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The Product
Support sales force has been in existence in some dealerships
for as long as 35 years. Perhaps it is time to examine the
personality and job profile that we have out in the field.
We have by now, in many cases, segmented our marketplace and
designed PSSR territories to maximize customer coverage and
allow us the opportunity to assist the customer in keeping
owning and operating costs to a minimum. That is all well
and good.
We have,
however, allowed the salesman to determine the stance and
strategy that we employ with each of our customers. We have
done this by not creating a strategy for market coverage and
specific plans for each customer. That, by itself is not necessarily
good. Some times the salesman doesn't get along with individuals
within the customers' business. Sometimes he is just protecting
the business that we get. In fact, rarely does the dealership
determine the sales strategy that is employed with customers.
It is done by default by the salesman.
I want
to get you thinking about your parts and service market coverage
in two directions.
1. Customers
who provide us a large portion of their business and where
we might be vulnerable to a more aggressive competitor.
2. Customers
with whom we have a significant opportunity to increase our
portion of business.
With these
scenarios, the salesman has to take on two different personalities.
A hugging mentality or a hunting mentality.
First,
let's talk about the huggers. Most of our product support
salesmen take on a public relations role when working with
our customers. They visit the same people and essentially
keep open lines of communication and try to assist the customer
with their needs.
They regularly
call on those customers they perceive to be most important
to the dealership and themselves. They try to assure that
any problems that the customer has with the dealer are resolved
and occasionally they are expensive delivery people, taking
parts to the customer.
But what
is the goal of improving sales penetration with each customer?
Normally, they don't have one. They just make sure that everything
is all right with the customer, and that the relationship
between the dealer and customer is healthy. While important,
this is not the complete job. There is much more to the job
than simply making sure that everything is all right. There
is selling.
Now, let's
turn to the hunters. These people are salesman. These individuals
pursue business. They know their customers' buying habits.
They know the machine population and potential for each customer.
They present programs to customers for their consideration.
In other words these people are salespeople in the classic
sense.
Each week
they have a plan. They know whom they are going to call on
and for what reason. They know the customers. They know your
products and services. And they know the relationship that
exists between your dealership and the customer.
Rarely,
but occasionally, do they deliver parts. That is not really
part of the job. They are concerned with helping the customer
reduce the owning and operating costs for the equipment and
protecting the residual value. They are focused on customer
retention. Now this is what selling really is all about.
Now, let's
cut to the basics. As with all selling jobs, there are several
necessities that need to be covered.
- We
need to assign specific customers to salesmen
- We
need to have detailed information on these customers, such
as names and addresses, machine population, purchase history
and competitive knowledge
- We
need to have objectives for specific products and services
- We
need to have call history and results
In other
words, we need to have clear and detailed sales strategies
and plans. These strategies and plans need to outline in specific
detail what we are aiming at with each customer.
In parts,
what are the targets for sales for each commodity? What are
the potential sales for each of the commodities? In service,
what are the target repairs for each machine? What are the
goals for maintenance contracts? We must have a detailed plan
for each customer and each machine. That is the only way we
can ensure we are covering the market properly.
Perhaps
you need to take a close look at your operation and ask the
key question: Are your sales people huggers or hunters.
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