How to Get More Buy-In at Your Shop

“When a team takes ownership of the problem, the problem gets solved.” Jocko Willink 

Think back on all your extended vacations. How many times did you take the rental car to the car wash? I conducted an official survey of a select group of leaders who have high attention to detail.

I added their combined total of lifetime rental car washes and placed their numbers into my special spreadsheet. The total came to ZERO!

You have NEVER washed the rental car!  Why?  It’s because you didn’t own it, and you place a higher value on things that you own.

How to Conquer the Car Count Paradox

"The greatest gift to give yourself is the willingness to change your mind." Marianne Williamson

Have you ever seen a fight break out at the dentist’s office? Let’s think about your last visit. The receptionist handed you a card and said, “Your next appointment will be on May 1st.”

She didn’t ask, “would you like to come in on May 1st?” or, “You don’t want to schedule your next appointment, do you?” She just told you the date and assumed you would accept it.

The Difference Between Losing and Being Beaten

“He who chases two rabbits catches neither.” Confucius 

In his book Essentialism, The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeon tells the story of Larry Gelwix, one of the most successful high school rugby coaches in history.

In thirty-five years, his Highland High School Rugby Team compiled a record of 419 wins, 10 losses, and 20 national championships! 

If you played for coach Gelwix, here’s what he would tell you:

The Batting Cage Strategy

“Some defeats are only installments to victory." Jacob Riis 

One of the biggest mistakes you can make is judging the success of your effort by the initial response you get. I was reminded of this as I sat through a 20 Group meeting. Mike Haley, the former hiring class instructor, was the guest speaker on the agenda.

He opened his session by asking about the current state of hiring in the shops. One owner talked about running an employment ad that didn't work. Someone else mentioned having a scheduled interview with a great candidate who didn't show up for the appointment. Then there was another entrepreneur who chimed in about using a head hunter only to have the resulting hire quit on them.

How To Become An Unstoppable Shop Owner This Year

Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.  Robert Collier

Have you ever attended a training class looking for "the silver bullet?" I thought about this as I watched a documentary on legendary football coach Vince Lombardi. Lombardi is considered to be the greatest coach of his era. He would conduct clinics for assistant coaches around the league who were seeking the secret to his success.

How To Break Through Your Limiting Beliefs

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”  Marianne Williamson

How do you break through a limiting belief about yourself?  Reflecting on this question, reminded me of a story I read in John Maxwell’s book, The Five Levels of Leadership,

Maxwell writes about of a young lawyer named Herb, who was new to the legal profession.  In an effort to get up to speed, Herb studied two experienced attorneys to see what he could learn.

How To Bridge The Celebrity Gap At Your Shop

"A man without a smiling face must not open a shop."  Chinese Proverb

Do you have a celebrity gap at your shop?   “Dan”, a shop owner from the Midwest, has one.  A few weeks back on a 100 degree afternoon, a customer named “Sarah”, arrived at his location with the following request, 

“I just blew my right front tire, and I don’t have any cash on me. Can someone help me put my spare on?  I’ll come back and pay when I get off of work.”

To which Dan replied: “Ma’am, I’m sorry but the charge for that service is $20.00! I gotta make money somehow!”  What Dan didn’t know was that Sarah was a “celebrity” within her network.  

How To Use Your Greatest Asset To Get What You Want

How To Use Your Greatest Asset To Get What You Want

By

Eric M. Twiggs

 “If you can see it, you can be it.  If you can view it, you can do it.”

In the acting world you have Broadway.  In baseball you have the major leagues.  In the world of new car sales, you have the Mercedes Benz dealership. 

It’s understood, that if you sell cars,  a proven prior track record with a lesser brand, is required before stepping up to the Mercedes level.  This isn’t a mystery.  Everyone knows this.  Everyone, except for “Jeff.”

Jeff had a successful background in selling piano’s but had never sold cars before.   He always wanted to be a Mercedes salesman, and had the audacity to start his quest by inquiring at the local dealerships.  He went to the first location and spoke with a gentleman named “Ron” about his interests.

After telling Ron about his background, Ron said, “The manager isn’t here today, so you’ll have to come back later!”  Jeff checked the dealerships website that evening, and discovered that Ron was the manager! 

