The Super Bowl is settled for Feb. 9, and one team is going to be the big winner. The same is true for dealers who have been to or are heading for their area boat show, like the Seattle Boat Show that leads the Pacific Northwest region and opens on Friday.
But what happens after the excitement and action at the show ends and the focus turns back to the dealership? Sure, you’ve just met hundreds of prospects. You even have a good list of follow-ups. Your next moves should be obvious, but studies have found that salespeople fail to follow up with half the list, give up too soon, or fail to follow-up completely.
Surprisingly, the data show most sales pros give up too soon — the majority, in fact. Statistics shows 20% of salespeople make 80% of the sales. Why? Because the winners stay the course and close the prospects with whom the losers failed to follow-up.
The Super Bowl will surely be a great show, pitting the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of the 2023 championship game. But it reminds me of author and founder of Fast Company, William C. Taylor, and his comment in the Harvard Business Review suggesting the gridiron is a terrible metaphor for business. Indeed, the leaders who look to sports for ideas will be sorely disappointed. Here’s why Taylor contends that making analogies between sports and business isn’t a good idea.
“The logic of competition and success is completely different,” Taylor says. In football, for example, for one team to win the championship, every other team must lose. The logic of business competition should be nothing like this. The most successful companies, those that win big and create the most economic value, worry less about beating the competition than about delighting and amazing their own customers.
“Virtually every industry has room for plenty of different winners,” Taylor says, “each of which is great at serving a distinct piece of the market or a certain set of customers.”
For those in the marine industry, Taylor’s observation about less concern with the dealer down the street and more focus on building a great customer base is the path to more economic value, (i.e., dealership profits).
Studies reveal that 50% of sales happen after the fourth contact, but most reps give up after two. So the salesperson who establishes a contact at the boat show and makes just a single follow-up will likely miss the boat.
Here are some suggestions to boost follow-up in the dealership.
Always respond Want to build a strong customer following? Always respond with “I will,” not “I’ll try.” Think about all the people who say, “I’ll try to get back to you tomorrow.” Seldom do. Moreover, the right choice of words can help get the job done, says George Walther, author of Power Talking: 50 Ways To Say What You Mean and Get What You Want.
Think differently Under the golden arches on Valentine’s Day last year, the idea of “I’m Lovin’ It” took on new meaning at a Tampa, Fla., McDonalds. A section was transformed with table service, refills, LED candles and flowers. Those making phone reservations also received a complimentary red rose. Meanwhile, a McDonald’s in Southport, N.C., is expected to offer its fourth annual Valentine’s Dinner next month. Paramours enjoying McNuggets is a great idea that can be fun, newsworthy and successful. Try something different in the dealership showroom.
Win with a vote The recent presidential election magnified the most important leverage point in any political campaign: getting out the vote. In other words, if the people who believe in you turn out, you win. This should be true for every dealership, too. Author/blogger Seth Godin says your business probably doesn’t need as many new customers as you might think. “You will generate more impact if you reconnect with the people who already know and trust you,” he says.
Add value You have two choices: “Add value or stay home,” said author/speaker Howard E. Hayden. Whether a dealership team member is in top management, sales, parts, service or supplies, everyone must learn to stand in the customer’s shoes and see the dealership through the their eyes. How do they see what you are providing and the way you provide it? Every employee should view what they do from the customer’s perspective. Moreover, always look for a way to contribute to the value that customer can receive in every contact.
A changed world With the internet, 24-hour news cycles, social media and the pace of economic ups and downs, it could be easy for a dealership to lose its way. To keep the ship on course, double down with staff on the pledge of the business: to provide a trouble-free, family experience with every boat, every time. Tell customers and prospects. An example of this comes from Gary Kelly, former chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines, who emphasized such a winning formula to all employees. So there was no mistake who is most important, every employee’s paystub was signed: “Our Southwest Customers.”
Overall, interactions by the dealership team, whether show follow-up prospect or with an existing customer, must always aim at adding value to the product and building an enduring relationship. That way you’ll always win the game.
