Here is a bit of pricing philosophy for you: The old 995 number works consistently no matter what you think about it. It will continue to work that way because it is an optical illusion. Here's what I mean: The difference between $26,147.50 and $25,995.00 is $1,000.00 not $152.50. The number most people will focus on is the second digit. It is the way it is, so you might as well take full advantage of it. I have.
I know what you're thinking. . . you've seen that so many times that you think the customer is tired of it and so you will set yourself apart and do a different number like $25,688.00 or $26,347.00 or something like that. The "95" is out of favor. Okay, go with that if you like, but you will make more gross by getting on board the "95" bus.
If you are determining that a good, competitive price for your unit might be $25, 455.00, my recommendation would be to see if you can live with $24,995.00. If you can, you will get a better, more harmonious result. If that is too low, my recommendation would be to move it up to $25,995.00 and make $550 more profit. Unless your customer is making their final decision on a few hundred dollars and they are essentially then a price buyer, I say that both those prices are the same since the second digit is a 5 in both.
Now, I also have a book business and $9.95 is $10.00 cheaper than $10.76 unless I have just a price buyer, of course. Well, I know that only 4% buy price, so I'm focused on the 96% anyway, so I go with the same strategy whether it is a low priced book or an expensive commercial upfitted truck. It works. It's hard to argue with success.
If I am taking a low end flatbed and pricing it for the price buyer and to attract attention with a very low price, here is my strategy: I take the invoice amount, less all the legitimate manufacturer cash incentives and that would be the amount of my "cost." I look at where that number is relative to the nearest 1,000 mark. So, let's say that the number comes out at $25,267.00. If I am really trying to make an impression, I might go into the negative and sell it for $24,995.00. I've done it many times and it proved very successful. If not that, or if I felt that it wasn't quite that important, I would go with $25,995.00 or $26,995.00 depending on how I felt those numbers would do the job I wanted them to do.
This strategy is even more important at the first digit number. Let's say we use the above strategy on a more expensive diesel truck and the cost comes out $30,277.00. I would do everything I could to get to $29,995.00 in this case and if I couldn't or didn't really feel a need to, then I would go upward to $32,995 or something like that. In other words, I would feel comfortable jumping substantially higher. If I can't get there (or don't want to), I might as well go for the gusto. So, generally the first and second digit is what I focus on and it is what most people focus on. You might as well make the rest of the numbers mean something to you.
Whenever I see a dealer advertising $31,188.00, I just feel that they are just throwing $800 down the drain or missing a golden opportunity to get to that lower $30,995.00 number and sell it for $1,000 less. I see this kind of thing quite often. I encourage you to develop a strategy of how you price things and why and keep track of how these different strategies work so you can know what works best for you. It is a very important part of being effective and profitable.
6/02/08
Pricing Strategies and Advertising Fun - Volume 1
Since price advertising tends to be a very common thing, I will address some concepts that I have learned about making it effective. I will focus on commercial truck pricing, but also touch on a number of other pricing issues with other types of products. This is volume one of many volumes about pricing strategies.
Trader type publications. I ran a double page ad in the Big Truck & Equipment Trader every week for 8 years while I was at dealerships. It can be an effective tool. It is pretty thick now, and there are thousands of prices to wade through. It is a regional publication, so your prospect may be 500 miles away and you want to attract all that you can. Here is a few things I learned about pricing and advertising in this kind of publication:
Trader type publications. I ran a double page ad in the Big Truck & Equipment Trader every week for 8 years while I was at dealerships. It can be an effective tool. It is pretty thick now, and there are thousands of prices to wade through. It is a regional publication, so your prospect may be 500 miles away and you want to attract all that you can. Here is a few things I learned about pricing and advertising in this kind of publication:
- Be unique. Sell something that is harder to find in this publication. If you are selling an 8' service body on a 3/4 Ton or 1-Ton single rear wheel chassis, there will most likely be hundreds to choose from. If you are selling an F550 with a 5,000 lb crane on a service body, you could count them on one hand. Don't compete--create.
