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Flying Start Sales Training, Chorley (2026)

30/01/2010

'What Car' (the UK consumer magazine) and Sainsbury's Bank (part of the supermarket chain) have joined forces to employ a team of mystery shoppers to go out and haggle - with Car Sales People!

Their idea was to try to establish a 'target price' for new models, which they could pass on to their Customers to give them 'ammunition' when they visit car showrooms

So, what did these professional hagglers achieve?

Reportedly, discounts averaging £1200!

'What Car' editor Rob Aherne said "These findings show that Dealers are prepared to negotiate big savings on new cars. By checking the 'target price' before heading for the showroom, buyers know exactly what discount to expect"

Steven Baillie, loans manager for Sainsbury's Bank said "Motorists shouldn't have to pay over the odds for a new car and 'target price' ensures they don't...but our research shows that many motorists will throw away their savings by failing to research how to best finance the purchase"

Have YOU been approached by someone brandishing the What Car? Sainsbury's 'target price' guide?

Is the guide a genuine service to consumers?

Will the 'target price' help or hinder your sales?

Please let us know what you think

Still on the subject of haggling (the Press seem obsessed with this at the moment) Dawn Collinson, of the Liverpool Echo, wrote an article entitled 'Don't be shy to strike a bargain'

Ms Collinson said that the biggest problem facing British motorists was 'swallowing their inhibitions'.When it comes to haggling, too many British motorists are afraid of being 'labelled cheapskates or being out-manoeuvred by slick salesmen'

She says that car buyers shouldn't be shy of asking for a discount as, by indulging in 'a bit of good old fashioned bargaining' car buyers could save some serious money

However, John Brown,Sales Excecutive of Edgemill Peugeot in Liverpool UK gave this word of warning, especially for male hagglers:

"Men would like to think they are the best...they are the ones who come in and quote price guides but sometimes, thinking they know it all, they're not actualy as good as women because they just try too hard"

So, how good a haggler are you?

Is today's customer better trained at negotiating than the sales person?

Is it just the British public who are shy?

Please share with us your haggling success stories whether as a sales person or a customer

04/01/2010

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer

One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog

He dropped his tools and ran to the bog

There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself

Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings

An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved

"I want to repay you," said the nobleman
"You saved my son's life."

"No, I can't accept payment for what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer

At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel

"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked

"Yes," the farmer replied proudly

"I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of."

And that he did

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, he graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time?

Penicillin

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill

His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill

Someone once said:
"What goes around comes around"

03/01/2010

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever" Mahatma Gandhi

03/01/2010

"Justifying Your Part Exchange Offer"

Here's a typical scenario between a Customer and Sales Executive that you may like to examine and use

Customer: I really wanted an extra £500 for my car

Sales Executive: I see, I'm glad you told me that Mr Jones, and I understand that you want to get the highest possible price for your car. May I ask, what were you basing your valuation on?

Customer: Well the Dealer down the road offered me that

Sales Executive: Okay, and which car do you prefer?

Customer: I prefer your car

Sales Executive: Good, and what is it about our car that you prefer?

Customer: Well, it's a nicer colour, and it's done a few less miles

Sales Executive: Alright, so apart from the fact that you really wanted an extra £500 for your car, you'd like to buy our car?

Customer: Well, yes

Sales Executive: Well, I can't actually offer you an extra £500 for your car, but what I CAN do, is show you how spending the extra £500 makes sense - apart from the difference in mileage, which is worth £250, we are also supplying the car with our Approved Warranty, which is worth £300, the free MOT's which cost £40 each so if you keep the car for three years that is worth £120, plus you have your roadside assistance which is worth £150

If we add those together it comes to £860. So, although you may have been offered £500 more for your car, the package I'm giving you is actually worth an extra £860

The extra £500 makes a difference of only £3 per week on your payments. So,what do you think, would you like to go ahead with that?

In summary, when a Customer gives an objection:

Respond positively - if you do get an objection you have a basis on which to do a deal!

