101 Sales Meetings  by Jim Ziegler

Sales Training Meeting #1 The Road to the Sale

Selling an automobile is a step by step process... A series of well defined procedures that must be followed.
There are no short cuts in the road to the sale.

Every step must be performed completely before you take the customer to the next step in the exact order that the steps are outlined... Exactly the way that you are taught.
 

There are no exceptions to this method of selling automobiles
No one has ever devised any other way of selling automobiles that has proven to be successful.
 

The Road To The Sale Is Not An Option, and you must do it exactly the way it is taught... Every time.
 

It is not a way to sell cars; it is the only way to sell cars!
 

Advantages

a) Control of the selling situation
b) Consistency of selling methods
c) Builds confidence in the sales person and customer
d) Creates the desire to buy today
e) Develops skill and technique through repetition
f) Provides a plan or a track to run on The Road to the Sale
1. Meet and greet the customer
2. Establish common ground
3. Select a vehicle
4. Feature presentation
5. Demo ride
6. Drive the trade
7. Tour the dealership
8. Write up the deal
9. T/o to aftermarket and finance
10. Delivery
11. Owner follow up
 

Sales Training Meeting #2 Meet And Greet The Customer

1. Winner's smile here comes the first impression
2. Prepare your mind
3. Remember to remember their names when you hear them
4. Welcome to our dealership firm handshake eye contact winning smile
a) Shake the woman's (spouse’s) hand, too
5. My name is... Your name is?
a) Ask spouse, or friend their name too
6. What brings you to our dealership today?
7. That's a fine automobile you're driving I do hope you're going to be trading it in!
a) We need one just like that one
8. Is there another automobile, at home perhaps, that you might be considering trading? (Deal stopper)
9. Will anyone else be involved in helping to make the decision on the color, trim or equipment? (Deal stopper)
10. What other dealerships have you visited?
11. What other models have you looked at?
12. What is most important for you to have in your new automobile?
(Other than price)
13. Was this automobile new when you purchased it?
14. What was the retail price of your automobile when you first purchased it?
15. Is there a payoff balance owing on the automobile that you'll be selling us?
16. Since you've visited other dealerships, what is the reason that you haven't purchased yet?
17. If everything is agreeable, are you prepared to own a new vehicle today?
(Deal stopper)

Sales Training Meeting #3 Establish Common Ground

1. How long have you lived in the area?
2. What school did you attend? Church?
3. Where are you from originally?
4. What do you do for a living?
a) Where?
b) How long?
c) What do you do?
d) Show genuine interest
5. Key in on their interests ... Hobbies... Sports
6. Listen to them let them talk don't try to impress them that you know more about something than they do.
7. Get them to like you.
a) Most people who do not buy cars don't buy because they don't like their sales person
8. Pay attention to bumper stickers and window decals
9. Keep smiling... Learn to smile with your eyes
10. Show genuine interest in their interests
11. Make a sincere compliment that you can live with and then explain to them why you said it.
12. Ask them if they have time to do business today.( deal stopper )
This step starts from the moment you meet the customer, all of the way through the final delivery of the automobile. You never stop establishing common ground.
The whole idea is to get them to like you and trust you. From the time you first meet, you are asking questions that will help qualify them and you are gathering information that you will use later in the sale. Remember to remember what you hear. Pay Attention.

Sales Training Meeting #4 Select A Vehicle

The exact vehicle they would consider purchasing... Never negotiate on a generic car
1. If they know what they're looking for, don't walk them to the inventory go get the automobile
2. From information gathered, select an automobile that sensibly meets their wants and needs.
3. Remember, the majority of people don't actually buy the automobile that they thought they wanted when they first came in.
4. Don't let them pin you down " Think Switch "
5. What color do you prefer, dark, medium or a light Color?
6. One bullet in your gun to get away to see a manager
"Let me see if this automobile is available "
7. Ask for the trial commitment
" Is this the one you feel you'd like to own? "
8. Get the automobile away from everything that looks like it, preferably next to the trade (If the trade is not a nice automobile).

Sales Training Meeting #5 Present The Vehicle

(Not to be confused with demonstration of the vehicle)
1. Know your product and the competition's
2. Key in on his buying motive
3. Sell features with features bridging into benefits and get their agreement that these benefits have value to him/her. Lock them in by getting their agreement that these benefits have value.
4. Most Important
The customer must actively and physically participate in the presentation of the vehicle
a) The customer must touch, listen, feel and smell the new (newer) car
b) The customer must turn on switches and operate controls... Lift hood... open trunk and remove tops... Etc. (Not the sales person)
5. The automobile is magical and emotional; sell to the customer's emotions, self-image and ego
a) Sell to his/her self-image... Sell the car to who they think they are, not who they really are.
6. Control the presentation
This is the longest, most important step in the sale process slow them down, sell the value and the excitement.
7. Use " technology " vocabulary from brochures and training materials
8. Use the words " as you know " often in your presentation
9. Never, never, never, ever discuss figures with a Customer on the lot
10. Use " Command Statements " and " Power Phrases "
Tell them what you want them to do with the attitude that you really expect them to do it.
11. Show them everything... Excitement in your voice. Be animated...
You are a showman.
At The Front Of The Car...
The hood latch
The grill
Space age materials... lexan... acrylics etc.
Higher impact bumpers (5-10 mph tested)
Crumple zones in hood... fenders... safety
Tinted windshield... quick defrost feature... visibility
Transverse mounted engine ... cylinders... horse power
Color coded dipsticks... etc.
Translucent brake fluid master cylinder
Sequential breakaway engine mounts
McPherson strut suspension
Corrugated steel beams
Aerodynamic styling... wraparound doors... gas mileage
Single serpentine belts
Computer sensors
Electronic fuel injection
Maintenance free battery
At the passenger side
Paint... Clear coat... Etc.
Rust through warranty... Double galvanized body panels
Chip resistant paint
No metal meets glass... Less corrosion possibility
Tires and wheels
Color keyed bumpers
Fuel door
Size of the doors... Ease of entry
Solid feel/sound when you close the door
Fit and finish... All the seams line up... Etc.
Child proof locks... Power locks
Headroom... Legroom... Cargo in hatchback compartment
Continuous tubular gaskets around doors Gas filler... Gas cap... Etc.
At the rear of the car
Open trunk demonstration
Cargo space... Compare to refrigerator
Seals and gaskets... Metal flange in continuous tubular
Gasket... Only seam in the gasket at the lowest point
Electric trunk pulls down... Electric trunk release
Carpeted trunk
Show spare tire and jack assembly and explain their use
Electric fuel shut off valve safety feature
Crumple zones in rear fender
Fuel tank location in relationship to rear axle
Shock absorbers
Insulation
Taillights
Drip molding... Drainage... At trunk and over doors
At The Driver's Side (Customer Sitting In Car)
Open door and present cockpit area
Liquid quartz crystal, computerized, digital instrumentation, display systems
Tilt the wheel in all positions for the customer
Explain sound system... Computer read out system
Windshield washer... Wipers... Dimmer switch... Cruise
Control... Remote trunk and fuel tank controls
Seat adjustments... Adjust all positions for customer
Ergonomically engineered
Seats designed with orthopedic surgeons
Tactile controls... Heads up instrument illumination
Remote control entry system... Keyless entry
Power options... Windows... Locks... Delayed lights
Safety restraints... Air bags... Shoulder harnesses
Padded dash configuration... Set the clock
Visor vanities... In door storage... Glove box
Hood release
Heat and air conditioning controls... Settings
Rear defroster
Ashtrays and lighters
Interior lights
If the car has removable roof or tops... Remove them
If it is a convertible... Let the top down always.

Sales Training Meeting # 6 Demonstrate The Vehicle

1. This is not optional
2. Do not ask if they would like to drive
3. If they refuse a demo call a time out and see your Manager right away
4. Use commanding statements, with expectation, take control firmly
5. Warm the engine check the fuel level
6. Temperature ize the vehicle interior temperature defrosts the windshield, etc.
7. You drive first never let the customer drive first
8. Select a starting route with all right hand turns
a) Let the customer drive as far and as long as they want
b) Stop talking stop selling answer questions
9. Let the customer experience the car uninterrupted
10. Everyone involved in the decision drives
11. Upon returning to the dealership, put the new car right next to the trade in (if it's not a nice car)
12. Walk around the new car one more time

Sales Training Meeting # 7 Drive The Trade In With The Customer

1. " Let's have a look at the automobile that you'll be selling us may I have the keys? "
2. The silent walk around
a) Touch all of the defects
b) Sight down the side as if looking for damage
c) Put a coin in the tire treads
3. “ Is there anything that you feel that I need to know about this automobile before we present it to my manager? "
4. I'd like to drive it so I can have a better idea of what we're talking about when we negotiate with my manager hop in
5. Scowl look concerned about his trade in let them tell you about all of the defects
a) When they tell you about the defects, encourage them to expand on it and tell you more.
6. Make no derogatory statements about the automobile
7. Park it next to the new automobile they're looking at pocket the keys and keep them check the trunk
8. Final walk around on both automobiles short re affirmation of " hot " buying motive items
9. Get all of the numbers and information from both automobiles before you go in the building
a) Stock number of new vehicle
b) Sticker price plus dealer added options
c) Serial numbers from both automobiles
d) Tag number and decal number from trade in
e) You get odometer reading from new automobile; make the customer read you the odometer reading from the trade in
f) Ask if they have the tag slip and the title

Sales Training Meeting # 8 Tour The Dealership

1. Personalize the sale sell yourself and your dealership express pride and excitement that you work here
2. Introduce the service adviser the shop foreman the service manager have them give the customer their cards
a) They haven't even bought a car yet but they already have their own service writer
3. Talk about years in business, reputation of the dealership, customer satisfaction, etc.
4. Buy them refreshments with your own money
5. Introduce them to anyone who works with you show them the dealership is one happy family
6. Sell the dealership's commitment to service and satisfaction show them the shop area talk about the modern repair facilities talk about factory trained technicians and their experience/ factory sponsored schools they've attended explain high tech computerized diagnostic equipment and state of the art equipment for giving them better service show them the customer waiting area explain any special things your dealership does.
7. Show them testimonial letters if you have them

Sales Training Meeting # 9 Write Up/Negotiate The Deal

1. " Let's go to my office and talk about it? "
2. " If the figures are agreeable, are you prepared to do business today? " (deal stopper )
a) Never start a buyers order with someone who says they are not prepared to buy today
b) Call a time out and see your manager
c) Give no figures without a commitment that they'd buy if the figures are agreeable... If they won't buy at any figure, why give them any figures
We Aren't In The Business Of Sending Out Shopping Figures
3. If they're not ready to own today... Smoke out their true objections
4. No figures without a commitment
5. Write the full sticker price on the buyer’s order
6. Ask for both drivers’ licenses and keep them
a) " Is this your correct address? "
b) " Is this the way you want your new automobile to be titled? "
7. Write all of the information on the buyer's order
Fill in every blank... No manager should even consider working a deal with a sales person who has not taken the time to fill in every blank on the work sheet or purchase order. A work sheet that is half filled out gives the customer the impression that this is not a serious transaction or agreement.
8. Ask for proof of insurance and keep the cards for the time being.
9. " Is there a balance owing on the automobile that you'll be selling us? "
a) Management may or may not want you to get the payoff. If it is your responsibility, get bank name and call right now for an accurate payoff if your dealership's policy is to have the sales person get the payoff then you need to be sure to fill out payoff form completely
1. Never work a deal with an estimated payoff during business hours don't be lazy.
b) If the bank is closed get an estimated payoff
1. " Do you have you original contract or payment book with you? "
2. " How much do you feel you owe? "
10. If the customer's will allow you to, fill out both odometer forms now
a) As a matter of fact... The idea here is to get as many documents signed as possible before they even see the first set of numbers.
11. Take all of the paperwork and items you've gathered up to the manager
_____________________________________________________________
" Let Me Go To My Manager And Get Us A Proposal! " _____________________________________________________________
a) Both drivers’ licenses
b) Both insurance cards
c) Trade in keys
d) Filled in appraisal form
e) Mostly filled in work sheet/ purchase order
12. The manager starts the deal... All deals start at the desk
Warning... Do not get in a conversation with the customer about what they were offered elsewhere... You really don't want to know the figures that some other dealership told them... Don't let them get you in this trick bag. If they persist in telling you what the other dealer offered, simply say...
" Listen John and Martha, I realize that you've been shopping but don't tell me what the other dealer offered you because my manager is about to make us an offer and we wouldn't want to affect his offer by telling him figures the other dealer offered you... His figures might be lower "
Do not ask the customer how much they want for their trade and do not ask them...
" What's your budget ? "
We don't want to know any of these figures until after they've seen our first proposal.
_____________________________________________________________
All Deals Start At The Desk... The Manager Starts The Figures _____________________________________________________________
The manager always writes in the final figures for our first proposal to the customer... The only figure a sales person writes on the work sheet is the full MSRP/ sticker price including all adds and additional markup
a) Manager may require you to get the trade appraised here take the trade in to the used car manager with the appraisal slip
b) Leave all of the items you've gathered on the manager's desk
13. Take the figures back to present to the customers
Basic Deal Word Track
" John and Martha my manager has offered us what I believe is an excellent deal ! " ( act genuinely excited here )
Lay the work sheet on the desk where the customer can read it along with you.
( upside from your viewpoint ) using your pen with the cap on as a pointer... You say...
“ Market Value of the car you're buying is $17930.00 "...
“ My Manager Believes That your trade has a market value somewhere between $4553.00 and $4981.00 "...
“As You Are Aware most of the banks and lending institutions require at least 20% down, therefore; your down payment will somewhere around $3418.00 to $3879.00 "...
“Which will leave us with a monthly investment of between $569.75 to $581.33 "...
“ Write Me A Check for $3879.00 make it out to Ziegler Motorcars ! "
Act as if everything is completely normal here... Smile.
In some dealerships, the sales person never mentions the payment. If that's the case in your dealership, still present the other three elements of the sale... Especially the down payment. The customer is expected to have to have a reaction.
a) Examine Your Attitude about the deal get your mind right before going back
b) Rehearse what you're going to say with the manager smile act like this is a great deal
c) Don't apologize for the manager's offer
d) Restate the value of the automobile sell the figures to the customer based on value ( check your business card... If it says " sales representative "... Then be one )
e) Slow them down remind them of their trade
When the customer reacts to the manager's offer...( and they will react )
They will most likely react to the payment or the down payment... Probably both.
“John and Martha, that's an accelerated payment... Most of our customers prefer to pay their cars off in two or three years and have accelerated equity... My manager set up our offer so that you could pay the car off in two or three years, I’m not sure which. If you want a lower payment, I’m sure that with your good credit we can get you an extended term and a lower payment... What fair and reasonable amount did you have in mind? "
14. Never discuss the term of the loan or the interest rate with the customer... You don't know
" What figure did you have in mind that's fair and realistic? ... I'll present it to my manager. "
a) Work the customer to make a realistic offer
b) Spend some time with them keep selling
c) Do not get emotionally involved with the figures nothing phases you keep smiling
d) Make the customer commit to their counter proposal
1. " Great! Let me write that down and get your approval . " Hand them the pen to sign their offer.
2. Make them re commit to own the automobile if the manager accepts the offer
15. Write their counter proposal, work the customer for a better offer before you write it but then write their offer no matter how ridiculous it is... Then get the money
a) On every proposal... Always close on the down payment... Never on the trade allowance and seldom on the payment amount .
Get The Money
You say..." Write me a check for thirty five hundred dollars, make it out to the dealership ! ... Ziegler Motorcars! "
a) Get all the money they have to put down act with " total expectation " that you'll actually get the money. Convince the customer to write a check you can cash.
b) Write the customer’s counter proposal and get it signed with the money go to manager
c) Do Not take customer's offer to management without the money work the customer sell
16. Return to manager for a management counter proposal
a) Leave the money with the manager... Take the receipt to the customer
b) Rehearse what you're going to say with the manager before you go back to the customer
17. " Go For The Bump "
a) Negotiating is an offer and counter offer...a back and forth process
b) It is your job to present management's offer and to sell it to the customer... Not to get a counter offer.
_____________________________________________________________
Never start a deal with the customer's offer. Always make the first offer to the customer and spend the entire negotiation reacting to your own offer instead of theirs.
_____________________________________________________________
18. I think you're going to be excited about this... Pleased with this...
a) Sell the manager's counter proposal to the customer... Do not sell the manager on the customer's offer.
19. The manager may wish to speak with the customer on our last offer, which is called a " Turnover " in the car business... But we'd rather refer to it from this point forward as a..." Customer Introduction ".
a) Introduce the customer to your manager ... Then leave the room
20. The biggest and most important part of the negotiation stage of the sale is to be sure to do exactly what the manager instructs you to do.... say exactly what the manager tells you to say.
21. Trade difference and cash deals with no trade are worked the same way with the exception that the manager may elect to start a cash deal with a discount... This is never the sales person's option.
22. Never... Never ever mention to the customer that there is a rebate or a special interest rate program or a buyer's incentive, such as a college graduate plan or first time buyer's plan. Never mention any of these programs unless the buyer was already aware of them before they came to the dealership. The manager will instruct the sales person as to when to introduce this information to the customer.
23. Do not work a deal on any piece of paper other than the official work sheet the dealership uses.
24. Do not work a customer on any figures that the management has not supplied...
Do Not… " Would Ya Take Em "

