The purpose of the first step in the sales process is to find customers and get them in to your dealership.
What am I trying to accomplish?
Find new customers and get them into my dealership.Why do I want to accomplish it?
So I can sell more cars and make more money.How am I going to accomplish it?
By answering phone calls, responding to leads, prospecting, asking for referrals.
Your dealership has a variety of marketing and advertising to attract customers. Many customers who are exposed to your manufacturer’s or your dealerships marketing and advertising make an initial contact by phone or by email. Your dealership may also be buying leads from online sources.
It is very important how the incoming phone or email inquires are handled and the online leads are responded. You want to master basic and advanced phone and email skills. Always remember your purpose when handling inquiries: Get them in! Do not try to sell a car on the phone or by email. Sell the appointment.
Basics of handling incoming phone calls.
You can also find customers for yourself by following up with your sold customers and asking them for referrals. You can prospect for your new customers by letting everyone you meet know what you do for a living. Business cards are prospecting tools. Hand them out to people you meet. If you are proud of what you do and confident of your abilities, people will want to buy car from you. As you will see in the next steps, people would rather avoid stress of meeting stranger and deal with people and dealerships they know or familiar with. Keep handing out your business cards outside of the dealership. When these people are ready, they will remember you.