Want Peak Dealership Performance? Upcoming Seminar Opportunities with Mark

San Diego Dealer Meeting

• V-Rod Sales Success Seminar on Friday July 14 from 11:00 to 12:00 and Saturday July 15 from 10:30 to 11:30
• HDFS Fraud Detection & Prevention Seminar on Sunday July 16 from 7:00 to 8:00 am (breakfast will be provided by HDFS)

Understanding what goes on in the mind of a customer for many sales people is elusive but desired knowledge.

What do they want? What do they know? What are they thinking?

You don’t need a PhD in Psychology to figure out what customers want. You just have to ask them. And then most importantly listen to their response.

A recent survey of customers discovered several sales person behaviors which turn them off from buying. More than a casual annoyance these behaviors were cited specifically as reasons that customers would not do business with either the sales person or the establishment.

If you recognize yourself in any of these scenarios, just play it cool, don’t freak out and understand there are some customers who won’t do business with you as a result of these behaviors. So if you’re hopeful to sell something … you may want to change your ways!

Customers say their some of their biggest sales turn offs are:

1. “Being called buddy or pal …”
2. “Salespeople who are too much on my side.”
3. Being told “if you have any questions feel free to ask.”
4. Staring at people as they move through the store.
5. Shaking hands too aggressively.
6. Pinky rings.
7. Hovering.
8. Asking to help them too many times.
9. Steering to the expensive stuff.
10. “When salespeople tell you to smile.”

Two Components of Retail

Let’s face it retail is fairly simple. It really can be broken down to just two components.

1. The shopping experience.
   
   This is the time the customer spends looking for that great motorcycle, that perfect accessory or just the right jacket. This should be an enjoyable time and one that is relaxed, fun and we should attempt to make these experiences long and leisurely.
   
   Why? Because customers buy more.
   
2. The checkout experience.
   
   The customer pays for their purchase. This should happen as quickly as possible. Too long at check out (or F&I in a motorcycle purchase) can leave the customer with a negative purchasing experience.

Understanding these two components can help you understand how you should approach your dealership. First of all you need to “see” the experience from your customers’ perspective. Then you need to understand how you can make the shopping experience more relaxed, interesting and fun, thereby making it longer. For the checkout experience you should analyze how you can make it as fast and painless as possible.

Before making demands on workers, look at yourself

Do you want your workers to be more responsible? Do you want your workers to be more trustworthy? Do you want your workers to improve their performance?

Watch out if the answer is yes, because, the truth is to get these things from the people who work for you, you first have to put these things out in the workplace. That means you will need to be more responsible, trustworthy and turn in a better performance before you get these things from others.

It’s one of the things your mom used to say to you—whatever you give you get. It reflects a universal law; some call it reciprocity, some call it karma. So if you don’t trust your workers, they’re not likely going to trust you. If you run out to lunch with your important friends and don’t have time for the people who are pulling the load around the office, then it’s unlikely they will care much what you think about how they’re performing. And, in fact, you may even inspire contempt in the office if you behave this way.

So make a list of things you want from people and then ask yourself honestly if you’re doing these things yourself, or if there’s any room for improvement (hint: there almost always is). If you’re not, then you know what’s on your laundry list for the near future.

Memo: From the Accounting Department

It has recently come to the attention of the Accounting Department that people are not giving accurate accounting sheets of how they are spending their time during the workday. In order to correct this, the accounting department has come up with new codes to help you more accurately account for what you are actually doing. These all come under the major heading of “Unproductive time,” and have been assigned three digit numbers all in the 800 range. Here are the new categories. Please make sure you report accurately what it is you are being paid for.

800: Talking to co-workers about how bombed you got over the weekend.

801: Talking to co-workers about other co-workers.

802: Talking about your dating life to other co-workers.

803: Talking about how much you hate your supervisor to other co-workers.

804: Talking to your supervisor about how much you hate your co-workers.

805: Looking up where you might want to eat lunch on the Internet.

806: Sending e-mails to friends and giving them advice about their work problems.

807: Thinking about all the work you have to do.

808: Calling your friends and telling them about all the work you have to do.

809: Complaining about all the work you have to do.

810: Getting a cup of coffee from a shop 7 blocks away, instead of in the employee kitchen.

San Diego Dealer Meeting

• V-Rod Sales Success Seminar on Friday July 14 from 11:00 to 12:00 and Saturday July 15 from 10:30 to 11:30
• HDFS Fraud Detection & Prevention Seminar on Sunday July 16 from 7:00 to 8:00 am (breakfast will be provided by HDFS)

Tele Seminars from your desk:

• Getting to Yes – Persuasion Secrets to Close the Sale
  • Date: July 26, 2006 Time: 10:00 a.m. Cost: $25.00
• Avoid the Dangers of Discounting
  • Date: July 28, 2006 Time: 10:00 a.m. Cost: $25.00

Go to www.PeakDealershipPerformance.com Follow instructions.

You’ll receive an e-mail with a phone number and access code.