He visited the second location and was told that if he wanted to sell Mercedes, he should first apply at the Buick dealer down the road. 

At the third location, “Jack,” the manager, said that he wasn’t qualified, but he was welcome to pay his own way and take the upcoming sales training course that was being offered to his dealer employees. 

Jeff was so determined, that he paid the $403 fee, took the class, and received the highest grade possible for the course!   The instructor was so impressed that he contacted Jack, recommending that Jeff be hired. 

Today Jeffrey Twiggs, my brother, is a top producing Mercedes Benz salesman in Atlanta GA!   At this point, you may be thinking “That’s a great story about your brother, but what does this have to do with me?”   It has everything to do with you.  

Jeff’s story is proof that sometimes, what you don’t know can help you.  On the path to pursuing your goals, the right mindset is your greatest asset.  

Keep reading to learn two ideas that will help you leverage your greatest asset and get what you want.

Change Your Self Talk

Have you ever felt like you were stuck, and unable to make progress towards your shop goals?  Was the underlying reason the economy? Maybe it was your competition?  Did you lack the proper training?

In my nine years of coaching shop owners & service writers, I’ve discovered that 80% of the time, it’s a mindset issue that keeps you stuck.  Once you improve your mindset, you will change your self-talk.

In his groundbreaking book, What To Say When You Talk To Yourself, Dr. Shad Helmstetter concludes that up to 75% of the average person’s mental programming and self-talk is negative. 

He explains that the region of the brain known as “the lizard brain”, is constantly scanning the environment looking to warn us about possible danger.

When it finds a potential threat, it delivers warnings that can become negative self-talk. Since accomplishment and risk go hand in hand, the lizard brain speaks the loudest while you’re pursuing a game changing goal.

The following are examples may sound familiar: “I can’t use that pricing matrix, it will put me out of business!” “That’s a first time customer, so I can’t present the complete estimate!” 

“What if I hire that great technician, and I don’t have enough work to keep him?” “My customers ask for me by name, so I can’t hire my replacement!”

Here’s the bottom line: It’s impossible to say something positive and think something negative at the same time!  In spite of experiencing rejections, Jeff continued to tell himself that working for Mercedes was possible.  His speaking impacted his thinking, and his thinking impacted his result.

If you consistently speak about the positive possibilities, it will change your mindset. When you change your mindset, you will change your self-talk.  When you change your self-talk, you will start moving towards your goals. 

Become Delusional

The dictionary defines delusion as a belief or altered reality that is persistently held in spite of evidence or agreement to the contrary.  Jeff had to be delusional to think he could work for Mercedes, without any prior experience.

The fact that he continued to persist in the face of contrary evidence, is an indication that he was living in an altered reality.   His delusion is what made everything possible!

What would be possible if you ignored the evidence that, “Everyone’s buying new cars”?  What would be possible if you persisted with the exit appointment program, even after your service writer told you that it didn’t work? 

What would be possible if you lived in an “altered reality” where customers would find the money if they felt the value? 

I challenge you to become delusional this week as you pursue your goals.  You never know what’s possible!

Conclusion

So, there you have it.  If you change your self-talk and become delusional, you will leverage your greatest asset and achieve your goals.

Once you’ve succeeded, you can use the additional cash flow to buy yourself a brand new, shiny, fully loaded, Buick!

  

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS:  Email me if you would like a copy of my 50 questions to help you find your purpose in life.  Gaining clarity of purpose will help you to pursue your goals with the right mindset!

How To Sell Automotive Repair To A Bottom Feeder

How To Sell Automotive Repair To A Bottom Feeder

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“How much business is an inaccurate assumption costing you?

A plainly dressed woman wearing a baseball cap walked into an upscale handbag store looking to make a purchase.  She came in carrying a worn-out handbag that appeared to have a lot of miles on it. 

She gestured towards the most expensive bag in the store, but before she could speak, the salesperson gave her the following response:

"Nope, it's too expensive.  Look at these bags instead." The customer asked a second time to see the handbag that was secured behind a screen and was again refused by the salesperson who would only show her the options that she believed were in her price range.

After asking a third time and being refused, she left the store without buying anything.  The plainly dressed customer with the high mileage bag was Oprah Winfrey, who has an estimated net worth of three billion dollars, and a twitter following of 41 million people!

