Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/231891
20 • December 30, 2013 • Powersports Business SOLUTIONS www.PowersportsBusiness.com RETAIL REMEDIES ww T Use the 15/15 rule for initial customer greeting No, I'm not going to talk about "Season's greetOn rare occasions, someone actually ings ..." I want to discuss the terrible state of greeted me promptly and tried to establish a greetings in most businesses today — in parrelationship. On RARE occasions, that is. The ticular, our powersports dealerships. really sad part is this seems to be happening As a part of my job for one of our OE less often than in the past. Are we not trainclients, I was to assess the state of the sales ing our people any more, or are we just hiring department of some of their dealers. the wrong folks to work in our stores? Then I was tasked with providing Have we forgotten the basic rules of training to increase the effectivesales and customer satisfaction? The ness of their sales processes and greeting is where it all starts. improve their customer satis"You never get a second chance faction. The goal was to set the to make a first impression." There is stage for creating a "customer for a reason for clichés — they are generlife" culture within the dealerally true. This one certainly is. If I ship — and to get the entire staff were looking to purchase a new bike, focused on this. or ATV, or snowmobile, I would be Since the employees did not STEVE JONES far more likely to do so from a dealer know me, I would try to arrive who actually greeted me promptly at the dealership the day before the engageand properly, established a relationship and ment was to begin. I wanted to know what probed me for my wants and needs. things looked like from the customer's perAs you know, we believe in total store sales spective. It was not unusual to walk in and and customer service training. Everyone in a wander around without ever being greeted. dealership who might come in contact with a In one case, I clocked 42 minutes wandering customer needs to know some basic steps: around a very nice dealership without one person ever speaking to me! Unbelievable, 1. When and how to properly greet perhaps, but true. a customer. On the occasions when I was greeted, it was This would include a written policy for how often the dreaded "Can I help you?" which I quickly the customer is greeted. The 15/15 blew off with the standard, "No thanks, just rule is popular: Every customer must be looking …" The salesperson would then disgreeted within 15 feet or 15 seconds of enterappear for the rest of my visit. ing the store. Some dealers add a policy for greeting any customer that passes by you in the store as well. This helps reinforce a "family" atmosphere and shows your staff cares. Basic word tracks should be included in your policy. For example: "Welcome to Bob's, what brought you to our store today?" Greeting policies should also carry over to the phone. A basic script should be stuck on every phone. For example: "Thanks for calling Bob's Motorcycle Store; this is Fred in parts; how may we help you today?" attentively to their answers. The listening part is critical. Restate and clarify what you thought you heard to ensure you are heading in the right direction. 2. Try to build a relationship. Another part of this is finding common ground so you can build rapport with the customer. Start with something unrelated to sales such as — "I sure like the way you customized your bike, how do you like it?" or maybe "I like your Broncos hat — did you watch the game last week?" The goal here is to get them to open up and to establish a relationship so you can take the next step. Stop thinking of this as only a sales department process. At its simplest it could be your hydro-tech (wash person) who is approached by a customer. They should be able to greet the customer, find out that they need the parts department and fulfill that need by walking them to the parts department while continuing a friendly conversation on the way. These are essential steps for your parts counter staff, as well as your service writers. Train them and watch your sales and CSI score improve! PSB 3. Uncover their wants and needs. This is the probing step. You need to know these details if you are to find the right products or services that will satisfy them. The basic methodology here is asking openended questions (who, what, where, when, why, how) while listening carefully and 4. Satisfy their wants and needs. This is where you apply all the information you have acquired. Keep in mind that satisfying needs while ignoring wants can lead to an unhappy customer. The highest CSI scores come from customers whose wants have been fulfilled along with their needs. Steve Jones is senior projects manager at Gart Sutton & Associates. He has worked in the powersports industry for more than 30 years, for dealerships and manufacturers, and as a consultant and trainer. Contact him at steve@gartsutton.com. B s o Of sur of t Th 20 day the mo Fo ers sto (14 on ing tot con giv V-t Th 20 sal det con We we stu ste tha ran bu las dat un CH Fo Vave 20 inc pe 20 inc P20x21-PSB1-Solutions.indd 20 12/18/13 11:18 AM