dealership operations / service
because their approach is like
trying to drive a car with no
steering wheel. Sure, it will run
but it isn't going to take you
where you want to go. Salespeople cannot be expected to
turn a sheet of equity information into a compelling reason to
trade - unless they also have
tools, training and a process to
help them along.
Now, let me share the basic
building blocks of implementing a successful program for
buying and selling vehicles
out of your service drive.
Create the Right
Customer Experience
The customer experience
should be less of a traditional
sales presentation and more of
a customer service experience
that will enhance your CSI
and SSI. Let's face it - the
traditional sales experience kills
CSI and SSI. We need to turn
the expectation a customer has
of being "sold" into the shock
of being "served."
Use Technology Specifically
Designed for the Service Drive
Technology is critical to the
success of your program, but
not just any technology will do.
The technology you choose
should be built for the specific
purpose of buying and selling
vehicles out of your service
drive. Be wary of trying to
adapt a data mining tool or
CRM tool to what you need.
The technology should be built
to fit into the selling process
and it should be easy to use.
Your technology should provide
the following:
• Daily management report
that pairs appointments over
the next seven days with key
information including customer
equity and book value.
• Client information sheet that
provides detailed information
about the service customer.
• Walk-in customer compatibility that allows you to bring
the walk-in customer into the
process.
• Automated vehicle written
offer to purchase.
• Flexible equity calculator that
can adapt to new information
the customer provides.
• Customer payment reduction
analysis with gas and future
maintenance cost savings
estimates.
Implement Proven Process and
Procedures
It is critical that your dealership
utilizes proven process and
procedures when tapping the
service drive. The learning
curve can be steep here, and
you will lose too much business
trying to figure it out yourself.
Ensure Staff Accountability
Even if you use the same
technology as the most
successful dealerships, you
will fail 100 percent of the time
without accountability. You
need specific job descriptions,
daily routines, call guides,
scripts and pay plans. Your
success depends on it.
Implement Proper Training
and Support
This is may be the most
important element of all to
your success. Your team needs
to be properly trained and
supported if you want to
achieve the greatest success.
Track Results and Return
on Investment
You'll never know if you are
succeeding unless you are
tracking your activities and
results.
A well-implemented plan that
supports all six of the building
blocks listed above will take
the guesswork and risk out of
trying to successfully buy and
sell vehicles out of your service
drive. Do you want to increase
your dealership's profitability?
Start getting serious about buying and selling vehicles out of
your service drive!
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