Now that you’ve executed a well-done marketing campaign to drive traffic, you have the right inventory mix and it’s properly merchandised, what’s next? Your frontline staff must be trained sales professionals to (6) maximize every opportunity. Sales are often missed by a few words, not a few dollars.
Does your entire team understand the importance of properly greeting every customer with a smile? Do they call your customers by name every chance they get? Have they been consistently trained on how to interview and investigate wants and needs, develop rapport, and perform value-building presentations with features and benefits? Do they ask for the sale, handle objections, close, and follow up like pros? Just like professional athletes never quit training, neither should a professional retail staff.
Don’t let your customers get enamored by the sizzle of big box marketing and forget about you this holiday season. You can compete; simply give them a reason to think of your dealership for all of their holiday shopping needs. Besides, motorcycle stuff is way cooler than flat screen TVs and iPads.
This story originally appeared in the November 2012 issue of Dealernews.
