm and finally offer them two time options.

Summary

As you move through your conversation, be careful when you answer questions and refrain from asking yes/no or open-ended questions. Stick to choices and use objection handling techniques when necessary. Above all, do your best to listen to the customers needs, provide great customer service and build rapport.

Closure - An Important Step

One of the most commonly skipped steps during a sales call is Closure. During Closure we should be giving the customer our contact information, obtaining their email address and reviewing directions. All of these tasks are important in every call, whether an appointment is set or not. Let's explore how and why we should complete Closure. 

Selling Your Information

According to NADA statistics, only about 5% of reps give out their contact information over the phone. Even though these stats are not from very recent data, I do not suspect they have changed much, based on the 20,000+ phone calls I have heard over the last six years.

Giving out your direct contact information is so important. Think about it this way: we cannot expect the customer to remember who we are if we only say our name once during our greeting. That is assuming the greeting was complete and the rep introduced themselves initially. Typically when I listen to calls, no name is given at all by the rep - anywhere in the call. The customer should not have to ask "what's your name" or "who am I speaking with". That is poor customer service. 

The easiest way to sell your information to the customer is to start out by asking them if they have a pencil. Most reps tend to explain they want the customer to write down their name. I would try to stay away from that, as the customer will not bother to write it down if they know it's your contact info. Asking if the customer has a pencil is a strange question if you think about it. When was the last time someone asked you if you had a pencil? It makes your customer pay attention. Additionally, they typically respond with "no, but I have a pen", which is great because now you know they do have something to write with.

Next, simply start spelling out your last name. For example "do you have a pencil? Great, write this down, P-U-G-E-S-E-K, that's Pugesek my last name. My first name again is Maggie, and my phone number is 555-1212". As your customer starts writing what you are spelling, you are helping them to retain the information. When we spell things, the customer has to focus, especially whey they have no idea what it is they are writing down. It is such a simple, yet effective process.

If they do not have a pencil, and your dealership permits, you can offer to text your information to them. If they don't text, simply call back and leave your information on their voicemail for them.

Obtaining the Email

I don't know why email isn't obtained more during a phone call. It is a free and easy way to communicate with customers. Everyone knows how difficult it can be to get the customer on the phone after your initial call. When we struggle to get them to take our calls, having the option to send an email is helpful and typically successful. 

If you want to obtain their email, I would suggest not explaining why you want it, unless they ask. A common suggestion is to say you'd like to send them directions. Just remember that most people have GPS or use maps on their cellphones, so this method has become an ineffective reason to need an email address.

Instead, it typically works to say "I'd like to send some information to your email, which is best home or work?". Note that we use choice-based options here, which helps the customer to make a decision without putting too much thought into the question.

If after you ask for their email the customer inquires as to why you need it, you can easily reply with a statement relevant to your conversation. Perhaps the customer asked about the condition of the vehicle, so you offer to send more detailed photos. If the customer declines to provide their email address, at least you attempted to obtain it. 

Directions

Something as simple as directions is more important than most reps realize. It is interesting to note that in the thousands of sales calls I have heard, one of the most common mistakes a customer makes, is calling the wrong dealership. Calling dealership Y when they meant to call dealership X. I once coached a generic call where the customer lived in Minnesota and accidentally called California. Luckily the rep reviewed directions with the customer, who became quickly confused and explained she was in minnesota. 

Customers also tend to think they know exactly where you are located, when in reality they don't. For example the rep asks "do you know where we are located?" and the customer says "I think so". The rep should reply with "okay great, so you know we are on hwy 1234 across from XYZ restaurant?" to which the customer replies "Oh, I thought you were on hwy 4321?". It honestly happens all the time. I am always so proud of a trainee when they complete the directions step, especially when the customer was confused about the location of the store. It really solidifies the importance of reviewing directions and landmarks with every customer.

All you have to do to ensure your customer ends up at your store, is ask "do you know where we are located?". If the customer says they do, simply ask "awesome, where will you be coming from?". This now gives you the ability to give them a brief description of your location and some landmarks to guide them. 

