JD Powers Study: Auto Dealerships Find Customer Satisfaction is Linked to Better Trained Sales Staff

Nov. 29, 2010 - PRLog -- According to a recently released J.D. Powers and Associates 2010 U. S. Sales Satisfaction Index Study, the manner in which a customer is treated by the dealership is more important to overall new vehicle buyer satisfaction than the actual transaction price.
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Automotive Training & Development is proud to announce it’s free downloadable guide: How You Can Develop A great Sales Team, Avoid Costly Turnover, and Accelerate Sales and Profits. The guide provides five core strategies for unleashing the potential of your sales force: (1) eliminating “hit or miss” hiring practices; (2) stepping up training for  new hires; (3) providing advanced training for your existing personnel; (4) using non-traditional measures of sales performance; and (5) creating a positive work environment that can motivate your sales team and minimize the revolving door at your dealership.

For each strategy, the guide includes a number of useful tips. For example, too many sales managers fall into the trap of hiring someone who has mastered Job Interviewing 101, but doesn’t know the first thing about selling vehicles. Others wind up hiring someone who has poisoned relationships in prior work settings and is likely to do so again. To avoid these hiring pitfalls, the guide provides specific recommendations such as developing clear job specifications and criteria; carefully screening applicants’ resumes and finding any gaps in performance history; making 20-minute follow-up phone calls to check out those gaps; using the “80-20” rule to interview candidates (20 percent talking and 80% listening); having at least two people conduct the interviews; and carefully checking references.

Another strategy involves non-traditional performance measurement. Virtually every dealership tracks the performance of their sales professionals on key indicators such as the closing ratio, sales per month, profit per sale, and customer satisfaction (CSI). How many look at critical statistics like the number of customers who walk out the door before they even select or test drive a vehicle, the number who never get to a TO, or the number who don’t receive a follow-up call after they leave the showroom without making a purchase? These performance measures can tell you  a lot about your sales force and areas in need of improvement.

To learn more about these and the other strategies, simply go to www.automotivetraining.us.and download your free copy.

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At Automotive Training and Development, we specialize in motivating and inspiring sales professionals to be great through our carefully designed and proven training methods. Unlike most other training companies that focus solely on “the 10 steps to a sale,” we focus on three things: the psychology of sales, adding value throughout the sales process, and the importance of continuous learning and improvement. ATD offers three professional development services depending on your needs—recruitment and training for new hires, advanced training for seasoned professionals, and management training for sales managers. Each is designed to significantly increase your sales, profits, and CSI. For more information, check out our web site at www.automotivetraining.us, call 888-717- 2010, or email fgslabine@automotivetraining.us