With more and more customers doing their vehicle shopping and research online, it is more important than ever for salespeople to actively prospect customers.
Fewer and fewer customers are relying on a salesperson for car shopping and buying information. Therefore, salespeople are having fewer customers approach them in the beginning of the buying process. This makes it more important than ever for salespeople to use and master at least five prospecting tools.
Here is a list of 18 various prospecting tools salespeople are using nationally and selling cars from:
- Clubs/Teams
- Go After Your List of 100
- Write Letters
- Post on Social Media
- Make Videos
- Birthday Systems
- Thank You Cards
- Orphan Customers
- Tackle the Phones
- Cold Calling
- Texting
- Online/Website
- Effectively Get Quality Referrals
- Networking Groups
- Service/Parts/Bodyshop
- Fellow Dealership Employees
- Community Involvement
These are seven approaches successful salespeople are taking when prospecting customers:
- Always Refer to a Previous Customer as a Client
- Schedule Appointments at Ideal Times
- Research Your Customers Before Contact
- Know The Purpose of Your Call – The Appointment
- Are You Getting Excited? Get the customer excited
- Every Contact and Customer Is a Potential Client or Referral
- Donʼt sell yourself, introduce yourself and build a relationship
Both lists could go on, but the important part is having your salespeople be familiar with at least five of these tools and confident prospecting their network and available resources. When salespeople become comfortable prospecting and they see results, they will make this part of their daily routine. As prospecting is used successfully from salespeople they will start generating more and more of their own leads — organic leads — allowing the dealership to spend its marketing budget in other places.
Ultimately, salespeople who effectively and actively prospect their network and resources are ultimately empowered and more valuable in their sales career.
Your salespeople should not be expected to be overloaded prospecting. However, they should have a consistent daily process in which they are prospecting 20 customers a day in their network through various prospecting tools. The average salesperson should have five prospecting tools they are comfortable with and using effectively.
Prospecting shouldn’t be about trying to sell everyone you talk to, rather catch up or introduce yourself to them, let them know where you work, what you do, and create conversation. When salespeople are reaching out to 20 new prospects a day doing these things, they will create client relationships and they will create sales.
Prospecting is as vital a survival tool for automotive salespeople now more than ever. Salespeople who are able to create their own book of business by prospecting their network are the ones earning the highest commissions, selling the most cars and satisfying the most customers. Now, as more retail business is done online and the less customers rely on salespeople, the more important it is for your salespeople to have mastered five prospecting skills.
Teach your salespeople what to do and who to prospect and oversee their participation and your salespeople will see results.
Noel Walsh
