Tom Hopkins - 6 Practical Tips for Closing Automotive Sales

Thank you for buying this eBook,
published by Made For Success Publishing

To learn more about Made For Success Publishing you can visit us at:
www.MadeForSuccessPublishing.com

P.O. Box 1775
Issaquah, WA 98027

Copyright 2014

All rights reserved.

In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at Thank you for your support of the authors rights.

Distributed by Made For Success Publishing

Cover Design and eBook Conversion by DeeDee Heathman

For ordering information, please contact Made For Success +14256570300

Hopkins, Tom

6 Practical Tips for Closing Automotive Sales

ISBN: 978-1-61339-687-2

1. BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Sales & Selling / General

2. BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Sales & Selling / Management

3. TRANSPORTATION / Automotive / General

What are you going to do today that will lead to more sales? If you have a list of business-building activities to complete, wonderful! If you do not, let me show you one that has worked for others for many years.

Early in my sales career, I identified activities to do during non-client times that would eventually lead to productivity. I would try to get as many of those activities worked into each day as possible. So, even when business was slow and I didnt have anyone to talk with that day, I had other things to do that would bring me people to talk with.

Eventually, I put these activities on a chart so I could track my efforts and be able to predict my future success. I would give each of these activities a point value and set a goal to achieve a certain number of points per day. I quickly saw the difference in my success level when I achieved 100 points in a day versus when I achieved 50.

Here is a list of activities to build your business to the success level of your dreams:

1. Identify new potential clients.

Think of the various groups of people you know. In each group, there is likely to be at least one or two people who would have an interest or need for a new vehicle. To trigger your thinking, start with the people on the contact list on your mobile phone.

2. Make calls to potential clients.

Prepare a short message about new vehicles or services that would entice someone to want to experience them or to learn more. If you reach them in person, close for a time to get together. If you reach a voice messaging system, leave your message, but end with when and how they can best reach you. If you do not hear back from them within 48 hours, try again at a different time of the day.

3. Contact existing clients for follow up.

Commit to a regularly-scheduled follow up call or email with every client. Your goal is to be certain they are still satisfied with the vehicle they got from you; to determine if they need service; and to ask who theyve talked with about their vehicle. If theyre telling others about their positive experience with you, ask them to provide you with referrals.

4. Schedule demonstrations.

Getting commitments for demonstrations is an extremely valuable activity. Be certain to send out a confirmation of the details immediately and to reconfirm everything early on the day of the meeting.

5. Distribute product information.

Carry information with you everywhere. Always be ready to leave something in the hands of someone new. Always ask for their business card or contact information and follow up immediately with a note of appreciation for their time.

6. Prepare for your next presentation.

You cant be over-prepared to give a demonstration of a vehicle. If you have nothing else to do, practice! Have a fellow associate watch you and offer suggestions for improvementwhether its in what you say or in your body movements.

7. Give presentations.

This is the most fun part of our days. We all love the opportunity to show our vehicles to potential new clients. Unfortunately, we dont get too many opportunities to do this if we havent been busy with all the other activities listed above.

8. Referrals received.

Give yourself a point for every referred lead you acquire each and every day. Referrals are like goldbut only when you do something with them.

9. Thank you notes sent.

Develop a habit of sending thank you notes to everyone you meet and talk with on a daily basis. I used to set a goal for sending 10 each day. That meant I needed to get out in the world physically or on the phone and talk with 10 people each day. I would thank past clients for their patronage. I would thank potential clients for sharing their time with me. I would send thank you notes to anyone who provided me service. They appreciated it and would often tell others about megenerating interest and leads.

10. Attend business functions or sales meetings.

If you are with a strong company that is dedicated to growth in your industry and your geographic area, attend every meeting you possibly can. They may all begin to sound the same after awhile but if you listen well, you will soon find yourself with new ideas for success.

By making a game or challenge out of completing activities, I soon found myself becoming much more productive in business. If you would like to see a sample of the Daily Activity Graph I have used for my own productivity, http://www.tomhopkins.com/ free_resources.shtml. Use it as a model to help you develop one that is suited to your particular selling situation. Give special attention to sending Thank You notes. More than a few of my students have doubled and tripled their leads by doing so.

When you meet someone for the first time in your dealership, your goal is three-fold. You want to get them to:

1. Like you;

2. Trust you; and

3. Want to listen to you.

Those three elements are absolutely necessary in order for them to make buying decisions based on the information you share with them.

If they came in after calling and speaking with you, its likely you said the right things on the phone to get them to at least come in and see what you have available in both vehicles and terms. Youre starting out on the right foot here. Theyll be curious to learn more. That means theyll be listening to you.

However, their curiosity will only take them so far. Once theyve gotten the basic idea of what you have to offer, theyll need to like and trust you enough to want to do business with you rather than taking their newfound knowledge to another dealership to see what might be different or better there.

To help people to like you, you must be likable. Thats pretty simple. Develop the traits you admire in someone you deem as being likable. These could include a having a relaxed manner. Understanding and using some of the more formal courtesies is also helpful. This includes introducing yourself with both your first and last name. Use the clients last names, ie. Mr. Smith, Ms. Jones, until you feel them warming up to you. Then, you will have earned the right to ask to use their first names. If they only give you their first names, thats a sign they dont feel comfortable with you yet. Go ahead and use their first names a few times during your initial conversation. I recommend this for two reasons. First, it will make them feel important. Second, it will help you remember their names.