Internet Marketing Blog

Why Every Sales Person Should Be A Storyteller

Human beings have been passing down information through stories since the beginning of time. Today is no different. As humans, we love stories. We love hearing them. Being a part of them. And even telling them. So how does this relate to selling? Well, the truth is, that each good salesperson should be able to tell a story. This article explains why every salesperson should be a storyteller.

The book, “The Storyteller’s Secret: From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch On and Others Don’t”, explains how people like Survivor series founder, Mark Burnett and even Apple’s own Steve Jobs were made extremely successful through the art of storytelling. Their pitches painted a picture for others to see. Background, trust, and an emotional connection were built on the stories of these top salespeople.

This is something that sometimes lacks in the sales industry. Salespeople forget that people buy things from people they like. They also buy things from people that can paint a story for them that connects to their wants, needs, expectations, and dreams.

Stories of the Future Possibilities

In our online training, six-figure salesperson Chris Paulino talks about closing deals with hypothetical stories painted for the client base. These stories allow the salesperson to connect the customer to the possibilities that the new purchase would give them. Stories also play on the imagination of the consumer and allow them to visualize the picture that the salesperson is trying to paint.

You can also tell stories that explain how your product can help save people from future problems. This will motivate customers to purchase

Stories of Past Successes

Think about the power of a testimonial builds for your business. It’s a story of how your product or service helped solve a problem for the client which usually leaves customers trusting your brand. Amazon and Yelp have built their businesses on these stories from consumers so why should your business be any different?

Like I mentioned above, these stories can be about past customers that you saved from issues. True and authentic stories can build brand and trust with the customer even if they never ever meet the other characters involved. Most likely, they will believe you and trust you even more after one of these narratives.

Stories of Education

Several people learn through stories. Think about how children’s books are set up. Each story teaches some type of lesson through the characters allowing kids to grasp the subject. Adults are no different. They learn from stories. With that being said, salespeople can work storytelling into pitches to teach a certain concept to their audience.

You can teach them about features, product benefits, or other value propositions through your use of these educational stories. This is why every salesperson should be a storyteller.

Whether it’s a pitch, product, or service that you’re trying to sell, stories will make all the difference. So what drives your stories? Share in the comments below!

Charge What You’re Worth

When I look back upon the last decade I spent in business, it’s filled with different stories. Different narratives. Some moments I cringe at, and others I embrace. Yet, there’s part of me that is thankful for all the mistakes I made while growing up in the business world. In each mistake was a lesson, and the biggest lesson was to charge what you’re worth.

In my younger years, I was talented enough to get places, but I didn’t have the character enough to keep me in those same positions. I would be afraid of failure or pressured by “more respected persons” that said my work wasn’t good enough to charge what I knew was fair. This usually gave them a bunch of free labor from me and left me resentful of the work I was doing. That is why the biggest mistake I made while growing up in business was not charging what I was worth. So my advice, charge what you’re worth.

Check People’s Motives

Charging a fair amount for my work was one of the biggest problems I had when I started out in business. I guess it started as a confidence thing. It was true that I knew more than the average bear, but I didn’t feel confident enough in my skills to charge what I deserved to be paid for my services. In that, I ended up doing a lot of unnecessary work for free. It was ridiculous! My friends in the field told me to charge but I had some mentors that explained I should be doing things for free to build my portfolio.

Obviously I think it’s a big deal to have a proper portfolio, but at the same time, I don’t think this means selling yourself short. It is only the clients that I’ve given discounts or not charged a fair amount to that I’ve had problems with when it comes to payment. They either would pay late or not pay at all. It becomes a tug of war match to even get your money from some of them after the work is completed. So be wise, and don’t devalue yourself to please other people.

Never Second Guess Yourself

Never ever second guess yourself when it comes to charging for your work. Charge a fair amount. Be honest. And do what you promised. Everyone in business knows marketing is a lot of trial and error, so if you have a client that pushes you against the wall for a sure outcome explain that there’s no magic formula. Just show your case studies from the past and let them come to their own conclusion.

Think about the ads we all see on tv for weight-loss drugs. These huge results and always in the fine print even says results not typical. Every client is different and so is every marketing push you help set up for them. Don’t get trapped in the anxiety of not delivering dramatic results. Do your best and let it go if they try to downgrade your work so they don’t have to pay a fair amount.

Charge What You’re Worth

Also, it’s important to pick the right clients for you. The truth is, not every person is the right client for you despite what you may think. Niching down and handpicking the RIGHT clients is something that you should be doing. For example, if you are a digital marketer or social media person you need to pick clients that embrace this. Not people that don’t value these things. It’s not your job to convince people to get on the boat but it is your job to help the people that are already on to get to the destination they want.

I hope this helps someone not make the same mistakes I did. Love yourself. Love others. And do the best that you can always!

Stay Pushing,

Tia

Ambition Is Good, But Wisdom Is Better

I feel like a lot of people get caught up doing things they don’t love to do because of fear.

They’re afraid to venture out on their own to start their own businesses or to leave a comfortable office because they might not like anywhere else.

