Kelly’s Korner: Consistency & Changing Personnel
Q. How can the sales business office maintain consistency when personnel change?
A. The sales business manager position should be viewed as a career position. It is one of nine core positions within the dealership. Although the sales department may add or reduce staff as traffic dictates, the sales business manager should remain.
As part of the core team the sales business manager should be cross-trained with the sales manager. This provides back-up personnel for both positions as required. The dealership may want to investigate placing interactive computers in the showroom or sales offices. Computers can be used as a tool to ensure 100% solicitation. Do not rely on the computer to sell your aftermarket products; they are simply tools to open the door to product presentations.
It will always take a live person to build a solid relationship with your customers and to isolate the customer needs. It will take a live person to address the customer concerns about your products. It will take a professional to ask for the sale — even when the customer begins listening with a negative mind set about your products.
We are in a people business. We can use technology to complete routine paperwork, but it takes a live person to turn an objection into a sale. And it takes the personal attention to the customer after the sale to make that customer a customer for life.