- Do not put "call for price." This just ticks people off. It tells me you are afraid of the price and I should be as well. I hate it when I see that phrase or something like it and I skip right past them. Be bold! Be strong! Have courage! Put yourself out there!
- White space is good. It provides focus. Keep it simple and consider what someone else's eyes will focus on if they see your ad.
- Present important features, benefits in as concise a manner as possible. Bullet points is always a good way that is likely to get read and considered.
- There are lots of ways to price an item. You can put the sales price before tax, license, doc fees, etc. You can put a payment with disclosures in fine print. You probably have some experience of how people commonly purchase the kind of vehicle you are selling. Are they financing it? How long? How much down? Are they paying cash? Pick a common theme and use it. If 80+% of your buyers are financing with an average of 20% down, put that scenario in your ad. Businesses look at these things a bit differently than private parties.
- Put links to your website and even a direct link to this truck. Make sure your phone is large.
- If it doesn't sell quickly, don't succumb to dropping the price. Raise it instead. I would do this on the lot as well. Who says prices have to go down? You'd be surprised to know how many I sold at the raised price!
- Vary the ad. Put it here, there, try different things.
- Do not make lists. If you want to promote the volume of items you have, state "we have ___ to choose from for immediate delivery" or something like that. Short, sweet, simple.
- Used. Used commercial truck is the best seller in these publications. A good reason to stock and promote good used commercial trucks.
- I was in Northern California near Sacramento and got a lot of business out of Southern California in this publication. I advertised "Free delivery in California, Nevada and Arizona." Of course, I planned that expense into the sale price. Commercial buyers rarely had trade-ins so that was an easy thing to do all of it over the phone until the delivery in person at their location. It was easier for them than driving across town to buy locally! Sometimes people wanted to come up, so they would fly in and we would pick them up at the airport and make it a smooth and pleasant experience for them. It was all incremental business to me.
- Take your own photos if you are good at it. The photo in the ad is critical. Make it a good shot. Lead them to your website to see a photo gallery of that truck. The more they see, the better.
- Color helps get attention if you can afford it in the budget. Color ads are a must if you are selling colored trucks.
- Do not be coaxed into filling up all the space in the ad. I'm repeating myself, but white space provides focus. What will your customers eyes focus on when they see your ad? Too much going on, means no focus.
- Point 15 is the most important point: Keep Track Of Results! Keep track of every call and what vehicle they called on and what happened. Learn from every call what to do that might be more effective. Spending hard earned money on an ad and not being able to measure the results is the same as lighting it on fire and burning it. Know what is working and what is not working. If you have a team, insist that these rules be followed. How many calls came in on this ad? Keep track over a long period of time. Always keep track of every ad and every response (or lack of response). Know. It is the only strategy that makes sense to me. I studied it over time and reaped the results of that knowledge. Keep track.
I tried a number of these kind of publications. I tried them long enough to know. I kept track of the calls. Of all the ones I used, the Big Truck & Equipment Trader was the best for me. I made a consistent profit. What is working for you? What is your strategy?
6/01/08
Only 4 Percent Buy Price - 96% Buy Something Else.
Price is one of the most interesting things. You see prices advertised everywhere you look and in certain types of businesses it is even more so, and based on that, you must think that price is what sells products and services. It would be a logical assumption, but it would be wrong. Study after study has shown that price is not even in the top five.
I learned something in the first year and a half in the car business in 1974 that I have carried with me and taught to hundreds of others that speaks wisdom: Only 4% buy price and the rest buy something else. That something else is value, your personality, your service, product or vendor reputation, product reliability, and many others. Yet that statement just kind of slips past us too quickly and we don't really catch it, so I will repeat it again more clearly: ONLY 4% BUY PRICE!!
I tell you that I have never learned anything quite as valuable as this and it has proven to be true time and again. Yet, everywhere we look, we see price being shouted, printed, posted, compared. It is only that they have not learned this lesson probably. True, price is important. It is definitely in the top 10 (about number 8 on many lists), but it is not the main determining factor. Perhaps a better way to say it is this: Only 4% buy price, but 100% talk price. When they talk price, it is partly out of habit and training. Advertisers are training people to think price, when that is not what will determine their actual decision. It's kind of like a smokescreen. To me, talking price all the time is trying to compete over the lowest gross profit. What sense does this make? Perhaps the objective is to appear to be competitive, but when advertising price it is the lower price that is supposed to win, right? This automatically means that the price will have to decline as others join in the fray and try to also be competitive. Good luck.
