"If I can, would you.."

The Art & Science of marketing Manufactured Homes. Retailers, sales people community operators and managers share experiences.
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Toby Hise

"If I can, would you.."

Post by Toby Hise » Sun May 12, 2002 7:48 am

Over the past seventeen years, I have had the opportunity to train many sales people. Of all the selling tools, the selling tool that seems to be the hardest for sales people to maintain is his or her sales manager. New sales people use the sales manager due to the fact that they are in the learning process and need input from the sales manager on a regular basis during their training. However, as soon as the sales person thinks they have learned it all (which no one ever does), they seek the assistance of their sales manager less and less. It is at this point that their sales begin to diminish.

At some point in during the sale, the sales person must go for the close. This is especially true when the customer is throwing buying signals. If the sales person is really listening to the customer instead of talking to much, buying signals are easy to read. It is how the sales person reacts to the buying signal that increases or decreases his or her odds in closing the sale.

Using the sales manager to close more sales:
It is a very simple selling technique that all sales people regardless of experience should employ. It is called, "If I can, would you." It is simple, yet it cuts to the chase and calls for a buying decision on the customers part. This technique is not to be used at random, but only when the sales person has listened enough to determine the customers greed button or the real obstacle that is holding the customer back from making a buying decision today.

Here is one example of when to use this closing technique and to employ the sales manager.

The customer is buying a home to be place on private property. The sales person has done a good job in asking the right questions and has learned that the customer has to have a septic tank installed. This little gold nugget of information should be stored in the memory banks to close the sale. The customer wants a particular home, but in his or her mind, they can't buy because they just don't have enough money for a down payment and a septic tank. This is a money obstacle and this is where the "If I can, would you" needs to come into play.

"Mr. Customer, I know you really love and want this home. From what you have told me, you need a septic tank, but you don't have the money to have one installed at this time. You have said that you need to save some more money for the septic tank before you can purchase your home. I don't know if I can do this, but, IF I CAN GET THE SALES MANAGER TO AGREE TO INSTALL A SEPTIC TANK FOR YOU AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU, WOULD YOU BUY TODAY?" There it is. Now you are about to find out whether the customer has really been sold on you, the dealership, and your product.

Again, this is a simple, yet powerful closing technique. It can be used in many different scenarios, but again only when the customer's real needs are determined, or when the customer hit you over the head with a very strong buying signal.

Carl Davidson

Re: "If I can, would you.."

Post by Carl Davidson » Sun May 12, 2002 7:58 am

Thanks for your contribution. Nicely put and a good technique. I want to add 2 points. One is, it doesn't have to be a discount as in Toby's example. For instance, if you know that getting delivery before July 4th is a big issue, you can use that, "If I can get it delivered before the 4th, would you go ahead today?"

I also want to say that good managers make sure the sales people continue to use them on a regular basis. In our tape SALES MANAGEMENT SECRETS,

Carl Davidson

Re: "If I can, would you.."

Post by Carl Davidson » Sun May 12, 2002 7:58 am

Thanks for your contribution. Nicely put and a good technique. I want to add 2 points. One is, it doesn't have to be a discount as in Toby's example. For instance, if you know that getting delivery before July 4th is a big issue, you can use that, "If I can get it delivered before the 4th, would you go ahead today?"

I also want to say that good managers make sure the sales people continue to use them on a regular basis. In our tape SALES MANAGEMENT SECRETS,

Carl Davidson

Re: "If I can, would you.."

Post by Carl Davidson » Sun May 12, 2002 8:01 am

Woops, my message got cut off there. As I was saying, our album Sales Management Scerets suggests that the manager speak to each customer before they leave AND that the sales manager or owner call everyone who does not buy the next day to find out why they didn't buy and to get them to come back in. Those of you who are managers must make sure you maintain the control that Toby is speaking about or you just made every salesman you have the manager!!!

Toby Hise

Re: "If I can, would you.."

Post by Toby Hise » Tue May 14, 2002 6:27 pm

Yes, I agree that sales managers should be involved with their sales people's sales, which brings up another issue in how dealers employ sales managers. Most dealers want their cake and eat it two. In other words, they want a sales manager who can manage sales, service, delivery and setup, advertising, finance, AND sell also. Why? Because dealers think they cannot afford to pay anyone who isn't actually selling to earn their keep.

I feel strongly that dealers actually lose sales because the sales managers are having to feed their families through personal sales, therefore, they cannot always be available at critical times when his/her sales personnel need them the most. Thus, the sales person manages him/herself.

Follow up is very important and has to be done, however, the most critical time for selling is when the customer is face to face with the sales person. To many variables come into play as soon as the customer leaves the location.

The automobile industry understands this.

What is your thought on this?

Carl Davidson

Re: "If I can, would you.."

Post by Carl Davidson » Sat May 18, 2002 9:21 am

I agree with Toby completely. If a store really wnats to sell it needs a full time sales manager. If a store has 5 salespeople, the manager is always recruiting and replacing one. If the sales team writes up 2 families per day (and they should), it will take the manager time to train, recruit, supervise, follow up, help to close and supervise set up and and finance. This may seem like and expense to dealers but I can tell you that EVERY dealership I know with a good full time manager - far outperforms those without. Look at it this way. Without a full time manager, you are allowing each salesperson to manage themselves. Look around and ask if they have the ability, ambition and drive to do that. I recommend that all dealers and managers use our training album - 12 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL MANAGERS

Ronda Hughes

Re: "If I can, would you.."

Post by Ronda Hughes » Tue Sep 24, 2002 8:58 am

Bravo and I agree! What a great point!




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