Welcome the objection - "I'm glad you told me that Mr Jones"

Show empathy with the Customer - "I understand you want the best possible price for your car"

Establish that is the only objection - "So, apart from the fact that.....you'd like to buy the car?"

Give an alternative - "I can't do that, but what I CAN do is..."

These guidelines also apply to where discounts are being discussed too

03/01/2010

"Until it's paid for and delivered, the item is not sold, it's just off sale awaiting cancellation"

03/01/2010

Five TOP Tips to Increase Your Profitabilty

1) Always give your Customer a demonstration of the new car - even if your Customer HAS driven one before

Think about when you first sat behind the wheel of your demonstrator - how did you feel?

Did you feel good? You bet you did!

And it's exactly the same for your Customer - so even if he HAS been driving the same TYPE of car for the past three years - he hasn't driven the NEW one has he?

Raise your Customer's desire to buy (and minimise objections) by giving a demonstration - every time

2) Always qualify which 'add on' products to offer your Customer - such as paint protection or vehicle replacement cover

You will be providing your Customer with a great service by doing this -and enhancing profitability at the same time

For best results, qualify which add ons would be important to your Customer early in the sales process and include these on your proposal, in line with FSA guidelines (it's much easier to sell add ons BEFORE the final deal has been wrestled)

3) Offer your Customers a referal reward

On delivery of the new car : "Mr Jones, over the next few weeks you'll find that lots of people, your friends and family, will notice you're driving a new car. One or two of those people may just mention to you that they are thinking of changing their car too.Would it be okay if I called you in a couple of weeks to see if you DO know anyone who may be thinking of changing their car? Great! And the really good news is, I can give you a referal voucher for anyone who you recommend to me who buys a car"

Offer your Customers a referal reward - and arrange to follow them up for referals

4) Carry out regular physical checks of your used car stock paying particular attention to cosmetics

Something as simple as clean paper mats can make all the difference to your Customer's opinion of a car - and make sure the clocks are set to the correct time too

Create a good first impression and raise your Customer's desire to buy

5) Always offer your Customer a finance payment - whether or not he has asked for finance. Many Customers SAY they are paying cash, even if they're taking out a loan. Giving a competitive quote to your Customer may just open his eyes to the benefits of arranging the funding with YOU

03/01/2010

"The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight but they, while their companions slept were toiling upward in the night" Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 1807 - 1882 American Poet

03/01/2010

"I know seven clever men, they taught me all I knew, their names are What, Which, Why, When, Where, How and Who"

Wouldn't you agree it is important as Sales Professionals, that we offer our Customer the very best product we have available, which most suits his/her requirements and budget?

After all, the better the product we show our Customer, the more chance of a positive answer when we ask for the order, makes sense doesn't it?

Therefore, we will need to qualify our Client's individual requirements. By discovering the Customer's needs and wants, and presenting our offer which most suits those needs and wants, the best possible chance we have of the Customer agreeing to buy

One of the ways we can do this is by asking relevant 'open ended' questions. Open ended questions begin with the words: what, which, why, when, where, how and who; questions that create explanations and further discussion

What appeals to you about the XYZ model?
Which other models have you considered?
Why do you feel the XYZ is the car for you?
When do you anticipate taking delivery?
From where do you normally purchase your car?
How do you feel about the idea of P*P?
Who is the main driver of the car?

Bear in mind though, it is important that our questioning doesn't come over as an interrogation - do that and our Customer will be asking "Why all the questions?"

Our qualification should come over as a conversation, friendly, relaxed and to show the Customer we are genuinely interested

Spending time on a thorough qualification on first meeting our Customer will help us:

Build rapport and make friends
Show we are genuinely interested
Help us towards offering the very best product we have
Increase the chances of our Customer saying 'yes' when we ask for the order

It also helps us:

Determine whether or not there is a possibility of our Customer purchasing from us today, or not.
This is particularly important in busy periods, for example..

We could quickly discover our Customer is looking for his next Company car, which is sourced from the other end of the country, and is due to be replaced in a year next June - we don't want to be tied up with him for an hour on a busy Saturday afternoon, do we?