Final Note

I also suggest that if you do successfully set an appointment with your customer, that you repeat the appointment time and ask them to call if anything changes. I usually add this in right after giving out my name and number. They should still have a pen or pencil in their hand so they can write down the time. We also want to create commitment within the customer, so letting them know we will have time set aside is important. If your store does anything to prep the vehicle or pull it up beforehand, feel free to explain that here as well. It really helps the customer to feel accountable.

Training Matters

Do you struggle to build rapport over the phone? It really can be challenging, especially if you have not received phone training. I have always found that phone training is essential for any business, in any industry. The phone is often our first contact with the customer and is what builds their impression of the business. This is why it makes perfect sense that folks taking phone calls, receive adequate training.

If you do not understand the goal of your call, whatever it may be, how will you know what you are expected to accomplish when you pick up the phone? Having a process for handling phone calls ensures you not only have a clear understanding of your goals, but also a path to reach them. 

Many things can happen during a call and training can prepare you to handle a variety of situations. Knowing what to say and when to say it, paves the way for a smooth, successful call.

Rapport Building Process

It is possible to build rapport over the phone. Start by listening to their needs. Why has the customer called? Perhaps they are interested in something they saw when they drove by, or maybe they are just looking for a vehicle in general. Regardless, there is a specific way to handle these calls, based on why the customer has called. 

Specific Vehicle

If your customer has called in on a specific vehicle, I would suggest you start by obtaining a stock number if available. This guarantees you are both talking about the same vehicle and it helps to build trust within your customer. If they do not know the stock number, ask them for the year, make, model and color of the vehicle.

Once you are on the same page as your customer, I would compliment their vehicle choice. How you choose to compliment them is up to you. Perhaps you say "awesome vehicle" or "excellent choice", either way you are building confidence in your customer. This may seem like such a small step, but it actually establishes the foundation of a successful call.

Next I would think about the attention this particular vehicle has received. Have you obtained a lot of leads or phone calls on it? Create urgency by explaining to the customer that the vehicle has been popular. This is important because if they truly love the vehicle, they will want to know it's possible it could be sold rather quickly. 

In a specific call we should also ask about alternate vehicles. We may have something else on the lot that would be perfect for the customer, in addition to the vehicle they called in on. If they are open to something similar, ask them a few choice-based questions to help you narrow down the search. For example: car, truck or SUV.

Generic Vehicle

We also take calls where the customer is looking for something in general and has not chosen specs. In this case, I would handle the call differently than a specific call.

Start by asking the customer a few questions to help you determine what you have in stock that will work for them. I suggest keeping your questions relevant and choice-based. Asking open questions can lead to trouble.

Choices allow you to establish how to meet the customers needs, while controlling the conversation. This is much different than a customer asking "do you have any F150's?" and us replying "sure, want to come see them?". Most often their next question is "tell me what you have". The customer is asking that because they feel as though you have no idea what they are looking for. When we ask questions, we give the customer a sense that we understand and that we are here to help find the perfect vehicle. Now when we say we have something in stock that will work for them, they know it's true, because we took the time to understand how to meet their needs. Try it, it makes a difference.

It may not seem like much, but these small steps really do help you control the call and provide great customer service. If those are your goals, then these tips can get you headed in the right direction.

The Struggle Is Real

If you feel like you are not doing something right when it comes to handling your phone calls and obtaining customer information, I suggest paying very close attention to not only what you say but also when you say it to the customer. When we answer questions is just as important as how we answer them.

Here's why- Often a customer calls up and they start the conversation with a question. For example, “is xyz vehicle available and what's the mileage?”. As someone who is here to assist the customer, your first instinct is to answer their question. Before you do this, I suggest you stop and think! Ask yourself: If I give them this information, will they have any reason to stay on the phone with me? Will they have any reason to provide me with their name and number?

I think you already know the answer...

