Salesmanship

Unlock Your Potential
Unlock Your Units

By: Bob Zagami

About the author:

Bob Zagami is the National Sales Director, Engineering In-formation Solu-tions for Image-Max; a single-source, national provider of document management solutions. He studies the RV industry as a hobby and has owned trailers and motorhomes. You can reach Bob at 978-461-2143 or via e-mail (zagami@tiac.net).

Well guess what - many of the people who visit your dealership are not serious buyers - today!

They may not be ready for their next RV just yet, but would like to see the latest designs and features on the new models displayed at your facility.

Did you ever think it would be an investment in future business if you create an environment where the prospect will feel comfortable with your dealership and return often?

Why would you want to discourage ANYBODY from visiting your dealership whenever THEY wanted to look at RVs? They are the prospects who may become customers some day. Wouldn't you want their visit to the dealership to be a pleasurable experience? Locking your doors doesn't exactly instill a feeling of comfort and welcome to the unsuspecting visitor.

Everybody who walks on the lot is not going to hand you a check and drive off in a new RV. That mentality went out of the selling game decades ago. However, everybody who walks on your lot becomes a prospect. If treated properly, they may become a customer someday. Why would you want to do anything to discourage them from visiting anytime they feel like it?

If your dealership locks the units on display, let me see if I can provide you with some ideas that will change your mind and open all the RVs for comfortable viewing by your prospects and customers.

Even if you don't lock your units, I hope some of these suggestions will be incorporated into your selling strategies.

If people take time out from their busy schedules to stop at your dealership, then you can assume they have at least a passing interest in the RV lifestyle and have automatically pre-qualified themselves. We don't have to put them through grand jury type of questioning that some dealers insist on once they see a "live one" on the lot.

Let your motorhomes and trailers do the pre-selling in situations that don't require a sales representative right away.

Put a notebook in each unit that contains color photographs of the RV in a lifestyle setting. Also include brochures and technical specification sheets for all of the models in that particular product line. Even though you may only have one or two models of a particular brand on display, you can show them information on all units and let them absorb it at their leisure.

Put pricing information in each unit. Let the prospect do some more pre-qualification on their own time, leaving your sales people to spend more time in closing situations or more serious discussions with other prospects. Let them know the approximate price range of a particular product line. The prospect will have some idea about how much money they will want to spend on their next RV. If they see a product line that is out of their price range, they won't spend your sales reps time listening to a sales pitch or high pressure closing presentation only to find out they can't afford that unit anyway.

Put customer letters in the RV to show what others have to say about that particular product line. Let your current customers sell your future prospects. Another variation of this would be a "Wall of Fame"; a large section in the reception area where visitors can read framed letters from your satisfied clients.

Show a structural cross section of the building techniques used for the various products on display. All RVs are not manufactured the same way. Do you want to spend a lot of time explaining each and every method, or would you rather have the prospect visually see the construction method and then ask intelligent questions that will bring them closer to a buying decision?

Keep the units spotless and in full working order. Don't show an RV that you would not be proud to have a prospect drive off the lot this afternoon. I visit a lot of dealerships and am amazed when I see molding separated from the wall, doors that scrape speakers or lights, doors that don't latch, dirty floors, bedspreads in disarray or wires hanging from the ceiling. You never have a second chance to make a good first impression. Customers are going to evaluate your dealership on many things; it's your job to make sure they are all positive.

Are you selling the lifestyle or still selling product? I think most dealers still think in terms of product ... just look at their lots. RVs are squeezed together so tight that you can hardly open the door to get inside. This is not a pleasant environment to comfortably view and learn more about the lifestyle.

Several dealerships have started to change the look and feel of their lots. Somebody had to show the way, and it's no secret that Lazy Days in Florida found a formula for success when they showcased their RVs in a comfortable, inviting, educational environment. The units are all open and visitors are encouraged to spend the entire day at their facility if they like.

If you don't like the look and feel of your lot, then your prospects and customers probably aren't comfortable with it either.

People buy when they are in a comfortable environment and at ease with the selling situation.

Don't compound the situation or make it worse by locking your units and putting the prospect on the defensive as soon as they enter your dealership.

You don't have to lose control of the selling situation just because you go to an open-door policy. Put a decorative fence around the lot that will direct visitors to a central reception area. Register each visitor so that you will be able to add them to your master database and then determine if they are just visiting or would they like to see a sales representative.

If they are just visiting, provide them with a visitor badge that would indicate they have not been assigned to any sales rep at this time. Ask the visitor to return to the reception area when they are ready to speak with a sales rep and assign one at that time. Then leave them alone to view the RVs at their leisure. If they are not ready to buy today, make sure that when they are ready, they remember the positive experience at your dealership and return with checkbook in hand.

If they would like to speak to a sales rep right away, put the reps name on the visitor badge and make the appropriate introductions.

You could even color code the visitor badges to show that the prospect is unassigned.

Once you have the prospect in your database, use your computer systems to automate part of the selling process and stay in constant contact to let them know you value their business and interest in your dealership.

Stay in touch with them via e-mail or direct mail pieces. Thank them for visiting the dealership. Follow-up with a telephone call to see if there are any questions you might be able to answer for them.

High-pressure selling tactics have been replaced with consultative selling skills and relationship building. The first visit to your lot will determine how that relationship grows. Locking your units puts you on the negative side of the equation before you even say hello.

Unlock your potential, unlock your units.

Good luck and good selling.

RVN