Our Customer may be on the Motability scheme - and if we don't offer this facility we could be wasting each other's time, couldn't we?

Our Customer may not possess a driving license and is really 'just looking'. It is a good idea to be aware of this before we get too involved

Hey! We're not talking about 'blowing out' these Customers!

We must, of course, do everything we can to sell our Customer our product - today. But certain circumstances may be completely out of our control and no matter how good our selling - or problem solving - skills may be, these are simply unsolvable problems

Okay, once we're happy we have covered our Customer's individual requirements, we also need to carry out 'The Perfect Finance Qualification' which you'll find on these pages

03/01/2010

How do we maximise our sales performance and provide great Customer Service by carrying out 'The Perfect Finance Qualification' ?

Well the first question to consider is, how many people in the UK do we think have £1000 cash at their disposal?

Retail Industry research reveals - only 4%!

This tells us the vast majority of our Customers will be arranging the funding of their purchase by means of a loan of some form or another

Now, one of the biggest mistakes we can make as Sales Professionals (if not THE biggest) is assuming our Customer has the cash to pay for the item

Think about it, no matter how good a Sales Person we are, if our Customer doesn't have the cash (and remember the 4% rule) how can our Customer agree to purchase from us today?

If we could help solve this problem for our Customer could there be a chance of us selling more?

So, it makes sense to qualify whether or not our Customer has the cash

Now asking a Customer something as delicate as this may seem like an alarming proposition, and of course this will need to be done tactfully

However, provided we have spent some good quality time on the first part of our Qualification, we've built rapport, we've discussed our Customer's individual requirements, and we've shown a genuine interest, we should be in a good position to carry out 'The Perfect Finance Qualification' too

So, what information do we need to carry out 'The Perfect Finance Qualification'?

There are seven questions we will need to be able to answer:

1) Is our Customer paying cash for the item?
2) If it IS cash, where is the money coming from?
3) Is the cash immediately accessible?
4) Can we convert the Customer to our Competitve Funding Facilities?
5) How much per month would the Customer like to spend?
6) Does the Customer have cash to put in too?
7) Are there any outstanding payments on the part exchange?

If we can provide accurate answers to the above we will be well on the way to 'The Perfect Finance Qualification', providing a great Customer Service, and selling more!

So how do we TACTFULLY qualify our Customer's financial constraints?

Firstly, let's assume he/she is NOT one of the 4% of the population who has disposable cash

Secondly, let's assume he/she IS one of the 96% who will be arranging a loan

Then, on this assumption, we can ask our Customer:

"How much per month were you thinking of spending this time?"

(Note - never use the word 'afford')

Our Customer should give one of three answers:

Answer 1 "About £250 per month"

(This is a 'payments' Customer)

Answer 2 "No I'm paying cash"

(Is it cash - or is it a loan? - ask)

Answer 3 "I haven't thought about it"

(This Customer may be reluctant to discuss finances with us. Don't 'lock horns'. Let's make friends with our Customer and come back to the subject later)

Provide a GREAT Customer Service and sell more by carrying out 'The Perfect Finance Qualification' - every time!

03/01/2010

Here's a simple 'ten key point' format for turning telephone enquiries in to confirmed appointments:

1 Good morning, sales this is (your name) speaking, how can I help you?

(await Customer response)

2 What specification are you looking for?

(if the Customer does not know - make suggestions)

3 Any particular colours, lighter, or darker?

(even if the Customer says he/she has no preference remember there is always a colour we definitely wouldn't buy - try and find out)

4 Great! While I'm checking on what's available, I'll see what's coming in over the next few days as well, it'll only take a few moments....

5 ...where are you calling from, home or work?

6 What's the number there?

(don't seek rejection by asking IF you can have the number)

7 And who am I speaking with? Can you spell that please?

(obviously you don't need to ask for the spelling if it is a common name)

Could you hold the line for a moment please?

8 Mr/ Mrs...we must have 5 or 6 models just like you're looking for. What's a good time for you to call in, this afternoon or evening?

