We live in a competitive world. The competitive nature is why we are successful and why we continue to work every day to gain the trust of more partners in our business. So, what is the secret to more consistently winning? The simple answer is the person that brings more to the table, and brings it more consistently, wins. So, bring these three things to every dealership visit — “Bring it and you get the business!”

With each dealership visit everyone you touch should learn something.

For finance managers to be successful in selling products, they must provide an environment where customers are learning something they did not know before that interaction. That will happen more often if we bring fresh information every month, so bring it. I recently shared something I learned in a meeting with several executive managers and an agent, and all simultaneously said, “I didn’t know that!” The value of what I was offering just went up dramatically, and when that happens at all levels, more products are sold and more customers benefit. 

In a recent customer interaction, I stated I was surprised by the quick dismissal of the value of a service contract. I simply shared: When a signal from the adaptive cruise sensor is sent that a stopped vehicle is immediately ahead, the emergency braking system will stop your vehicle even if you don’t. That can save damage and lives. Since you cannot service or repair these parts, immediate replacement is needed if they fail. That’s why transferring the risk of the high cost of a failure like this is critical on this vehicle.

The learning cycle can and should begin with what you bring to the dealership. And when it does, it makes its way down to the customer and more buy — that’s a win.

With each dealership visit everyone you touch should feel something.

We live in an emotional world. Emotions drive most, if not all, of our decisions. Emotionally tying a customer to what a product will do for them results in the emotional benefit becoming more important than the product itself. The products offered in a dealership provide peace of mind that the ownership experience will be great and the inconvenience of any failure of the vehicle is covered and will not diminish the experience of the vehicle they will be driving for the next five to six years. Enabling finance managers to better illustrate these benefits will grow dealership profits, customer satisfaction, and your value to everyone. 

As general agents, we must help those offering these products, feel why what they do is crucial to the enjoyment of the new vehicle just purchased. Sharing real events where a product made an impact to a customer enables them to feel the satisfaction of truly “helping” a customer not “selling” a customer. So, bring examples of how the excellence that a finance manager is building on presenting the value of these products is affecting the lives of the customer. That’s a message every finance manager, general manager, and dealer principle enjoys hearing, so bring it!

With each dealership visit everyone should be motivated to do something

Everybody wants to make a great paycheck. However, that is focusing on the end results and working backward. We have an opportunity to keep everyone in a dealership focused on making an impact and the results, profits and paycheck will follow. If customers are learning new information that is presented in a manner that emotionally ties them to the products, they will buy more than you could ever sell them! Focus on the process not the results. If the motivation is to provide the best customer experience, coupled with everyone learning and feeling the importance of what is offered, you are building a brand, loyalty and great success for all involved, so bring it!