Digital Dealer - February 2019 - 43

identify relational qualities
that they actually possess.
They may say, "My friends
like me because I am fun,"
which will usually reflect
their relationships at work
as well.
Note: the question is not
necessarily related to their
friend. For example, if you
know that they are married,
you can ask, "How would
your spouse describe you?"
Or, if they spoke about a
wonderful connection they
have with their brother, you
can ask, "How would your
brother describe you?" Any
person who is of value or
emotionally close to the
service advisor will work because that person will know
the advisor's best qualities.
It is not as important who
would describe them as
what would they describe.

3. H OW WOULD YOUR
COLLEAGUES DESCRIBE
YOU? This question will

help you understand the
relational dynamic not only
between a service advisor
and customers but also
among your associates.
Note: this question is
open-ended; it does not
ask about their positive or
negative qualities, so the
answers can take conversation in any direction.
A challenge you may face
when asking this question is
the common answer, "Well,
I don't know. Ask them!" or
they may call in their colleague to answer for them.
Don't let them do that. The
answer has to come from
them. You may say, "I am
more curious about what
you think and how you see
your relationships with col-

leagues. Your answer does
not have to be accurate.
Just give me your best
guess. So, how would your
colleagues describe you?"

4. HOW WOULD YOUR
CUSTOMERS DESCRIBE
YOU? Yes, another 'de-

scribe you' question. Yet,
this one is different because
it is more specific to the service drive. This question will
motivate service advisors
to think about their relationships with customers.
Even if a service advisor exaggerates in their

the service drive. You do
not even have to tell your
service advisor, "Make
sure you don't ignore your
customers," because they
already know that, and it is
being highlighted in their
conversation with you.
A service advisor may
share with you an exceptional shopping experience.
"I got an amazing deal. The
salesperson told me that
if I buy two shirts, I would
get the third one free!" In
this answer, the service
advisor highlights that they

IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU
AND YOUR CUSTOMER
SERVICE SKILLS; IT
IS ABOUT TRYING TO
EVALUATE YOUR SERVICE
ADVISORS' RELATIONAL
SKILLS, SO YOU CAN
HAVE A BETTER IDEA
OF HOW TO HELP THEM
GROW. "

description, it leads them to
self-reflect on how their customers feel and what they
can do to improve those
relationships.
5. WHEN YOU MADE
A PURCHASE BEFORE,
WHAT STOOD OUT FOR
YOU THE MOST ABOUT
YOUR SALES PERSON?

A service advisor may go
into a story about a terrible
shopping experience. For
instance, "I was treated
like I did not qualify for this
kind of purchase, so the
guy completely ignored
me. I will never go back to
that place again." This will
automatically highlight how
not to treat customers at

like getting a deal. This is
something that motivates
them to buy. Hence, even
on an unconscious level,
they think that this would
motivate others to buy too.
They would be motivated
to talk to their customers
about specials and offers
as they think it would help
them make a sale. When
presenting numbers to
their customers, they may
begin with, "You are getting
an incredible deal today,"
and this sales tactic would
sound natural and authentic
from them.

6. HOW WOULD YOU
DEFINE YOUR FAVORITE
SALESPERSON? Whatever

D I G I TA L D E A L E R . C O M

a service advisor answers,
the person they described is
the best service advisor you
will ever get from them.
It should be a red flag
for you if a service advisor
answers, "I don't like talking
to other sales people, they
are distrustful and annoying," because this is how
the service advisor thinks
his or her customers see
him or her. This service advisor will struggle to actively
pursue customers because
in his or her mind, "I am a
salesperson, therefore I am
distrustful, annoying, and
people do not want to talk
to me." There will be many
barriers to work through for
this salesperson.
When you ask your
service advisors those
questions, do not rush to
give your opinion or advice.
It is not about you and your
customer service skills; it
is about trying to evaluate your service advisors'
relational skills, so you can
have a better idea of how to
help them grow.
Simply asking these
questions helps associates
to process and evaluate
their own behavior and
value as a salesperson.
This self reflection stimulates growth and motivates
them to be better. Let these
questions motivate your
service advisors to become
more successful.
KATIA TIKHONRAVOVA,
Ph.D.(c), LMFT is a business
and relationships coach who
specializes in automotive sales
and service relationships. She
is the owner of Corporation
Clinic.

FEBRUARY 2019

43
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Digital Dealer - February 2019

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