Sales Training Meeting #10 Introduce Customer To The Finance Manager

A quality introduction to F&I (finance) means that you have demonstrated the car and that the customer has agreed to own the automobile if the figures are agreeable before you introduce them to the finance manager ( business manager ).
A quality introduction means that you have not sold finance
When a sales person discusses interest rates or " Ball Parks " a payment or term without management approval... That is considered selling finance.
When a sales person throws an extended service contract into the deal, or prices an extended service contract, or advises the customer against an extended service agreement that is considered selling finance.
If a sales person neglects to give the finance manager (business manager) 100% quality turnover ( introduction ) Of 100% of that sales person's customers... At point of sale... That is considered selling finance
If a sales person sends a customer to their own bank or credit union without first introducing them to the finance manager... That is considered selling finance.
When a sales person discusses credit insurance or expresses any opinion about it to the customer... That is considered selling finance.
If a sales person coaches a customer as to how to deal with the finance department, sells finance, or does anything that hampers the finance department's chance to make their income, which is a serious violation of dealership policy.
1. Every customer gets a quality introduction to the finance manager at point of sale... No exceptions
2. Never introduce any customer to any manager on the showroom floor... Never throw a customer into the F&I manager's face unannounced
3. Never march a customer directly into the finance office excuse yourself and talk to the manager privately first
4. When going to a new dealership, always visit the F&I /lease managers to find out what their policies are

Sales Training Meeting # 11 Deliver The Automobile

1. Use manufacturer's preferred delivery presentation
a) Use a clipboard to go over checklist with the customer... You may want to actually have the customer hold the clipboard and check off the checklist as you go over each item... That way they will never forget that you did it since you did it together
2. Fill out all necessary paperwork and warranty forms
3. Explain everything about the automobile to the customer and show them how to work and operate all of the options
4. Be sure the automobile is clean and serviced and has a drive out tag on it.
5. You might want to be sure the customer even helps to gas up the car so that they will remember you gave them the tank of gas at delivery ( if that is the program )

Sales Training Meeting #12 Follow-up With The Customer

1. Call the customer within a few days after delivery
2. Stay in touch with the customer and ask for references
3. If the customer has problems with the automobile, see your manager and call them back
4. Birthday cards, Anniversary cards, Christmas cards, stay in touch with the customer forever always ask for referrals whenever you speak to them
5. Create your customer base file system... Adopt customers for this file whose sales person may no longer be with the dealership
6. Ask your customer for referrals

Sales Training Meeting #13 Focus on Your Future

The purpose of this meeting is to get your sales force focused on what it takes to build a successful career in automotive sales. Focused on building their future. ...
Start by asking this question; “Where are you going to be in two to five years?” (Write it on the board)
Now draw a big circle on the board. Cut into six parts by drawing lines through it.
Now ask the group, “Where do you want to be five years from now... let me put it another way... suppose you won the lottery... Where would you live?”
Pick one of the sales people. “How about you Joe?”
What kind of house would you have?
How many square feet would it be?
What kind of stuff would you have in the house?
As you get the answers, write them on the board in the first piece of the pie. Then get one or two more to tell you what they want in terms of a house, write it on the board also.
The next piece of the pie is, “What kind of car would you drive?”...”Is that the only one you would have?... How about your wife (girl friend), What would you buy her?”...
The next piece of the pie is travel. Where would you go? How long would you stay? Who would you take with you? What would you buy to take back with you?
Keep writing the answers in the appropriate piece of the pie.
The next piece of the pie is education. It costs about $300,000.00 per kid to put them through private school and send them to the best private University they can qualify for. Be sure and tell them this. Now move around the room and ask each how many kids they have. Have each answer write the number down (1=300k, 2=600k, 3=900k,etc.).
The next question is, “What would you do for your family?” Encourage participation from as many as possible. Write the answers down in the next piece of the pie.
The next piece is debt free, less pressure, savings and security. Find out how much money each person needs to accomplish this. Write some of the numbers in the pie.
“Now here is something that most of us don’t think about. Charity... Most of us figure that charity begins at home.” This is because we don’t have surplus money and time to give away.
What if you were able to help some other people? What cause or charity would you support? Write some of the answers in the pie.
Now set the premise for the meeting...
The car business as a career has become a vehicle for a selected few to accomplish anything they want. We have all heard or seen a few who started with nothing and are now mega dealers... or $100,000.00 a year sales people.
What is the difference between the dried up old used car salesman who has been in the business 25 years, who sells 5 cars a month, and the dealer who stated off selling cars or the guy who makes a six figure income selling?
The answer you want to guide them to is… The successful people in the car business build clientele and cultivate referrals and bird dogs on a regular basis.
Write this one on the board...
“The difference between an amateur and a professional in the car business is how you spend you time when your are NOT with a customer.”
As managers we could design a work program for you and require you to follow it. But we already know that if you are not committed to it, even if you follow it you won’t be as successful with it unless you know why you do it, and you want to do it.
That is what this meeting is about. We want you to understand the value of a daily commitment to prospecting, owner follow up and constantly promoting who you are and what you do to everyone you come in contact with. These things will NOT pay off right away. That’s why most sales people don’t do it. Most sales people live form day to day... primarily on floor traffic.
Let’s take a little closer look at why the pros make so much money:
Cold floor ups - close two out of ten what are the grosses?
Prospected by you - close two out of ten gross?
Referred in - close three out of ten gross?
Repeat owner - close six out of ten
The fact is that you are in control of what kind of business you will have in the next 2 to 5 years. The question is,
“WHERE DO YOU WANT TO BE IN TWO TO FIVE YEARS?”

Sales Training Meeting # 14 On the Way to Work This Morning

On the way to work this morning, you probably passed at least eight or ten million dollars in salesmen commissions. Everywhere you live there are automobiles. An automobile sales person sold every one of these automobiles to someone. Some of them have been sold three, four, even five times. Once again, they were sold by automobile sales person, and each time they were sold, a salesman collected a commission.
In the United States of America, everyone drives automobiles and everyone wants to own one. Any citizen who is eighteen years of age and in good health is a prospect to buy a new automobile at any time.
Selling Automobiles Is The Easiest Thing In The World To Do
It never ceases to amaze me when a sales person asks me...
“Where do I find new customers?”
My usual, smart ass answer to that question is...
“Try the interstate at five o’clock!”
Customers are everywhere, and they all want what we sell. The problem that most salesmen have is not that they can’t find customers: The problem most salesmen have is much more complex than that and it starts with inadequate sales skills, poor product knowledge, and lack of self-confidence.
To me, the retail automobile industry is one of the most exciting businesses in the world. There’s nothing like it. In no other business are the rewards so great for the amount of effort and education required.
When you become a professional automobile sales person, you put it all on the line. This is not a business for weaklings and non-achievers. This business is one of the quickest ways that I know for someone to realize their true self-worth.
The rewards are instantaneous and the failures are obvious. I know many automobile sales professionals who are making incomes in excess of one hundred thousand dollars a year...
Several who have made as much as Three Hundred Thousand Dollars in one year...did so selling cars. The income potential in the retail automobile business is virtually unlimited.
Your opportunity as a professional automobile sales person is as good...or better than the average surgeon.
To become a surgeon, a person must dedicate at least eight years of their life to learning their profession... A student. As in automobile sales, only a very few graduate.
As a matter of fact, the odds are about the same, in the medical profession or in the retail automobile profession, only the winners will succeed. Very few first year medical students ever become doctors. By the time the average medical student graduates, they will already be in debt for well over One Hundred Thousand Dollars (after having had no income, as a student for nearly eight years... or more).
And then, they have to work in some kind of a residency position for several years with extremely long hours for an extremely low income.
At this point in their lives they may elect to borrow another One Hundred Thousand Dollars to start their own practice or they may choose to buy into an existing partnership.
And they do all of this just for the privilege of starting out with an income of maybe Sixty Thousand Dollars the first year.
A slightly above average automobile salesman
can make Sixty Thousand Dollars the first year
Ten years in the business and a good sales person... A real professional, can advance through management to the point where they (you) can actually own your own dealership and ... possibly... you can become a millionaire before that medical student, who started out ten years ago and is now Two Hundred Thousand Dollars in debt, earns their first nickel as a surgeon.
True enough, not every salesman is that successful, but then again; not every medical student graduates.

Sales Training Meeting # 15 Life’s A Gamble, Ain’t It?

Whether or not you ever reach the pinnacles of success in the business, the income opportunity is there. A truly professional automobile sales person will make a higher income than most so called professional people will ever reach after many years on the job. The beauty of it is that you can make this income from day one. Brand new automobile sales professionals, with no previous experience in the automobile business, have learned their profession and made over a thousand dollars the first week on the job.
And that’s not unusual. On the other side of the coin, you are going to meet people in this business that have never made it... and they’ll make it.
It all starts with your personal desire to win.
The winners and the losers are very quickly weeded out in this business. Automobile sales is an unforgiving profession.
To succeed in this profession, you must study your business and improve the quality of your skills and professionalism as surely as the surgeon studies their profession. If you feel that automobile sales is just a job, that’s exactly what you’ll have... just a job.
So, before you start developing your skills, get your mind right. Are you a winner? What do you want in life?
And... How do you intend to get there?

Sales Training Meeting #16 - You The Sales Person

Realize the gift of salesmanship is not one that everybody has. Over 80% of the people that enter the retail automobile business don’t last six months. Over 90% don’t last one year! Be proud of your special psyche; the state of mind that gives you the persistence to learn on the showroom floor... the quick wit that allows you to respond to all the different situations you encounter on a day-to-day basis.
Today the automobile business is 200 years young. There is still no industry as important as ours and it is represented by you the sales person.
The factory can build a car, they can advertise that car, they can set up a dealer network, but they can’t move that car the last 3 feet.
The national economy free enterprise relies on you. Over 400 major corporations are in business because of what you and I do. 1/5 of the national economy is derived from the automotive industry. The other people in this dealership are there because of you and for you. 1 out of every 5 individuals has employment because of you and your efforts.
18% of the retail automobile sales people sell over 80% of the vehicles sold in America.
We provide a comprehensive, success - proven, road map to a successful sales career in the retail automobile industry.
I. You are here to learn and improve your selling skills.
Selling is the ability to be able to persuade another human being to see it your way.. and, as it relates to the car business, to purchase your automobile at a reasonable price.
Sales skills are psychological skills that border on subtle manipulation to get another person to act or think in a predetermined manner.
II. To sell more effectively you must know why people buy.
Review your past customer’s needs. Did you fully understand why they were buying?

Sales Training Meeting #17 - It’s A New Attitude

Having a positive mental attitude in dealing with every single person you talk to in the dealership every time you utter a single breath will do more for you and make you a professional faster that anything you can do for yourself. It’s the same old golden rule, but it has been around for a long time.
The only two assets you have in the profession is:
I. Time!
II. Attitude!
If you can control both of these, everything else will take car of itself.
1. The customer wants assurance and guidance from a professional. Be in control from the introduction.
2. Let your customers know how good business is. People like to do business where business is good.
3. Smile, be sincere, watch what you say, be glad to hear from your customers every time.
4. Complement your customer; tell them how smart they are to buy now. Ask questions about family and job.
5. Be patient... Don’t rush into negotiation of price or figures. Customer must be sold on the dealership, the car and YOU.
6. Control the time you spend with the customer, and you will control the profits.
In the sales profession, words are your toolbox. The only thing that you really are paid to do is to talk to people.
The words that you use and the order that you say them in is what separates good sales person from poor sales person.
YOUR SUCCESS IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO YOUR ABILITY TO
EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH YOU CUSTOMERS.
GOOD COMMUNICATORS ARE GOOD LISTENERS.

Sales Training Meeting #18 - Luck

What is luck in relation to sales?
Luck is when preparation and opportunity meets!
The five ways a professional creates their own luck are:
1. Expect breaks to come your way.
2. Expose yourself to opportunities.
3. Always be on the lookout.
4. Follow through on every lead, customer, and idea to generate business.
5. Take the challenge; there is no hill that can beat a real climber.
When expanding on the subject you may want to add:
a. Your attitude towards yourself will either attract or drive away lucky breaks.
b. Believe in yourself / don’t sell yourself short.
c. Take chances
d. Listen, watch and be ready. A good salesperson is ready for the unexpected.
e. Get out of your ruts! You must get yourself out and known. The law of averages will work in your favor.
f. Lighting strikes in likely places... put yourself in a likely place.

Sales Training Meeting #19 - Negotiating Skills

You are here to learn negotiating skills.
The retail automobile business is one of the few business in the world where people actively negotiate the price they will pay for the product.
To be effective at negotiation, you must remember that it is your role... Your mission in the negotiation is to make as much profit as the customer will agree to pay while still delivering the automobile.
It is the customer’s role in the negotiation to allow you to make as little profit as possible... Or even no profit... while still buying and taking delivery of the automobile.
A common misconception that many so-called professional automobile sales people have is that negotiation is the most important part of the sale.
Talking about money and selling cars are two different things they are all to concerned with what the customer wants. I am going to tell you one time...forever...
what the customer wants. He wants us not to make any money.
So the point of this meeting is don’t let the customer tell you what he wants. If you do, you will spend the rest of the sale listening to him defend his position.
Cut him off by saying, “WAIT! Hold on just a second, don’t even tell me what the other dealer did, my manager’s offer might be better.” Don’t let him say it; don’t let the words come out of his mouth!
Think about this idea...we usually spend all of our time trying to get the customer up to what we want. Wouldn’t it be much better if he was fighting the whole time to get us down to what he wants?
Always be able to justify your proposal.
A thorough “road to the sales” presentation lays the groundwork to negotiate.
1. Building common ground and rapport early with a customer will be valuable when you put stress on them during negotiation.
2. Building value with a good feature presentation will make it easier for them to pay more.
3. Driving the trade in will drop the value through their eyes, and lend creditability to your appraisal figures.
4. Walking them through service will make them comfortable with the dealership.
5. Mental ownership will allow you to negotiate from a position of strength and leverage.
6. Close the sales repeatedly, justify... ask for the order over and over again.

Sales Training Meeting #20 - Steps To The Buying Decision

The five steps in the buying decision are:
1. Recognition of want ... 80% of our walk-ins are want and not need buyers.
2. Brand preference ... your job is to reinforce this decision with your product knowledge regarding features and benefits.
3. Where to buy ... your job is to reinforce their decision when you meet and control the customer. You must make them feel right about their decision.
4. When to buy ... 95% of all qualified walk in buyers buy within two weeks. He is a hot buyer. The customer has already gone through steps 1 - 3; it is up to you to reinforce his decision.
5. The right price ... A good deal is a frame of mind. You must help your customer justify the price he will pay.
You are here to learn product knowledge.
Although we won’t actually be discussing the specific automobiles; we will be discussing proper product presentation and the ways to educate yourself about the products that you sell. Product knowledge is a part of your training that never ends. Sadly enough, very few sales people have the skills and the knowledge to properly present an automobile to the public in such a way that people realize the value of the investment that we are asking them to make. The biggest reason why sales people are not able to demand and hold a profit... They never convinced the customer of the value of the automobile before they started trying to negotiate.

Sales Training Meeting #21 - Selection of the right car

I. Take no phone call / no interruption.
Tell the operator you are with a customer.
Basic rules to use in the selection of a car:
1. Never tell him you don’t have what he wants
2. Don’t give him a chance to confuse himself
3. Keep him away from brochures
4. Use proper questions to move him your way
5. Know how your option packages are set up
6. Know your inventory
7. Know your product
8. Know as much about your customer as possible
While expanding on the subject you may want to add:
A. Sell what you can see
B. Remember the switch, avoid getting the customer confused
C. If possible park the unit he is buying next to his trade.
When showing the customer a vehicle, show him the cheapest one in the product line. Let the customer qualify himself up based on actual needs and wants. You will find this to be an excellent method of keeping him in line with what he can afford. This will help make the car easier to sell, and more profitable for you.

Sales Training Meeting #22 - Take A Real Interest

Two things happened when you made a successful sale
1. You took a personal interest
2. Invested your time
You earned the right to sell that car.
If you sold thirty cars last month, you earned the right to sell one car thirty times. More importantly, by selling ourselves, over and over again on an individual basis to each customer who comes in our door we can destroy the preconceived notions that exist between the customer and ourselves. We can create a healthy atmosphere to do our job...
Sells Cars! ! Consistent application is the key.
The bottom line is that we have to actually take a personal interest in each and every customer we talk to.
Think about all of your real successful sales. Most of the time you took the time to find things out other than what color they wanted... didn’t you?
Now open the meeting up for “War Stories” and discussions on how personal interest made deals and profits.

Sales Training Meeting # 23 Don't Waste Your Time

Most salesmen waste most of their time... All of the time.
The time that you have is all of the time that you're going to get.
In successful years as a top retail automobile sales professionals... I can never recall selling an automobile to another sales person who worked with me.
If that's true... Then why do so many sales persons dedicate so much of their valuable time socializing with each other sales persons ?
Especially during working hours.
Using your time to its fullest advantage, making the most of the time that you're working is what time management is all about.
"I want a job that I can go in and drink coffee, read the newspaper, and shoot the bull with my friends."
"I want to take long lunch hours, you know, come in late and leave early."
Wasted Time
I want a job that I can go in and drink coffee, read the newspaper, and shoot the bull with my friends. I want to take long lunch hours and leave early and come in late. I want a job that when I am ready to leave I can ignore customers and if a customer doesn't do things my way I can get rid of them. Would there be any shortage of applicants? Does this remind you of anyone you know?
All of the things listed in the above paragraph go on in a dealership just like yours. All these things don't go on at the same time nor do they involve everyone but collectively they do go on. I can't think of any "regular" job that this can go on without major turnover in personnel. Try working for IBM or any major company and get away with any of the things mentioned in the above paragraph. It doesn't happen.
Automobile sales is different than your 9:00 to 5:00 office job in that we work on commission so we are paid on what we do, not for attendance. Commission sales tend to be sporadic so there is some down time. This down time creates a deadly illness known in Latin as the I gottus it madeus and don't need to work us disease. Are you suffering from this dreaded ailment?
Most average sales people are infected and always stay average. The successful sales person is in constant motion.
Follow up phone calls, phone ups, floor ups, and prospecting take up most of their time so playing liars poker doesn't fit in. These successful people are successful because they put in the time and effort to be winners.
Most of the successful sales people are not flashy super closers. In fact some aren't good closers at all. If you are working people that you have sold to before or have been sent to you’ being a super closer isn't required. Taking care of customers after the sale is how to keep customers not snappy closing pitches.
Be all that you can be
This army slogan fits the automobile business as well. Don't waste time and you won’t waste money. Focus your effort and make the most of what you have. Work smart and avoid the pitfalls and enjoy what you are doing.