Build Rapport & Obtain Their Info First

Instead of hopping right to the answer, focus on building a relationship with the customer. It is very difficult to earn the trust of the customer, obtain their contact information or even sell them an appointment if you do not have rapport built. Additionally, providing too much information too soon in the call leads to disaster.

The #1 tip to remember is: you want to get their information before you give them information. This is critical if you want to have a successful conversation with your potential customer. Remember, once you tell them what they need to know, you loose every bit of leverage you had to need their name and number. 

The best way to handle questions about the vehicle or it's availability is to say "Excellent question! This vehicle is a great choice and it has been quite popular. I would be happy to check on the mileage and see if it's available for you. Now, what is the best number to reach you on, home or cell". This builds rapport, creates urgency and gives you a great reason to need their information!

After you have all of the customer's contact information and if it's a specific call, inquired on "Plan B" vehicles, you can go ahead and place them on hold, return to the line and sell an appointment. If the customer once again asks their question, it is now safe to use an Objection Technique to deflect or answer the question if it won't hurt your chances at selling an appointment.

Good luck. Just remember the tip above: Get info before you give give. It makes a huge difference in the effectiveness of phone calls!

Obtaining The Customer Details

I have a list of stats from NADA that I often refer to when training a dealership. I find that these stats actually feel a little bit higher than what I have experienced from coaching calls. NADA states that less than 25% of sales people will ask for the name of the caller and less than 15% will ask for a phone number. Most of the time when coaching a call, it goes like this:

Customer: "Do you have X vehicle"

Rep: "We sure do"

Customer: "Ok, how late are you open"

Rep: "Till 9"

Customer: "Ok, thanks"

Rep: "Do you want to come see it"

Customer: "Maybe, thanks again"

END OF CALL......

Clearly we can see this is not effective and does absolutely nothing for building rapport with the customer. Additionally, since we didn't obtain any information from the customer, follow up is literally impossible. Unfortunately, this is the way many sales calls go. The good news is that there is a better way!

When is Just as Important as How

When you ask for the phone number is just as important as how you ask for it. Most reps tend to ask too soon in the call and do not attempt to create balance. A good example of this is the "put my hands on it" calls. These are the reps that use the excuse that they have to put their hands on the vehicle to see if it's still available.They then use this as a reason to ask for the customer's phone number. This reasoning to me sounds like nails on a chalkboard and customers can see right through it. 

While having a reason to need their information is critical, building rapport first is the key to success. 

Something else I often hear is answering the customers questions immediately, and then saying "in case we get disconnected, what number can I reach you on?". 

This is ineffective for a few reasons:

• First, the customer can easily call you back right...?! What will you say when they reply with "I will just call you back"?
• Second, this is not a good enough reason to need their information. They can easily wiggle out of your reasoning, especially if you have not established rapport with the customer and already answered their questions.
• Third, using this reasoning usually results in irritating the customer. They typically become rude and reply with "I'll hold, just go check".

Instead, use the answers to their questions as a reason to need their information. For example if they ask you for the mileage say, "Excellent question! I would be happy to check on that for you". Then move into your verbiage for obtaining their name and number.

Also, as previously mentioned, build rapport and establish a relationship with the customer first. Identify their needs, compliment their choices and then ask for their information. Just do not discuss availability until after you have obtained their contact information. Use availability as leverage to need their name and number.

What to Say

You should always ask for their information in a choice-based format. We do this because when a customer hears a question with options, they are likely to choose one of the options you gave. This is much different than asking an open-ended question that they have to stop and process.

When you ask for their phone number, I would suggest asking "what is the best number to reach you on, your home or cell number". Most customers respond without thought and you can reply with "great, and that number is?".

Voila. We have a reason to need their information and we are asking in a successful format.

What if They Ask Why?

Every once in awhile I talk to a rep who struggles with this step. Usually it's because they have provided the details too early on and no longer have a reason to need the customer's number.

If you run in trouble, which you shouldn't if you follow great word-tracks, simply explain that you need to check on the information because you do not want to give out incorrect details. Unless the customer wants wrong information, they should be completely fine with this. Just take a second and explain it politely, if they push back. You should then be able to circle back towards your verbiage of "what is the best number to reach you on, your home or cell number".

