MySuccessCompany.com E-NEWSLETTER
April 2024
This Month’s Selling Principle:
Sales Manager Staff Development Activities
Performing these regularly occurring sales manager activities will insure we are investing enough in our dealership’s most valuable appreciating assets – our people.
● Have a notepad when desking deals
– Take notes for debriefing our sales associates, don’t rely on memory alone.
● Debrief each deal
– During a deal is NOT the time to train. We don’t stop in the middle of the big game to practice. Either we are ready for the game or we’re not. Afterwards, whether the deal is made or not, after the emotions have subsided, and while the experience is still fresh, THAT is the most ideal time to train our staff. Reinforce the behaviors we want repeated, and redirect the ones we want changed.
● Hold brief daily pending deal meetings at the start of each shift
– This is essential to insuring no income opportunity slips through the cracks. This meeting is also essential in covering the basic deal completion topics (follow up contacts, updating CRM, chasing stipulations, checking inventories, etc.), and holding each team member accountable for them.
● Ask three questions at the beginning and end of each shift
– The three questions that should be asked of each team member at the beginning of their shift are; 1) What appointments do you have scheduled for today? 2) What contacts do you have scheduled to make today? 3) What do you have scheduled to learn today? The three questions that should be asked of each team member at the end of their shift are; 1) What appointments did you set today? 2) What contacts did you make today? 3) What did you learn today? In very short order, this simple practice will change the culture of our sales department to one of growth.
● Perform weekly one on ones
– This is simply five minutes, done in private, to share how we feel about our sales associate and how they are performing, and for them to share with us how they feel about us and how we are performing. This allows us to connect with each sales associate, to discover what motivates and how to motivate each associate we are responsible for, and it also fosters loyalty, thus reducing turnover.
● Perform monthly evaluations
– At the end of each month, EVERYONE needs to get written up, whether they are doing well or are needing to improve. This is where we go over the rolling 90 day averages of their sales activities. This is where we put in writing the action plan to get their results at or above the minimum performance standards established in our department. This fosters accountability in both sales associates and sales managers alike.
● Establish minimum performance standards
– Sales associates must understand what each team member needs to produce in order for the department to reach its accepted profit margin. Minimum performance standards must be the same for everyone and they need to be calculated on a rolling 90 day average.
● Hold regularly scheduled weekly sales training meetings
– These are required attendance by ALL sales team members (sales associates and managers alike). This allows for team progression by sharing individual experiences. This also insures all team members are operating from the same base points. Again, either we are ready to perform or we are not. In the middle of the play, is NOT the time to rehearse.
● Hold regularly scheduled weekly sales meetings
– Different from training meetings, these are for covering inventory changes, current bank or manufacturer programs, current sales contests or bonuses, and house keeping issues.
● Reconcile the floor rotation list with the CRM
– This is one other daily sales manager activity that prevents income opportunities from slipping through the cracks and insures data management compliance.
Until the next time, be well, and do good work!
Michael D. Hargrove
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“He’s best served who serves best.”
Michael Hargrove
Objection of the Month: “We don’t need a salesperson.”
These are just a few of the most common strategies shared at the workshops we’ve conducted all across North America and attended by thousands of the top sales people in our field. Please keep in mind that nothing works all the time, and no one thing will work for everybody. Each of these strategies, of course, need to be tailored to the individual user, to the specific customer, and the particular situation. Also, this is by no means the definitive work on overcoming this particular objection and it’s not intended to be.
a. “Relax Ma’am, I assure you I’m so salesman. Actually, my sales manager reminds me of that fact just about every day!” (Then after they stop laughing, we introduce our self or use one of the other techniques.)
b. “You know Sir, it sounds like you’ve had a bad experience at another dealership before. May I please make a suggestion? Let’s simply do this, if you agree not to treat me like the last pushy salesrep you had to deal with, I’ll agree not to treat you like the last rude customer I had to deal with. Does that sound fair enough?”
c. “Ma’am, I know YOU have an intimate knowledge of what you want and need and I have an intimate knowledge of what this particular dealership can offer you. We can save each other a lot of time and grief by comparing notes and working together. Shall we try?”
d. “Sir, what do you do for a living? What are you expected to do in your job?” (After our customer responds we say), “In my job, I’m expected to treat each customer with respect and assist them in any way I can to make their shopping experience as pleasant and efficient as possible. Will you please allow me to do my job?”
e. “That’s fine, Ma’am, here’s my card. I’ll just lay back here a few feet from you, that way if you need me to open up a car for you, or if you have a question, I’ll be close enough to help out.” (Then we wait until they invite back over to them with a question or to open up a car.)
f. “Ma’am, did I do something to offend you or am I just catching you on a bad day?” (We need to look stern, frown, and move closer to them when we ask the first part before the word “or” and then step back, relax, smile and shake our head slowly “yes” when we ask the second part. Use this one only if the customer is being rude to us. When she says she’s having a bad day, she’s opened herself up to us.)
g. “It seems to me you’ve had a bad experience with sales people before. What happened?” (Now we let our customer vent and simply listen to them. Once they’ve stopped we say), “You know what I don’t like about sales people?”, (and we add one thing we don’t like about sales people that they didn’t mention. Then we say), “You know, not all sales people are the same. Some are even pleasant and helpful. Will you please give me the chance to prove that to you?”
h. “It’s obvious to me that you’ve been mistreated by a salesperson before. What happened?” (We let our customer vent and simply listen to them. Once they’ve stopped we say), “You know, that’s so unfair…”, (and then we pause and hold our thumb and pointer finger an inch apart. Then we say), “It’s that tiny little 97% of pushy car sales people that ruin it for the rest of us!”