Sales Training Meeting #24 Three Parties In The Sale

Take a close look at your work... Your time...
In a sales situation three parties are involved.
1. The customer who is the buyer.
2. The dealership that is the seller.
3. Salesperson who is solving problems for both the customer and the dealership.
You are not as much a salesperson for the dealership product as you are a salesperson of yourself!
You offer a service. That service is the knowledge of the product and our ability to sell it.
Additional topics to cover in your meeting.
1. Customer must understand that we work for him and the dealership.
2. Both parties must be satisfied.
3. We involve ourselves to help the customer make a wise decision, we are not merchant's of a hunk of steel.

Sales Training Meeting #25 Sell Yourself First

1. You are the determining factor in whether or not a car will be sold!
2. Regardless of how fine the dealership, how nice the car, or how right the price, the customer has to buy from you.
3. A customer buys a car from you, or he doesn't buy a car from you because of you.
4. You are the one responsible for the sale, no one else, just you.
I. It takes time to become a professional salesperson ... Because in order to earn that right you have to do it one step at a time.
II. You cannot convince your customer you are sincere in ten minutes time.
III. Your customer feels his time is valuable also.
IV. The customer knows that the more time he spends with us the more obligated he is to buy.
Conclusion:
Time and you make the customer committed! This is why a customer gets into such a hurry to get a price and go as quickly as possible. This is why it is so important that we control the sales situation because, the more of the customers time he devotes to us the more committed he becomes.
Other topics you may want to cover:
Never Indian qualify
Approach each customer with an open mind
Sell yourself on the terms he is most interested in
Help him buy a car without endangering his pride or his pocketbook.

Sales Training Meeting # 26 Immunity From Disease

A disease that every sales person comes down with during his or her career is called..." Expertise ".
When a sales person contracts a case of " expertise " they feel that they no longer need to follow all of the steps or maybe they feel they can shortcut some the steps, eliminate some of the steps or maybe just work their own program.
If you ever get to a point where you feel that you are so smart that you don't need to do it this way any more, that's when your sales and commissions will decline... Until you are cured of your expertise.
Remember when you were brand new in the car business, with excitement, enthusiasm, and eager to get started doing what you were taught in training? The first month was probably one of not knowing exactly what you were doing, working every customer you could get your hands on, and most likely selling several cars because you did everything by the rules and exactly what your manager told you to do. After a while, you began to notice that all of the so called " veterans " were not as busy and were not doing all the steps that you were. Gradually, you began to lose sight of your standards and began to look at these new " role models " and their methods as the right way to do things. After all, they must be the experts, they've been doing it longer than you have. The truth is, they probably don't sell as many cars as you sold your first month, and with lower grosses as well. Exposing yourself to any contagious disease always endangers your well being unless you have taken preventive steps to insure your immunity.
I. Establish you immediate and long range goals and commit to them daily.
II. Develop a plan to reach your goals
a. Daily how many people must you talk to everyday to reach unit and gross goals.
b. Work habits organize your efforts to attract business from 4 necessary sources:
1. Walk ins
2. Referrals
3. Phone ups
4. Outside prospecting
You develop discipline to place more importance on success and motivation than poor work habits and a " lazy " outlook.
III. Performance standards establish and maintain your own standards that relate to your goals; don't worry about what others are doing or not doing.
Above all, try to preserve that feeling of being "new”. Because when you're "green" you're growing, when you're ripe you're "rotten".

Sales Training Meeting #27 Control The Customer

This meeting is to be conducted when the sales force feels it is too smart and starts taking short cuts or there seems to be too many excuses as to why a customer won't buy today.
In addition to the road to the sale....
1. Does the customer feel comfortable?
2. Did you sell yourself?
3. Does he want and desire the car?
4. Have you over qualified?
5. How can I make this deal now?
6. Has the customer taken mental ownership?
7. Why should he buy a car?
8. What are his buying motives?
9. How best can I sell him?
There is no middle ground with control. Either you are in control, or your not. The result of control is increased sales production.
Use a control vocabulary... Do not ask yes or no questions ask questions that will lead toward a commitment.
Four hints for control
1. Be friendly... Like everyone... There are many reasons to like someone... They are making you money.
2. Physically use your head in your presentation. Nod strongly when you say, " you would like that feature wouldn't you?" A customer is not going to say no when you are nodding your head yes. It's not natural.
3. Use words like "oh" and "really" to keep control. These words are non-committal when he makes a negative remark. Remain quiet after you ask a question, let him give his answer and continue to let him add to his answer.
4. Turn the customers negative statements into a positive by converting the remark or objection to a question... Your question.

Sales Training Meeting # 28 Successful Customer Tracking

You are here to develop prospecting and customer tracking and follow up skills
The best... The most successful sales professionals in the business work throughout their careers building their personal customer base and tracking their customers... Reaching out into the community and generating their own prospects and customers.
Although everyone talks about prospecting, very few people really know how to do it in such a way that it works
All of the time.
If you will earnestly learn what is taught here, this course will teach you how to generate hundreds of buying customers through proven prospecting techniques.
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Everything that you are taught here will be practiced in a "role play” scenario that will recreate realistic situations that you will encounter when dealing with the public.
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Communications skills, self esteem, attitude, self-discipline, and your personal goals are things that separate the winners from the losers and the also rans in this business.
THIS MEETING IS A SERIOUS PRESENTATION
If you are not prepared to take these Sales Training Meetings seriously, we don't want you here. This course is designed for winners, professionals. Our graduates have a tradition of excellence. We have a record of creating extremely successful sales professionals here.
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If at any time, you are disruptive or... If at any time we feel that
you are not participating, we will ask you to leave.
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In summary, what you are here to learn is to become a top quality, professional salesman... To be head and shoulders above the rest... To be a super achiever in the automobile business... To be the best there is at what you do. If you’re up to the challenge, let's begin!

Sales Training Meeting # 29 Body Language

Body language is the art of non verbal expression. As much communication is done through the movements of the body and the way people hold their bodies as is done through words and voice intonations.
Body language is very real and extremely serious
Do not make the mistake of looking upon body language as a parlor game or as something that people play in bars. It is real and it is powerful.
Not only can a person read the meanings of another person's body language but; you can actually affect another person's mood psychologically by the way that you project your body language to them.
Body language is but a small part of the course that we are teaching here but; I strongly recommend that you buy and study all of the books that you can find on the subject.
A mastery of body language will give you some psychologically manipulative tools that are more powerful than you could have possibly imagined if you have never been exposed to body language before.
The better salesmen have a working knowledge of body language.
A. Non verbal communication
B. Facial expressions Do you know what you look like?
C. Power stances Commanding stances
D. Neutral stances Non threatening stances
E. Weak stances Wimp stances
F. Sexual stances Flirting stances
G. Non threatening gestures
H. Control gestures
I. Superiority gestures
J. Subservient gestures
K. Escape gestures
L. Gestures counter to what their saying
M. Eye gestures
N The "laydown"
O. Who's the boss indicators
P. Thought direction manipulation of thoughts
Q. Safe space space zones space invaders
R. Leg crossing
S. They're not telling the truth

Sales Training Meeting #30 Word Phrases

Make a tremendous difference in the thinking process of the customers.
Start meeting by manager giving the negative and the sales people giving the positive. The whole time writing on the board.
Negative Positive
Inflation Improvement CO
Plus This, Plus That And (One At A Time)
How Far Apart Are We How Close Are WE
I’m Sorry Forgive Me
Problem Situation
Why Don’t You Let’s
Finance Company Financial Institution
Finance Man, Finance Office Business Manager
Lease Manager, Lease Office Business Manager
They Can’t Do It, Low Ball Bypass - Why Sure
Your Car is Not Worth... Public Market Value
Make A Big deal Of It NO Problem, We Will Just
Prove Share
Appointment Get Together
Manager Boss
Discount Savings
Asking Price Public Market Value
Deal Proposal
Thank You Congratulations
You Have Got To... Can You Be A Little Flexible
How Much Do You Want... What Are You Requesting
Prospect's mind controls the prospects feeling and actions...
1. Mental picture 2. Attitude 3. Emotion
We sell with connotations, and we close with connotations not definitions!

Sales Training Meeting # 31 Peculiarities Of Automobile Sales

A. Urgency We want the sale right now
B. Control and intimidation
I. The customer's role in the sale
II. The salesman's role in the sale
III. The manager's role in the sale
C. If they get away, you'll never see them again
D. It's okay to make a big profit

Sales Training Meeting # 32 What Scares A Salesman And Why

Call it having a nervous breakdown. It's that anxiety that salesmen put themselves through that causes them to break out in a sweat and sometimes they even shake and stammer uncontrollably.
If you don't learn anything else from this class, if you learn this, you've learned one of the most important things you could possibly learn...
Never get emotionally involved in the sale
Sure, we want to sell the automobile but, if we don't get the sale, it's not the end of the world. You are not going to sell one every time, no one does.
When the customer senses that you are so emotionally wrapped up in making the sale, they will work you harder like sharks that smell blood in the water. Never let the customer realize that you want the sale so badly that it's affecting you emotionally.
Learn to think of yourself more as a technician, a skilled professional who does exactly the right thing as a reaction to whatever is happening. The reason that you're so calm is that there's nothing they can throw at you that you haven't already considered and rehearsed in your mind. You're in control at all times.
The reason sales people get scared is because they are not in control. They are not in control for one of a number of reasons that could have been avoided.
Fear of failure is something that scares everybody at one time or another. We want to make the sale and now the customers are acting as if they might not take the automobile... That's scary! The very worst thing that can happen here is that they might not take the deal. That happens. What you have to look at is:
"Have I done everything I can do to close this deal? Have I done my job correctly? Is there anything else that I can do? Have I used all of my sales skills? Have I presented the automobile properly?"
Once you've answered all of those questions, that's all there is. The worst thing that you can show people is that you're desperate. Desperation blows deals. There are even a lot of sales managers that could do well to learn that lesson. No matter how badly you really do want the deal, you can't let the customer sense that.
Were you properly prepared for the sale? That's the long and short of it.
Here is never a reason for a fully prepared professional to be in a position where your emotions get in the way. When you know your job, backwards and forwards, there is nothing that will ever scare you during the course of a sale.
What scares a salesman and why
A. Poor preparation for the sale
B. Fear of failure fear of not closing
C. Out of control poor self confidence
I. Poor sales skills
II. Doesn't know the product well
III. Doesn't know the inventory well
IV. Intimidated by the customer
V. Can't handle objections well
VI. Poor power posture

Sales Training Meeting #33 Proper Qualifying...

Can eliminate most fears... Focus on time and attitude
Today maybe your best day or your worst day... Depending on how well you qualified your customers. You could have put five deals together or wasted your whole day. The difference will always be how well you qualified each customer. The question is how will your attitude be at 8:15 PM??...
1. The way you can over qualify a customer is by not asking enough of the proper questions and not listening.
2. Conditional objections can ruin you or make you a ton of money ... Your choice. Work with management; don't take a negative approach to conditions.
Always remember:
1. Do not hear unfavorable comments. (bypass it until it has been mentioned 3 times.)
2. Always hear favorable comments.
3. Determine goals and problems so you can sell from his point of view.
4. 90% of all qualified buyers buy within 48 hours... The big question is when did his clock begin to tick.
5. There will always be one thing that each customer will consider more important than all the others it will be one of the five:
a. Style
b. Luxury comfort ride
c. Safety
d. Quality of engineering
e. Economy
Get the sales force involved by asking them to name 5 motives for buying.

Sales Training Meeting #34 Control Part Two

Control is the most important part of the deal:
1. It is the main key to high gross
2. It is the only opportunity to sell yourself.
3. Complete probing and investigation will save you time, uncover objections early, and give you information that will enable you to close the sale or bump the gross.
4. Remember that persistence and technique wear down resistance.
Several ways to establish control during investigation are:
1. Pocket the keys
2. Ask to see his title (keep it)
3. Ask for his registration (keep it)
4. Get his credit union app/ or option 1 or 2 papers
5. Offer to do him some sort of favor
6. Pick up his baby
7. Serve hot coffee
8. Write a deal and get some money
The strongest control you can exercise on any prospect is: To control the conversation and the sale situation.
Questions you should ask yourself during qualifying...
1. Why should he buy a car?
2. What are his buying motives?
3. How best can I sell him?

Sales Training Meeting # 35 Who Are Your Customers?

Customers are just "Mom and Pop and the kid next door"
Sometimes we tend to forget that customers are just plain, everyday folks... Mom and Pop.
Most of them only buy a new automobile every few years and they haven't the foggiest idea how to do it. You are a professional automobile salesman. You sell automobiles every day of your life, and you know you're doing a lot better than they do. This is your profession, there's no way they can win ... Or at least there shouldn't be.
Picture your own Mom and Pop for a moment. You know them pretty well, I would assume. They are just folks aren't they? Once you get to know them, you could probably sell your own folks anything.
1. Because they trust you
2. Because you're not intimidated by them
3. Because you know what they know... And what they don't.
I think it was Marlon Brando who said it in a movie once ... "you don't know what you don't know".
These people, our customers, are nothing to be afraid of. They don't know all of the secret stuff. They are probably just somebody's Mom and Pop and they're scared of you. After all, everybody knows about "car salesmen". They might even have a little cross in their pocket to throw up in your face if you should try to bite them or something. They're just regular ole every day folks, that's all.
They don't trust you and they don't know you. They have been rehearsing on the way over everything that they're going to say to you.
They are afraid that you are going to screw them, although, they haven't got a clue as to how you're going to do it. They don't know how much the automobiles cost and they are afraid that you're going to charge too much.
It's a fact that most of them think that they're going to shop at three dealerships to compare prices; although, we know that the odds are that they're going to buy at the first and only place they stop, our dealership.
Once they get the fever, they'll buy within 3 days of the time they started looking.
They always stop first at the place where they really want to do business.
They all have a family member who's going to buy soon. All of them are going to tell you that they're just looking. From the moment that they meet you, they start trying to escape because they're afraid that they might just make the decision that they came to make in the first place.
Take control! Help them make the decision
Remember this... They want to be sold... That's right...They want to be sold.
Buying an automobile is a major decision and it puts them under a lot of stress. They want it to be over and done with. All they want is to own a new automobile. They want you to convince them that they're making a wise decision and getting a good deal.
They want to trust you and they even want to like you. Most of all, they want to be sure they did okay. A good deal is the one where the customer thinks they got a good deal.
A good deal is an illusion, isn't it? It's up to you to create that illusion. Buying this new automobile is a magical experience for them. Put the magic in the sale.
Sell excitement! They've been dreaming about this new car and they are emotionally involved in wanting it. Make it more exciting. Even if they're looking at a very basic automobile, it's magic to them.
Laugh and smile and show them that you're a human being who can be trusted. Sell to their wants and their needs and desires ... But most of all, sell to their fantasies.
A warning though, watch out for them, they're devious too. They are going to try to act like they know everything there is to know about buying an automobile. Of course, we know they're bluffing, don't we?
They don't know all the secret stuff
Heck, we don't even know the secret stuff, do we?... And we do it for a living.
There was a book out a couple of years back about automobile sales. I don't remember who wrote it but the title stuck with me. It was called...
"BUYERS ARE LIARS... TOO!"
I laugh whenever I think of it. Don't believe them, they will tell you anything because they're scared of you. They have a strategy for dealing with you and it includes telling you lies.
The techniques we teach should put you in a power position so that you will have control of your customers from the very moment you meet them.
Having control of your customers is essential to success. After all, you're just helping them to make the decision that they came to make.

Sales Training Meeting #36 Use Your Imagination

Be imaginative! Imagination is not a fantasy, don't confuse the two. You can create the development of a prospect by planning. When your imagination turns up a suggestion you turn it into a practical program by planning.
Remember prospects are someone's family just like yours!
Take every obstacle as a challenge, go to work and be creative enough to react; turn it into an asset. You can be sure you will confront:
1. Pessimism "It looks good, but I better not"
2. Ridicule "Your crazy"
3. Inertia "Think about it" or resistance to change
4. Money problems "Why should we now, we don't need..."
These are the challenges to be meet and overcome by the professional.
What is selling?
1. Selling is the art and science of converting another persons way of thinking over to your way of thinking.
2. Selling is the act of getting another to adopt, accept, and approve your position and probation.
You ask the questions and let the sales force respond.