She posted a tweet about her experience mentioning the handbag store by name!   The salesperson had mistakenly profiled Oprah Winfrey to be a bottom feeder.

A “bottom feeder” is a term in the retail industry that describes someone whom a business representative has profiled to be a low potential customer.  

To save their time for “the good customers”, the rep. will short cut the normal sales process, by only presenting the lowest priced offerings to this individual.   

Oprah’s story teaches us that this attempt to save time, can cost you on your bottom line!   How much business is an inaccurate assumption costing you?

Count The Costs

Some of my discussions with a shop owner will begin with him complaining about his low net profit results.  As we review his repair orders from the previous week, he tells me he doesn’t offer the courtesy check to “certain types of customers” who drive older, high mileage, vehicles. 

These conversations have taught me that there’s a direct relationship between the inaccurate profiling of customers and low net profit.  

In other words, if you embrace a profiling philosophy, you’re likely to become unhappy with your profit performance!

Don’t believe me?  Well consider the following questions:

1) Would you refer your family and friends to a shop that treated you like you were a bottom feeder?   2)  What if the customer, whom you’ve profiled to be a bottom feeder, turned out to be a billionaire?  3) How would you feel if she “tweeted” about her experience to millions of people mentioning your shop by name?    

Stay with me to learn about something specific that  you can do, instead of profiling your customers.

Consider The Possibilities

The story is told of a rookie service advisor named “Cindy” who was new to both her shop and to the automotive industry.  There was an elderly customer named “Sarah”, who had a history of never approving the estimates that were recommended on her green Geo Prizm with 180,000 miles on it.

As a practical joke, the service manager along with the lead mechanic decided to give “the newbie” the estimate to present, which totaled four thousand dollars.   The manager and tech listened to the presentation from the office while laughing to themselves. 

They laughed as Cindy approached the counter.  They laughed as she presented the “complete pile”, like she learned from Randy Somers in service advisor class.   The laughs changed to a collective gasp, when Sarah responded with the following statement: “OK, go ahead and do it!”  

This story is filled with possibilities.  It’s possible that Sarah didn’t purchase in the past, because the shop treated her like she was a bottom feeder.  It’s possible that Cindy was too new to know that Sarah wasn’t “the right type of customer. “ 

It’s possible that you can succeed like Cindy, if you focus more on the process than you do the profile!  Consider the possibility that YOU may be creating some of your “bottom feeders”.

Conclusion

So, there you have it.  If you count the costs and consider the possibilities, you can sell automotive repair to customers whom you previously considered to be bottom feeders. 

Unlike Oprah, you can’t give everyone in your “audience” a car.  But, if you focus more on the process than you do the profile, you can leave them feeling like a billion bucks!

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS. Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive an updated checklist of the estimate presentation process!

The Secret To Successful Selling At Your Shop

"We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less." -Diogenes

My interviewer threw me a curve-ball!  I had just graduated from college and was interviewing with a sales manager named “James”, for an outside sales position with a major copy machine company. 

“Sell me this pen!” James demanded, as he slammed the pen on his desk in front of us and awaited my response. 

I responded by creating an imaginary list of all the features the pen had to offer, to include special ink that lasted a lifetime!  “This will be the last pen you ever buy in your life!” I confidently exclaimed. 

I felt good about my selling performance as the interview concluded.  I was sure that I aced “the pen test” and was looking forward to getting a call back.  As I sat by the phone waiting for it to ring, the only sound I heard was the sound of the crickets outside of my window! 

Where did I go wrong?  All of my sales training up to that point had stressed the importance of clearly communicating the features and benefits of the product. 

Several months later, after reading Jeffrey Gitomer’s book The Sales Bible, I realized where I went wrong. Gitomer wrote the following statement that forever changed how I viewed the sales process: 

“Listening is the first commandment of selling.”   And then it hit me.   I had nothing to listen to, because I never asked James any questions related to his need for a pen! 

Was he in the market for a pen?  What did he like about the one he currently uses?  How specifically did he plan to use the pen?   I was so focused on talking that I forgot about listening.