A true price buyer will buy the lowest price regardless. The good news is that that person is only a 4 percent occurrence. If you have a 4 percent buyer and you don't have the lowest price, you will most likely lose the sale. You can talk about anything you like, but a price buyer is buying price. That's what they do, so don't be amazed. Just realize this is true. The good news is that there are 96% of the buyers who you can talk to that are not making their decision solely on price. Rejoice! Let the competition have the 4%! You focus on the 96%! Sounds like a great strategy to me.
Here's a quote to think about: "Advertising is the price companies pay for being un-original." - Yves Behar. Think about that for a while. It is an interesting thought. What is unique or original about you, your company and/or your product? What sets you apart from the crowd of price slashers? What value(s) would a customer get from doing business with you that they are unlikely to get with a competitor? Word of mouth is the best advertising ever, so what would your customer tell their friend that would get that friend to come see you? What is your uniqueness?
Here's a mantra to work with. Take a deep breath and breathe out slowly while chanting, "Features, Benefits, Services, Value. . . . Features, Benefits, Services, Value. . . Features, Benefits, Services, Value. . ." Get that vibration of success, the clarity of wisdom, the eye of the sale--this One sale--as you see it morphing into many, many sales. . . Meditate on these daily and price will be a washed-up has been, an insignificant triviality.
Coming up: Pricing Strategies and fun.
I learned something in the first year and a half in the car business in 1974 that I have carried with me and taught to hundreds of others that speaks wisdom: Only 4% buy price and the rest buy something else. That something else is value, your personality, your service, product or vendor reputation, product reliability, and many others. Yet that statement just kind of slips past us too quickly and we don't really catch it, so I will repeat it again more clearly: ONLY 4% BUY PRICE!!
I tell you that I have never learned anything quite as valuable as this and it has proven to be true time and again. Yet, everywhere we look, we see price being shouted, printed, posted, compared. It is only that they have not learned this lesson probably. True, price is important. It is definitely in the top 10 (about number 8 on many lists), but it is not the main determining factor. Perhaps a better way to say it is this: Only 4% buy price, but 100% talk price. When they talk price, it is partly out of habit and training. Advertisers are training people to think price, when that is not what will determine their actual decision. It's kind of like a smokescreen. To me, talking price all the time is trying to compete over the lowest gross profit. What sense does this make? Perhaps the objective is to appear to be competitive, but when advertising price it is the lower price that is supposed to win, right? This automatically means that the price will have to decline as others join in the fray and try to also be competitive. Good luck.
A true price buyer will buy the lowest price regardless. The good news is that that person is only a 4 percent occurrence. If you have a 4 percent buyer and you don't have the lowest price, you will most likely lose the sale. You can talk about anything you like, but a price buyer is buying price. That's what they do, so don't be amazed. Just realize this is true. The good news is that there are 96% of the buyers who you can talk to that are not making their decision solely on price. Rejoice! Let the competition have the 4%! You focus on the 96%! Sounds like a great strategy to me.
Here's a quote to think about: "Advertising is the price companies pay for being un-original." - Yves Behar. Think about that for a while. It is an interesting thought. What is unique or original about you, your company and/or your product? What sets you apart from the crowd of price slashers? What value(s) would a customer get from doing business with you that they are unlikely to get with a competitor? Word of mouth is the best advertising ever, so what would your customer tell their friend that would get that friend to come see you? What is your uniqueness?
Here's a mantra to work with. Take a deep breath and breathe out slowly while chanting, "Features, Benefits, Services, Value. . . . Features, Benefits, Services, Value. . . Features, Benefits, Services, Value. . ." Get that vibration of success, the clarity of wisdom, the eye of the sale--this One sale--as you see it morphing into many, many sales. . . Meditate on these daily and price will be a washed-up has been, an insignificant triviality.
