By Bob Cooper

 

#1. In order for people to buy from you, three things need to occur: they need to like you, trust you and view you as a credible expert. Accordingly, the first thing you need to sell to any caller is you; not your shop, or any repair. The best way to accomplish this goal is by smiling, answering the phone with a salutation, providing the caller with your name and the name of your company, and then ending with a question that invites a response. For example, "Thank you for calling Elite Auto Care! This is Bob! How can I help you?"

 

#2. Remember, your tonality on the phone is critical to your success. A study performed at UCLA (University of California Los Angeles), concluded that when it comes to what influences people during a sale, 55% is what the customer sees, 38% is the tonality of the salesperson, and the words used by the salesperson account for only 7% of the sale. Since the caller can’t see you, they will be far more influenced by your tonality than by the words you use. This is why you need to slow down, smile, and speak with genuine interest and compassion.

 

#3. You should always take notes, and repeat back the information the caller provides you with. This not only helps start a relationship with the caller, but it shows that you are listening to them, it keeps them engaged, and it causes them to actively listen, rather than formulating more questions for you. This is one of the best-kept secrets to controlling the conversation, and bringing in more first-time callers.  

 

#4. As soon as comfortably possible you need to get on a first-name basis with the caller. By doing so, you will be taking the relationship from one between caller and service advisor to one between Bob (service advisor) and Mike (caller). You should typically be able to get on this first-name basis after the first two exchanges. If you need to obtain the caller’s name, an easy way to do so is by providing your name first: "By the way, my name is Bob. May I ask who I am speaking with?"

 

#5. Let go of the age-old belief that these callers are only interested in price.  The reason most people ask for a price is because they don’t know the questions they should be asking (how long the shop has been in business, whether or not they employ certified technicians, if they are approved by AAA, etc.). Accordingly, most callers ask for a price to get the conversation started.

You spend a lot of money to make your phone ring, and every lost call not only costs you a fortune, but as soon as that first-time caller hangs up, you can rest assured that they’ll be calling that shop down the street. Share this message with your entire staff today, and start bringing in more of those precious first-time callers.  

For additional help increasing your shop’s sales, learn more about Elite’s Masters Service Advisor Training Program.