Have you ever been so focused on talking that you forgot to listen? Well, you aren’t alone.  Consider the following research findings of Dr. Ralph Nichols, a pioneer in the field of listening:

“While participating in a conversation, the average person forgets 50% of what the other person is saying immediately after they finish speaking.”

In most conversations, when one person is talking, the other is mentally rehearsing his response, while he waits for his turn to talk.  

Think about your own life for a moment.  How many people can you name that actively listen without interrupting, and give you their undivided attention while you are speaking?  For most people, it’s a short list.

Since the failure to listen is such a prevalent problem, becoming a masterful listener can give you a competitive edge. This makes listening, the secret to successful selling at your shop.  Stay with me to learn two specific ways that you can benefit from becoming a better listener.

Listening Builds Trust

Imagine taking your car to a shop and you tell the writer that you have a 2010 Ford Fusion.   As he is writing you up he asks you “What kind of car was that?”  Later in the transaction, you instruct your advisor to replace the two rear tires, only to find that he has the two front tires circled on the work order! 

You ask him to call you on your cell phone number with updates and realize later, that you have three messages on your home answering machine letting you know that the job won’t be done today as promised!  Based on this interaction, how much trust would you have in this shop? 

Sadly, this scenario occurs every day in shops across America.  How can the customer trust you to be “her mechanic”, when she can’t trust you to remember what she told you about her vehicle?  To build higher levels of trust I recommend that you embrace the habits of note taking and restating.

When the customer is calling, you can use your phone log to write down the necessary details of the conversation.   When she is at your location, use a note pad to write down what she’s saying.

After she has told you about a specific problem, review your notes and restate the problem back to her, to confirm that you were listening.    Embracing these habits can make you her shop of choice, because you will have established the right level of trust. 

Listening Builds Connection

The story is told of a young woman in England who had the opportunity to dine with two political rivals who were running for the office of Prime Minister: William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraell.  

She was later asked to compare her encounters with both gentleman.  What she reported confirms the value of being a great listener.

“When I left the dining room after sitting next to Mr. Gladstone, I felt like he was the most interesting man in the world.  After sitting next to Mr. Disraeli, I felt like I was the most interesting woman in the world!”

Disreali won the election by a landslide, because of his ability to listen and connect.  He allowed her to talk about her favorite subject.   

Your customers and the young lady have the same favorite subject: Themselves!   This is why going out to the vehicle with the customer is such a critical step.  You get the opportunity to listen as she talks about herself.   Asking the right questions is the starting point of the listening process. 

For example, after asking her how long she plans to keep the car, you get to listen as she tells you about how well she maintains it.  After asking about the toddler car seat in the back, you get to listen as she tells you about how well her little son is doing in soccer.

When she feels like she is the most interesting customer in the world, she will vote for you as her shop of choice!  Your ability to listen will build that connection.

Conclusion

So, there you have it.  The opportunity to build trust and connection, makes listening the secret to successful selling at your shop.  I have mixed emotions about failing the pen test. 

On the one hand, I wish I would have asked the right questions to start the listening process.

However, If I had gotten the copier sales job, I may have never started my career in automotive, and I wouldn’t be in position to listen to the recordings of you applying the secret to successful selling!  

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive the 7 Secrets To Becoming a Masterful Listener!

How To Sell To a Dishonest Customer

How To Sell To a Dishonest Customer

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“People don’t have money problems; they have priority problems.”  Larry Winget

“Michelle” drives a Mercedes E350 and is on her way to the mall.   She will spend over one thousand dollars on Christmas presents for her family.  Later in the evening, she will meet with her husband Bob who is a partner at his law firm. 

They will go to Ruth Chris Steak House and partake in an upscale dining experience.   I didn’t have to introduce you to Michelle because you’ve already met her.  And when you met, she lied to you.

Michelle was just at your shop driving the Honda Accord with 110,000 miles on it. (Didn’t you notice the Mercedes key on her key ring?) She’s the one who came in for an oil service and you presented her with a $500 estimate to address her original request, safety, and maintenance items.    

She’s the one who called back to let you know that she didn’t have the money to have the work done.   What you didn’t know, is that she’s the one who spent over a thousand dollars at the mall and then Ruth Chris AFTER telling you she couldn’t afford to get the work done. 

Why would she lie to you?  If she had the money to spend at the mall and the restaurant, she certainly had the money to fix her car. 

