3 Reasons Why Some Salespeople Don’t Make Really Big Money

Are you making the money you can? My experience as a successful salesperson, sales manager, and general sales manager taught me these truths. You have to deliver a better buying experience than your competitor sales consultant. But there are three other crucial reasons why salespeople do not reach their sales goals or exceed their sales quotas every month. They are:

 1.    Depending on walk-in traffic to make your sales targets.

2.    Poor follow-up and prospecting activities.

3.    Letting outside influences control your attitudes and success.

I was speaking with a long-term training client at the NY Toyota Regional Sales Training Department recently. One of the sales professionals, who started his first day in the car business with me in a ‘New Hires Boot Camp’ five years ago, came on the phone and shared this thought with me. This very successful sales consultant said, “The car business is a pretty simple business to make good money compared to other fields.”    

I agree. Are you making any serious money? Good and great salespeople make money by keeping it simple and effective.

Don’t complicate the business. People come in, they either buy or walk. If you can’t close them the first time, are you geared up to make business anyway? Follow these three steps.

1) Aggressive Follow-up

The best sales opportunities come from only three simple sources, my friends.

1.    Be-back showroom customers

2.    Repeat customers

3.    Referral prospects. 

If you don’t follow-up you are not going to make any serious money! It is that simple. 

The highest quality traffic you meet in your dealership are be-backs, repeats and referrals. Your closing ratio is over 50% with these prospects. But if you are waiting for the walk-ins your closing ration is 13%-15%. That is one sale for every seven walk-ins. This sales approach is simply stupid.

As a salesperson, I discovered the top gun at our dealership never took ups. Never! The best salespeople I know don’t take many walk-ins. Yes, they did when they started into our business but… they made sure they had a system in place to build their future business.  You can too.

Making sales simple—every day:

? Follow-up walk-outs and bring them back to buy. 

? Follow-up sold customers and turn them into Repeat Sales.

? Seek referrals from current sold clients.

 2) Prospect – Your highest return on your time.

Spend your time where you will make the most money. Plan to prospect your service department for buyers in disguise. Target people who are spending major money on their four - seven year old vehicles. They are entering their buying cycle—they just don’t know it. 

Orphan Service clients are a source of serious money. When a salesperson leaves your store adopt these customers. You will make more sales. Keep in touch with orphans and you will be increasing sales every month. Internet prospects are increasing business opportunities.

3) Attitude

Finally, don’t let whiners disguised as salespeople discourage you from making this car business payoff. Attitude counts! Not everyone with a sales consultant’s title is motivated to follow-up and prospect. In fact, some salespeople are downright unmotivated. Stay clear of them.  They whine and complain about the pay plan, the weather, the inventory, the service department, their sales manager, the appraisals and whatever else they can think of. But they don’t hold themselves accountable for doing what it takes to be successful. They do love to drag you down with them. Don’t let them.

Sales Quote – don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is currency, a treasure you can always carry easily.

This is a simple business and a well paid business, if you keep your mind on the business and not into someone else’s business. Don’t let someone determine your attitude. As my late mentor, Martin Luther King Jr. always said, “Your attitude determines your altitude! Get rid of the stinking thinking and climb to the top of your life”. 

Make it a champion day!

“SALES TRAINING MATTERS”