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It comes as no surprise to hear that being a successful automotive salesperson takes more than just sitting around in your dealership, waiting for a customer to come in. Instead, it takes effort, skill, and commitment if you want to continuously convert potential leads into sales. And, in this day and age, where competition to get business is higher than ever, you simply can’t afford to be just a ‘good’ salesperson. In fact, you don’t just want to be just a ‘successful salesperson’ – you want to be an ‘incredibly’ successful salesperson. Not least for your pay packet at the end of the month – after all, the more sales you clinch, the higher your income.
The good news is, if you want to be an incredibly successful automotive salesperson, then the experts at SnapCell have put together a list of 11 habits that guarantee to take your next pitch up a gear.
1. Work on building customer relationships from the word go
While closing a deal is obviously the ultimate goal as a salesperson, it’s important that you don’t lose sight of getting to know the customer from the get-go. The most successful salespeople will work on building relationships with a buyer from the moment they meet them – which means nurturing relationships with clients during the educational phase, rather than the negotiation and sales stages.
Top performing salespeople don’t rely on the possibility that the customer will choose their dealership to shop with – they know they have to work for it. Successful salespeople recognize the importance of being:
- Enthusiastic
- Attentive
- Informative
- Empathetic
- Resilient
- Thorough
- Confident
- Committed
And the most efficient salespeople know they need to demonstrate all of the above from the word go.
2. Be smart and use tools that enhance your pitch
As an automotive salesperson, you’ll always be working against the clock, so find tools that streamline your work and save you time.
There are plenty of tools out there that will make your life as a salesperson so much easier – without compromising the quality of your work – so use them. And with technology changing rapidly, it’s vital to keep updated with the latest apps, software, and programs that will help to automate and streamline your processes.
The SnapCell app is a great example of a tool that will enhance your pitch. As a lead video generation tool, SnapCell adds a whole new digital level to your pitch, by giving users the opportunity to create professional-looking videos at the simple click of a button. Additionally, SnapCell includes a whole host of innovative features, including SnapCell Live, which allows users to live video customers, or SnapCell Messenger, allowing for one-to-one instant communication with shoppers.
Successful salespeople will undoubtedly recognize and utilize the tools available to them, just like SnapCell.
3. Face-to-face communication is key
Getting your face in front of the customer should be a priority. Of course, with the ease of sending emails and SMS, it’s easy to fall back on sending customers a quick message these days. And, while email marketing and SMS messaging should definitely be weaved into your strategy, top salespeople will pay serious attention to making sure they interact face-to-face with shoppers.
Of course, we understand that it’s not always easy to connect with customers in person. But getting your face in front of a buyer doesn’t have to mean physically, in person, at your dealership anymore – advances in technology have completely revolutionized the way top salespeople can speak to customers. Take SnapCell for example, an app that allows salespeople to hold live video calls with customers, giving them the same in-person shopping experience, but remotely.
Find out how your dealership can master distance selling.
4. Personalize your pitch
Personalization will undoubtedly change the way you pitch. Simply remembering the buyer’s name is a starting point – although that won’t necessarily guarantee the sale.
Sales pitches no longer follow a generic step-by-step process. Your sales pitch needs to be bespoke to each client, tailored specifically to them and shaped around their individual shopping journey. Driven by data, use your CRM to get a clear insight into the customer, their needs, requirements, lifestyle, and buying behavior.
If you’re sending videos, make them personal, or if you’re sending an email then customize it to that particular shopper. And of course, if a customer is visiting your dealership, then know their name and greet them using it.
Recognizing and remembering key details is a talent – a talent that’s often achieved by the most successful salespeople.
5. Know your product
This might sound like an obvious one but knowing the product you’re selling is key to any effective salesperson. So, in this instance, you really need to know the market, the vehicles you have in stock, and the services your dealership is offering.
Ultimately, you need to be proving that you’re an expert in the automotive industry. Customers will be relying on you for vehicle information and advice – if you can give them these two things, you’ll gain their trust, which will increase the chances of you making the sale and better still, improve the chances of retaining that customer.
Remember, these days – thanks to the internet – most people will have researched vehicles ahead of speaking to you. A real sales pitch boost is offering them the information they might not already know. Give them an insight into the industry or demonstrate why a particular vehicle will suit them – dive deeper than just the simple vehicle spec.
6. Perfect the art of active listening
What is driving the customer to visit your dealership? What do they need to get from their next vehicle? The only way you’ll know their pain points is by listening to them.
Listening to the buyer is an essential skill and something you should practice if you want to be a successful salesperson. Show the customer you respect and value them by giving them the necessary time to speak, while you listen, before providing them with an adequate solution or answer to their question. Here are five ways you can show the shopper that you’re actively listening:
- Make eye contact
- Don’t fidget (pen tapping is a big no)
- Make sure your expressions reflect what the customer is saying
- Reaction appropriately at the right time, for example, nodding your head
- Avoid distractions, including notifications from your phone and email
7. Always follow-up
A successful salesperson never assumes that the customer will get in touch with them. Instead, they will do the following up.
Once you’ve made your initial pitch, give the buyer some breathing space, before reaching out and getting in touch. We would suggest giving it around 48 hours before you contact the client again. You should follow up between three and five times – there’s a fine line between showing persistence, and being irritating. Try to follow up using different methods, including phone calls and personalized emails.
Remember, persistence and respect go hand-in-hand. Be persistent, but do it with respect.
8. Know when to stop following-up
Successful salespeople learn where they should channel their efforts.
While you should always follow up with a customer, it’s equally as vital that you know when to give up too. Recognizing when it’s time to ‘stop trying’ can be challenging, but take note of the shopper’s tone of voice or body language. Over time, you’ll learn when it’s time to give the client some breathing space, or to draw a line under a pitch.
Remember, deciding to stop pitching to one shopper means you will have the energy and time to spend pitching to another customer.
9. Roll with rejections and review them
Even the most successful salesperson won’t close every single sale they pitch. Learn to accept rejections and roll with them. Furthermore, review those rejections. Treat each rejection as a learning curve, an opportunity to improve your technique. Pick apart your pitch and ask yourself what went wrong – but also, what went right? Use these learnings to improve your future sales technique.
10. Be honest
The days of blagging as a salesperson are well and truly over.
Honesty is a vital trait of any successful salesperson. With this in mind, don’t promise vehicle features that don’t exist, give customers a price that’s impossible to deliver, or a service that your company can’t do. While blagging your way through a pitch might close a sale, it won’t do anything for your reputation or retaining that client – in fact, dishonesty could result in you losing that customer altogether.
11. Follow up a successful sale with a referral ask
Did you know that 92 percent of automotive customers trust a referral from their peers? Successful salespeople know this, which is why they always follow up on any closed sale by asking for a referral and follow up quickly on these potential leads.
Are you ready to become a successful salesperson?
If you’re not already a SnapCell customer, then schedule your free demo of the app today. Designed to enhance your sales pitch by converting leads and retaining customers, SnapCell will help to get you one step ahead of the competition.
Stay on top of your sales game by becoming a SnapCell user today.
