The old automotive adage means less today than it ever did. Over the past couple weeks, the cries of "worst month I've ever had" have been heard loud and clear. Considering everything happening in the market, economy, wall street, etc it's no secret that things are tough. One thing that the Internet has shown dealers is that there truly is no 'month' (and likely never was).
One of my clients had one of their sales staff tell him nearly a week before the end of the month that this person would not take any more leads until October started. Our customers shop, research, negotiate and buy every day of the month. With the Internet (and through studies that JD Power, Compete, RL Polk and others demonstrate), consumers are not tied into what used to be perceived as typical shopping habits.
Dealers are (finally) realizing that their customer sold today may actually have contacted them four months ago. With the tools and software available today (like CRM applications), we have the opportunity to do a better job with both our clients and prospects.
What hasn't changed at all is two fold:
1. People buy from who they like, trust and would refer.
2. Dealers than plan their work then work their plan, goal set, teach, empower, mentor and support have the best staffs for item 1 above.
Remember that while you're only as good as your last sale in the sales world, you are only as good as you allow yourself to be. If you stop trying, stop learning, stop engaging and stop selling, you will likely know the result you get. What day of the month is it where you are right now?
Best practices: Professional Insight, Powerful Results
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