Kathy Kimmel, Cars.com

Jason Cohen, Paramus HondaBill Phillips, AIM

Nancy PointduJour, Brunswick Toyota

On the LinePhone Skills Set the Stage for Winning the Deal

Welcome

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Have a question?• Enter your question by clicking on the question mark in the lower right

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Include your:• Name, organization name, state

Your Host

Kathy Kimmel• Cars.com manager of automotive

consulting and dealer training• 15+ years automotive experience• Featured speaker at 2008 NADA and

NIADA national conventions• Featured in leading trade publications

as an industry expert and contributing author

Today’s Presenters

Jason Cohen• Internet & BDC Sales Director,

Paramus Honda• Paramus, NJ• 8 years experience in automotive retail

Today’s Presenters

Bill Phillips• President/founder, Automotive Internet

Management Inc.• Irvine, CAL• 20 years experience in automotive

retail and consulting

Today’s Presenters

Nancy PointduJour• Business Development Manager /

Internet Manager, Brunswick Toyota• North Brunswick, NJ• 5 years experience in automotive retail

Objectives for Today’s Call

In today’s call, we will discuss how to:• Identify and groom salespeople with excellent telephone communication

skills• Use the phone to effectively follow-up with email lead senders• Engage callers in meaningful dialogue• Create phone scripts that put you in control of the conversation• Use the phone to set appointments and move closer to a sale• Monitor and evaluate the quality of your calls to ensure ongoing sales

success

Phone Skills Drive Sales

With internet shoppers, the phone is your primary sales tool• Inbound calls• Outbound calls• Email follow-up

Cars.com shoppers are three times more likely to contact you by phone than email*

* Cars.com Internal Reporting, July 2008

Staff for the Sale

Where do you recommend finding top-notch people?• Do you search outside of automotive

retail?

How do you qualify sales and BDC professionals?• What requirements do you list in the

job posting?• What interview processes do you

recommend? Do you screen candidates prior to a formal interview?

What initial and ongoing training do you provide?

Prepare Your Team for the Phone

Scripts can lay the foundation for success:• How do you use phone scripts or

word tracks with your sales staff / BDC agents for inbound and outbound calls?

• How did you develop the scripts and word tracks you’re currently using?

How have the scripts / word tracks improved business?

Use the Phone to Connect With Buyers

Six secrets to winning on the phone:

• Preload your online listings• Listen, talk carefully• Open your inventory• Sell your store’s value• Use the strategic hold• Ask for the appointment

Secret 1: Preload Your Online Listings

Preload your online listingsHow do you ensure you can quickly access up-to-date information about your inventory?

“Are you still online? Great! Let’s take

a look at the car you’re interested in…”

• Ensures you see what the customer sees in real time

• Creates an online demo of the vehicle’s benefits and features

• Opens the customer to other options

Working Words

Secret 2: Listen, Talk Carefully

Listen, talk carefully

How do you demonstrate to the car buyer that you’re listening to them?

How do you encourage car buyers to provide the information you need?

What tools do you use to keep track of the information car buyers provide?

How do you strategically use words?• “Sure” versus “I’d be happy to help”• “OK” or “uh-huh” versus “My pleasure”

Secret 3: Open Your Inventory

Open your inventoryHow do you use car buyers’ information (e.g., wants, needs and budget) to match them with appropriate vehicles?

“Is it that particular vehicle or the nicest

one like it?”

• Allows you to better understand how the consumer arrived at their vehicle choice

• Provides opportunity to introduce other vehicles available

Working Words

Secret 4: Sell Your Store’s Value

Sell your store’s value

What information do you provide to encourage the car buyer to purchase from you and your dealership?• Industry recognition• Community reputation• Location• Inventory/selection

How do you give the car buyer a reason not to call your competitors?

Secret 5: Use the Strategic Hold

Use the strategic holdHow do you create a natural pause in the conversation to give the car buyer time to process the information you’ve provided and to get the information they’ve requested?

“Thanks so much for that information. I’d like to take a minute to look

through some other options that may fit your needs. May I place you on hold for a minute?”

• Gives you an opportunity to review the information they’ve provided

• Ask for their phone number in case you’re disconnected

Working Words

Secret 6: Ask for the Appointment

Ask for the appointment

What reasons do you give the car buyer to schedule an appointment?• How do you ask for the appointment to encourage the car buyer to agree

to a specific time versus simply answering yes or no?• How do you ensure the appointment is worth car buyers’ time?

What information should you provide and request from car buyers to ensure they keep their appointments?

How do you confirm appointments?

What will you do to follow-up with the car buyer after the appointment? How do you respond if the appointment is missed?

Monitor Calls for Ongoing Sales Success

What tools do you use to monitor calls?

Who monitors the calls?

How often are calls monitored?

How do you share feedback to drive improved performance?

Review

With internet advertising, the phone remains one of your most important sales tools.

Ongoing training, monitoring ensures your sales staff and BDC agents effectively use the telephone.

Leverage phone scripts / word tracks to ensure your sales process is consistently followed.

Remember the six secrets to sales success:• Preload your online listings• Listen, talk carefully• Open your inventory• Sell your store’s value• Use the strategic hold• Ask for the appointment

Cars.com Resources for Online Success

Cars.com gives you the confidence that comes with knowledge and personal attention. Gain access to tools and resources to drive online success and merchandise your inventory more effectively at no additional cost. (http://dealers.cars.com/resources)

• Your local sales representative – Our knowledgeable staff is ready to assist you as well as answer any questions you might have

• Local training – Attend one of Cars.com’s local training workshops for a hands-on educational experience

• DealerADvantage monthly enewsletter – Subscribe and get tips and techniques to maximize your online investment (http://dealers.cars.com/subscribe)

• DealerADvantage LIVE – Tune in to our free monthly webinars, packed with advice from expert trainers and the best dealers in the industry (http://dealers.cars.com/live)

Register Now for Our Next Event

When First in Doesn’t WinDriving Sales With a Quality Lead Response

• Noon ET, Friday, Sept. 14, 2008• Register at http://dealers.cars.com/live• Host: Ralph Ebersole, Cars.com• In this free webinar, we’ll discuss how to:

Meet consumers’ expectations with quality email and phone responses

Effectively use your response to start a dialogue with the shopper

Get the most out of your response by selling the value of buying at your store

Develop email templates and phone scripts that help you consistently deliver quick, quality responses

Monitor lead response times and quality to make ongoing refinements

Questions & Answers

Thank You & Good Luck