Sales Training Meeting #37 Habits, Planning, And Goals

Personal work habits are important to your success. Planning and goal setting will motivate you to achieve positive results. Here are some guidelines to use in developing strong personal work habits;
1. Think about time, set a goal, and then figure out a method or a program of action that will reach that goal in an allotted time.
2. Establish at the beginning of each month a goal for the next month and figure the specific effort required to reach it.
3. Broadly plan each week in advance.
4. Plan in advance each day's work, taking into consideration the most important things to do that day.
5. Establish the number of demonstrations, appraisals, new prospects, and people who you must see face to face to reach your established goals.
6. At the end of each week, review and analyze actions to determine how to better utilize time or plan more effectively.
7. Make reports to management concerning objectives.
8. Maintain a prospect development system.
9. Maintain an owner follow up system that encourages repeat business and make your owners conscious of you so that they will refer leads and prospects.
10. Dress in good taste.
11. Be enthusiastic.
12. Be a good will ambassador for the company.
Your ability as a professional is in direct proportion to how you manage your time... Your ability as a salesperson is in direct proportion to your knowledge of what you are doing...Your ability as a worker is in direct proportion to how you cause your fellow workers and the boss to feel and think about you... You owe it to yourself to be successful!
Footnote: Your worst enemy and your best friend are the same thing... Your habits. When you make up your mind that your own personal progress and success are vastly more important than poor work habits it will be easy to develop positive, productive habits.

Sales Training Meeting # 38 Negotiating Skills

As I mentioned earlier, words are your toolbox, the words that you use and the order you put them in either increases or decreases your effectiveness as a salesman. To be an effective negotiator, communication becomes a total package of skills, which includes body language, power posture, voice inflections, and semantics. Semantics is actually a psychologically effective science that involves the use of alternate words, positive words instead of negative words to describe the same thing. Semantics, when properly used, affects the customers in a positive way and makes them look upon you as being different than any other salesman they've dealt with. Another way to look at it is "picturesque speech".
To sell automobiles, to sell anything for that matter, you must have the ability to paint a picture with your words.
"A word picture" that paints your customer into the automobile and gives them "mental ownership". From the very beginning, when men first started analyzing the art of salesmanship, word pictures and their value were recognized. In the Dale Carnage Sales Schools a whole week of the course is dedicated to painting effective word pictures of your customer owning and using the product, in our case the new automobile.
Every business and profession has "buzzwords". Buzzwords are those words that are common only in that business and mean very little to anyone outside of the profession. In the automobile business, we have more than our share of buzzwords. I call this "car talk".
When a salesman uses car slang, car talk with a customer, he takes the risk of not only being misunderstood but he also sounds glib and rude sometimes even like a real smart ass.
Never tell a customer that they're "upside down" when you mean that they have a situation where their automobile has a negative equity balance. His trade in is better referred to as the vehicle that he's considering selling us than calling it "the old sled he's trading in".
Changing our speech patters is not going to be easy; it requires a constant, concentrated effort. It's worth it though. Little, subtle changes in the way we talk to customers and what we say to them will increase sales drastically. For instance, why not start referring to "cars" as "automobiles". Sounds a little classier, doesn't it?
Subconsciously, an automobile has more value than a car.
People hate to have to "pay" something, people feel better about an "investment".
Just changing the way that we express ourselves can increase sales and make us look like more intelligent professionals in the customer's mind.
Words
A. Buy Own, Invest, Purchase
B. Car Automobile, Vehicle
C. Credit Application Consumer Statement
D. Trade Your Car Sell Us Your Automobile
E. Sign This Okay This, Authorize This, Initial This, Approve This, Let Me Have Your Approval
F. Deposit On The Car A Partial Payment, Good Faith Retainer, Earnest Money
G. Demonstrator Executive's Evaluation Vehicle
H. Discount Savings
I. Deal Proposal
J. Lease Alternative Financing Plan
K. Payments Installment, Budget, Monthly Investment
Power Phrases
A. Tell me who you are
B. Welcome to our dealership
C. I have a buyer for the automobile you'll be selling us
D. Great! It's ready for delivery
E. I'm sure that you're going to like this
F. As you know...
G. Follow me
H. Your new automobile
I. I see that you have some question as to whether or not you're going to be able to afford this new automobile
J. You're right, however...
K. Will we be titling this in both names?
L. You've made an excellent decision
M. You deserve it.
N. Feel this look at that!
O. It's certainly impressive, isn't it?!

Sales Training Meeting #39 Creating An Evidence Manual

Another tool in selling is your evidence manual
Preparation for meeting should be a sample from someone in the sales force.
The purpose of the evidence manual is to serve as a selling tool when you are not physically present with the prospect.
It is designed to add credibility to you, the dealership, and to the product.
Items of verification in the book should include:
You as a person:
1. Certificates (high school, college diplomas, etc.)
2. Military discharge
3. Awards, merits, special recognition
4. Hobbies and sports
5. Pictures of your family (even if you are not married)
6. Pictures of pets
7. Other items of interest about yourself
You as a salesperson:
1. Training certificates and awards
2. Testimonial letters with pictures of customer taking delivery.
Credibility for the dealership:
1. Awards received by the dealer
2. New articles relating to sponsorship by the agency (or pictures, etc.)
3. Information of management in all departments
4. Information pertaining to the service department, report cards received back to agency.
5. Biography of the dealer and agency.
Product:
1. Periodicals, news releases, consumer reports
2. Magazine articles
3. Different sales aids to be used during the sales process
Note the things of extreme importance with a highlighter or red underscore.
Keep It Clean, Neat And Handy!

Sales Training Meeting # 40 Effectively Using Your Evidence Manual

In many instances, this little book will be the one thing you need to close a deal. It will make a difference in your productivity. The construction of your evidence manual is very is very important, you should keep it organized, neat, and continually update it to stay abreast of the current market.
People like to know whom they are dealing with; your evidence manual will help them relate to you as a person. It should help you stimulate conversation and find out more about them and their needs and wants. Be careful not to make your personal section too showy, you are not trying to show anyone that your dog is better than his, only stimulate conversation.
Ideas to help you use it effectively:
1. Any time you leave your prospect in the office by themselves, stick it in front of them.
2. Use it as a proof source to overcome doubt.
3. Use it when your prospect isn't talking much.
4. When you go to get a car to demonstrate or trade appraised get him to read the section on the car line he is interested in.
5. Remember that a picture is worth a 1000 words.
6. Use as many pictures as you can. Pictures will get the prospect involved, and highlighting certain key points will take less time to get your point across.
Using your evidence manual has strong effects on your customers.
1. It makes you a community citizen not a bandit.
2. It shows that you are genuinely interested in the needs of your customers.
3. It shows that goals and higher achievements are important to you. You are motivated!
4. They might see some of their own friends in pictures with you.
5. It can reinforce their buying decision, that they made a good choice by wanting to do business with you!

Sales Training Meeting # 41 Fielding Objections

A. Ignore the objection until they say it several times
B. Don't show any emotional reaction to the objection
C. Keep talking smile be pleasant, as if nothing is wrong
D. Don't accept the objection at face value
1. Is it an escape mechanism?
2. Is it what's really bothering them?
3. Is it really important to them or a smoke screen?
E. Treat the objection as if it is only a minor stumbling block nothing major
F. Try saying no as if you mean it
G. Buffer the objection without agreeing with it
I can see that you perceive that as a problem, I can understand that you feel that way, however...
H. Restate the objection in other words
John, let me see if I really understand what you're saying. You're telling me that... Subtly make the objection seem less
I. Make him commit that if you'll meet the objection, he'll buy the automobile
John, you're telling me that what's really bothering you is that you'd rather have a red one instead of the blue. Then I can assume that if I can get you the blue one, just like it, for the same price, then we'll do business tonight.
J. Make the customer explain his objections in great detail
John, now that I seem to understand what's on your mind, tell me why having the blue one is so important to you.
K. Make him focus in on that objection and make him commit to the fact that this objection is his only objection
Get him to agree that this is all that's keeping him from buying
L. Ask him what solution he can come up with for our problem
M. If you get a negative response, smoke out his true objection
John, let me see if this is clear in my mind. I offered you the blue one at the same price and now you're telling me that you still won't do business. Obviously you must have something else on your mind....
N. Use sales skills to overcome the objection

Sales Training Meeting #42 Conversational Techniques

When your customer speaks... Listen
When you need more information... Probe
When you know your customer's goal... Present
When your customer is satisfied... Close
When your customer states a benefit... Support
When your customer doubts... Prove
When your customer misunderstands... Explain
When your customer has conflicting goals.... Refocus
Sounds simple, right? It is! If you understand the principles and techniques involved.
A customer buys a product because he knows that it will solve his problems or meet his goals by providing the benefits he desires.
1. Always describe a benefit
2. Every customer is interested in a different benefit because every customer has different goals.
Two ways to describe a product are:
1. Benefits
2. Physical characteristics, actions, or components are called "features"
Before a customer will buy a product to gain the benefits, he will want to know the features.
"You're the pilot of a plane flying from Chicago to Dallas. The co pilot is 42 years old, the flight engineer is 29, the head stewardess is 31, the stewardess in second column is 26, there's a lady on the back row that is 84, and there is a 12-year-old boy on the aisle in row 15. How old is the pilot?"

Sales Training Meeting #43 Opening And Conversational Controls

Seven things a prospect's presence at your dealership automatically tells you:
1. He has a want or a need. Which is more important?... Want
2. He is considering your product.
3. He is considering your dealership.
4. The timing is right.
5. He no longer wants his trade.
6. He wants you to justify the price. People shop for a professional salesperson. Not a car.
7. He wants to deal with a professional.
Each time a salesperson meets a prospect a sale is made. You can not go back and meet a prospect for the first time!
The steps are:
1. Welcome him
2. Thank him for coming
3. Exchange names
4. Take control
The prospect has told you buy just walking in that they have a goal or a problem, and they want you to solve it.
Remember that you are the professional and the prospect is not. It is your obligation to justify the product and the price, the move they want to make.

Sales Training Meeting # 44 Leasing

A. Never try to convert a customer to a lease without management direction
B. Sell the concept, not the payments
C. Good idea to get a consumer statement first and follow management direction
D. Diagram the concept
E. Investigate the customer's needs first

Sales Training Meeting # 45 "I Want To Think About It"

A. Smoke out the objection technique
B. What have I not explained that you're unclear about?
C. John, you came here to purchase a new automobile...
1. How long do you feel the decision will take?
2. Do you like the automobile?
3. Do you have a question as to whether or not you can afford it?
D. I can see that it's a larger decision than you're accustomed to. Since you've obviously already made the decision to purchase a new automobile, and; from what you've told me, I know that you've already thought about it, so I assume something else is on your mind?
1. Is it my product?
2. Is it my dealership?
3. Is it me, personally?
4. The Ben Franklin close
E. What's left to think about?
F. Trade in is worth more now
G. Price increases coming
H. Sale is now

Sales Training Meeting # 46 The Telephone

There's one on every desk in the dealership... One in every home... One in every business: the telephone, a direct line of communication to almost every other human being in the civilized world.
The manufacturers and private research firms agree that the telephone is seriously misused by automobile salesmen. Only the smallest percentage of our floor calls to the dealership are ever delivered. The reason why so much potential business is missed completely is because the salesmen mishandle the telephone.
Let's discuss some basic rules for answering floor calls...Never try to sell an automobile over the phone- control the conversation control the customer
Everything you say ends in a question that must be answered with an answer other than yes or no.
Act as if you expect an answer to your questions when answering the telephone on a floor call; get your mind right before answering the call. You only have five basic objectives that are your entire mission.
1. Set an appointment
2. Get the customer's name(s)
3. Be sure they know your name
4. Get both of their phone numbers, home and work
5. Be sure they know where the dealership is
When a customer calls a dealership, they are not looking for a reason to buy from you: they are looking for a reason to eliminate your dealership from their list.
Before you pick up the phone, smile. Get a friendly tone in your voice.
Do you know what you sound like to others?
Remember, your only objective is to get the appointment. They must have your name and you must have their name and both phone numbers and; you must be sure they know where your dealership is. That's all you want.
When a customer calls a dealership, they really don't know what to ask because they really don't know how we do business. You dominate the conversation. Take control! Everything you say ends in a question that they must answer. Then you ask them another question. They cannot divert the conversation as long as they are answering your questions. You are in control of the direction of the conversation.
Act as if it's accepted practice in our business to come in and drive the automobile. Give them the impression that this is just the way that business is done in the automobile business. Everybody just calls us up to set an appointment; "wasn't that why you called?"
Never, ever, discuss figures on a telephone! Every one knows this is what the customer would like us to do so they won't have to come into the dealership. If we give them the figures that they can buy the vehicle for, they will simply call your competitor and shop your figures to get a better deal. Unless you and/or your manager is willing to give a "low ball" figure, (which is seldom successful and not recommended), you will never see the customer who gets figures on the telephone. The examples given on the following pages should give you the answers to most any questions that a floor call customer might ask. Using your own creativity, you should be able to devise some of your own as well.
Ask for the appointment repeatedly, like a broken record.
Remember... The last thing you say to a customer should end with a question that they must answer before you say anything else. If they don't answer, you remain silent until they speak. If they don't answer within a few seconds, ask the same question a different way.
Don't second guess what you think they might want to know. Only answer the questions or statements they actually ask in real words. Don't talk about available colors until they actually ask you what colors you have. In other words, don't answer any questions that they haven't asked simply because you think it is something they might want to know.
Set the appointment...
Setting the appointment is your main goal on the telephone. It is the most important thing that you want from these customers. You can't sell them if you can't see them...
Assume that the customer wants to buy an automobile every time you take a floor call. Remember, we want them to know this is how we do business, and talk to them with that expectation in your voice. Why else would they be calling an automobile dealership? We really have no other product to sell. Talk to them with this assumption in mind, always.
Check availability...
When they first get on the line, misdirect them off of their attacking questions by checking availability first.
The Telephone (Cont.)
When practicing the scripts and developing your telephone skills, (and when actually taking the floor call), always keep these five objectives in mind. Failing to accomplish just one of them could result in you losing the sale.
When a customer calls a dealership, they are not looking for a reason to buy from you; they are looking for a reason to eliminate your dealership from the list they plan to call.
Before you pick up the phone, smile. Get a friendly tone in your voice.
Are you aware of how you sound to others?
It can be very sobering, enlighten and even entertaining to record yourself sometime, to listen to what a customer would hear on the other end of the phone. This is an excellent way to help you to quickly polish your vocal skills.

Sales Training Meeting #47 Proper Greeting

You only have one chance to make the best first impression
Note the wording... Use the exact wording every time.
1. "Welcome to the dealership, how may I assist you?"
Or
"Hi, What brings you to the dealership today?"
No matter what the customer says, you now respond the same way!
2. "I appreciate the opportunity to be of service, my name is _________, and you are?" Shake hands and don't let go until he gives his name. Get the customer's name set in your mind. The only time a person's mind goes completely blank is when you call out their name. You can use this later to gain their complete attention when needed.
3. "What are you driving now, (name) "
Where do we go after saying hello?
This question is asked regarding the hottest prospect you are ever going to get. That prospect is the walk in.
1. What got him into your showroom?
2. What can you do to help him now that he is there?
3. What can you do so that he does not walk out dissatisfied?
4. Stop him from going to another dealer.
You need to ask yourself these questions, and answer them as well.
If you learn to control the meeting and greeting properly, if you learn to keep the ball in the customer’s court, you have the prospect halfway to a sale.
The reasons a buyer gives for buying or not buying are not the reasons why he does or does not buy!!!
To sell more effectively, you must know why people buy. To know why they buy you must know why they do the things they do, or act the way they act.

Sales Training Meeting #48 Attitude To Treat Customers Properly

1. Buying a car is a very important matter requiring important decisions
2. Your customer considers himself a very important person, with a very special problem.
3. We must treat each individual's buying problems with as much seriousness as he does.
We must treat him the way he feels... Like a special person!
We can't do this until we look at ourselves as salespeople who's responsibility it is to solve problems.
1. When a customer enters your dealership he does not hear your name, to him your name is C a r S a l e s m a n. He qualifies us! He mentally places us in category of memories and experiences he associates with "car dealers" and all it takes for him to place you in that "group" mentally is for you to be there.
2. At the same time we spell his name P r o s p e c t. We mentally put him in a group who seem to form an endless procession coming through the door. As a result we blind ourselves. We don't see and individual walk through the door. One prospect runs into another until they are indistinguishable, as far as we are concerned.
It comes down to this; We consider the customer just another P r o s p e c t and the customer considers us just another S a l e s m a n. Remember what we said in the beginning of the meeting treat the customer... Like a special person.
Attitudes are the expressions of motives. Do you approach your job as a professional, with the right attitude?
You will have to begin on an individual basis... With you and me. You and I acting alone as individuals is the only way we will ever have honor, respect, and trust from a questioning public.
Don't take the attitude that it is fair only if the customer will meet you half way. It is a salesperson's responsibility to meet every customer more than half way! Why? Because we created the customer who is Mr. Customer today. Look at him as a piece of clay. Twenty five years ago, we took that piece of clay and started shaping it into a competitive, sometimes hostile person... Filled with doubts and fears. The tools we used to sculpture our model were the sales tactics that spell his name P r o s p e c t and encouraged us not to waste time on him.

Sales Training Meeting #49 Skillful Questioning

Moderating action involves asking questions to get the customer to state his problems and goals so that you can present the features and benefits of your product.
1. Strengthening action serves to reinforce a customer's positive attitude about your product.
2. Redirecting action allows you to get the customer to evaluate all the benefits of your product when he has a question or doubt.
3. Probing is the skill of asking the right kind of question at the right time. The purpose of probing is to determine your customer’s needs.
There are two types of probing:
1. Confirming calls for a specific confirmation or denial about your stated assumption.
2. Exploratory when you don't know, when you are looking for information on which to continue. An exploratory probe allows more latitude in his response than a confirming probe. The answer to an exploratory probe will be to a what, why, who, when, or where question.
Other Hints:
1. At the beginning of a sale you first need to make exploratory probes to find the customer's needs.
2. When a customer has stated a need you can solve with your product, stop probing for needs! Otherwise continue to probe.
3. Recognize the need and then probe for a benefit.
4. When a customer confirms a benefit related goal you stop probing and begin the presentation.
5. If the customer reacts positive you have done the correct type of probing.
6. When a customer acts negatively toward your probe try a different probe. The customer is likely to feel more pressured than if you make a confirming probe.
7. In addition to being positive or negative, your customer may show indifference. A customer will show indifference as much as by his tone of voice and body language as by the words he uses. You must be the judge, positive or negative or indifference. To overcome indifference, make a confirming probe to focus his attention on the subject. The customer may deny your confirming probe. In that case make an exploratory probe that will at least clue to his problem area.

