I hear it all the time. I can’t get them to follow up. They spend more time smoking and cutting up than working. I have to block Facebook and other sites to keep them from surfing the internet. About the last part, why don’t you get the phone at the dealership shut off and then forbid cell phones in the workplace?
What was that? Did you just say that was stupid David? I agree, it is stupid. Stupid because the phone is needed for business, the phone is needed to make sales. I can make the same claim with the internet, with Facebook and Twitter, with LinkedIn and blogging. If used the right way, if used with a specific plan of action, it can be used to develop leads, it can be used to create sales. Why then are you blocking these sites from company computers?
Again, what was that? Oh, you can’t trust them to work, you’ve caught them playing on Facebook one too many times so you had your IT department block certain sites? Who do these salespeople work for…
I’ve had this conversation with Craig Lockerd, CEO of Automotive Recruiting and Training, and he told me that it’s important to inspect what you expect. That if you, from the very beginning, tell your salespeople what you expect from them, train them the right way, and then continue to develop them that you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
I agree! They do work for you don’t they? Sure, they’re going to be a few that don’t get it. That don’t understand that through the use of social technologies you can create a powerful brand that will influence both word of mouth and customer loyalty. Yes, they can implement an inbound marketing plan, one that pulls people in, one that will equal incremental sales for your dealership, why aren’t you teaching them how to do it?
Prospecting pioneer Fran Taylor, CEO of Taylor Techniques, goes into great detail on how a salesperson can use specific prospecting tools to really drive sales and referrals. Social network ssuch as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others are other such tools. Tools that can be used to showcase the authority of your salespeople and make them the obvious choice in your market. Of course, they must be used the right way. So, stop making excuses for your salespeople. Stop saying they won’t get it or they will abuse the freedom. Teach them, show them, create a specific plan of action that will get results.
A Few Examples
Facebook is a great way to connect with your customers. I’ve created a video about it, I’ve been kicking around the idea of redoing it, but the information is spot on. You can watch it HERE. I’m fond of saying that in order to create a life-long customer, you must go past the transaction to create the type of relationships that influence word-of-mouth and customer loyalty. Facebook is a great way to do just that, make sure that you watch the video, I go into detail about what I mean here.
LinkedIn is a great network to connect with the movers and shakers in your community. It’s a great tool that can be used to connect with people of influence. People that can and will send you referrals if you go about it the right way. That is, don’t connect just to connect. Aim for quality over quantity. Make sure that you click on the link in the first sentence of this paragraph for a specific plan of action.
Twitter, while most people don’t get it, can be used to connect with people very easily. It’s easy to find locals to connect with, just check out TwellowHood. From there it doesn’t take a ton of time to build connections and get to know people, but more importantly getting people to know you.
I can go on and on, there are a lot of different things that can be done with the current state of social technologies, but you have to work it smart. You have to have a plan. I suggest setting aside specific times that your salespeople should be focusing on their social marketing plan. Also, you should appoint a specific person to keep an eye on things to ensure that your salespeople are on track.
Lets say that you have 8 salespeople and that each one sells an average of two units a month from their inbound marketing plan, would an extra 16 unites work for you? I’m sure it would, but remember, train, train, train!
If you’d like to hire me to come into your store and teach you and your sales staff how you can generate leads through the use of social media, just hit me up here. Also, check out the Automotive Super Conference where I will be talking about this sort of thing exactly. It will be on June 27th and 28th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Learn more about it HERE.
