Beyond just product knowledge, you need communication skills that build trust.
In today's market the role of front-line staff, including both salespeople and business managers, is not just to generate one-time sales but to create loyalty experiences. It is important to convey an air of comfort and stability in your contact with a customer before going for the order. That means that you need to go beyond just being friendly or full of product knowledge; you need to develop communication skills that build trust. Where there is trust, there is willingness to buy and a better opportunity for you to close your sale. Too often, in an endeavour to exercise our influence and persuade buyers, we resort to high-pressure sales pitches, clumsy one-liners or even worse. As a result, we come across as being arrogant and insensitive.

Consider this example:
You have been working in the automotive industry for several years. You have sold dozens, perhaps hundred of cars, extended warranties, credit insurance policies√∑ the list goes on. Your responses to requests from customers and prospects are fast and accurate. You pride yourself in knowing your stuff and your product knowledge is one of your greatest strengths.

The bad news is, while your extensive knowledge is a major strength, it may also be one of your greatest weaknesses. Sometimes being too quick with your answers and recommendations can make customers feel that you haven't really been listening to their needs (even though you have). Sometimes, the greater your expertise, the more likely it is that you are unintentionally rubbing people the wrong way and losing the sale. The good news is that there is an easy way to prevent this misconception.

Formulate your sales strategy
The road to success, whether you are too passive, too aggressive, lack experience or have been in the "biz" for many years, begins with formulating an effective sales strategy. Your ultimate goal is to establish smooth communication, trust from your customer, and a sale for you.

A process that is gaining immense popularity is the Ŝ Step Consultative Sales Process." This strategy was devised by the Canadian Professional Sales Association and translates effectively  into the automotive world. Here is how it works:

1.Build rapport - Much of a salesperson's success depends on his or her ability to establish a warm relationship with a customer. At the beginning of your meeting you must seek to project honesty, demonstrate competence, show propriety and establish commonality.

2.Introduce the business - This is your opportunity to talk about the products you offer. This is done by using a few concise sentences to describe the product lines and your competitive advantage statement, also known as the "elevator pitch."

3.Get a commitment to participate - Explain your approach to doing business and how this will benefit the customer. Unfortunately, there are a number of fears or prejudices that buyers have when dealing with salespeople or business managers. This results from past experience with salespeople who have wasted their time in the past or put pressure on them. Getting the customers to participate will not only engage them, it will also build rapport because they feel you are being completely open and honest with them. Here are examples of four promises you would make to them:

Ô    I won't pressure you to make a decision.
Ô    Don't feel obliged to buy from me, no matter how much time we spend together today.
Ô    I'll always bring you current, accurate information.
Ô    I won't waste your time.

4.Ask questions - Asking questions is what makes the consultative process so effective. The customer tells you what he or she needs and why, in a logical progression. The act of asking questions allows several compliance principles to take place, such as rapport, respect and reciprocity. It's important to hear the customer's input in order to give you all the resources to build a logical reason for a go-forward commitment.

The most effective kinds of questions are:

Ô    Open-ended questions that promote discussion  and get customers to assert their values, goals, ideas and beliefs.
Ô    Clarifying questions that you ask  to get specific examples of the point they are trying to convey.
Ô    Expanding questions that ask for more information: "Please tell me more."

5.Summarize the Success Criteria - list the needs that have been given to you back to the customer.

6.Prioritize the Success Criteria - Ask the customer to prioritize the success criteria. This causes them to list their needs in order of importance and provides you the opportunity to assess how the features of the product will best fit the customer.

7.Sell to Need / Feature-Benefit - This is the time to sell! Describe how the vehicle or the extended warranty will meet the customer's needs and expectations in the order they have prioritized. Then repeat the process until all the needs criteria are covered.

8. Formalize the Agreement - If you have performed all these steps well, you won't have to "close" in the traditional sense. You will probably be able to get a commitment to go forward by asking a direct question such as, "Where do you see us going from here?" The important thing at this point is to get a firm commitment to move forward.

The best way to familiarize yourself with this process is to memorize, practice and role-play with your colleagues. Although you may already incorporate some of these techniques into your sales process, working from a successful strategy can maximize your sales and give you a checklist on how to communicate in the most effective way.
Go for it!

This article was provided by Lions Gate Marketing (LGM) a leading provider of financial products for the Canadian automotive industry. More information is available at www.lgm.ca

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