Sales Training Meeting #50 How To Respond To Customer Comments

CUSTOMER CUE SKILL USED SKILL ELEMENTS
Debbie’s problem or goal Exploratory probe What, Why Who, When
or Why
States problem Confirming probe Specific assumption
States goal Presentation Restate goal,
Refer to product
State benefit
Relate to GOAL
States benefit Support Restate benefit
Relate goal
Doubts benefit Restate Doubted
Benefit
Cite proof source
Relate to goal
Misunderstands Explains Specific
Acknowledgment
Explain
Relate to goal
Has conflicting goals Refocus General
Acknowledgment
Evaluate
Offer counter
Benefit
States no new problems Close Summarize goals
or goals Summarize
Benefits
Give Commitment
Choice
Show indifference Confirming probe Specific
Assumption
The exploratory probe What, Why, Who, When,
or Where

Sales Training Meeting # 51 Get Your Mind Right

Don't tolerate hearing anything negative in the morning.
The morning is the time to get your mind right for the day that's coming. When you first get to work, get ready for whatever happens.
At every dealership there's always one, usually another sales person. Their main reason for existence is to ruin your attitude. They're the one who's going to try to tell you why it can't be done... They're the one who's going to tell you that the economy is bad and that cars have stopped selling... The one who's going to try to talk you into giving up...
They're the loser
Sometimes they're even one of the top sales persons at the dealership, but; they're still a loser. Their life is out of balance and something's not working for them...
They're negative
Negative people poison success... Stay away from them. All that comes out of their mouth is gloom and doom... Poison for your attitude.
When you first arrive at the dealership with the " Rocky " theme music playing in your head... Don't pollute your mind with the negatives... You are a winner.
We've talked about winners and losers and the fact that either is a choice that you make for yourself. More that anything though, winning is an attitude... A total feeling born of self confidence.
If you're going to have it, you've got to want it... You've got to really want it.
In the book "Think And Grow Rich" By Napoleon Hill, there is one overwhelming theme that most people who have arrived at greatness understand, and that is...
" Anything that the mind can conceive...
And believe... It can achieve "
If you can think of it, and believe that you can really do it, nothing can stop you from doing it... Nothing. You control your destiny... That's what that means.
No one is born a salesman... Everything is learned...
And it all starts in the mind.
GET YOUR MIND RIGHT (Cont.)
Every day of my life, I have a serious talk with myself. Talking to myself in the shower as I rehearse how my day is going to be. Picturing everything that is going to happen... Everything that I expect to happen… Keeping a positive, aggressive attitude is not always easy.
I am the best there is at what I do and nothing can stop me from getting what I want.
This is the attitude of success. If you believe that you are that good, then you'll do the things that make you that good.
Being good at what you do is a decision that you make. Nobody can make you do what you learn here. Believe it or not, there are actually some morons walking around in this world who know what they could and should do to be successful but they aren't willing to pay the price of actually doing it. They'd rather be wimps and complain about what life has handed them than to take control and do what they know they should. They externalize all of their problems instead of internalizing them and doing something about it.
I'd like you to take a moment now, and some more time later, to make a decision. The decision is that you'll take everything that you learn here and actually use it... Really do what you've been taught.
Everything starts in the mind with a decision to do it.

Sales Training Meeting #52 Professional Appearance

A. Your wardrobe... Quality clothes
B. Suits and shoes
C. Jewelry
D. Hairstyle... Facial hair
E. Hygiene
F. Impression management... The look of success
G. Smoking and other habits
Your Power Posture:
Your power posture has to do with the impression that other people have of you. It has to do with your personal effectiveness and charisma.
Like anything else that is taught here, your power posture is something over which you have complete control.
Strong sales people have strong power posture
A power posture is intangible. It's not something that you can readily describe and put your fingers on exactly what it is... Much less accurately describe it.
It might be the way that you set things up so that you are always perceived as being the one who's in control of the situation. Power posture is a result of self confidence and commanding atmosphere... Strong body language and determined vocabulary.
Whatever it is, you need it. Charisma is that air about someone that draws you to them for some unexplained reason. Charisma is part of your power posture but; power posture is much more than that.
Charisma is something that's learned and developed by those people with the ability to realize that it can be learned. It is a key part of power posture.
Power posture might be all of the props and the environment with which you surround yourself.
When you figure out what it is... You'll already have it.

Sales Training Meeting #53 DO YOUR SALES PEOPLE KNOW ENOUGH

ABOUT RETAIL SALES FINANCING?
Some sales people look at sales financing as a necessary evil for buttoning up a deal so they can earn a car commission and go on the next sale.
... Perhaps too few see it as a merchandising tool which creates (or can create) sustained volume, customer confidence, goodwill, repeat business and is worth every bit of the time and effort it takes to master thoroughly!
Buyers want to know about the right finance plan for them. While sales finance plans vary from region to region, most people will use the plan recommended by their sales person if the selling job is done with confidence.
Fundamentals: there are four basic considerations in a second credit plan:
1. Sufficient down payment
2. A reasonable period over which payments are spread
3. Reasonable payments
4. Satisfactory credit standing of the applicant
The down payment represents the buyer's equity as his/her credit transaction begins. Insufficient down payments often lead to repossessions and everyone loses.
When the down payment is all cash, simple mathematics determines the minimum. The average buyer, however, will have a trade that's short or over the minimum.
If the trade in is short, it is necessary to uncover other assets cash in the bank, savings, bonds, insurance policies, or anything that can be tapped to bolster the credit application. If a buyer can't raise additional cash through assets in his possession, make every effort to sell him a car that fits his pay ability!
If the trade in is more than ample, it may still be desirable to ask the buyer if he wishes to add cash, thereby reducing the unpaid balance to be financed because:
1. Financing risks decrease as down payments increase... There's faster credit approval
2. The buyer will save money
3. By paying more down, they can finance the balance over a shorter term and be in the market again, sooner!
If a trade in is not free and clear (and most aren't), find out how much is owed and to whom. Any balance owed must be paid, either by the buyer or by the dealership, before the trade can be accepted in the deal.
Knowing Enough About Retail Sales (Cont.)
"Reasonable" Payments And Terms: Extremely long terms benefit no one; 90% of all repossessions result from improper credit at the start. Most people are budget minded. For this reason some are attracted by low, easy terms.
Trouble begins when a sales person tries to get business on "easy terms" alone. Good selling means putting the buyer in a car suited to his/her needs and ability to pay!
The Purchase Statement: A basic part of any finance plan is the printed form commonly called a "purchaser's statement" or credit statement. This is the foundation on which credit is determined the yardstick for evaluating credit.
Final approval from the sales finance source will depend on the completeness of the information. Faster approval is possible when all the facts are submitted!
Credit, like confidence, is based on knowledge. Information required on the credit statement can easily be obtained when the buyer is present with the sales person. But approvals may require much more time when details are omitted.
The sales finance source will either approve or disapprove credit depending on answers to questions concerning:
1. Credit standing of the applicant
2. Type and stability of employment
3. Their equity (down payment)
4. The collateral (the car they are buying)
5. Their collectability
6. Their ability to meet payments
A typical purchaser's statement includes several basic parts such as:
A. Description of the car and the transaction. A complete description of the car with extra equipment to be financed. The selling price, including special equipment. The down payment and the final amount to be financed, etc.
B. Rejection or approval. Most statements provide space to show at what time the deal was phoned to the finance source. Also space for noting the basis for approval.
Some finance sources buy time sales contracts on a non recourse basis. e.g., The contract will be accepted and discounted without further responsibility on the dealership if it meets the standards of the bank or finance company. When the transaction does not meet these requirements, the finance sources may require a partial or complete repurchase agreement. In this case, should later collection difficulties develop, the finance source reserves the right
Knowing Enough About Retail Sales (Cont.)
to repossess the car, return it to the dealer and receive payment, either in full or in an agreed upon amount.
C. Insurance. Most customer statements inquire about insurance both protection for the car and protection for the buyer. It is very important that arrangements be made for proper coverage and that all parties thoroughly understand this
D. Personal information on the buyer. Facts are required that properly identify the buyer: correct name (spelling is important), address, marital status, children. These questions are basic, and every question is important. By getting complete information as called for on the statement, you help speed the deal through.
E. Collectability. A time sale is really completed only when the buyer has made their final payment. Certain questions asked on the purchaser's statement will aid in the liquidation of the contract, e.g., The buyer's employment, steadiness on the job, the assurance of future income out of which payments must be made.
F. Real estate. Questions may appear on the statement regarding the buyer's home. The homeowner is usually considered somewhat better credit risk that a renter because of demonstrated permanence, security, and thrift. They will not as a rule move around, which reduces the hazard of disappearance to avoid payment.
G. Classification of insurance risk. Your insurance underwriter wants to establish the correct rate for the buyer, and the rate depends on the risk involved. Most purchaser's statements contain questions that permit proper classification; occupation, for example. These must be correctly and completely answered.
H. References. It is always important to know the buyer's past paying record. Most people buy goods through credit and pay for them out of income. Credit references aid the finance source to arrive at a fast credit decision.
When the purchaser's statement is completed every question answered it is phoned to the finance source. The finance source will record the information, and start the machinery to clear the credit and get the deal approved!
The finance instrument or legal document a buyer signs to arrange his time payments will usually be a conditional sales contract or a purchase money chattel mortgage. All such forms are similar, regardless of the finance source.
A conditional sales contract is very much what its name implies a contract pointed to eventual ownership of the car, depending on the buyer fulfilling a legal obligation to pay a certain number of payments on established dates each month, and in an agreed upon number. Frequently, the conditional sales contract will include a note. They both must be properly signed by the buyer.
A purchase money chattel mortgage is a mortgage on the car being sold. When this is in use, an actual lien is established on the automobile being sold on time. The lien will be recorded and will exist until the buyer has repaid the full amount due. A chattel mortgage will include a note, and both must be signed.
Compliance with the law. Every buyer must enter into his or her time payment agreement with a complete and thorough understanding of the transaction.
Requirements of truth in lending, the disclosure act that became law on July 1, 1969, are normally provided for in installment contracts supplied or approved by lenders. They must be adhered to strictly and all required information must be provided and explained before the buyer signs the contract, or applicable document!
Requirements of the federal fair credit reporting act with regard to informing the buyer of the proposed lending source or sources must also be complied with.
Other legal matters such as maximum rates, sales to minors, etc., Must be well understood by the seller of sales financing. Some of these vary by areas or states.

Sales Training Meeting #54 Short Course On Long Term Sales Success

Believe in yourself even when no one else does. No one is successful without adversity
If you want to triple your success rate, you must be prepared to triple your failure rate.
Knowledge is not power until it is used
Product knowledge is essential, and so are selling skills, But...
There is no substitute for common ground and superior information
People don't care how much you know about them once they realize how much you care about them.
Personalize your selling strategies
Ask yourself: Do the sales people at your competitor have more and better information then you do?
Little things mean everything.
Believe in yourself even when no one else does.
Topics for review:
What do you do to ensure that customers enjoy their buying experience with you?
How well do you score in product knowledge?
Do you do a complete walk around 100% of the time?
Are you sharing your product knowledge with every customer?

Sales Training Meeting #55 21 Secretes Of Success

1. Dream big dreams. "Dream list." No limitations heart's desire that one thing special you can do... Your uniqueness in life. " What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you could not fail?" (Our limitations are all internal.)
2. Do what you love to do (desire). Be the best. Commit to excellence.
3. Focus on your unique talents. What makes you successful? Ask someone What am I really good at?
4. View yourself as being self employed. Act like you own the place.
5. Never consider the possibility of failure 99% of worry never happens. Move towards or confront your fears; otherwise they will run your life. Most people are losers.
6. Develop a clear sense of direction. Primary reason for failure no direction or focus. Write down your goals. Decide exactly what you want. Resolve to pay the price. Willingness to pay the price is the critical factor. Commitment 100%
7. Invest in continuous self improvement.
a. Read 30 60 minutes each morning.
b. Re write your major goals each morning. (write them in the present tense "I make $100,000)
c. Plan every day in advance never work without a list time management.
d. Set priorities always concentrate on the most valuable use of your time.
e. Listen to audio cassette in your car
f. Ask two questions after every situation, whether successful or failure.
1. What did I do right? 2. What could I have done differently?
g. Treat every person you meet like a million dollar customer
8. Develop a workaholic mentality. Greater results more in same time period. Results = rewards
9. Get around the right people. Associate with successful, positive people. (your reference group)
10. Be teachable intensely curious always asking.
11. Be prepared to climb from peak to peak learn cycles.
21 SECRETES TO SUCCESS (CONT.)
12. Develop resilience and bounce back. Succeed against adversity. Be flexible. Focus on the future instead of looking at the past. "What do we do from here?"
13. Unlock your inborn creativity. Mind storming (How can I ...) Question problem or goal use 10 answers to problem.
14. Be an unshakable optimist. Develop a positive mental attitude. Positive response to stress. How decide to
15. Dedicate to serving others. Your rewards in life will always equal your service. Every human being seeks meaning to life and purpose.
16. Develop a reputation of speed and dependability.
a. Ability to set priorities high value tasks.
b. Sense of urgency "Do It Now"
17. Be honest with yourself and others. Be true to yourself. Everyday say, "Am I living up to the very best in me?" Refuse to lie be honest with others. Set peace of mind as your goal.
18. Concentrate singularly. Single minded one subject until done.
19. Be decisive 80% of all decisions need to be made now. Decide to be rich decide to be successful.
20. Self discipline ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not. (key)
21. Persistence and determination. Persistence is self discipline in action. It is a measure of your self-belief. If you persist, you will ultimately succeed.
You are a winner!

Sales Training Meeting #56 A Plan

To accomplish a task you need a plan. Without a plan we loose track of where we are and where we are going. Think of your plan as your scorecard and keep score every day.
The saying " ask and you shall receive " does not translate to "bitch and you will get ". Each person is responsible for his or her own actions or inactions. Your plan will enable you to stay on track in the face of confusion and distraction.
A Daytimer? or similar type of formal schedule should be used. Write down what you need to do each day and carry over anything that doesn't get done to the next day. This will help prevent you from being caught up in something and forgetting something important.
Use a forecast to set goals for your month. Be specific about what you intend to do. General non-specific goals lead to non specific performance.
Forecast: 20 units at $1000.00 front gross $20,000.00 gross at 25% = $5000.00 income plus unit bonus and spiffs.
A forecast like this is specific enough to construct a plan around. Here is an example of a plan to reach the forecast.
To sell twenty vehicles I will need to talk to eighty ups. On an average month we have 25 working pays so I need to see 3.2 ups per day. Based on current floor traffic I will need to generate 1.5 ups per day myself.
To generate floor traffic for myself I need to make personal contact with 5 extra people per day. I also need to generate 2 referrals per week.
I must deliver 4.5 cars per week to reach my goal.
This type of plan will get the job done. You can see where you are each day and take action to insure success. Be able to change your plan as necessary to compensate for changes in the market due to things beyond your control. If you are doing something to generate traffic that is not working you will need to change your approach and not wait and use it as an excuse. Many successful sales people may try a couple of different thing at the same time to see which works better.
Be creative with your ideas. Advertise yourself. If you are a member of a club or civic group put an ad in their publication. For example: Understand that floor traffic will not pay the bills so don't depend on it.
Look at yourself as an independent business person. Your dealer plans advertising and promotions for his business and so should you. If you want to use your dealers name and phone number get permission in advance and be up front about what you are doing. Sometimes a dealer will help pay for part of an ad if you ask in a proper manner. Be prepared to provide information for the dealer as to the number of ups generated and sales closed as a result of the ad.
Plan your work and work your plan. Stay focused and do business.. The market may be down in general but it is up to you to make sure that it isn't down for you on a personal level.