Next month’s objection will be: “This is the first place we’ve shopped.” We need YOUR input! Please forward your ideas on this one, or your suggestions on which objection to cover next, to [email protected].
“If you must stand alone, cast a big shadow.”
Michael Hargrove
On Success:
“10 Choices You Will Regret in 10 Years”
— by Angel Chernoff
“If only…” These two words paired together create one of the saddest phrases in the English language.
Here are ten choices that ultimately lead to this phrase of regret, and how to elude them:
1.Wearing a mask to impress others. – If the face you always show the world is a mask, someday there will be nothing beneath it. Because when you spend too much time concentrating on everyone else’s perception of you, or who everyone else wants you to be, you eventually forget who you really are. So don’t fear the judgments of others; you know in your heart who you are and what’s true to you. You don’t have to be perfect to impress and inspire people. Let them be impressed and inspired by how you deal with your imperfections.
2.Letting someone else create your dreams for you. – The greatest challenge in life is discovering who you are; the second greatest is being happy with what you find. A big part of this is your decision to stay true to your own goals and dreams. Do you have people who disagree with you? Good. It means you’re standing your ground and walking your own path. Sometimes you’ll do things considered crazy by others, but when you catch yourself excitedly losing track of time, that’s when you’ll know you’re doing the right thing. Read The 4-Hour Workweek.
3.Keeping negative company. – Don’t let someone who has a bad attitude give it to you. Don’t let them get to you. They can’t pull the trigger if you don’t hand them the gun. When you remember that keeping the company of negative people is a choice, instead of an obligation, you free yourself to keep the company of compassion instead of anger, generosity instead of greed, and patience instead of anxiety.
4.Being selfish and egotistical. – A life filled with loving deeds and good character is the best tombstone. Those who you inspired and shared your love with will remember how you made them feel long after your time has expired. So carve your name on hearts, not stone. What you have done for yourself alone dies with you; what you have done for others and the world remains.
5.Avoiding change and growth. – If you want to know your past look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future look into your present actions. You must let go of the old to make way for the new; the old way is gone, never to come back. If you acknowledge this right now and take steps to address it, you will position yourself for lasting success. Read The Power of Habit.
6.Giving up when the going gets tough. – There are no failures, just results. Even if things don’t unfold the way you had expected, don’t be disheartened or give up. Learn what you can and move on. The one who continues to advance one step at a time will win in the end. Because the battle is always won far away and long before the final victory. It’s a process that occurs with small steps, decisions, and actions that gradually build upon each other and eventually lead to that glorious moment of triumph.
7.Trying to micromanage every little thing. – Life should be touched, not strangled. Sometimes you’ve got to relax and let life happen without incessant worry and micromanagement. Learn to let go a little before you squeeze too tight. Take a deep breath. When the dust settles and you can once again see the forest for the trees, take the next step forward. You don’t have to know exactly where you’re going to be headed somewhere great. Everything in life is in perfect order whether you understand it yet or not. It just takes some time to connect all the dots.
8.Settling for less than you deserve. – Be strong enough to let go and wise enough to wait for what you deserve. Sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been to stand up taller than you ever were before. Sometimes your eyes need to be washed by your tears so you can see the possibilities in front of you with a clearer vision again. Don’t settle.
9.Endlessly waiting until tomorrow. – The trouble is, you always think you have more time than you do. But one day you will wake up and there won’t be any more time to work on the things you’ve always wanted to do. And at that point you either will have achieved the goals you set for yourself, or you will have a list of excuses for why you haven’t. Read The Last Lecture.
10.Being lazy and wishy-washy. – The world doesn’t owe you anything, you owe the world something. So stop daydreaming and start DOING. Develop a backbone, not a wishbone. Take full responsibility for your life – take control. You are important and you are needed. It’s too late to sit around and wait for somebody to do something someday. Someday is now; the somebody the world needs is YOU.
“How we use our mind is crucial to our finding and getting what we want out of life, and giving what we want to it.”
Alan Cohen
Upcoming Public Events:
No public events currently scheduled
“Overall pretty good class. I felt like most of the things we covered were basic for me, but I still came out with 4 or 5 new things to add to myself that I feel were well worth the time investment.”
Ryan Nielsen, Sales – Sunset Chevrolet
“If you attend only one sales/life coaching class a year, this is the one! Michael knows his stuff. I take something new away with me each and every year I attend. Thanks Michael!”
Erick Dirvanowski, Internet Sales Manager – Pignataro VW
“Very inspirational, and very informative. Attending this training event was one of the best investments I could’ve made for my automotive career!”
Quincy Jones, Sales – Performance Kia
Here’s our entire schedule of upcoming public events–> Schedule Page
Here’s ALL of our client’s comments (good & not so good)–> Comments Page
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