6 Pieces of Sales Advice You Shouldn’t Forget

Do you ever wish that there was a guide on any and everything in life? I do. I wish someone could give me good advice—quickly—on any topic I need at the moment, from the best ways to lose weight in a month to positioning myself for a promotion, maybe even good sales advice. Wouldn’t that be amazing?

That’s why I asked some amazing dealer professionals about the best advice they’ve ever received regarding sales. Maybe it’ll be the boost of encouragement you needed today!

“Always tell the truth to the customer. Customers appreciate it, it’s WAY easier than any alternative, and it usually pays off by creating trust.”

– Chip Bradford, Internet Sales Manager at Auto World USA

Chip’s right. Honesty and transparency can go a long way in gaining trust and establishing a solid foundation for a customer relationship. And you can count on today’s shoppers to be fact-checking you on almost everything—Google is their friend. So make it yours too! Use every avenue to be knowledgeable about your brands, admit when you need to gather more info and, above all, do what you say you’ll do. Good advice for anyone, salesperson or no!

“Don’t work at making a single sale, but instead work at making a customer for life. Repeat customers will keep coming back and lead to more long-term sales; they are the best source of referrals.”

– Kevin Graska, Sales and Finance at IQ Autos (quoting the dealership owner)

If you’ve got tunnel vision when it comes to getting that next deal done, take a step back. Each sale is important, but it’s the larger pattern you want to ensure is growing, like Kevin said. Are you setting the correct tone with each new customer, or do you ignore them once they sign the paperwork? Do you know when they come in for service and greet them? There are a thousand little steps we can take during the customer life cycle to cultivate repeat buyers.

“Under promise and over deliver. Always go above and beyond your clients’ expectations.”

– Alicia Baer, Business Development Manager at Shaganappi GM

Sometimes it’s best to sell yourself a little bit short. Now, I’m not suggesting you should ever bad-mouth your team or your vehicles! Rather, set reasonable expectations with customers (part of that honesty advice I mentioned earlier). Every little “extra” your dealership provides becomes like a surprise gift and can delight them even more, serving as a reminder of why they made the right decision in choosing you. (We love to remind our customers of this too!)

“You will not sell anything if you’re not full of energy, spirit, conviction and passion. So don’t allow yourself to fall into discouragement. A discouraged salesperson doesn’t sell anything.”

– Rich Wiatrowski, Ecommerce Manager at MINI of Louisville

Well said, Rich. Sometimes people forget that the best sales asset you have is your smile or attitude. It may sound cheesy, but even taking a few minutes to read through motivational quotes can help renew your spirit! (Hint: Google “best motivational quotes” and view the images. That’s my favorite way to get a snippet of inspiration.)

“Learn to listen to the customer so that you can sell what they need, not just what they want.”

– Jesse Middleton, Webmaster at Dave Sinclair

People know what they’re looking for in a vehicle…they just sometimes can’t express it. So listen to what they want, then dig in and ask more questions. You may be able to uncover what it is they really need in that vehicle, increasing your chances of being viewed as the helpful expert (and them falling in love and buying). And this can be done over chat, via text or in person!

“When you’re in a slump, look at what you have been doing. Stop the shortcuts. Get back to the basics of what made you successful in the first place. In other words, reboot.”

– David Boyle, Sales Manager at Bill Page Toyota

This is one of my favorite pieces of advice that I’ve ever seen, and it applies to more than just sales. Try not to get caught up in the complexities in front of you because the answer may be in the fundamentals, whether you’re working a big deal, juggling dozens of fixed ops issues or just feel like nothing’s working anymore.

Even though these sales tips don’t really help with weight-loss goals (I’m still on the lookout for that!), I hope some of them inspired you as they did me.