Session one: Presentation and demonstration
The classroom is not the place to go into the specifics of each model. It would take way too long to do that. I remind the class of something I had said earlier in the session: If they learn just five new things a day, at the end of 30 days they will have learned 150 things to talk about with their customers. Sixty days later, they will know 300 new things.
As a manager, I used to give each new salesperson a particular model to study. The next day I would ask him or her some questions about that model. Many times he or she knew the answers, but did not know why it was an important feature.
That means many of them were only speaking the words without the understanding. It is hard to put on a great show when you don’t know why you said something. This is okay. I am glad they knew the answers and in a couple of minutes I could explain the benefits to the features that they mentioned as well as others. Then I would give them another new model to study up on for the next day’s quiz.
I also let them know that they can give out too much information and bore their customer to death. A salesperson should learn all that he or she can about the bikes, but keep his or her presentation simple to understand and easy to follow.
Between the manager, brochures and the endless information the salesperson can find online it only takes their Gotta-Wanna attitude and desire to end up feeling comfortable with the inventory in a relatively short time. I can teach many things, but I have never been able to teach someone who did not have a Gotta-Wanna mannerism. As it is with horses, you can’t get a salesperson to take a drink of good information if they are not thirsty for knowledge.
As for demonstrations, every dealership has its own criteria for a test ride. Whatever yours is, the first day of sales training would be a good time to go over it.
I let the class know that we are going to pretty much skip over step 4 — The Presentation and Demonstration — I want them to know that just because we are skipping that step for time’s sake that I don’t want to belittle it. Both the presentation and the demonstration are very important steps that will help salespeople gain the trust and friendship of their customers.
This is the 21st part in a series of blogs about hiring new salespeople. To read the previous blogs in this series, click here.
Steve Lemco is the youngest brother of the late Ed Lemco and has been doing sales training and hiring for motorcycle dealers since 1983. He is the author of three sales books, the new “Training and Hiring New Salespeople,” “Motorcycle Sales Made Easy” and “You Gotta-Wanna.” Steve has trained in every state in the U.S., as well as England, France, Australia and New Zealand. Steve incorporates motivational boards and games along with his training and hiring because he believes the best way to get the job done is to make it fun.
Contact: stevelemco@aol.com
Website: www.stevelemco.com
Phone: 253/826-6110
