In this sixth segment of this series, we will address "methods" as a reason or reasons you may not be hitting your goals. The previous articles covered these other factors: environment, people, materials and equipment as possible reasons you may not be hitting your goals.
Method is defined as: a particular form of procedure for accomplishing or approaching something, especially a systematic or established one, or how one goes about getting the work completed. We will continue investigating our car sales work. There are many sales techniques, strategies and methodologies to close the deal on selling cars. So, let's look at some methods that could be modified in order to increase your sales of cars.
- There is limited parking for customers, so most prospective buyers start at the office doors
- Solution: Depending on your car dealer's philosophy, you may want to start with prospective buyers at your desk, asking questions, or on the lot, looking at the inventory on your property. It would be wise to track which method is more effective. So, tracking the success of desk first, or lot first, would change your method of where you begin your sale process.
- The objections from prospective buyers decrease your sales quota
- Solution: Consider changing your objections-resolution approach. One effective method to overcome objections is rehearsing or role-playing objections responses. The method or technique change is simple; rehearse so much that your response is a habit, a muscle-memory behavior. You'll be closing deals, like nobody's business.
- Prospective customers get impatient waiting on negotiations and/or financing
- Solution: Change procedures to process negotiations in a quick and efficient manner. Put in place strategic and methodological creature comforts for the customer, minimizing the annoyance of waiting for the process to end for the purchase of their new car.
Although methods or procedural changes may be the least common area that goals are missed, they are still important. So many jobs include specific processes and methods. Many of these codified procedures have health and safety safeguards in place. Over time, these tried and true methods also include efficiencies and quality assurance. However, as technologies advance and new equipment or materials are introduced, methods will inevitably need changing. The folks closest to the work see how even one slight change or sequential maneuver can make all the difference and truly revolutionize the work flow, not only hitting the goal, but in many instances crushing the goal.