Automotive Intelligence Insights
Part 7

This article is part of the weekly Insights Series, in which Automotive Intelligence shares techniques, tips & tricks that you can use to become a better, smarter car salesperson, even in the times of corona. Part 7 of AM-i Insights deals with the importance of rituals in successfully bringing about behavioural change.

RECAP

In part 6 of AM-i Insights, we talked about locking in behavioural change. Having read the first 5 parts, you’ll probably have a good idea of the techniques you can use to improve your performance. But how can you make sure that you’ll actually apply them in practice? We’ve discussed the Ulysses Contract, the deal you make with yourself to make sure that you’ll actually do something, and the modern equivalent of such a contract. Keep track of your new tasks in your agenda, work with your team members and add a daily stand-up to your fixed ritual. To reread part 6 of AM-i Insights, click here:

Automotive Intelligence Insights Part 6

Insights so far

Before we continue to the meat & potatoes of Insights part 7, let’s take a quick look over the most important techniques we’ve learned so far:

• Use new tools: because of the coronavirus, customers are less likely to visit showrooms. To stay ahead, use new resources such as Online Consultation.
• Lead creation: who has bought a new or pre-owned car from you in recent years and may be ready for something new? Do your research and make a list of potential customers to make quotes for.
• Prepare your quotes: don’t just tell customers that you have a nice offer for them, but actually make sure you have one. This will make a huge difference when you finally get down to talking to your customer.
• Tell the right story: your quote should preferably be more than some basic arithmetic – turn it into a story that perfectly matches the customer’s situation. Look over their service history, collect all information you can, identify their needs & wishes and combine it into an accurate story.
• Practice: practice makes perfect. Don’t feel entirely comfortable with online consultations yet? You’ll get better over time. It may sound odd, but you can always try practicing with a colleague.
• Preconditions: a hole-in-one is rare, and it usually takes a number of strokes to get where you want to be. Your odds of generating a successful sale are greater if you’ve also taken care of all the secondary aspects, such as offering a contactless test drive, home delivery, and a clear-cut corona policy.
• Determine your ratio: after a while, you’ll find you have more and more insight into how many quotes you need to sell a car. If you have another 40 cars to sell in order to reach your target for the year and usually need 3 quotes for a single sale, you’ll know that you have to prepare 120 quotes.
• Planning: if your car company or dealership does not have a standard approach for offering customers a contactless test drive, schedule a meeting to discuss this as well as the time you’ll need to set up the service. Have you only finished 30 out of 120 quotes? Plan the rest of the work in your diary to make sure you’ll get them all done.

For a detailed explanation of these techniques, see AM-I Insights parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Create a ritual

In the previous part, we told you that 9 out of 10 sales reps who actively plan ‘new’ tasks, as described above, in their diary are much more successful in locking behavioural change, which will, in time, lead to better sales. These reps have done three things: 1. they know what to do; 2. they know why they have to do it; and 3. they have actually scheduled these activities in their diary. That leaves 10%. If you really want to be sure that you’ll apply these new techniques and that you’ll be able to stick to your new habits, linking new tasks to old rituals can be very helpful. That daily stand-up you’re not exactly looking forward to? Try combining it with your morning coffee. If it’s your ritual to start the day off with a cup of coffee, sip your first cup whilst discussing the status of your work with your colleagues. Before you know it, weeks will have passed and stand-ups will have become a ritual too. Although it took extra effort at first, it’s now become a self-evident, or even essential part of your day.

Realistic goals

In addition, it is important to keep setting realistic goals. Planning 100 different things on the same day will often be counterproductive. You’ll be less inclined to even get started with your tasks, as you won’t be able to finish them all anyway, and while you’re working on your list, you’re stressed out by the feeling that you’re way behind. Besides, despite the amount of work that you do get done, you’ll always feel you didn’t do enough, because you weren’t able to tick 100 things off your list. It’s therefore advisable to adjust your daily schedule based on the number of tasks you can realistically complete. If you can usually manage 5 tasks a day, don’t schedule more than 5. This will leave you feeling good about your work and provide some positive reinforcement, rather than the extremely negative feelings associated with procrastination. Introducing a daily stand-up will also be a tremendous help, as it will keep you honest and focused and make it a lot easier for colleagues to see that you could use a helping hand, and vice versa.

Share your tips and experiences

Help your colleagues improve their sales skills by sharing your tips with AM-i. If you have a golden tip or approach that works a treat with Online Consultation? Share your experiences by sending an email to support@am-i.nl and we’ll include them in AM-i Insights.

To find out more about AM-i Carstock and Online Consultation, visit the website and make an appointment for a live demo.

Live Demo