I can’t think of anything simpler and more important than getting management involved in the sales process—early and often.
Think about it…
When we go to a restaurant and somebody comes around and says “hey folks, how’s the meal? Everything okay?” and they’re not our server, we naturally assume they’re a manager, and because of that simple assumption, our dining experience suddenly improves.
Not to mention we also feel acknowledged, important, and appreciated, and are far more likely to return to that restaurant, feel extra-special when we’re there, and complain if something isn’t right or to our liking, since we often feel more comfortable complaining to the “manager” as opposed to telling our front-line sales person or server.
“Things always get better when you meet a manager.”
– Duane Marino
Now, before I go any further, I want to share with you the word track for introducing yourself to the customer.
Here it is…
“Hi, good morning folks. I’m Duane, the Sales Manager here. I help Sarah with availability and pricing, thanks for coming in.”
That’s it.
Nothing crazy.
Nice and simple.
When you’re introducing yourself using this word track, be sure to…
- Emphasize “manager”
- Use everyone’s first name
- State “availability and pricing” specifically to help unpack any customer concerns or questions in those two areas, and so they know what your role is if you have to come in later on.
If you’re a Business Manager, you’ll also what to introduce yourself early and often so you have more rapport when taking the turnover, as well as to be able to address any credit questions or concerns the customer has that they might not be comfortable asking the salesperson directly.
Here’s the word track for F&I Managers…
“Hi folks, I’m Jamie the Financial Services Manager here at the dealership. I work closely with Sarah, and I also represent all the lenders and banks.”
More often than not, this simple introduction helps to uncover and address any credit or financial blocks that would otherwise impede the flow of the sale.
So, with that said, here are 7 ways you can casually introduce yourself throughout the sales process.
Greet the customers as they enter the showroom
I absolutely love seeing Sales Managers be greeters.
They can have instant rapport and connection with customers, and find out a lot of information quickly—much quicker than a salesperson ever could, simply because they’re the “manager”.
Casually walk into a conversation at the “right” time
To act on this tip, you’ll need to GOYA (get off your a–) and MBWA (manage by walking around).
Keep an ear open for any topics of conversation that you can casually insert yourself in and add value, always focusing on moving the sale forward.
Have your sales rep introduce you
Another way managers can get involved in the sales process early and often is by having their sales reps introduce them.
Perhaps the customer has a question that the sales rep can’t answer, or maybe they just want to make the customer feel special by introducing them to a manager early in the sale.
Regardless, alway MBWA and keep an eye and ear open for your sales reps invitation to meet their cusomer.
Flow Tip: Have a “signal” with your salespeople to help indicate if and when it’s okay for you to join the conversation, or if they’d prefer you to stay away.
Be a babysitter
I know, your babysitting days are long behind you, right?!
Well think again.
Using a sales manager as a babysitter is a fantastic opportunity for authority intervention, while keeping the FLOW of the sale alive and well.
For this method to be successful, you MUST train your salespeople to NEVER leave their customer alone for ANY reason. When customers are left alone, they can easily get bored and disengaged, fall out the FLOW, pull out their smartphone and begin “shopping” your vehicle or proposal at other dealerships websites.
FLOW Tip: When babysitting a customer, avoid discussing the vehicle and/or pricing. Instead, make small talk and keep the customer busy until the salesperson returns.
Before the Market Assessment
This is one of my favorite times to get a manger involved in a sale.
Not only is it extremely natural for a manager to introduce themself as the person who’s going to be assessing their trade, it also gives them an opportunity to find out additional information and begin building up some rapport with the customer.
Before the test drive
If you’re a manager who “manages by walking around”, introducing yourself before the customer heads out on a test drive in another natural opportunity.
Simply walk up to the customer with a smile and say
“Hi, I’m Duane the sales manager here. I want to thank you for coming in today and going for a test drive. When you get back, I’ll be the one going over the numbers with Cindy (your sales rep).. Have a great drive and I’ll see you later”
This introduction will set a positive tone for the demo drive by making the customer feel appreciated and important.
At the exit
“Nobody walks until the boss talks”
A word of caution before I explain this method of authority intervention.
Statistically, this is not the only time a manager should be meeting a customer.
The showroom is full of glass, often times the customer can see who the manager is, and if you’re only coming up to them when they’re about to leave it’s likely to make them feel as if they weren’t important enough to warrant an introduction during their visit.
This type of intervention often reeks of high-pressure sales, and doesn’t go over well with today’s consumers.
Not to mention, statistically customer who only meet a manager upon their exit are less likely to return as a “be back” than one who didn’t meet a manager at all.
With that said, I urge you to get involved early in the sale using one of the methods I explained earlier, and use the “exit” intervention as a way to increase be-backs instead of stifling them.
Conclusion
I hope this helped you grasp the importance of a managers involvement in the sale, by showing you seven ways to successfully introduce yourself at each stage of the process.
As a manager, you carry a lot of weight with customers.
A simple introduction can and will go a long way in helping make a sale.
Be sure to educate your sales team on the benefits of authority intervention, as well as review these methods with them often to ensure they can identify the different opportunities when they present themselves.
Are you using authority interventions successfully at your dealership?
Do you have any methods of getting involved in the sale that I may have missed?
Share you thoughts by dropping a comment below.