I would recommend training programs like Alan Ram or Dealer Synergy. I made mastering phone skills a priority very early on in my career as a floor sales person. Little did I know that it would be instrumental in taking on and being successful in Internet Sales.
You must have a game plan and process in place and make sure that everyone is following it. The bottom line is strong phone skills can overcome the price quote without ever giving the customer the impression that you don’t want to quote them. There will always be a situation where you must quote a price, but again if you are truly a “Phone Ninja” You will be able to overcome any obstacle.

I would recommend training programs like Alan Ram or Dealer Synergy. I made mastering phone skills a priority very early on in my career as a floor sales person. Little did I know that it would be instrumental in taking on and being successful in Internet Sales.
You must have a game plan and process in place and make sure that everyone is following it. The bottom line is strong phone skills can overcome the price quote without ever giving the customer the impression that you don’t want to quote them.

There will always be a situation where you must quote a price, but again if you are truly a “Phone Ninja” You will be able to overcome any obstacle. This may seem over simplified but basically the ability to manage a strong internet team comes down to training, training, training. I hope this does not offend anyone but every sales person thinks that they are good on the phones. I have listened to sales calls for many years and let me tell you that is the furthest from the truth. Make the committment to a strong process and you will be more effective at setting appointments and steering clear of price and trade values.

I was TOTALY against the old school ‘don’t quote prices’.

So far, our sales have been the highest w/o quoting (I’m talking new cars). Plus, our gross has been around 2500.

it seems that what people SAY they want, and what they actually respond to, are not the same.

I’m still trying to figure out the ‘sweet spot’ though.

I have often thought that some basic educating of the consumer would be worth trying:
“listen, here’s the price I was able to get from the manager. But keep this in mind: the thought of losing a deal is much more realistic to him when you are sitting in front of him and he thinks you are going to walk. that’s just human nature. Plus, there’s a thousand diffenrent ways to configure a black jeep commander – each with a different price.”
OK, it needs work

Jeff Kershner seemed to come the closest to combining the best of both. The dealership I work at gives me the freedom to make the decision about whether a best price quote will move the sales process forward or hinder it. The good thing about the internet is the wealth of information available within a few clicks of a mouse. The BAD thing is with all of the information, internet customers have a tenancy of hoarding information until that wornderful day arrives when it all makes sense and they feel comfortable enough to stop buy the dealership.

My philosophy is that you have two types of “Price Quote” shoppers.

1. The ones that ask for a quote because it seems like the right thing to do. When it comes down to it they are trying to get something accomplished that they feel MIGHT not be possible. (ie secure financing, trading a vehicle with negative equity…) Relationship building is essential with these customers. They are looking for the best OPPORTUNITY not the best PRICE. Quoting these customers a price usually winds pushing them away from visiting your dealership. What happens is, YES you did what they asked BUT it didn’t get them one step closer to accomplishing their overall goal. Your best bet is getting them to look at ALL of the opportunities your dealership has available. Getting them off of the internet and on the phone is your only way of aligning their needs and wants

2. The second is the customer who doesn’t have a phone number in the email sent to your dealership. These customers are the ones that want to conduct all of there business on the internet. They JUST want a price quote and thats IT. They have no intention of wasting their time if you cant meet their price on the car they sent in. 8 times out of 10 these customers have ALREADY driven the car. They have already sent in quote requests to multiple dealerships. You have ONE shot at this customer. Those gross profit loss deals will most likely come from here. The GM/Owner and I have the same thinking here…..send them the best opportunity you can offer and then…..do nothing. Either they will contact you to proceed with the purchase or you will never hear from them again. You’ve made them happy and in the process not wasted alot of time and energy. When we don’t hear from them within 1 day we send an email which asks if our quote was satisfactory. Either is WAS or it WASN’T there is no grey area for this customer.

I can see how it would be frustrating if you are stuck at the Quote stage without being able to provide one but the owner you work for may be trying to push more traffic to the showroom. The only thing I can add is that if you are sending out a lot of quotes ask yourself how may calls have I made to this customer. I have a BDC dept and a product specialist which deal with the specific and the non-specific customers on new and used vehicles. Very rarely do I have to work a quote. We appoint about 70% of our internet leads before we get to that point.

I would step up and be THE MAN! Print out all the answer on this specific thread, make a meeting with the GM and Owner and tell them you need to find a system that’s working, and that THEIR way isn’t – to be perfectly frank. ASK THEM for flexibility, ASK THEM if they are truly committed to offering more one way to do business. Normally you find ONE WAY in a stockyard, just before slaughter!