Before you throw Michelle “under the bus”, consider this: Money is usually a question of priority and not availability.     Michelle had the money available.  She didn’t feel that spending it with you was a priority.

Have you ever stepped in and sold an estimate to a customer, after they rejected the very same estimate that was presented by your service writer? 

Did that customer suddenly remember that they had the winning lottery ticket?  NO.  The reason you succeeded where your writer failed, was that you helped the customer to understand what was in it for them to invest in their car.

Every shop in America has a customer like Michelle, who has the money, but is waiting to feel the value.  So how do you sell to a “dishonest customer?”  Stay with me to learn the truth. 

Align Your Expectations

Robert Rosenthal, a Harvard University professor, conducted an interesting experiment at a San Francisco elementary school.  He told the teachers that a specific sampling of students tested as gifted and talented, based on a test that he administered.

He stated that these kids were about to experience a dramatic growth in their IQ scores.   He then tracked the students over the next two years.

As predicted, the students he singled out, experienced the biggest gains in their intelligence scores when compared to their peers.   Here’s what’s interesting:  Rosenthal lied to the teachers. 

The “gifted and talented” students were really names that were randomly picked out of a hat!  Rosenthal concluded that the teacher’s expectations, affected how they interacted with the students, which led to their improved scores. 

The teachers gave the students whom they expected to succeed more time to answer questions, more specific feedback, and more approval, that the rest of the class.   

Do you treat the customers you expect to buy, different from the ones you don’t?

It’s possible that your customer says she doesn’t have the money, because you don’t expect her to have the money.   Your expectations of her ability to pay will show up in how you present the estimate. 

For example, I’ve overheard service writers ask, “You don’t want that Road Hazard protection on your tires, do you?”  The reason she didn’t buy, was because you treated her like you didn’t expect her to buy.    Therefore, you must align your expectations with your goals.    

Account For Your Blind Spots

There is a famous story told of two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet and older fish swimming the opposite way, who nods at them and says, “Morning boys how’s the water?”

The two-young fish swim on for a bit without responding, until one looks over at the other and asks, “what the heck is water?” 

Sometimes it takes another set of eyes to keep you from overlooking the obvious.   There may be an obvious aspect of your sales presentation that’s causing a dishonest response from your customer.  

It could be something as simple as using filler words like “uhmm” and “you know” that’s creating doubt in your customers mind.   You may be blind to it, but it would be obvious to your ATI classmates, or ATI Coach.   

When it comes to accounting for your blind spots, feedback is your friend.  The late great Peter Drucker described feedback as “The breakfast of champions.”

Whenever I tell a service manager that their sales presentation will be video recorded during the ATI advanced sales class, I notice that their smile instantly changes to a frown! 

It only gets worse when I tell them that the other class participants will give them specific feedback on how they’re selling.    This is a golden opportunity for you to become aware of your blind spots.

The best way to account for your blind spots is to assume that every time the customer says no, it’s your fault.  By embracing this level of ownership, you will become open to receiving feedback that will help you to improve. 

Fore more information on how to overcome your blind spots, click here to watch an instructional video.

Conclusion

So, there you have it.   If you align your expectations and account for your blind spots, you will be more likely to receive an honest response from your customer.    If you consistently practice these strategies, you may have enough money to buy a Mercedes and eat at Ruth Chris! 

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS. Email etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive a listing of the Five Selling Blind Spots that encourage a dishonest response.

Is Your Shop Too Expensive?

Is Your Shop Too Expensive?

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“Always care about value—not about price.”
― Debasish Mridha

Imagine dining out at Ruth Chris Steakhouse.  Your waiter comes out and takes the order for your family of four without writing anything down.  It takes forty-five minutes for the food to arrive, and when it does, the order is completely messed up. You asked for the steak, but get the chicken wings.

You asked for mashed potatoes, but they bring you French fries.  It’s been so long since you’ve seen your waiter, you feel the need to take his picture with your I Phone, so you can remember what he looks like!

At the end, you get your bill and you see that the total came to $150.00 with the tip already included!  Now you’re mad and ask to speak with the manager.  You tell the manager “I could have gone to Outback and spent much less!”   But, why are you really upset?