Sales Training Meeting # 57 Prospecting

The primary mission of an automobile sales person is to constantly be aware of prospecting for new customers. Your primary duty is to sell automobiles with maximum profitability, but to accomplish that you must have qualified sales prospects.
Webster's dictionary defines prospecting. To " solicit... Canvass... Drum up... Poll... Seek... Lead... Or to campaign."
Most experienced sales people secretly hate prospecting... It is probable the most feared work in our industry. The reason most... And we do stress the word " most " ... The reason most sales people don't prospect is because no one ever taught them how to prospect that really knew how to do it themselves.
Whether you meet them personally, face to face, on the telephone, in a letter, or through a third person, always be willing to tell people what you do and offer your services in helping solve their transportation needs.
When you mention prospecting, too many sales people think of prospecting as sitting in a dimly lit room making cold calls to strangers from the telephone book... Getting repeated rejections.
Everyone we meet is a prospect for an automobile or knows someone who is or someone who soon will be. To successfully prospect, you must talk to people everywhere about buying an automobile. People like to do business with someone they know... So even a brief meeting will give them that familiar face and name to look for when they visit the dealership.
Automobile sales is nothing to be embarrassed about; it is an honorable profession that can raise a family and send children to college. Willingness to talk about your profession and the service you offer is essential to consistent production. Even if you don't choose to follow this program. Make a commitment to ask one question to everyone you meet...
"When are you going to buy your next car?"
(Especially those people who take you money, restaurants... Dry cleaners.. Shopping... Etc.)
Finding Hot Prospects:
A. Walk ins: Are the hottest prospects and should always be greeted promptly and with enthusiasm. Nothing takes priority over a live customer who came into your dealership of his own choosing. If you're on the phone, hang up. If you have a visitor, excuse yourself. Nothing offends a customer more than being ignored and getting the impression that they interrupted something that you felt was more important than selling them a car.
B. Telephone sales calls: Again, this is an opportunity to do business with someone who chose to call your dealership and inquire about buying a new car. Be prompt, enthusiastic, and courteous when answering the sales call. Don't try to actually sell the car over the phone. Never try to give the figures and information the customer needs to make a buying decision on the telephone. Your mission is to make an appointment for the customer to come in to see you and drive your automobile... That's all... Just the appointment. Remember, if you give the customer all the information, figures, prices, etc., Then the customer has no reason to come see you. They can simply call another dealership and ask them to beat your price, which they always say they can do.
C. Previous owners: Every successful sales person has a well organized owner follow up system. When an owner is properly followed there should be no reason for him to go anywhere else when he is ready to trade again. The owner can also be a consistent source of referrals for new prospects. Your name should be a household word whenever the subject of buying a car comes up. His family, friends, neighbors, and business associates are all prospects and you have earned the right to have that business if you have kept up with him and stayed in close contact on a regular basis. Keep up with birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, graduations, and send greeting cards or call on those special occasions. If your customer had a problem with his car, offer to assist in any way you can to help him resolve it. Always try to be available; the time you spend with customer who has a problem is never wasted time.
D. Bird dogs/sales associates: A bird dog is a person who refers any prospects he or she finds to a particular sales person. This person is usually a friend, relative, business associate, or a previous owner who always has eyes and ears open for anyone who is in the market for a new car and puts you in touch with them.
Cultivating bird dogs to refer customers to you
1. Sales people in other fields.
2. Service station owners and employees.
3. Independent garage operators
4. Insurance agents and claims adjusters
5. Bankers and credit union managers
Anyone who is in daily contact with people whose needs center around automobiles. A good bird dog is someone who is a " center of influence " ... He or she is in contact with numerous persons over whom they have influence or give advice to. For example, an individual calls their insurance agent to inquire about rates on a new car they are considering; the agent would take the opportunity to recommend they purchase the vehicle from you.
A cash " referral fee " for sending you a buying customer is customary and perfectly legitimate and above board in the automobile sales profession. At other times you may have an arrangement where you send them customers in return, such as insurance customers, auto accessories customers, etc.
E. Service lane: The most successful sales people in our business spend a lot of time prospecting in the service lane. Most of the cars in your service department were bought at your dealership and there are always people there with some time on their hands that might be receptive to trading in their automobile.
Always talk to people. One of the most serious talents that the most successful sales people in our industry share is their ability to hold a conversation with a complete, total stranger.
Prospecting part II
A. Follow your owners ( previously discussed).
B. Follow your contacts: Everyone you talk to about buying a vehicle, even if they are not in the market now, should be contacted often enough that when they get ready to buy they would remember you and come looking for you. Keep in mind that not everyone you contact will be in the market right now, but you want them to find you when they do get ready.
C. Join something... A social group... Or an organization: People that see you regularly and are fully aware that you are in automobile sales... People who are involved in any type of social group are usually loyal to the group. They prefer to do business within their ranks.
D. Community work and service... Politics: Once again, get involved with a group of people, friends and neighbors who will be receptive to your prospecting efforts. Your name should automatically come up when any of them thinks about buying an automobile.
The most embarrassing thing that could ever happen to a professional automobile sales person is find out that a neighbor bought a new car from someone else. Make it a point to meet everyone in your neighborhood.
E. Orphan owners: There are probably thousands of customers who have purchased vehicles from your dealership whose sales person has left the dealership. These records are generally kept in the service department or the business office. Start with the names of customers who purchased two to four years ago. These are the ones who are most likely to be ready to trade again now.
Always start with a letter. Never just start cold calling these people. Write a short, non sales related letter that introduces you as their new representative at your dealership. Do not try to use the letter to sell them anything. The letter is short and polite and it basically says that you are aware that they purchased an automobile from your dealership and that you will be calling them soon... That's it... No more than an introduction that you will be calling.
Never start with more than three letters and three contracts a day. Most amateur sales people start right off with a hundred letters and try to make dozens of calls... Just start out with three... That's comfortable and won't stress your schedule. Eventually you'll be ready for five a day... Never more than ten.
You become their contact at the dealership. Once you have mailed the letters within three days you must follow up with a phone call. Otherwise you have wasted your time.
A letter that is not followed by a phone call is worthless.

Sales Training Meeting #58 Story Of A Salesman Vs. A Salesman

I received an emergency phone call form home. My wife, in a panic, explained that our washing machine had made a horrible noise and quit working. I was relieved to find out it was only the washing machine and not one of the kids.
I told my wife to calm down and take the clothes to the place up the street that does wash by the pound. I told her to go around and get information on different machines and I would go and buy a new one on my next day off or give her the money to get it herself. I came home to a pile of literature on washing machines. She had selected one costing $695.00 as her pick.
I hit the roof! I told her that I wasn't spending $700.00 for a washing machine and that I would handle it myself. My wife isn't qualified to make this purchase so I’ll handle it myself.
I marched into sears one morning and went to the washing machine section. I was greeted by a sales person and told him that I wanted a basic washing machine with no frills, any color, dent O.K., Just cheap. I also told the sales person not to bother with any sales pitch because I was in sales.
The sales person took me straight to the base model machine and explained the features and benefits of the base model. He also asked if I knew why most washers break down. Most washers fail due to overloading and he explained how most housewives overload the machines. He also added if I thought that overloading might have caused my old machine to fail. At that time the sales person led me to a more expensive model that weighs the clothes.
To make a long story short, I spent $875.00 plus delivery charge for a deluxe machine and paid full list. The sales person defused me and controlled the sale. I even bumped myself to the top of the line without assistance. My new washer does it all and I like it. My wife got a good laugh but she likes it, too.
Ask your sales people if they had ever gone to buy one thing and left with something else. Price is not all that matters. If we take the posture that we can sell like the washing machine sales person we can sell more at a higher profit.

Sales Training Meeting #59 Goal Setting And Goal Reaching

Volumes have been written about goals and why we need to set them. The fact is, people that have goals get somewhere faster than those that don't. Goals are targets that must be set carefully to prevent frustration.
To establish your goals properly it is necessary to find out where you are. If you are selling 8 units a month a goal of 20 is going to be admirable but not attainable without a plan. Set your short-term goal at 12 and a long-term goal at 20.
To reach your goal you need a plan. It is easy to set a goal but without a plan it is tough to reach. If you talked to 40 people and sold 8 you need to talk to 80 to sell 16. This means that you may have to generate more ups than that which are coming in the door. You need a prospecting plan. Working on closing skills and sales skills will increase the number of ups you are closing. If you attack a problem at both ends you will be surprised at what you can accomplish.
Find someone that is successful selling automobiles. Watch what they do and do the same things. If you duplicate effort you can duplicate results. Choose your role models carefully and cultivate no bad habits.
Once you reach a goal set a new one a little higher and go for it. For your goal to work you need to be specific about what the goal is. I want to sell more cars is not a goal. I want to sell 20 cars a month so that I can make it to sales manager and from there own my own dealership in 7 years is a specific goal with a planned outcome.
Look back at the things you have done in your life that were a success. Did you set a goal and go for it? If so put yourself in that state of mind and set another goal. If you believe you can achieve.

Sales Training Meeting #60 FOLLOW UP VS. AMNESIA

Our best customers are the ones we all ready have. We make friends when we make sales but we do not take advantage of our most willing supporters. Why? The number one reason is because we don't want to hear any negatives or we don't give a damn. If we don't care we have a major problem. If we are afraid of rejection, we need training.
When we sell a person a car we know more about them than anyone else that we do business with. If we have done a good job selling and are offering good service after the sale we have earned a referral. Slam-dunk artists that move from store to store earn what they sow which is nothing. Be a professional.
When a customer calls for help make sure that you do everything you can for them. If they have a service problem go to the service manager to get it solved. Helping your customer is your job and your responsibility if you want them to send their friends and family. This is not a license to be weak and give away artist but you need to treat them like they haven't been your customer to keep them as your customer.
Keep a file of your customers. Use this file to send birthday cards and greeting cards. Take time to write a note by hand and tailor the card or message to the person. Robbie Goldstein will not be impressed with a Christmas card for example. Bottom line stay in touch.
When you are given a person to follow up on, do it. If you ask for a referral and don't act on it you may not get any more. People want service and having served a friend of theirs is the best way to get their business.
When you see a sales person that consistently sells 20 or more cars per month you can be sure that they have a strong referral base. To make the most money as a salesman you will need to stay in one place and take care of your customers and after a couple of years floor traffic will not control your income. Many sales people jump around from dealership to dealership but you will find that your consistent performers stay in one place for a long time.

Sales Training Meeting #61 Attitude

A sales person's attitude controls their income. A simple statement but very true. How do we keep our attitudes positive in the face of adversity? Sound difficult? It really isn't once you know how.
P.M.A. Positive mental attitude has been looked upon as a cure for all ills. P.M.A. Will help but isn't a total solution. P.M.A. Is the key to being able to overcome a bad situation by seeing a positive side. A person can find a positive in most any situation, if they try. Blind optimism isn't all bad either as long as it doesn't cause us to become complacent.
What is needed is an attitude of gratitude. We need to like what we are doing to do it well. Customers can tell if some one is positive and pumped about something or not. We need to show our customers that we are glad that they are coming to see us and that we care about their wants and needs. This makes everything go better before, during, and after the sale.
If a sales person greets a customer with a smile on his face it is more difficult for the customer to be negative. Smiles and handshakes will not work unless we are sincere. Customers are able to tell a phony in a second and already think that we are phony anyway. So attack them with a good attitude. An attitude attack isn't expected and isn't easily repelled.
During the "Road To The Sale", attitude is a key player. If you project an attitude of positive expectation your customer will respond in a more positive way. The old saying attitude is altitude is very true and applies here.
The automobile business is rewarding both in personal satisfaction and personal income but only if we want it to be. Make selling fun and your satisfaction and income will increase at a rapid pace. Use it or lose it! Let's do business.

Sales Training Meeting #62 Psychology Of Completing A Credit Application

1. Properly complete a credit application
a. Know what important information is needed
b. Be professional when handling customers
c. Legible applications process faster
d. Less chance of misrepresented contracts
2. Print all credit applications
a. Include all phone numbers
b. List all account numbers
c. Full address of employment
3. The easier the information can be verified the faster the call back
4. Social security numbers, zip codes, and customer's signature
a. Most lenders and scoring systems will not even process without this information
5. Review credit bureau before submitting to lenders.
a. If a credit interview is needed, it needs to be done before it gets to the lenders
b. If there are inconsistencies between bureau and application get the detailed information
c. Once an application is rejected, it is very difficult to obtain approval. If the lending source has needed information in advance, chances for approval increase.
It is important to remember this important personal information. Treat your customers like a bank loan officer treats his customers. Kindness and honesty go a long way.

Sales Training Meeting #63 Specific Objection: "Johnny Lownote"

10:00 Am.... In walks... Johnny Lownote... During investigation you have determined the man wants to pay about $150.00 a month for thirty-six months. He has $1000.00 down.
As you start guiding him into the right unit for his budget he starts moving up into the higher priced body styles and selecting all the options he can find. These two directions contradict each other. There is no way you can put him in a $12,000.00 car with $1000.00 down and keep his payments at $150.00 for thirty-six months.
This man is a note buyer; the only problem is that he has no conception of what he can buy.
Possible solutions?...
** Guide him to a car he can afford; get more down payment; talk him into longer terms; justify a larger payment; switch to a lease

Sales Training Meeting #64 Specific Objections "Bad Credit Carl"

11:00 a.m. … In walks "bad credit Carl"... Listen for this question, "Who do y'all finance with?" As soon as you hear it say, "Oh, several different lending institutions, as long as you haven't had more than two bankruptcies or repossessions." "Good... I've only had one." Says Carl.
There it is! You can sell this man a car, if you can get him a loan.
Possible solutions...
__________________________is the key to this situation
There are five major things a lending institution looks for on a loan:
1. Length of employment
2. Ability to pay
3. Credit history
4. Equity position
5. Willingness to pay
If you already know his credit history stinks, you must compensate for this by getting as much positive information as possible. You must also structure your little financial package so that it is apparent that the customer can in fact pay for it.
Let me warn you that "Carl' also has a tendency to back out on you when you do get him bought. The only way to protect yourself is not to let him know he is approved until he is delivered.
** Find out the reason for the bad credit. Put him in the 'right' car. Work the whole deal with the sales desk through the finance office. Write him up on anything; take him out of the market.
Control is the key to this situation.

Sales Training Meeting #65 Specific Objection: "Irving Insurance"

12:30 p.m. … In walks "Irving Insurance"... Irving is usually a younger person. Everything is right in line... He makes good money, has some good credit, and he is putting his life savings down on the car ($2000.00)
A good thing to ask Irving is, "Who is your insurance with?" And "Have you gotten any estimates on your insurance?" Sit down, get with management or on the phone and find out what insurance is going to cost him.
Approaching this conditional objection from this angle allows you to...
**Save some of his down money for his insurance; put him in the right car; get a cosigner for less down money; put the insurance in his parents name; put the insurance on the contract.

Sales Training Meeting #66 Specific Objection: "Melvin Minor"

1:15 p.m. ... Melvin Minor... Melvin may sometimes play hard to get, he may lie about his age or you may think you are talking to him because he just looks young.
You need to discuss with Melvin all the factors involved in his "purchase". Treat him and qualify him just like he is a big boy. It is against the law to sell Melvin a car. It is not against the law to sell mommy and daddy a car. You sell his parents by giving Melvin a feature presentation and a nice ride (you drive). You coach him, what to say and when, and you send him on his merry little way. This is easy, it just takes a few minutes, and Melvin does all the work for you. He will bug his parents to death if you sell him and coach him.

Sales Training Meeting #67 Specific Objection: "Incoherent Alvin"

1:48 p.m... Here comes "Incoherent Alvin"
Alvin could be senile, drunk, on drugs, crazy or any combination of these when drops in to see you. Don't waste any time with Alvin.
Go right to the boss, get a second opinion, and let him go...
But get his name and phone number first.

Sales Training Meeting #68 Specific Objection: "Freddie Forgery"

3:15 p.m. ... "Hi!" Says Freddie... His last name is Forgery (but you don't know that yet). Freddie likes to do things not legal, and slip them by you. Like not having insurance when he is financing through you. Like... Giving you a bad check... Stealing one of your cars... Stealing from you... at gun point. These things are easily handled, be careful, don't take things at face value, check them out.
There is another thing that Freddie likes to pull that is not so easy to handle. Once in a while, he will try and trade a car that is not his. Most of the time that "someone else" is a newly divorced spouse. Selling a car that is not yours is a federal crime. All you need is a bill of sale, power of attorney, and duplicate title form, all signed by Freddie. You're off the hook... From the law. But what about the other owner? This is where you have a real problem. You see, the actual owner can take his car back... Where does this leave you??? The key question to ask is, "Is the title in your name?"

Sales Training Meeting #69 Specific Objective: "Overseas Oscar"

3:15 p.m... Here comes "Overseas Oscar"... Oscar usually gives himself away pretty quick, he may just barely speak English, and he usually travels in packs. Sometimes he will have an interpreter. Oscar is a lot of fun to sell, if he can buy.
Figure out where you are and go from there...
** Sometimes with a green card, cash, co signer (who is a citizen), he may have other financial contacts.

Sales Training Meeting #70 Specific Objective: "Graveyard Gary"

4:00 p.m. ... Bouncing in the door comes "Graveyard Gary". Gary is already 'buried' when he arrives. The late model car he is driving (like 6 months old) could be a clue. He might owe a lot more than it is worth... Or it may be paid for... I said clue.
If he does owe more than it is worth there are several ways to remove the condition...
** Switch him to lease; switch him to a more expensive unit; he may have enough money and good credit; he may have a second trade; cash value in life insurance; bump the trade, 90 day notice; work on percentages

Sales Training Meeting #71 Specific Objective: "Sylvester Spoiled"

5:00 p.m. ... Next up... "Sylvester Spoiled"... Sylvester has already been 'spoiled' when he comes in to see you. He has either been 'low balled' or is working on some other bad information he picked up somewhere. He may just be lying to you... Of all things.
How do we handle Sylvester...
** Depends on the figure the customer gives you. The idea is to bypass the figure he gives you and let him figure out he has been lied to; switch him sell him apples to oranges; compare equipment exactly.

Sales Training Meeting #72 Specific Objectives: "Absent Annie"

Joe Blows walks in and tells you he is 'looking around' for Annie. Annie is not here, and according to Joe, "She will have to see it first".
Possible solutions:
** "Pop in" on Annie during the test drive. Go get Annie’s trade. Call her on the phone. Talk the spouse into buying it anyway. Write a deal subject to Annie’s approval

Sales Training Meeting #73 Tips From Some Pros...