Coming up: Pricing Strategies and fun.
5/31/08
Too Expensive? Compared To What?
The last article was on the telephone receptionist, or the person answering the phone for your dealership. I talked about it being a $100 per hour job that is typically being paid $8-10 an hour. I would like to expand on the reason I think it is a $100 per hour job.
I know that a lot of people think of the phone receptionist as the "gatekeeper," meaning that this person filters the people who get through to the key people in the dealership. I would think of this person as more of an "opportunity snagger," whose job it is would be to snag every opportunity that comes into the switchboard and ensure that the opportunity is cared for and properly deposited into the proper account. Just directing a call to the right person is nowhere near enough.
What kind of calls come into a dealership? There are people who want more information from an ad in the paper, need to make an appointment in service, have car trouble and need help, want to see if you have a part in stock, want to see if you have a certain kind of used vehicle, personal calls, billing inquiries, sales prospecting calls, sales follow up calls, referral calls, supplier calls, lending institution calls, insurance agency calls, and on and on. Directing those calls efficiently and correctly to the proper party is the minimum expectation of a good phone receptionist. Having a pleasant and professional sounding voice is a minimum expectation. You might be able to find some good people for $8-10 per hour for these expectations, but the real key is snagging the sales and income opportunity calls and that is worth ten times that amount.
This person should be able to detect a potential sale call, gather the basic information quickly, ensure the call is returnable if somehow lost in transit to the proper party and follow through effectively to make sure the call is received--more like a good air traffic controller than a telephone answerer. Losing one sales call can pay for the receptionists salary for a whole month. In this economy, losing one sale is bad, but I think a typical dealer is losing many each month.
Here's a common call scenario: "Westway Motors, how may I direct your call?" ["I have a question about a vehicle in your ad."] "Thank you, one moment please." Page: "Sales call, line 1. Sales call, line 1." 30 seconds later, the telephone system sends the call back. "Has anyone answered your call yet?" ["Not yet."] "Let me try again for you. Just a moment." Page: "Sales call, line 1. Sales call, line 1." 30 seconds later, the telephone system sends the call back again. "They haven't answered yet?" ["No."] "I'm sorry, they must be with customers. Can I take a message and have one of them call you?" ["No, that's fine. I'll call back later."] "Okay. Thank you for calling Westway Motors."
How do I know this is a common call scenario? I've heard it over and over again in many, many places. I've actually heard far worse than this scenario. It has happened to me at many of these same dealerships when I would ask for a fleet manager or other person.
So, what is the problem with this call? First, the operator requested no information at all from the prospect. A name and call back number would be a goal. Second, 30 seconds on hold is a long time and having it go back to the switchboard is a clue that this is not working properly. Third, a specific person should be found immediately to take this call. The sales manager would be a good choice. Paging "Sales call, line 1" is not an effective method of dealing with a very valuable sales opportunity. Fourth, the call recycled again. Unbelievable. Fifth, don't ask if you can take a message, get the information! Sixth, get that information to someone who can make effective use of it.
A lot of dealerships have their sales staff answer the phone in the evening or on the weekends. I think this is a huge mistake. Sales people are focused on themselves and many, if not most, do not follow through on the call. I've experienced this so many times over the years. It is ineffective, inefficient and it is costing the dealership in lost business and ill will far more than a very expensive professional receptionist. I've called people so many times on a Saturday or an evening to talk to a commercial truck manager and have been left on hold and 4 minutes later, I am still waiting. I've even called back and got the same treatment twice. The person answering the phone did not know who I was or why I was called, they just knew that it wasn't for them.
Let's change this and realize that it is happening and deal with this very easy problem to fix. Get a great person(s) on the phone. Make sure they get the right training. Make sure that it is being done according to plan. Check on it regularly. Praise success. Measure it: Keep track of the kind of calls you get. Keep track of how many opportunities are seized now instead of the ones lost before. See how valuable this position truly is to your business. Pay what is fair and reasonable to get the talent you need to handle one of the most important jobs in the dealership, and then hang on to them. You will make a handsome profit.
