september2021 - 28

Blocking, tackling, running, and playmaking
It's selling season, time to get in shape and plan your winning strategy.
By Alan Sipe, Contributing Editor
I
was really lucky to grow up in the
country outside in a small steel
town, Latrobe, Pennsylvania.
Latrobe is known for Mr. Rodgers,
Arnold Palmer, Rolling Rock Beer,
and Stricklers Drug Store. It's also
the home of the ice cream banana
split and St. Vincent College - the
Pittsburgh Steelers Training Camp.
We would watch the Steelers
go through their pre-season training
and marvel at their daily heavy
duty routines of blocking, tackling,
and running. It was usually basics in
the morning and playmaking in the
afternoon. These guys were the best
of the best: Terry Bradshaw, Lynn
Swan, Rocky Bleier, Franco Harris,
and mean Joe Green. Yet there
they were practicing the basics over
and over and over again. With a
2020 average NFL player salary of
$850,000 and the superstars making
gazillions you would think they
already know the basics, but every
year, all professional teams in all
sports start training camp with the
basics and work up from there.
How about you? Let's take the
time to review the basics of successful
mobile selling so you're ready to
kick your revenue into high gear.
Ask for the order: There is nothing
more important than asking for
the order. No matter how good or bad
a presentation goes ask for the order.
The worst that can happen is your
prospect says no, but without asking
you'll never get the business. Using
an easy question like, " Should I just
add this to your weekly payment?'
will often get the answer you want.
Ask questions as you give your
presentations: Ask simple questions
like, " Do you think this feature will
help you? " or " Do you think this tool
will help you do your job quicker or
safer? " These are called trial closes
and they help you take the prospect's
temperature on the product. This also
helps your prospect become part of
the discussion.
Be darn sure you understand,
know how to use, and how to demonstrate
a product before you try
to sell it: I can guarantee that if a
product has 20 features/benefits and
you know 19 of them, the first person
you demonstrate to will ask you about
feature number 20. It never fails.
Sharpen you own sales skills:
Reading these " Go Sell Something "
articles is a step in the right direction.
You can also go to YouTube and type
in the following; https: To Sell More,
Sell Benefits Not Just Features - YouTube.
This is the best short video I've
ever seen on selling benefits. There
are many great selling skills videos
available and each one has something
to offer you.
Give your new product presentations
to some smaller customers
first before you go for the big sale:
Small customers and big customers
usually have the save questions and
concerns. Practice on the small customers
first.
Welcome objections/questions:
When a prospect voices an objection
or question it is actually a good thing.
It means they are interested enough
in what you are presenting to have
a question. Your response should
28 Professional Distributor I September 2021 I VehicleServicePros.com
always be positive. " Wow, that's a
great question " is a good response.
Answering the question positively
with a smile will ease the mind of
the prospect and they will not think
you are hiding anything. Consistent
questions should be included in your
presentation so you can present the
answers in a positive manner.
Cleanup and rearrange your
truck: Make it look fresh and new.
Even though as soon as you sell
someone a new tool they will get it
all greasy and dirty, nobody wants to
buy something that looks bad before
they buy it. And they sure don't want
to shop in a truck that looks like a
traveling flea market.
Review each of your stops:
Could spending more time at shop
" A " generate more sales than driving
20 minutes to shop " B " where sales
are small? Yes, the technician at shop
B is a great guy and is fun to talk to
but you're not a commercial visitor;
you are out there to sell something.
Even cutting back your visits to shop
" B " to every three weeks is better than
a wasted stop every week.
Review your inventory: How
much of your money is tied up in
slow moving dogs? Don't guess.
Find out for sure what is moving
and what is not. Now is the time to
send them back, special them out or
trade them with someone in your
region. How about if you email out a
" garage sale " list of products to your
customers with special pricing?
Sure, you may take a margin hit but
financially tying your cash up with
dogs is worse.
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
september2021

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