Upselling--It's not really selling,
at all
Know the techniques that make customers
want to buy
By John Antonis
Reprinted with permission from Modern Car Care, the
premier magazine of Car Care professionals.
For more information, visit www.moderncarcare.com.
There has been much written about increasing sales
at an auto service facility. Certainly there are many  processes
and techniques that lead to increased sales; however, I would suggest
to you that not selling is really the best technique of all.
The best sales presentation you can make is not to
try and sell a customer, but to clearly present information and then
make it easy for the customer to say yes or no. After all, no one
really likes to be sold, but most people appreciate being given information
that will help them take better care of their car. Focus on presenting
information and giving the customer the opportunity to make an informed
decision. Don't focus on selling.
The following are several suggestions that will help
make the process of increasing revenue per car easier and more effective:
Preparing the customer for
a presentation
Often, customers are predisposed to not listen to
a service review presentation because they did not expect it. How
many times have you approached a customer and before you could say
anything, he informs you that he is not interested in hearing anything
about his car? He only wants you to change his oil. Well, this response
obviously comes from some previous experience the customer has had
either at your facility, or at some other business. Don't take it
personally. Instead, try to prepare your customer to receive a presentation
from you. One way to do this is to let him know that, as part of the
check-in process, someone will be doing a service review. Another
is to create an attractive poster that informs the customer that the
service review is an important part of the service process. The way
in which you word these communications is important and will require
some thought and preparation.
Timing is important
When you offer a customer an opportunity to purchase
additional products or services is very important in  determining
whether he will purchase a recommended service. Imagine you are at
a restaurant. When your meal is finished, it takes a long time before
anyone comes to clear your plates. Another 10 or 15 minutes goes by,
and then someone comes to ask you if you would like dessert. Even
though you may have initially wanted dessert, if you are made to wait
too long you may be inclined to just say no. This is not because you
wouldn't like dessert, but the waiting has curbed your desire to extend
your stay with dessert. A transmission service is not as sweet and
inviting as a piece of double- layered chocolate pie, but the "waiting
too long" dynamic also applies to the customers in your business.
If a customer is in for a service, (in this case let's assume an oil
change) the typical time for this service is 15 minutes. Let's say
you wait until the service is almost complete--13 minutes has elapsed--and
you then advise the customer of another service he may need. You may
then lose the sales opportunity simply because the customer had already
established a timeline in his mind. Since you waited, the additional
service will over extend his allowed timeframe. However, if you had
informed the customer within five or six minutes of when his service
started, you would then be letting him know in advance how much time
the extra service would take. This way, more customers will say yes
to the additional service.
All this probably sounds good, but maybe you're not
convinced that your employees will do it. Maybe you've tried to get
them to advise services early, and you just can't seem to make it
happen. Let's look briefly at some of the obstacles you may need to
focus on before you can get the results you are targeting.
Present, don't sell
This may be the most important component of successfully
increasing your average revenue per car--don't try to sell. Just present
the information in a clear and concise manner that informs and educates
the customer. Presenting the needed service in a way that does not
confuse the customer is critically important. For example, we do not
recommend showing customers samples of dirty fluids in comparison
to clean fluids. It is generally considered to be an unfair sales
practice, as one cannot easily determine if a fluid is in fact in
need of changing by the color. We do, however, recommend using mileage
and the manufacturer's recommendations as the criteria for a specific
fluid to be changed. Certainly, if a fluid is contaminated or has
shown to have a severe condition, then showing it to the customer
to demonstrate the condition and backup the manufacturer's recommendations
would be advisable.
Ask the customer if he would
like to buy
Let's illustrate this concept using a scenario you
may have encountered in your business. A technician approaches a customer
and says, "You need an air filter. Do you want me to replace
it?" With that sort of inquiry, many customers would be inclined
to say no. Sure the technician at least asked, but how could he have
asked with a little more technique and planning? How could he have
made it a little more appealing and easier for the customer to say
yes?
Why don't your employees ask?
There are many reasons employees don't ask customers
if they would like to purchase an additional item. The reasons may
include: they don't believe in the service; they don't understand
the value to the customer; they think the customer may be offended
if they offer it; they think the customer can't afford it; they think
the customer may say no; they think the service is priced too high;
they forget to ask; or they simply don't want to make the effort.
Any one of these reasons will result in reduced sales and customers
who don't get the opportunity to purchase products or services that
would benefit them.
Why do customers resist?
Customers decline to purchase an additional item
for many reasons, but some of the basics are: they don't think they
need the service or product; they don't have the time; they don't
have the money; they don't like the service they are receiving; or
they don't like the person serving them.
How can you make it easier?
Making it easier for your employees to properly present
the additional products and services is the first step. Certainly,
effective systems and training tops the list of focuses, which will
make the job of suggesting additional items to your customer easier
and more productive for your employees. Proper compensation and supportive
motivation comes in near the top of the list as well.
What's the next step?
The challenge of increasing the effectiveness and
consistency of your employees to present opportunities for your customers
to purchase is not going to be completely solved within the confines
of this article. However, I hope I have shared some ideas with you
and inspired you to look closely at how you can have a positive impact
on this important aspect of your business.
Proper setup and presentation is not a guarantee
that your customers will purchase additional items, but the proper
processes will certainly improve the possibilities your customer will
purchase the suggested items.
Change your focus and the focus of your employees
to educate and inform the customer instead of trying to sell products
and services. This will not only be more effective and make the entire
process easier, it will also be more effective for those who are responsible
for presenting additional opportunities to the customer.
Remember, if you offer the customer an opportunity
to purchase the products or services he may need, you will be doing
the right thing for your customers and ultimately your business.
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