Good luck! Have fun!

Asking for the Appointment

Asking for the appointment is one of the most important pieces of a sales call. It surprises me how little training is done on how to properly ask for an appointment. Asking for an appointment can be simple, if you know the necessary verbiage. Typically when I start training someone, I notice immediately that they need to focus more on not only how they actually ask, but also the process they use leading up to the actual selling of the appointment.

Build Rapport

Always build rapport with the customer by complimenting their vehicle choice and mention its popularity. If the customer is serious enough to inquire about the vehicle, they will be much more eager to come test drive it if they know others are also interested. 

You do not have to state specifically what type of inquires you have received or how many, just simply mention that the vehicle has been popular. This is enough to plant the seed of excitement and encourages them to hurry in before someone else buys "their" car.

Watch your Verbiage

Your verbiage when you actually ask for the appointment is so important! The most common way I hear someone offer an appointment is to say "Yeah, we have it. Do you wanna come check it out?". Hmmm, well this certainly gives your customer a variety of replies to choose from.

Instead, try asking with choices. Asking your customer questions with choices makes it so much easier for them to make a decision. We use this same technique when attempting to narrow down the vehicle search during a generic call. We wouldn't ask "what color do you want" because this gives them way too many choices. Instead we ask "lighter shades or darker shades" which still makes them feel like they are making a decision, but is a much broader question and doesn't lock us into one color. 

If you ask them for an appointment utilizing options, you are controlling the conversation. Open ended questions allow your customer to control the conversation, which is the opposite of our goal. If we can control the call, we can set the appointment. 

Also be sure you choose authoritative phrasing. Again, I often hear "Would you like to stop in?" and this is simply too weak. Utilizing weak verbiage will not help you get more appointments, so try strong, authoritative phrasing. A great way to ask is "I have openings today or tomorrow, which works best" or "When are you available, today or tomorrow". Both ways use strong, confident phrasing and choices. This is a recipe for success! 

Ask More than Once

Always ask at least twice in your call for an appointment. I typically suggest you ask the first time right after Rapport Building and a brief hold time. This is when momentum is built and the customer is anxious. 

If they decline after your first attempt, move into a second attempt for a tentative time either right away, or after giving out your contact information. Sometimes a bit of a break in the pattern helps to set an appointment with an aggressive or irritated customer. 

When asking for a tentative appointment, gently remind the customer they can always call if they cannot make it, but this way they are all scheduled and the vehicle can be ready. I suggest using verbiage like "your time is valuable, and since we do get busy, let's select a tentative time". This almost always works!

Good luck selling appointments! 

Voice Tone Matters

You may not realize how important your voice inflection and tone are, but they play a major role in how your customer views your business and level of customer service. When you answer a lot of phone calls, it's easy to forget that your voice tone matters, however, did you know that it takes less than 5 seconds for a customer to develop a first impression? Five seconds goes by pretty quick and if you sound bored, annoyed or flat out rude, you can be negatively impacting your customers.

Have you ever called somewhere and thought to yourself "this person does not love their job" or "this person really needs phone training"? How does this impact your impression of the business? It's important to think about your own experiences and how they made you feel, put yourself in the customer's shoes. Armed with this knowledge you can train your team, so that customers do not feel this way when they call your business

Improving Voice Tone

Improving voice tone is so simple and it can change your entire call. The easiest way to improve your voice inflection is to smile. When we smile, it raises the pallet at the back of your throat. In turn this produces a pleasing tone. Customers are wired to hear this tone and it builds rapport, establishes feelings of emotion and connects you to the customer. 

The easiest way to be mindful of your voice inflection is to keep a small mirror nearby your phone. If you glance into the mirror before answering the call and throughout your calls, it will be simple to ensure you have a smile on your face. If you practice this repeatedly, eventually you will no longer need the mirror and be a master at voice inflection!

Good luck, happy smiling! :)