And what do you have to do to sell more cars?
** Give the sales force a few minutes to write down their best idea with name or no name. Then review each tip as a group. Use the following examples as guidelines.
1. "Back Off" if customers say they are just looking, make attempts to fact find, buy if they ask to be left alone, step back close enough to be recognized, but far enough away so as not to intrude. They always come back with questions.
2. On rainy days when traffic is slow, go to the local mall and pass out cards. There are always a lot of old customers that you might see.
3. When a customer is in a hurry and you can't slow them down, talk slowly, get them to talk slower, and eventually, they will slow down and relax. Soon, they'll be in more of a buying mood. A customer buys a salesman not a car.
4. Think about timing. Just as important as timing is to a well told joke, so it is to a great sales presentation. Compare a presentation to a speech or anecdote. There must be a theme and the end must have a punch. Conversation can give insight to what the customer feels is important. Alter your presentation theme to develop the customer's need and save the customer's important items for the punch.

Sales Training Meeting #74 Usage Value

This technique allows you to use what the customer is telling you about his trade to justify the public market value of his car.
Step 1. "Mr. Prospect, What was the window sticker price on your car when it was brand new?"
Whatever answer he gives you write it down on a piece of scratch paper.
Step 2. "Mr. Prospect, When did you purchase you car exactly... What month and year?"
Again, write down his answer.
Step 3. "Mr. Prospect, What do you feel your car has been worth to you a month?" $175 $200 $225
The third question is the key. As soon as he tells you the original list price and the amount of time he has had the vehicle you can determine what numbers to use buy referring to this little chart:
Time In Months Dollars Per Thousand
(Rounded Off) (Rounded Off)
12 = 35
18 = 30
24 = 30
30 = 25
36 = 25
42 = 20
48 = 20
By multiplying the time he has had the car by the numbers of dollars per thousand in the original list you have the answer you want him to give you.
To buy enough time for you to figure out what numbers to use simply take your time counting out the number of months he has driven his car, or even have him do it.
When you ask the third question simply subtract $25 for the choice, use the target answer for the second choice, and add $25 for the third choice.
Usage Value (Cont.)
Consider this example:
1980 cougar xr 7 gs original list $9800 purchased 12/19. Customer has had car 33 months (acv $4000 $5000 depending on condition)
9 (thousands in original list)
x 25 ($ per thousand in relation to months )
$225 (target answer)
Your alternate choice for the third question is $200 $225 $250!
Now write down which of the tree he picks... Here comes the close...
"Now let's see Mr. Prospect you have had your car about 33 months and according to your figures it has been worth to you about $225 a month, let's see 225 x 33 = 7425, and you said the car was worth $9800 brand new. Not that this has anything to do with our deal, but in order for me to get you all of your money back on your car the public market value would have to be... Let's see $9800 $7425 $2375!!! Now frankly, I think your car is worth a good bit more than that, would I have the right to earn your business now while you here if I could pay you that $2375 plus... Say... Another $1000 for your vehicle?
If this doesn't work don't worry about it, at least you have planted a seed in his mind. He now is starting to realize that the car he thought was worth $7500 when he walked in is not nearly that valuable, and he has been exposed to the fact that he has gotten use out of his car not just thrown his money away.
All the usage value approach does is re align his thinking on the trade, but with finesse and using his own figures.
If $3375 is not an acceptable figure you might try this approach;
Mileage and depreciation

Sales Training Meeting #75 Involvement Vs. Commitment

Let me share a story with you about some barnyard animals. These animals decided that the farmer was good guy and they wanted to do something nice for the farmer. The chicken said that she would provide the eggs so that they could make the farmer breakfast. The cow said that she could provide the milk and butter. The pig said, "hold it guys I don't like the way this is going." The chicken and the cow were involved but when the bacon hit the plate the pig was committed.
Are you involved or committed? Do you do things because you want to or because you have to? When you demo a car are you the person that puts the car back in line or the person that disclaims knowledge of how the car got there? Pick out the type you are.
If you are committed you will make more than if you are involved plain and simple. Do not complain about traffic unless you are among the committed because the people that are only involved aren't doing anything to generate any.
Committed people are team players. Asking a customer what brought them to the dealership so the advertising can be put to better use is what a team player does. A team player will do a quality walk around with every customer because they know the value it builds and increases the gross. Team players do the right thing because it is the right thing to do for themselves and the team.
We need non team players also because someone has to warm the bench and finish last. I have seen stores where last place made $4,000.00 a month but they were all team players. Don't let yourself down and you won't let the team down.
Commit yourself to a goal. Do everything you can to focus on that goal and you will reach the goal. If you need help seek help and use what you receive. Make your management teamwork for a living because part of their job is to educate and help you succeed.

Sales Training Meeting #76 Conditional Objections... How To Deal With Them

A conditional objection limits the time in which a sales situation can be finalized. Time is the determining factor of how extreme the condition is. There are three degrees of conditional objectives:
1. One day to one week
2. One week to thirty days
3. Thirty days and over
A condition exists when there is a situation present that neither you or the customer can do anything about. Conditional objections are discovered during investigation and qualifying. Once you determine that a conditional objection exists, the next step is to ask yourself what can I do to remove it and how can I make this deal now?
The Ten Conditions:
1. A man who thinks he can buy a $10,000 car for $100.00 a month.
2. A customer with bad credit.
3. A customer who cannot afford to insure himself.
4. A minor (under 18)
5. A senile, crazy, or drunk person
6. A person trading someone else's car
7. Someone who is not a citizen who wants financing from you.
8. Someone who owes more on their trade than it's worth.
9. A liar or "low ball" customer.
10. A person buying for someone else.
About thirty per cent of the people you meet and greet will fall into one of these categories. Protect yourself and your valuable time by asking every one of the qualifying questions your manager has reviewed with you... Every time you process a new customer.

Sales Training Meeting #77 Salesperson's Personal Success Commitment

Sales person___________________________________
Date______________
My personal goals for this month are as follows:
Number of units __________
Sales Leases __________
Average commission ___________
Projected monthly income (units x comm.) $___________
To achieve my personal goal, I am committed to "Do what it takes." This includes:
Prospecting I intend to bring at least _____customers into the dealership through working smart.
Referrals I intend to bring at least ______customers into the dealership through working my deliveries.
Qualifying I will close an extra ______deals this month through better listening and fact finding.
Lease conversions I will increase my income by presenting leasing to all of my customers hard work I am committed to taking as many customers as possible can and working them to the best of my abilities.
Signature_________________________________
Review this every month and work out a team closing plan. Get your sales people to all prospect together. This will help get everyone involved.

Sales Training Meeting #78 "Oh, The Places You'll Go "By Dr. Suess

Many people do not take this book seriously, because of the author. You will find it difficult to find a book that is more focused on automobile sales. The book is supposed to be about life but zeroes in on the problems faced in sales.
Some managers choose to read the book, in a meeting, cover to cover and show the pictures as they go. If this is not your style you may want to make it required reading and let everyone read it by themselves. There is no wrong way to use this book as long as your people read it. You may find that your sales people will ask to read the book from time to time to get their mind back on track. Some managers can benefit from periodic reading.
Do not sell this meeting short. Get the book and read it. This meeting will improve the general attitude of the sales force in a way that they haven't seen before.

Sales Training Meeting #79 You Never Came Back

Dear Sales Person;
I was surprised when you didn't see me a week or two after you delivered my new car that morning, not so many years ago, for I liked you and your company. I was planning on introducing you to some of my friends. I confess, I was a little disappointed when you didn't come. A good many times in the past years, especially for those first two when it was hard to pay the notes on the car you sold me, I wished that you would come and tell me again about the values of it, and make me as enthusiastic about it as I was on the day when I bought it... But you didn't come back.
I was a little flattered when you persisted in seeing me, before I bought. It made me feel worthwhile. I thought perhaps you liked me for my own sake as well as for the sake of my business. I thought you judged me an interesting fellow; but I guess I was mistaken, for you have never come back.
Every year I think, "well, perhaps I should trade for a new car now"; but then I spend more money on the old one and keep driving it. I have often wondered why you didn't come back to see me and save me that money... But you never came back. The man who sold me my first insurance policy likes me enough to come in to see me, even though he knows I don't need more insurance. The result is that I have been buying insurance from him all my life. I have spent a lot of money with your company more than I have buying insurance but you never came back.
Of course, I have bought lots and lots of cars from many different sales people, each time thinking, "I liked this man and will let him be my automobile sales person," but my life has been a continuous procession of strange sales people... Because the old ones never came back.
Sincerely,
James J. Owner
**Make a list of each year in business and how many people you sold. Now how many have you followed up with? How many are you still contacting 2, 3, 4 years later? Is this % close to your closing %? Keep track of this % as you also watch your closing ratio.

Sales Training Meeting #80 Is Your Time Organization Lacking

Help the sales force master their time organization!
1. Guard off thieves of their time
2. Develop an organized time program
3. Understanding of time importance
Time thieves
1. Procrastination, excuses and regrets.
All these elements get us frustrated and lead us to the path of laziness.
A. Do your sales force meet deadlines. If you start to give deadlines that are realistic, they will start to set them themselves.
B. Review negative vs. Positive to manage excuses.
C. Go forward, forget the mistakes you have made, or the slow month that just passed. Start today, normal regrets.
2. Get organized
A. What's your plan
Always make notes don't count on your memory
Try to avoid interruptions they slow your plan down
Say no be selective on projects you involve yourself in.
And the art of listening
3. Time
Sales people usually don't know what to do next. Understand that time is now! Tomorrow or the future will soon be now!
All we can do is work the now! How you spend your time, how you organize it and how you use it is the only difference between successful people and failures.

Sales Training Meeting #81 Parable Of The Sales Person

And in those days, behold there came throughout the gates of the city, a salesperson from afar: and it came to pass as the days went by, he sold plenty.
And in that city, there were also those that were called the order takers, and they that spent their days adding to the alibi sheets. Mightily were they astonished. They said one to another, "Yea, verily, how does he get away with it?" And it came to pass that many were gathered in the back office and the break room, and a soothsayer came among them. And he waxed greatly in wisdom. And they spoke unto him and questioned him saying, "How is it that this stranger came to our city and accomplishes the impossible?"
Where upon the sooth sayer made answer: "He of whom you speak is one hustler. Her arises while it is yet night and goes forth with pep and enthusiasm. He complains not, neither does he knock his competitors. He sings not the songs of woe that you of little vision fill days with of rude customers, slow business trends, and lack of floor traffic. He is arrayed in purple and fine linen while you go forth with faces unshaven, pants not pressed, and neckties untied. While we gather here and say one to another, verily this is a terrible day to work, he has already gone forth to greet his first customer. And when the eleventh hour comes, this man needs no alibis. He know his lines and how to do battle with those that would stave him off he gets the order! Men say unto him, 'nay, nay' when he sits to close; yet when he goes forth he has their names on the dotted line.
"He takes with him two angles, inspiration and perspiration, and works even unto the sweat of his brow, as unto the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Verily, verily, I say unto you, go forth and do likewise.
** What is your sales people plan of attack? **

Sales Training Meeting #82 "Objection Cover Up"

The first objection is not a specific objection. This is a "cover up" for another objection.
Some possible cover ups might be:
I'll think about it
I'd better wait
I want to sleep on it
I want to look some more
Let us home and talk it over
I'll let you know
There are a lot more of them. Anything a prospect tells you that sounds a little "fishy" could be a cover up. If you don't see a valid reason, probe for one.
1. B.r.e.a.k.
2. Exploratory probe
3. Confirming probe
4. Process Using Other Techniques
5. T.O.
6. Switch and start over
The break method should get you to the real objection; you should have used it anyway. Remember that you should b.r.e.a.k. every objection before processing it with your techniques but is especially important on a cover up.
If the break doesn't get you anywhere back off a little with exploratory probing, then go behind to narrow him down with confirming probes.
If you have discovered the real objection, process it according to what you were taught in earlier chapters and the rest of this section.
If you have not uncovered anything you can work with, T.O. The deal, you need it.
While the T.O. Man is with the customer figure out what you think the objection he is hiding might be. Your manager can help you with this. Now select a switch unit that will overcome that objection. When the T.O. Man comes out if he can't get anywhere, switch him. You work the switch as directed by your manager, with T.O. Man pulling the switch and you doing the legwork. This insures that you can stay ahead of the customer (two can cover ground faster than one). This also lets the customer win by starting over with a new face.

Sales Training Meeting #83 "Your Price Is Too High"

Price is the key here. You either didn't explain the difference between price and cost very well or he hit you with it early. Another time you will here this is when you have a trade in and have finally sold him on the market value. Then he switches to list price.
If you have been working the guy for a while, you may need a T.O.
If you have not, all you have to do is justify the price and reduce his cost. After you use the break method try:
1. Buyers allowance for prospects
2. Operational cost
3. Guaranteed buy back
4. New car usage value
5. Payment switch
6. Residual savings plan
7. Incentive close
8. Come down slow and easy
9. Time and double money
10. Used car usage value
11. T.O.
12. Anything else you know
** This information should be read and have an open discussion afterwards**

Sales Training Meeting #84 " I Will Have To Come Back Later, I Have An Appointment."

This statement is an attempt to destroy your control right up front.
Never let a customer remove you from you planned selling procedure. You cannot manage what you can't control. The only way to sell this guy is to work him the exact same way as anyone else!
If after a little while this objection can't be by passed or if the b.r.e.a.k. method is not successful... A few things you might try:
1. Get a deposit to hold the car, and make a second interview appointment later.
2. Take him out of his trade and/or put him in a car like he wants
3. Make arrangements to bring the car out to him a little later.
4. Get a customer statement so that you can start processing the financing (have his car ready when he returns)
5. T.O.
6. Post T.O. Techniques
7. Determine where the prospect will be later (work or at his house) where there are a number of his friends and family around that might see the car. Go "surprise" him with a little visit
Remember that these techniques are to be attempted only after you find that you cannot bypass the objection and he does not allow you to follow your regular procedure. Work with management, get a T.O... Do the things a professional does to manage and control prospect.
** This should be read and have an open discussions afterwards**

Sales Training Meeting #85 " I Will Have To Talk It Over With My Wife And Let You Know"

Bypass... Break... Keep using your techniques... Keep trying to close.
If it still won't go away...
1. If you think you may run into this objection, early in the sale (during investigation) make a big joke about "some guy the other day" who was all concerned about what his wife would think, even though he brought home the money and "supposedly" wore the pants in the family. His wife really didn't know the first thing about cars anyway.
Making this type of comment early can greatly aid a bypass statement in the closing booth.
2. Suggest that very few women mind a brand new car with a big bow tied around it sitting in their driveway. Even if they do mind, it is hard to say anything about so generous a gift. Get him a big bow, a nice pretty ribbon for his wife. Tell him if she really does not like it, that he can always bring her back and pick out another car. (once you have him signed, sealed and delivered you legally do not have to rescind the sale until he takes delivery on the second car).
3. Pick up the telephone! Ask him where his wife can be reached and you call her. Then tell her that if she would like to see the car you will be happy to bring it right over. Next hand the phone and walk out, give him some privacy.
4. Another thing that can be done early, (before you try to close; is when you are out on your demo drive "drop in" on her. If you have qualified properly, you may already know where his wife works or where she is. Head in that direction on the demo drive, tell the prospect that since you are headed that way anyway you can just drop in. This gives you a chance to sell the wife too.
5. Try to establish control of some sort ( like you were working, "I have an appointment").
6. T/O.
7. Post T.O. Techniques, as directed by management.
** This information should be read and have an open discussion afterwards**

Sales Training Meeting #86 " My Wife Will Have To See It"

This is very similar to the last objection with one major difference.
If he states that his wife must see it, he is locking himself in. When he states that his wife needs to see it, but does not tell you they need to discuss it you can read between the lines. Use this information to your advantage.
If the bypass doesn't work;
1. Get a commitment from him (lock him in subject to his wife's approval). Then make arrangements for his wife to see it. I have even gone so far as to use the instant camera I keep around for deliveries to shoot several pictures for him to take home to show her. Every time that I have done this I have gotten a very positive phone call from the prospect that evening.
2. Work this one just like the last one; use this one on the last one. Be careful about giving him a brochure to take home, which can get you into trouble.
** This information should be read and have an open discussion afterwards **

Sales Training Meeting Training #87 " Your Payments Are Too High "

If it won't go away... Process it.
1. Mileage bump
2. Operational cost
3. Residual savings plan
4. Get a customer statement. Why? The customer statement can be used to figure out why he feels his payments are too high.
A. You may be able to suggest some real estate mortgage possibilities. (ask business manager)
B. You may be able to use the cash value in his life insurance for extra down payment.
C. You may find that all of his outstanding debts have a low balance in which case he can;
1. Refinance to consolidate his bills and reduce his overall monthly expenses.
2. Point out that his monthly expenses will only be high for a very short time and tell him how long he has until his first payment is due.
3. Use the time and double money close.
4. Evaluation team
5. T.O., Finance T.O.
6. Switch him
7. Switch same car (or switch car) to a lease purchase if he is qualified.
This may be a good solution to his objection because he only pays for usage not for the residual value. He also may be able to write all or a portion of this expense off, depending on his situation (the customer statement you took earlier will give you a clue)
It is a good idea to educate yourself on this in's and out's of leasing. Talk to the fleet leasing manager at your dealership and find out as much as you can about how your dealers lease programs are set up.
Sometimes you can split the commission or get credit on it yourself. This depends on the policy at your dealership. If you get along with leasing agent at your dealership often he will trade you a fleet deal for a lease customer.
8. T.O.
9. Post T.O. Techniques

Sales Training Meeting #88 " I Just Want Your Best Price"

