In our first Keys to Closing article we talked about the 40/40 rule using Sales Talk mini closes to get 40 Yeses. With each Yes you move closer to a sale. This month we want to focus on the most important Yes of all.

Fact: The auto industry writes offers on only 50% of our demos

My early sales training taught me to ask the big closing question out on the lot. It went something like: Bob, it sounds to me like we've found the right car for you. If we can agree on the terms and conditions, would you drive this car home today? Now, let's analyze this. Statistics prove that we only write offers on 50% of the people we demo. Why? Because when we ask this question 50% of our customers tell us they're not buying today.

At this point the customer starts asking for their ticket to leave- Can I get your business card? Now, the salesperson starts to get nervous, because if the customer leaves without a check-in, the manager will be upset. Remember, this is taking place out on the lot and the customer is closer to their car than if this took place in the showroom. Things start to get uncomfortable. By the time the customer leaves, bad feelings may have replaced all the good feelings they had up to that point.

Increase written offers to 75%

Now, by using Sales Talk mini closes throughout the presentation and demonstration, we constantly receive confirmation that this car has what the customer is looking for. When we return to the dealership after the demonstration drive, we should ask the following question as soon as the car is turned off: Bob, based on everything you told me you were looking for in a car, this (insert perfect make and model vehicle name here) seems to meet all your needs, wouldn't you agree? If Yes: Great, follow me. I want to show you something over here for just a minute. You then begin your tour of the dealership, concluding at the salesperson's desk. Ask the customer to take a seat, offer them something to drink, and begin the write-up.

There is no better place to ask for the sale than inside the showroom. If assistance is needed, I think we all agree that we would rather take a turn in the showroom than on the lot. Plus, we've all been trained that we have 3 things to sell our customer on: the car, the dealership, and ourselves. There is no better way to sell the dealership than transporting the customer from the lot to the closing area by giving a value-building tour of your dealership. Make this part of your sales process and see your written offers increase. No Excuses!

Mark Hicks, principal of No Excuses Sales Training can be reached at 866-520-9600. You can visit his Website at: www.noexcusessalestraining.com or www.f-iprofit.com.