For cave-dwelling prehistoric man, if they were going to eat, they had to get up, leave the cave and go get dinner. Rarely, unless it was a cave dwelling bear or lion coming back to claim their cave, did a meal just show up on their proverbial front door.
On occasion, in this business it's the same for us. If you want to build your customer base, sometimes you have to leave the cave. What follows is one of the best ways to do just that. But before we talk about this approach, I want to talk about mindsets. You may have to slow down to speed up.
Trust - The Syn3 of Sales
In sports, when an athlete perceives they are "behind," they often press. This means they try too hard to succeed. When a batter presses, he almost always strikes out or hits the ball directly to a fielder. When a golfer presses, she almost always overshoots the hole.
When a salesperson gets behind on sales targets or commissions, they might "press." They appear desperate, uncertain, and often ask for the business way too early. What you have to do, first and foremost, is get in the correct mindset. Don't concentrate on you (your commissions), instead think of them (how can you be of service to the customer). The one thing I've learned in 30 years of selling is this: do the right things, and do them consistently, and success will come.
Mark's Five Point Plan for Going Out and Getting Business
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Find target rich off-site settings: For example, Quaker Steak and Lube restaurants (or similar burger places) often host a bike night or hot rod night. You need to be at these events. Potential customers are there in a relaxed "non-sales" setting.
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Identify other brand cruiser riders: Why? Well these people have the highest likelihood of future conversion. They are interested and active motorcyclists. They more than likely are already licensed and are familiar with motorcycling insurance requirements. Don't target the sport bike guy (yet), don't target the more exotic bike person, and don't target the hot rod guy, go first for the other brand cruiser riders.
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Hang around their bike: Trust me; loitering around someone's motorcycle will attract attention. In a short period of time the owner will appear and when they do you simply smile and say, "Nice bike." And shut up.
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Create a connection: How do you do that? Politely introduce yourself (using your first and last name, you're not Beyoncé). Ask questions (When did you get it? How much do you ride? What do you like about it?) Let them talk (You'll be more impressive if you let them impress you). Ask follow up questions (Interesting. Can you tell me more?). Be complimentary of their decisions and knowledge.
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Invite them to come for a comparison evaluation: Simply say,
"As I mentioned, my name is Mark Rodgers, and I work for Hannum's Harley-Davidson. We're looking for intelligent motorcyclists -- such as yourself -- to consider doing us a favor. Harley-Davidson has recently developed a new engine called the Milwaukee Eight, and we're looking for knowledgable riders of different kinds of motorcycles to tell us what they think about it. No gimmicks, no gotchas, we're simply looking for feedback. And if you are willing to help us out, we've got a cool t-shirt in it for you. What do you think?"
If the rider's response is positive, pull out your phone, and give some options for dates and times. If the response is negative, simply say, "Understand completely. Let me give you my card, and if you change your mind, the offer stands."
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The Final Step for Success
For people who take you up on your offer, roll out the red carpet. When they arrive, greet them at the door. Make it a big deal. Introduce them around. Give them a great non-sales tour of your dealership.
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Next follow our Test Ride protocol that we've talked about in these newsletters and in our workshops (Follow these guidelines and I can almost guarantee results. Don't, and all bets are off). In your after-ride evaluation and form completion (again, find this in our archives), remember to ask them what they think of the Milwaukee Eight engine and at the end ask them, "What do you think?"
Unless they say, "I've got to buy this now!" (Hey, it happens), I want you to be cool. Tuck your burning desire to close aside for a bit and simply smile, shake their hand and say, "Harley-Davidson. We'd love to see you on one."
Thank them for their feedback and calmly walk them out.
Then stay in touch until they join our family, which will be sooner than you think.