Are you upset about the price, or are you upset about the experience?  The experience would be the right answer!  You would be upset because you didn’t feel the value for the price you paid. 

Ruth Chris is a high-end restaurant with a great reputation, but based on this imaginary scenario, Ruth Chris was too expensive. Based on the level of service you provide, are you too expensive?   Here are some additional scenarios to help you decide:

If your phone rings so many times that your customer volunteers to answer it, you may be too expensive.   If your writer tells your customer that he can’t give her a price over the phone because “the guy from ATI told me not to,” you may be too expensive. (This actually happened!)

If your customer comes in faithfully every 5,000 miles to have his tires rotated, and is greeted by a different “brand new service manager” on each visit, you may be too expensive.   

According to a 2011 American Express survey, 70% of the respondents reported that they would be willing to spend more money with companies that provide excellent customer service. 

Here’s the big takeaway:  If you’re losing customers, the first place to look is at the quality of your service, NOT the quantity of your pricing.   Keep reading and you will learn two strategies to help you evaluate the quality of your service:

Close The Back Door

In his book  The Sticky Church, Pastor Larry Osborne introduces the metaphor of the door.  He points out that some churches are so focused on acquiring new members through the front door, that they ignore the fact that their existing members are leaving through the back door.   He refers to this failure to focus on the existing flock as leaving the back door open.      

Are you losing a flock of customers through the back door?  Measuring and monitoring your customer retention on a regular basis is the key to closing the door.    For example, the average shop has a one-time visit frequency of 47%.  

This means that 47% of their customers made only one visit during the past twelve months.  If your one time visit frequency is much higher, then you must ask yourself the following questions:  Why aren’t my customers coming back more often?  Did they die?  Did they relocate?  Or are they upset with some aspect of my service? 

Reviewing your visit frequency report and contacting your one-time visitors to find out what’s keeping them away is a critical step to closing your back door.  I have had several of my members contact their one-time visitors to find out what was keeping them way.

Without fail, Issues like not fixing the problem right the first time, the time it took to complete the work, and not liking the previous service manager, are mentioned more than price.  Even when price comes up, it’s usually followed by some aspect of the service the customer was unhappy with.   In other words, the service wasn’t worth the price.  

Feel free to email me, if you would like additional information on how to access your visit frequency report, so you can close the back door. 

Ask For Complaints

‘But Eric, it’s not my service because my reviews are great and I don’t get any complaints.”  This is what a shop owner said recently, after experiencing a sudden drop in business that he was blaming his pricing for.  If this sounds like you, please keep the following in mind:

According to a recent retail industry study, 96% of unhappy customer don’t complain.  91% of those unhappy customers will never come back.    When it comes to customer feedback, don’t mistake silence for satisfaction.     Asking for complaints will help you to avoid making this mistake.

When I say ask for complaints, I’m suggesting that you give the customer the opportunity to tell you what they are unhappy about before they leave your shop. 

There are two ways to accomplish this.  The first and most basic method is for the service advisor to ask every customer and the end of the transaction, “Have we exceeded your expectations today?”  

The second method is to say the following when asking for the internet review: “We are committed to delivering a 5-star experience.  If today’s service wasn’t a 5 out of 5 for you, please let me know what we can do better.”   

If your customer does mention pricing as the problem, you can review exactly what you did during the service, how it will benefit her, and the details of your warranty. 

The retail study I mentioned earlier also mentions that an unhappy customer may tell 15 people about their experience.  Asking for complaints will keep you from developing a reputation for delivering a level of service that’s not worth the money. 

Summary

So, there you have it.  Closing the back door and asking for complaints, will keep you from being perceived as too expensive.  Improving the quality of your service, will make dinner at Ruth Chris more affordable for you!

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  Looking to call your one-time visitors, but don’t know what to say?  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net and I will send you a script

How To Close More Sales At Your Shop

How To Close More Sales At Your Shop

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“In the province of the mind, what one believes to be true either is true or becomes true” John Lilly

There’s a familiar story that is told of a new insurance agent named “Jack” who was struggling to make sales.  He would contact ten leads and come away with ten rejections. 

He believed that business was slow due to the bad economy in his area, and the fact that many of his customers were focused on getting their kids back to school.   I’m sure his insurance vendors told him, “everybody’s slow.”

