For automotive service advisors, a sales strategy represents two distinct but equally important goals: the first, of course, is to help promote a competitive advantage for their shop, thereby increasing revenues.
The second goal is to provide automotive customers with the best possible information, service suggestions, maintenance scheduling, and to genuinely help them keep their vehicle in good working order.
The outcomes of these two goals are intrinsically linked—you can’t have one without the other.
1 – Get Additional Auto Training & Certifications
This particular point is first on the list because it’s that important. Additional training, certifications, and education are all major components to being a better salesperson as a service advisor—the more you know, the better you’ll be able to suggest and provide customers with accurate, relevant services. Being able to make smart decisions in a short amount of time is perhaps the best sales “technique” you can have—and getting more experience and education is exactly how to get there.
That’s why BG offers a number of different ways for automotive technicians and service advisors to learn the skills they need for success, such as BG University, a “top down” training program established in 1999 that provides industry-leading automotive education.
BG Certification is another training program offered by BG, a multi-module online education portal that provides certification to auto techs and advisors to prove that they understand how to best use BG products and equipment.
2 – Build, Manage, and Reinforce Your Relationship With the Customer
Essentially all business deals are based on relationships between people—and perhaps even more so in the automotive service industry. When someone decides to bring their vehicle to your shop for the first time, it’s important to start building trust and rapport with them right away. But how?
It ties in with the last point made above. By showing the customer that you really know what you’re talking about, trust can be established. Once you’ve given the customer the information they need about their vehicle (e.g., why they need a certain repair or what the benefit of a certain maintenance task will be), you can present to them your “value message.”
A value message is essentially the part of your sales pitch that sets you apart from the competition. Whether that’s a better price, better job, additional perks, etc., isn’t really what’s important. What matters is how you communicate it to the customer. Speaking of which, let’s take a look at the next step:
3 – Proactive Communication: A Well-Informed Customer is a Happy Customer
This is an easy one, but it’s a sales strategy that a lot of service advisors are missing out on. Pull ahead of them by implementing proactive communication into your usual routine.
In this context, proactive communication means that you’ll keep your customers informed about what’s happening with their service needs. In other words, you’ll take the steps necessary to “keep them in the loop” about what’s happening with their vehicle—when will repairs be completed? Have any other problems or potential maintenance tasks been discovered? Will this effect the price? Do you have their permission to continue with these new tasks?
Great communication means that the customer is more likely to come back again and again, since they haven’t been left in the dark about anything.
4 – Use the Right Tools and Technology
In addition to BG products and equipment (of course!) it’s important for service advisors to have the right tools at their side. That’s why BG developed the BG Advisor app, an app for your mobile device designed to give you fast access to information about any of BG’s products, equipment, services, and customer programs.
Make sure to check out our post about it, How BG Can Give Your Service Advisors Super Powers, where you’ll learn how it works and how to successfully integrate it into a sales environment.
5 – Service Doesn’t Stop After the Sale
After the sale, and even after the customer’s appointment is over, is in some ways when the service really begins. Not only is it the perfect time for an ethical upsell, it’s the sales phase when you can really cement your relationship with a customer. Consider making followup calls to customers, even after routine maintenance. Ask how everything is going—show that you care. This small action takes only a few minutes but can set you apart from other establishments by a fairly wide margin. used by experts.After the sale, and even after the customer’s appointment is over, is in some ways when the service really begins. Not only is it the perfect time for an ethical upsell, it’s the sales phase when you can really cement your relationship with a customer. Consider making followup calls to customers, even after routine maintenance. Ask how everything is going—show that you care. This small action takes only a few minutes but can set you apart from other establishments by a fairly wide margin.
Learn More About The Powerful Benefits of BG Training, Certification, and Industry-Leading Products
If you’re an automotive service technician and you’d like to learn more about BG University or BG Certification, please visit their respective pages on the BG website. If you’re an owner, manager, or decision-maker in the automotive service industry, check out our post How Successful Automotive Service Shops Train Their Employees to learn more about how these programs can make such a positive impact on your business.
