It doesn’t matter if you’ve been working in a car dealership for five minutes, you are a proficient sales manager, or you’ve owned a dealership for 30 years, continuing to have you and your staff properly trained as part of the sales process is incredibly important.
As you are probably aware, times can change rather quickly and with that can come the need to update your sales training and specialist training programs.
Today, we will dive into different ways you can keep your training fully up-to-date as part of the ongoing sales process and why it's so important to keep training a continuous process versus a one-time occurrence done at the beginning.
The Significance of Ongoing Training
You could simply say that having continuous sales training for your car dealership’s team is to sell more vehicles and, well, you'd be right. The whole point behind it is to have your sales continually increasing without having to use more money or manual hours than necessary.
Having the right training for all sales professionals including management and not just the sales manager can make a difference between an average car salesperson or an above average team. Keeping the training up-to-date and effective makes a huge difference and are both extremely important when it comes to auto dealership marketing as it should all be part of the service.
Often, companies will stump up large amounts for training that doesn’t stick, is outdated, or doesn’t change their bottom line. With the automotive industry having an attrition ratio of 70%, it’s great to know how important repetition and accountability with training can be for your staff and, ultimately, your business.
Training isn't just for new employees—it’s for the whole team. Though it is where they can receive a lot of the know-how, keeping the service advisor training going throughout someone's career can help make them the best employee that they can be. Keeping you and your staff well trained will only help your business flourish.
Embracing Virtual Training
Believe it or not, you don’t need to send your employees to a class at a brick and mortar location anymore. There are several companies that offer virtual training for auto sales and marketing that can help your staff be the best they can be.
Training your staff online rather than at a physical class somewhere can save you a lot of money, too. Not only will you not have to stay late and hold a meeting to train everyone, you can hold the training during their shifts with ongoing small sessions, which will also keep the knowledge they learn at the forefront of their mind.
Online training also allows for one-on-one sessions so that you know everyone on your staff is getting the full attention they need and having any questions that they may have answered. They are able to learn the latest tools and tactics that are used in automotive marketing to increase their knowledge.
Effective Sales Techniques
Know the Vehicles
Knowing what you’re talking about when you’re trying to sell someone something—especially a purchase as big as a vehicle—is incredibly important. Not only is it important to prove to the customer that you’re not just trying to make a sale but that you actually know what you’re talking about by offering advice that is in the customer’s best interests.
Make sure you and your staff are knowledgeable of the ins and outs of your inventory and that you’ll be able to answer just about any question a customer could ask. Educate yourself often, especially if you have new vehicles coming into the lot regularly. This will help you build trust with your customers, making them more likely to buy.
The Golden Rule
The golden rule states, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Most people have heard this rule but don’t always use it when they should. This goes with the tip above when it comes to not seeing customers as just a sale. They are real people, just like you, making a large investment.
Treating people how you'd like to be treated can make all the difference. If they come in and are stressed because they have been to three dealerships already and have found nothing that's worked for them, try stepping into their shoes and be as kind and helpful as possible. If this is the case and they've been to several dealerships, ask what they're looking for that the previous dealerships didn't have, investing in the customer can easily be a return investment financially.
Be Yourself
You might be reading “be yourself” and rolling your eyes but it can be an incredibly helpful sales tactic. When a customer meets a salesperson that comes across as genuine, they will trust them more. Using your strengths on the sales lot can not only help you be less stressed at work but will make the customer experience that much more enjoyable.
If you're not the most outgoing salesperson on the planet, use your listening skills to help when interacting with a customer. If you consider yourself to have great instinct, try using that to help offer vehicles the customer may be interested in. If you find yourself a naturally calm and relaxed person, be that. Don't try to be authoritative or overly professional. This will come off fake and salesy—people tend not to like that as you probably know.
When you come off as genuine, and you make a sale, this can really help with word-of-mouth sales—the happy customers tell their friends and family how great their experience was with you.
Conclusion: The Lasting Impact of Continuous Car Sales Training
Keeping yourself and your employees continuously trained will help in so many areas. Not only can it keep your business from sinking, but it can also keep the company moral higher and your customers happier. You've read all about why it's so important to not leave training just to new employees and how virtual training can be cost and time efficient.
With the tips and tactics given in this article, we hope you can use those to your advantage to increase your vehicle sales and keep you and your staff happy and thriving. When potential customers share their experience with someone who is genuine and doesn’t come across like they’re just another sale, they’ll trust you and be more likely to make a purchase.
Lucie Gauvreau is the CEO of Turbo Marketing Solutions. You can contact her by email here or reach her by phone every weekday at Turbo Marketing’s head office.