To change his luck, he scheduled a meeting with “Bill” the leading sales expert in town.    Bill agreed to provide Jack with ten of his most qualified leads on the condition that he contact them immediately and report back to him with the results. 

The following week Jack met Bill at his office to provide the update.  “Bill, those were excellent leads!” said Jack “I sold policies to eight out of the ten referrals you gave me.  Thank you for giving me such great leads. Do you have any more?”     

Bill smiled and replied, “I’m very busy right now, but I’ll be glad to give you my main lead supply source, so you can start calling on your own.”  “Great!” Jack replied. “If they’re your leads, I know they will be good!”

Jack’s facial expressions changed as Bill handed him a big yellow book.  As it turns out, the leads weren’t qualified.   Bill had picked ten random names out of the phone book for Jack to call! 

Here’s the big takeaway: Jack’s results changed once his beliefs changed.  Now you may be thinking, “That’s a cute story Coach, but what does this have to do with me?”   Well, think of a business result that you’re unhappy with.   There’s probably a limiting belief that’s the root cause of your problem.  

Here are some common examples: Car Count: “ I’m in a small town and my customers don’t like to schedule exit appointments.”  Sales: “I’ll lose new customers if I tell them everything I found on the estimate.     Gross Profit: “I’ll lose my good customers if I raise my labor rate.”

I have some good news:  If you change your limiting beliefs, you will close more sales at your shop.  If you plan to change your beliefs, you must change your assumptions.  Keep reading to learn two specific changes that will help you to close more sales. 

Change Your Assumptions About People

Several months ago, a man with worn out clothes and a beggar’s cup sat in front of a church as the members of the congregation were gathering for the Sunday service. 

Although several members greeted him with kind words, their gestures, tone of voice, and body language told a different story.   They looked at him with pity, and made an obvious effort to avoid extended conversation and physical contact.   

Later during the service, The Pastor introduced the guest speaker for the morning, and to everyone’s surprise, it was the same homeless looking man they passed when entering the building!  At the end of the service, the members embraced him, and encouraged him to come back. 

This Minister had a habit of visiting churches in disguise just to see how he would be treated.    He was saddened to realize that his earlier interactions with the congregation were based on their inaccurate assumptions.    

What would happen if a wealthy customer visited your shop wearing worn out clothes, while driving an older vehicle with 200,000 miles on it?   You could say the right things, but your gestures, tone of voice, and body language, would tell a different story. 

It’s possible, that your buyer says he doesn’t have the money because you’re treating him like he doesn’t have the money.    

It’s possible that your customer doesn’t like the exit appointment, because you presented it with the assumption that she doesn’t like the exit appointment. 

I would attribute much of Jack’s sales success to a subtle change in his tone when he assumed the sales leads came from the sales guru.  If you change your assumptions about people, you can change your results as well!

Change Your Assumption About Problems

I recall interviewing a service manager candidate who had worked in three shops in the last three years.  When I asked him why he left the first shop, he said it was because of he had problems with his co-workers.

I asked about the second shop, he said he had a problem with the general manager.  For the third shop he said he had a problem with the owner. 

It was at this point that I felt the need to invoke “The Bob Principle” that was coined by John C Maxwell in his book Winning With People: “When Bob has a problem with everybody, Bob is usually the problem!”

The main reason “Bob” was unemployed, was that he assumed his problems were outside of his control.  If he would have worked on fixing “the man in the mirror”, he would still be working.

The key to closing more sales at your shop, is to assume that all sales problems are your fault.  When it’s the customers fault you can make excuses, but when it’s your fault you can achieve excellence.   

For example, when it’s your fault, you will send more digital pictures.  When it’s your fault you will visit the car with the customer.  When it’s your fault you will spend at least five minutes a day watching a sales training video.  Changing your assumption about problems can change everything!   

Conclusion

So, there you have it. If you commit to changing your assumptions about people and problems, you will close more sales at your shop.  Embracing a belief that doesn’t line up with your goals is just as crazy as looking through the phone book for qualified sales leads!

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS.  Email me at etwiggs@autotraining.net to receive the latest service advisor Standard Operating Procedures, (SOP’s) that will help you close more sales at your shop.