Better yet, contact the last 100 people who actually bought at your dealership, and send them a small poll, telling them you are trying to make the experience the best – and ASK THEM for their answers and advice.

Compile the data and then present to the owner, with a demand for a raise, because you just did what none of their managers, or the owner did…

ASK THE CUSTOMER WHAT THEY WANTED!

I can feal your pain. It’s very frustrating to be instructed to do something that you just know to be counterproductive to your cause. There have been quite a few posts with many good ideas prior to mine. I don’t have anything different to say in that regard, but I do have one suggestion for you.

If your boss is open to any ideas at all, or if your comfort level permits doing it on your own, I would suggest taking a noticable percentage of your monthly leads and doing exactly with them as he would have you do. With the other percentage, or a test group, do with them as you think they should be done. At the end of a three month trial period, examine the results as to which method works best. If everything we hold to be true works as we think it should, there should be a noticable difference in performance between the two groups. If you can prove your way works better, how can he refuse?

Ray

I am trying to transition to the phone as much as possible as that seems to be the only way that I can make something of the leads I get. What I really struggle with right now is the customer that either does not provide a phone number or will not give one. Like you said these are the people that you need to “drop” and send out an email here and there in hope to get a 2 way with them to build a relationship. Thank you for all your responses.

Johnny Swartz

Johnny, what you are experiencing is what I would venture to say 80% of the ISM’s out there are are dealing with. Have a little respect for your manager and his position. His pay plan and lively hood is contingent upon making money on a product that a company deserves to make a profit on.

This is what makes this business what it is. This is what makes this business so hated by the consumer as well. But then again, it’s BUSINESS and until the manufacturer adopts ONE PRICE we as sales people and as consumers have no choice but to work with it.

You have a percentage of customers that are all about price. It seems they don’t care who they buy their car from, or the dealer they buy from. The lowest price is their main objective in the beginning.

You also have a percentage of consumers that are looking for the right deal. They want to build a relationship with someone and feel comfortable with the person they are spending so much money with (that’s many of us!).

In order to find out what customer you are dealing with you need to take the right steps.

1. Your first email to the customer needs to help identify this and even create a little urgency.
2. (Can you) transition the customer to the phone?

I say “can you” because someone that will allow you to transition to the phone, 9 times out of 10 will allow you to build a little bit of relationship with them. This is where you NEED TO SHINE! I like to refer back to some Grant Cardone training here. GIVE GIVE GIVE! Give your customer what they want, what they deserve. Offer to fax or email the customer more information on the car, the CarFax or AutoCheck printout, an article from Car and Driver, Crash test ratings, performance ratings..even a credit application and a of course a huge copy of your business card along with a personal thank you note. Scheduling the appointment with the relationship builder will come easy once you GIVE to the consumer what they are looking for. Hey, they deserve it..they are looking to spend a lot of money with you!

Maybe you’re unable to transition the customer to the phone. Now your shooting in the dark, right? I’m sure you have heard this before, especially if you have been reading dealerrefresh for awhile. If you do not provide the customer with what they are asking for (price) then you have about a 2% chance of ever earning this customers business.

From your seat (and I have been there before) you have 2 options. Slowly get your manager on board to allow you the flexibility to get done what you need to get done OR deal with it and focus all of your energy on working on the consumer that wants to build a relationship with their sales person by transitioning that customer to the phone. Let the hardcore price shoppers drop. YES, I know some would be quick to ridicule me writing that and I’m not saying to totally drop this customer, keep them in your radar with some frequent emails. But at the end of the day focus your energy on the low hanging fruit in front of you.

The relationship builders seem to be dwindling away but they still make up a majority of the consumers out there. Once you get this customer to visit your showroom they deserve the BEST you have to offer. DO NOT skip steps, give that customer a million dollar demo and presentation of the vehicle they are interested in, don’t assume they know everything and of they know more then you then your not doing your job! Qualify the customer to be sure they are purchasing the car they need and want. Build that relationship and make a customer/friend that will buy another car from you in a few years.

Jeff

Jake, I have taken your angle at things and trying to get more aggressive with a website, SEO and Autotrader. While this is not an instant solution it will benefit me down the road while I try to convince him what he wants me to do makes no sense.

-Johnny