(after the Customer has stated a preference suggest a time) Would 11am or 2pm be better for you?

9 Do you have a pen or pencil handy?

(make sure you reconfirm the appointment and if the Customer does not have a pen or pencil handy suggest they go and get one)

10 My name is (spell it), and that's (time), OK? I'll put that in my diary. If you can't make it, please call because I'll be waiting especially for you

Regular readers will know that on Flying Start Sales Training we're not fond of scripts. However, this is a very robust and well proven method of turning telephone enquiries in to appointments

So, with a little bit of practice, you can soon have the ten key point format 'off pat' and using the questions as scripted above, you should see those telephone enquiries turning in to those ALL important appointments!

03/01/2010

Price is the one objection which seems to cause the most problems for many Sales People

For example, our Customer says:

"It's £500 too much"

How do we respond?

Well, many sales people will immediately respond with:

"So what have we got to do to get a deal today?"

This can be a big mistake - Why?

Firstly, we lose credibility

We have spent time with our Customer and built up a relationship, then suddenly we're telling our Customer that the offer we have just made may not, in reality, be our best offer

How does our Customer feel towards us now?

Will he, at the very least, be somewhat suspicious of us now?

You bet he will!

Secondly, if we go straight in to giving away extra money, this will affect the profitability of the transaction and, in most cases, YOUR commission!

So, what are the alternatives?

1) Define the objection

"It's £500 too much? I see, I understand your concern about the extra £500, but apart from the fact it's £500 more, would you have liked to buy the car now?"

(It is very importnat to make sure that the £500 is the ONLY objection before proceeding)

2) Justify the money difference

Explain to the Customer why our car is an extra £500, for example:

Talk about the car-

Make, Model, Specification, Performance,Mileage, Security, Comfort, Residual, Insurance Group, Economy, Style, Warranty

Talk about the Company-

Years in business, Location, Quality Standard, Service, Parts, Bodyshop, Loan Cars, Exchange Policy

3) Minimise the difference

Once we have explained the reasons why our car is an extra £500, minimise the difference, for example:

£500 over a three year ownership works out at £13.88 per month, which is £3.20 per week, which is just 46 pence per day

"So bearing in mind all these other great benefits, would you really want to walk away from this car for the sake of just 46 pence per day?"

It is only after we have used these methods of justifying the price with our Customer that we should resort to asking "what have we got to do...."

This will help build our credibility with our Customer, keep us in control, and maximise our profit per unit (and commissions!)

02/01/2010

Many Sales People and Managers we work with, who have been in sales for any length of time, tell us they know all about the importance of features and benefits, and how these are an all important part of the sales presentation

Reading this, you're probably thinking the same

Yes, features and benefits ARE an all important of the sales presentation

Okay, let me ask you firstly then, do you know the DIFFERENCE between features and benefits?

Are you sure you REALLY know the difference?

Take a look at the following list and write down which you think are features and which are benefits:

1) Multi disc CD player

2) Good resale value

3) Air conditioning

4) Fast

5) Sporty

6) Alloy wheels

7) Split folding rear seat

8) Satellite navigation

9) Good resale value

Well, how did you do?

Did you know which were features and which were benefits?

If you decided they are ALL features, well done!

If you weren't sure, let's explain the difference between features and benefits...

A feature is something the car has, or comes with

A benefit is what it does for the Customer

We can turn features in to benefits by using a couple of key phrases:

"...what that means is..."

or

"...which means that..."

For example:

"This car has a split folding rear seat, what that means is you'll not only be able to fit your golf clubs and trolleys in the car, you'll also be able to accomodate a rear seat passenger...."

"This car has a satellite navigation system, which means that if you are not sure of the directions to your destination, you can program this device to take you straight to the door, saving you time and the hassle of having to stop to refer to your maps...."

To make our presentations to our Cusomers really impacting, and to RAISE OUR CUSTOMER'S DESIRE TO BUY, we should always remember to link features and benefits

Remember the key phrases:

"...what that means is..."

"...which means that..."

Flying Start Sales Training

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