This man is probably trying to shop. After you verify that he is a shopper, you treat him as such. If you find out that he is just trying to get a good deal from you and he really likes your car, process him that way.
Remember that price is different from cost. Redirect and refocus his attention to the broader prospective of cost... This reduces your price. Bypass... Break... Then process.
1. All to the unit first if possible. Ask him about every piece of add on equipment you carry. We use this to jack up the "list price" so that when and if you do start dealing you have more markup. Later on, if you don't close him this will make shopping your price a lot more difficult.
2. Guaranteed buy back
3. Usage value! Either new car or used car usage value, or both, depending on the circumstances.
4. Payment switch
5. Mileage bump
6. Operational cost
7. Residual savings plan
8. Incentive close
9. Time and double money
10. T.O.
11. Switch and start over
12. Post T.O. Techniques
One very important sentence that you can use somewhere during closing techniques between 2 9 is,
"As I understand it, in order to earn your business my cost as to be lower than anyone else's, is that right?"
If he answers yes then write on the buyers order, "I will own this car now if the cost is agreeable", and get him to initial it.
This will allow you to find out if he is dead set on shopping
If he answers yes, but will not buy now, then ask him, "How much lower?"
You still continue to use your closing techniques but this may give you some insight as to what is going on in his head.
** This should be read and have an open discussion afterwards

Sales Training Meeting #89 " I Am Going To Shop Some More"

In this case get the prospect to be more specific. Is he only going to shop for the same type car you sell? Or, Is he going to look at varied makes and models?
If he is shopping for price then work him just as in number 7
If he is going to look at different cars, your approach should be:
1. Product presentation and demonstration, up to 5 times!!! This is important in every sale, but is especially important to over come this type of objection.
One time it took me four demonstrations to make a deal, the most I have ever gotten to is number three except for that one time. I have never lost a deal that has been demonstrated over two times. And I have yet to go five.
If you can keep that customer talking about the car and get him to keep driving it again and again you will make the sale.
The reason re demonstration works is that it assures the customer that he does like the car. Then all you have to do is justify and explain cost.
Re demonstration is a closing technique in itself. This technique should be used anytime you can get the prospect to go for another drive. Think of any excuse you can... Let's let your wife drive this time... There is something very important I forgot to show you... Anything you can think of! If you can get a prospect to drive the car five times and don't close him, T.O. the deal immediately. Because someone else can make the sale.
The way to re demonstrate is to use your evaluation team close, drive highway once, drive city once, he drives, she drives, and you drive. Mix in each demo with several attempts to close, keep trying.
Some techniques you can use between drives on this type of prospect are:
2. Go over the features the want; A) What is most important to you in your new car? B) What are currently enjoying in the car that you are selling us that your new car has? C) What do you like about this car that the one you are selling us doesn't have?
" I Am Going To Shop Some More" (Cont.)
Sell to the dominant buying motive. Then ask leading questions, "You do like the car and the features and options, is that right?"
"You said that the cost and budget were satisfactory, is that right?"
When is a good time to reward yourself with something you like and will fit your budget?"
Now shut up!!!!!!
Watch the reaction... No matter what they say, laugh... Hit them with this...
"You deserve it... You do!"
Get a commitment.
If you uncover yet another objection, process that one, just like you have been trained to do.
3. Guaranteed buy back
4. Payment switch
5. Residual savings plan
6. T.O.
7. Post T.O. Techniques
8. Offer to purchase any type car they want through your leasing department.

Sales Training Meeting #90 "The Buyer's Guide"

Most salesmen have encountered a prospect with some sort of buyer’s guide. If you haven't, sooner or later you will. So you better get ready for it.
The three things you don't do with a buyer's guide are:
1. Tell the prospect, it is wrong
2. Try and pull off a quick one.
3. Get involved with the prospect in an argument over the buyer’s guide.
What you should do with the buyer’s guide is use it to your advantage. Here are some to use it.
1. Find out the date it was printed. The reason you want to know the date is that many a buyer’s guide is printed when the new cars change model years. As the year progresses the cars go up. Each time you get a new price level from the factory your price goes up. In the case of an import, your equalization sticker can be used in this way.
Explain that the customers buyer’s guide reflects the price of your car when it first came out, but is a little short now. Don't discredit the buyer’s guide; create a doubt as to how accurate it is at the present time.
2. Add shipping
Add D & H (dealers prep.)
3. Down trade the prospect
4. Guaranteed buy back
5. Residual saving plan
6. Switch to payments
7. Write a deal take the prospects offer
8. Time and double money raise to close
9. Switch to a used car or a last years demo
10. T.O.
11. Post T.O. Techniques
**This should be read and have an open discussion afterwards

Sales Training Meeting #91 "I Will Pay You A Certain Over Invoice"

How does he know what the invoice is? He doesn't know. Unless you show him the invoice.
Why show anybody your cost?
A good deal is a frame of mind
The practice of showing the actual invoice to a customer was started by sales organizations that don't know enough about professional selling to earn a man's trust and confidence.
I have seen a sales person, with his manager’s permission, show a prospect an invoice and still be called a liar. You can't win a customer's confidence with a piece of paper.
It is up to us... The professional sales person, to kill this practice of taking your pants off in front of the prospect by showing the invoice. It is costing us all money. If he has to see the invoice, blow him out. What is he going to do if nobody shows him the invoice? We create this objection. We are responsible for it. We should take the responsibility of getting rid of it. Even if it costs you a little short deal now and then, so what!!
Now let's talk about what to do to get around this one.
Let me ask something of you... Salesman to salesman...Right now...
"Sit down this weekend and figure out every way you can possibly figure out to yank a guys chain when he hits you with this objection."
Do it! You owe it to the automobile industry!
I'm not going to demonstrate any use of these techniques. You sit down and figure out how each one of them can be applied in as many ways as you can.
Bypass!... Break!... Redirect!... Refocus!
1. Work a red line.
2. The Denver system
3. Incentive closes
4. Take his offer for control and raise him
5. T.O.
6. Buyer's allowance for prospects
7. Operational cost
8. Guaranteed buy back
9. New car usage value
10. Payment switch
11. Residual savings plan
12. Gas mileage bump
13. Evaluation team
14. Ben Franklin balance sheet
15. Come down slow and easy
16. Time and double money
17. Switch and start over
18. Switch to demo
19. Switch to used car
20. Where have I gone wrong?
21. If you haven't squeezed in five demo drives you should quit selling cars!
22. Used car usage value
23. Have another look at his trade (if he is trading)
24. Switch the difference
25. Improvement cost
26. Shop his trade
27. Shoot his horse
28. Put his horse out to stud
29. Give him a car drive
30. The sliding ball
31. Better any deal
32. Retail purchase agreement
33. The walk of a winner
34. Low ball him!
35. Call him twice a day until he changes his phone number
36. Go see him with a car
37. Get together with salesmen that you know at other dealerships and make an agreement never to show invoice
38. Rat on anyone at your dealership you see showing a prospect the invoice!
39. Switch to lease

Sales Training Meeting #92 "I've Had A Bad Past Experience"

1. Evidence manual*
2. Owner evaluation sheets*
3. Earn his trust and confidence through correct proof
4. Introduce him to the sales manager, service manager, general manager, owner.
5. Use consumer reports
6. T.O.
7. Go along with his program give the prospect control... Stay in touch!

Sales Training Meeting #93 "I’m Not Going To Buy Today At Any Price"

Why did he drop in?
He wants a new vehicle or has a need for one. The timing is close or he wouldn't be coming until it was close enough to the time he can buy!
1) This guy may not realize he can take out a 90 day note 2) Then have you finance the car (after 90 days) 3) Then have 45 days until his first note is due 4) then make a deal with you so that you can pay his two or three notes for him 5) And/or split his down payment with a pick up note for a portion of his down payment
The question you must get an answer to: "Is he shopping, hiding another objection, or is it that he thinks he actually has to wait to own a new car?"
Get with your sales manager and finance manager for the particulars of playing with the financing.

Sales Training Meeting #94 "I Don't Have My Trade With Me"

I have seen too many salesmen tell a prospect to go home and get their trade.
This is really a "conditional" objection
Some people think by going around "shopping" without a trade they are safe. Not if you're sharp enough to handle them. They are looking for figures. Just as in any other sale you must build desire and put the prospect on a specific car.
You can't bypass because you are working on a condition. 19 out of 20 times this condition can be removed within ten hours... If you work smart!
1. Handle this one the same way you handle absent Annie
2. Go get the trade, or take one of your appraisal men out to look at it!
3. "You're an honest man Mr. Prospect tell me about the car you are selling us."
Get out an appraisal pad and go over every detail on the car with the prospect bring this to your manager and work your deal.
The objective here is to write a deal subject to physical appraisal of his car. Take a deposit, have a clear understanding that your prospect has a deadline to meet concerning getting the trade over to you. You should make arrangements to go pick it up.
4. Shoot his horse!... 90 day note... Put his horse out to stud.
5. T/O.
6. Post t/o techniques, especially the sliding ball (as directed by management).

Sales Training Meeting # 95 "That Car Has Too Many Miles On It."

1. That's why you are getting such a low price on it.
2. Most cars are operating 100,000 and over without a complete engine overhaul these days. How many miles do you plan to put on the car?
3. Most of the miles are highway miles. If this is true, tell them who the past owner was and explain why he drove primarily highway. Ask him if he would buy a used taxi cab. Compare the cab to a regular family car. Tell him this car is in better shape than even a family car because most of the miles were on the highway. When you go on the highway you are forced to take care of a car... Hours of use verses mileage.
4. Sell them an extended warranty and / or assure him as to what warranty protection he has (if any).
5. Guarantee a buy back.
6. Usage value.
7. Switch their focus to payments.
8. Residual savings plan.
9. T/O
10. Switch and start over.
11. Post T/O Techniques.

Sales Training Meeting # 96 "I Want To Think It Over."

This could be a cover up. After you verify, then;
1. Shut up... Let him think right there in the office. After this goes on a while...
2. Excuse yourself. Tell them that they can have all of the privacy they need to talk it over and think about it. Walk out of the office.
3. Ask them how long they need to think about it. Tell them to take twice that long. Then tell them that no matter how long they think about it they will still be faced with the same three questions:
1. Will the deal fit the budget?
2. Do you like the car?
3. When is a good time to reward themselves with something they like and can afford?
Shake his hand quick if he responds positive. If they respond negative, tell them they deserve it. Encourage them to do it now, keep offering the handshake.
4. Re demonstrate we throw this one in every once in a while to remind you that you should demonstrate the car again at every opportunity if the deal is not closed... Up to five times!
5. Ben Franklin balance sheet.
6. If everything were right would you make your decision now? Other than the "X", is there anything else? Make sure you have the final objection.
7. T/O
8. Switch and start over.
9. Post t/o techniques.
10. What control techniques can you use?
11. Is it my dealership?... Product?... Payments?... Color?... If you don't like me I can get you another sales person, I hate to see you pass up a car you really like just because you don't like me.
12. Apologize... What did I do wrong?

Sales Training Meeting # 97 My "Dog" Said...

( My car is worth... I can get this price... Etc. )
We have all heard a multitude of them... Everyone is a car expert...
Isn't it strange how some people will take anyone's opinion about the value of their car?
It may be their next door neighbor who digs ditches for a living!
You are the expert. Your prospect is not. His newspaper boy and his uncle are not either.
If it does crop up and won't go away with a bypass or break, here's how you handle it...
1. Usage value.
2. Guaranteed buy back.
3. Go shopping.
4. Shoot his horse.
5. Put his horse out to stud.
6. Call the individual who told him that and make arrangements for him to buy it.
7. Switch to payments.
8. T/O
9. Switch and start over.

Sales Training Meeting # 98 "I Won't Sign Anything Or Give You Any Money Until You Tell Me If The Offer Is Accepted"

1. Tell them that if you were going target shooting instead of presenting an offer, that what they are asking you to do is go with no bullets in your gun. Your target is the offer you have agreed to present and the gun is the work sheet I am taking to my boss. The bullets are your approval right here and the money, so I can wave it in his face and show him you are ready to do business right now. What I am saying is that I need some ammunition to get this offer approved for you.
2. We are set up here for your convenience. We are a high volume dealership. We have 20 sales people and only one manager. That's why we do business this way. I can't officially certify an offer, but my manager can. When a customer walks in the door we have enough sales people to handle him quickly. We realize that your time is valuable. Our manager's time is valuable too. He has to work with every customer who comes in, through the sales person. That is why you and I have to get together first. This offer we have arrived at is satisfactory to both of us; all we need is official approval... I need your help.
3. Switch to payments.
4. T/O
5. Switch and start over.
6. Management T/O.

Sales Training Meeting # 99 Attack the offer the only place you can

This is one of the most important concepts you will ever learn in car sales.
A customer can attack your price... "Your price is too high!"
They can attack the trade... "Not enough for my car!"
The payment... "Your payment is too high!"
The only place you can attack them is on the down payment.
If you learn how to work by continually asking for more down every time you negotiate any of the other areas, you will raise your grosses and get more down payment.
A properly worked deal should have at least two checks written by the customer for down payment.
What you are actually doing is distracting them with the down payment.
You press hard on cash and give a little, if they will give a little on something else.
The best way to do this meeting is to set up a role play session and you be the manager.
Every time you pencil the deal, also pencil the down payment.
Keep everyone focused on repeatedly asking for more down.

Sales Training Meeting # 100 How Goals Work

Pick someone on the sales force to be the subject of this exercise. Have them stand in the front of the room so that everyone can see. Make sure the person you pick has a good attitude and will follow directions. You may even want to talk to them before the meeting and explain how important it is that they follow your directions to the letter.
Ask them to face the front of the room with their feet together and stand up straight. Have them extend their right arm and point their index finger straight ahead and at shoulder level.
Tell them to swing their arm around towards the right and back, keeping it shoulder level, as far as is comfortable. Now tell them to look and see where their finger is pointing. Make a note of where it is pointing. Have them return to their original position.
Now ask them to close their eyes and visualize that their hand is extended in front, the same as before. Ask them to pretend that they are pointing around as before, except that they are going one third farther than they actually did the first time when they really did it. Now have them pretend they are turning back around to the front and bringing their hand down.
Repeat the same drill, but this time have the person imagine that they are going another third farther. Be sure they stand still during this whole period with their eyes closed.
Now repeat it one more time and have them imagine that they are turning all the way around and then returning to normal.
Last, have the person open their eyes and actually hold their hand up as before and really turn as far as they can. Notice where their finger is pointing now.
The entire meeting will be amazed at how much farther they go this time.
This is a graphic illustration of how focusing on and visualizing a goal works! Focusing on a positive outcome is the first step to success. Focusing on a specific goal is the next step... And visualizing yourself obtaining it will put you into action.

Sales Training Meeting #101 Notes And Quotes

This is not actually a meeting. It is a series of positive quotes and sayings that can be used one at a time to open your meetings. They should be briefly discussed after they are read, and then move on with the meeting. This allows you to have two positives between the information and any negatives that have to be brought up.
"I'm glad you asked about that sir... This car has a double anti slip super shimmey shaft, a hemedicaly sealed head axle housing, and a triple trans axle torque tested tripinion... Where else could you find such quality?"
"It also has a side saddle shifty seal spinner, I’m sure you can see how that will benefit you."
"And at this reasonable price we also include an electromagnetic elemental fuel injected enactment emulsifier and self dismantling doorplate deliberation dismissal gear, you would be real glad you have that if you ever had a crash, wouldn't you?"
Yes sir, this car is the epitome of desirability. It has been bestowed the auto industry's biannual creativity award three years in a row. It's easy to see why we sell so many of them, isn't it?"
Now get you wallet out and step into my office, before somebody else scoffs up this gem... Hurry up!"
"Love A Jerk Today."... Pete Hill
"The great man is he who does not loose his child's heart"...Menicius
"In professional sales we know what to do, but how many of us actually do it? Many people know the bible, but how many of them actually do it?"...
James A. Ziegler
"The wise man, after learning something new, is afraid to learn anything more until he has put his first lesson into practice."... Tzu Lu
"Planning does not take time, it saves time."...
Jackie Cooper
"Problems are the catalysts of change, change is the solution. Are you strong enough to change?... Or is it that you cannot find a problem?"... Eric R. Linderman
You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb himself.. Andrew Carnegie
"Action is subject to emotion, not logic."... Pete Hill
"I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not exactly what I meant."... Unknown
"There exits limitless opportunities in every industry. Where there is an open mind, there will always be a frontier."... C.F.Kettering
"The great aim of education, is not knowledge but action."...
William Spencer
"Out of mind... Soul!"... Joe Goose
"Don't tell us how you're going to show us, show us and tell us how did it."... Eric R. Linderman
"When you can take your eyes off of yourself, and you can help enough other people get what they want, then and only then, will you get what you want."...
Dexter Yeager
"He who knows, yet thinks he does not know, has great wisdom. He who does know and thinks he knows is deceased."...
Lao Tsu
"Man's mind stretched to a new idea, never goes back to it's original dimensions."... Oliver Wendell Holmes
"Success is the progressive realization of your worthwhile predetermined goals."... Paul J. Meyer
"You can't sell a mooch, you can only sell another human being."... Joe Girard
"After you have stumbled through all of the rocks and hard places, when you've come to the forks in the road and can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel... You'll probably find there is at least one more bridge to cross."...
Billy Atkinson
"There is no idea, book, knowledge, or anything in this business that can take the place of hard work."...
Ralph Deboisblanc
 

"I am the best there is at what I do, not one of the best, the very best. Whether I am or not doesn't matter, I believe it, that's my attitude."...
-James A. Ziegler
 

We recommend that you continue to collect these types of motivational sayings and material. You can find them all over the place.
If you find something really outstanding, mail it in to us. You may find it in our next publishing. That's what it is really all about anyway... Sharing, so we all can get better.
God loves you, and we are trying real hard!
 

We at Ziegler SuperSystems have enjoyed putting this book together for your use... We hope you have enjoyed using it.
James A. And Staff