Truly, this is a prison of their own making.

But, alas, they are not the only ones that have experienced fear.

I too have succumbed to fear many times. I’d quit positions because of fear of failure.

I’d give up on dreams because of fear of the unknown.

Yes, the certainty of control grabbed me like it has everyone else.

Yet, when I truly got down to it, I couldn’t imagine myself working somewhere for years to come when my heart was truly in other things.

Not saying it hasn’t been tough to let go of the grasp that I wanted on my own reality, but it has become easier one day at a time.

However, the biggest gift that I have come across. The most satisfying bit of knowledge is that ambition is good, but wisdom is better.

I used to think that chasing after my dreams were giving up all sense of stability and doing whatever I could to make those dreams come true. Although some Cinderalla stories start and end well like this, I live in a reality where that equation doesn’t work.

You see, when there are mouths to feed and people counting on your support for them, it doesn’t really work to make rash decisions that might leave your loved ones out on the curb with no heat or place to go.

So, what do you do if you’re in a position like mine where people depend on you each and every day to take care of them? You don’t make unwise decisions that will leave everyone starving. No, you take care of what you can take care of and take baby steps to get where your goals are.

My grandfather in law was a stonemason. They say his hands were as big as a man’s head and he was one of the hardest workers you’d ever meet.

He dreamt of building a house for him and his family to reside. So do you know what he did? He worked.

Every day he worked at building things and every day he’d take the extra brick from his jobs and lay it aside.

After a while, he had enough brick to build his own home which eventually he did.

He worked hard. He made wise decisions. And he achieved his goal.

He also had some money left over to put in the stock market which eventually made him a millionaire. But, he was humble. He worked hard and was wise with his time and his money.

Ambition Is Good, But Wisdom Is Better.

The problem I see in myself and some others like me is that we rush things. We jump the gun. Our society applauds these rags to riches stories and we eat them up.

Not only does this sometimes leave us making unwise decisions for the dream, but truly it delays our goals from really happening. Obviously we learn from failure, but to make wise decisions in the first place, that’s something that needs to be applauded.

When I first became a Christian, the one thing I wanted more than anything was wisdom.

I prayed for it. I studied it. I wanted it.

Yet, the first gift that I got on all that was a valuable look at myself. Showing me how unwise I really was.

When I was young, I took opportunities that I thought would pan out, and although some benefit came from them, I should have been more set on establishing myself rather than chasing the wind.

In this, I’ve been able to see what really matters and make those SMART goals our teachers were always telling us about.

I still have the tendency to not make wise decisions sometimes both in life and in business. However, the realization that I do this changed me and helped me grow.

So now, approaching my 30’s, I am not perfect, but I am better able to asses certain situations and make the best decision to benefit me and my family at the same time.

The point of this is telling you to not give up on your dreams. But to also not embrace folly and chase after the wind because it’s “popular”.

Ambition is good, but wisdom is better.

Until Next Time, Stay Pushing

Tia

The one who gets wisdom loves life; the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper. Proverbs 19:8

3 Tips For Getting Internet Customers In The Door

Submitting an internet lead for a vehicle is something that is becoming easier and easier with time. There are several well-known lead resources like Cars.com and Edmunds.com which allow customers to surf the web from anywhere to find the perfect vehicle. Once these customers submit their information on a vehicle, it is usually the job of a BDC Rep or Internet Manager to try to get them in the door. However, with the automotive industry growing more and more competitive each day, this can be easier said than done. So in this blog, I give you my top 3 tips for getting internet customers in the door.

Grow Your Dealership With More Internet Leads

Call Quickly

Don’t be slow to dial. Make sure you are calling the lead RIGHT AFTER they submit their info. Getting an internet lead into the dealership is often determined by how quickly the first response comes. Depending on the website they submitted their information to, other dealerships might be calling them too. This means you need to make sure you are on point with your calls and doing your best to call them right when the call comes in. The quicker you are, the better the chance of connecting before your competition does. So don’t be lax, have the alerts sent to your email, cell phone, and computer screen to make sure you don’t miss a beat.

Be Creative and Precise With Your Contact Efforts

Make sure you are calling the fresh leads at least two times the first day they come in. Depending on the time that they come in, you want to make sure you call them at least twice during your shift. If you are working a split shift that day, I’d recommend having a Salesperson call for you after you leave. I understand some BDC Reps might quiver at the thought of this, but I assure you that having a salesperson in your corner to help is something you want. If your dealership doesn’t have this option yet, be sure to ask your Manager about adding it as soon as possible.

The main thing is just doing your best to connect with the lead before they connect with someone else. Two calls, a text (if they’ve opted in), along with two emails on the first day should suffice. You could also go above and beyond and shoot them a message on social media or Facetime / Skype them. This is a creative way to contact and will also make you stand out against the competition.

Don’t Give Away The Farm In The First Email

Don’t give away the farm in the first email. Everyone submitting a lead expects to get a reply but in that, this doesn’t always mean they want the price upfront. So if they don’t ask for it, don’t give it to them until they do.

It’s important to do everything you can to get them in the dealership without being too specific on the pricing. Obviously, if there are specific comments in the original lead submission, I would do my best to answer those in a “roundabout way”. For example, if they submitted their information on a 2020 Hyundai Sonata SEL I would try to get them on the phone AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to do a needs assessment.

A needs assessment will allow you to see what they REALLY want as opposed to the unit they submitted their information on. So in this, you can escape the direct price question they may have asked about in their original lead submission. This allows you the chance to make numerous points of contact before handing away the price.

The more you train on the phone the easier it will be to divert these direct price questions in exchange for more information about your prospect. If you feel you’re not there yet, try getting some extra training on the phones to help you achieve this goal.

The field of automotive internet sales is becoming more and more competitive with each passing day. With that being said, I believe these 3 tips for getting internet customers in the door will help you book more appointments and sell more cars.

Until Next Time, Stay Pushing,
Tia Lentini

Questions about Internet Strategy or my article? Let’s chat! Send me an email at tia@infinitemediaresources.com.

Ways BDC Reps Can Stand Out Against The Competition In 2020

All internet departments are run differently and in that, all internet directors and BDC Reps are different too. But being different is something that makes us unique and helps us stand out against the competition. This blog explains a few different ways BDC Reps can stand out against the competition in 2020.

Get More Internet Leads

The top ways Rep’s can stand out are by implementing these three things into their digital strategy:

1. Introduction Video’s

2. Clean and Helpful Signatures

3. Social Media Strategies

Introduction Videos

One of the things that made the biggest impact on my Internet Manager career was making an Introduction video. This video had “client testimonials” and explained what I could do for my clients. It allowed them to know upfront all the different services that I provided which helped make me more of a person rather than just some imaginary figure behind a keyboard.

Clean and Helpful Signatures

Another thing I did was I made sure that my signature had aesthetic appeal while also including valuable information. I included a custom made graphic that had my picture so customers could recognize me along with all my contact information including my direct cellphone number. This gave them direct access to me without them getting lost in transfers through the dealership receptionist.

Reps can also add a “get approved for financing” option at the bottom of their signature. This makes it easy for customers to click the link and submit their credit directly to the dealership.

Social Media Strategies

Before I started Ron Marhofer Hyundai, there was not a Facebook page for the company. So when I became Internet Manager I made sure to create this page along with a YouTube channel.

Through these social media outlets, I was able to help our customers receive useful information while making it easy for others to find us through social search. I even ended up helping the dealership rank on the first page of Google in our area for the search phrase “How To Pair Your Phone to BlueTooth on Hyundai Sonata”.

The video provided helpful information for our customers and prospects alike. It also gave us a higher ranking for a valuable keyword on Google. Without any promotion, the video itself ended up getting over 100,000 views. Not too bad for a $0 marketing budget.

Learn How To Sell More Cars Online

Change can be a scary thing at first but in the end, you’ll be thankful you tried. With that being said, the more you do these simple things, the more successful you and your dealership will be. Thanks for reading ways BDC Reps can stand out against the competition in 2020 and I look forward to seeing how these tips helped you in 2020.

Until Next Time, Stay Pushing,

Tia Lentini

What Your Internet Department Should Be Doing In 2020

The New Year is a time most people commit to doing things differently. Doing things better. And your Internet Department is no different. This year can be the year that your internet department gains more leads, books more appointments, and help sell more cars. This blog explains what your internet department should be doing in 2020.

Sell More Cars With The Live More Sell More Sales Training

How can you do this you might be asking? Well, you can start by doing a few simple things that will make a whole world of difference.

The first thing your 2020 internet strategy should have in it is the use of video.

Whether you’re using video messaging to communicate with leads, YouTube videos to boost your SEO score, or micro-videos to share on social media, video needs to be on your mind. In a world where pictures are worth 1,000 words, videos are worth 10,000. The more you incorporate video into you’re internet marketing strategy the better.

Get Help With Your Internet Marketing Strategy

The second thing you need to focus on is optimizing your website. This can be done by making sure the user experience is straightforward and seamless. It’s surprising to see how many dealer websites aren’t optimized correctly or even mobile-friendly. I suggest trying the lead submission process yourself along just to see how easy it is for your customers to submit their information. Also, it helps to make at least 3 SWOT analysis of your competitor’s websites to make sure your website is better than theirs. These SWOTS will also give you creative ideas on what to add to your website.

Generate More Leads Today

The final thing your 2020 internet strategy should include is Social Media ads. It’s no surprise that we are becoming an ever more connected society through the use of social media. With that being said, every dealership should be doing their best to harness the power of these tools to gain and convert leads. Platforms like FB and IG provide low-cost ads with supreme laser targeting options for the audience that you want to reach. They also have a built-in CRM which allows you to stay connected and organized while talking to customers on the channel. Apps like YouTube also provide a great way to build up your SEO score while providing valuable information to your customer base.

2020 can be a fantastic year for your internet department to flourish.