If you are not the dealer and you know this problem is happening at your store, send this blog to your dealer. Get the problem recognized. That will be your part in helping to get this kind problem solved. Every moment spent with a prospect or customer is a moment of truth. Snag those opportunities with talent and direction on the phone.
I know that a lot of people think of the phone receptionist as the "gatekeeper," meaning that this person filters the people who get through to the key people in the dealership. I would think of this person as more of an "opportunity snagger," whose job it is would be to snag every opportunity that comes into the switchboard and ensure that the opportunity is cared for and properly deposited into the proper account. Just directing a call to the right person is nowhere near enough.
What kind of calls come into a dealership? There are people who want more information from an ad in the paper, need to make an appointment in service, have car trouble and need help, want to see if you have a part in stock, want to see if you have a certain kind of used vehicle, personal calls, billing inquiries, sales prospecting calls, sales follow up calls, referral calls, supplier calls, lending institution calls, insurance agency calls, and on and on. Directing those calls efficiently and correctly to the proper party is the minimum expectation of a good phone receptionist. Having a pleasant and professional sounding voice is a minimum expectation. You might be able to find some good people for $8-10 per hour for these expectations, but the real key is snagging the sales and income opportunity calls and that is worth ten times that amount.
This person should be able to detect a potential sale call, gather the basic information quickly, ensure the call is returnable if somehow lost in transit to the proper party and follow through effectively to make sure the call is received--more like a good air traffic controller than a telephone answerer. Losing one sales call can pay for the receptionists salary for a whole month. In this economy, losing one sale is bad, but I think a typical dealer is losing many each month.
Here's a common call scenario: "Westway Motors, how may I direct your call?" ["I have a question about a vehicle in your ad."] "Thank you, one moment please." Page: "Sales call, line 1. Sales call, line 1." 30 seconds later, the telephone system sends the call back. "Has anyone answered your call yet?" ["Not yet."] "Let me try again for you. Just a moment." Page: "Sales call, line 1. Sales call, line 1." 30 seconds later, the telephone system sends the call back again. "They haven't answered yet?" ["No."] "I'm sorry, they must be with customers. Can I take a message and have one of them call you?" ["No, that's fine. I'll call back later."] "Okay. Thank you for calling Westway Motors."
How do I know this is a common call scenario? I've heard it over and over again in many, many places. I've actually heard far worse than this scenario. It has happened to me at many of these same dealerships when I would ask for a fleet manager or other person.
So, what is the problem with this call? First, the operator requested no information at all from the prospect. A name and call back number would be a goal. Second, 30 seconds on hold is a long time and having it go back to the switchboard is a clue that this is not working properly. Third, a specific person should be found immediately to take this call. The sales manager would be a good choice. Paging "Sales call, line 1" is not an effective method of dealing with a very valuable sales opportunity. Fourth, the call recycled again. Unbelievable. Fifth, don't ask if you can take a message, get the information! Sixth, get that information to someone who can make effective use of it.
A lot of dealerships have their sales staff answer the phone in the evening or on the weekends. I think this is a huge mistake. Sales people are focused on themselves and many, if not most, do not follow through on the call. I've experienced this so many times over the years. It is ineffective, inefficient and it is costing the dealership in lost business and ill will far more than a very expensive professional receptionist. I've called people so many times on a Saturday or an evening to talk to a commercial truck manager and have been left on hold and 4 minutes later, I am still waiting. I've even called back and got the same treatment twice. The person answering the phone did not know who I was or why I was called, they just knew that it wasn't for them.
Let's change this and realize that it is happening and deal with this very easy problem to fix. Get a great person(s) on the phone. Make sure they get the right training. Make sure that it is being done according to plan. Check on it regularly. Praise success. Measure it: Keep track of the kind of calls you get. Keep track of how many opportunities are seized now instead of the ones lost before. See how valuable this position truly is to your business. Pay what is fair and reasonable to get the talent you need to handle one of the most important jobs in the dealership, and then hang on to them. You will make a handsome profit.
If you are not the dealer and you know this problem is happening at your store, send this blog to your dealer. Get the problem recognized. That will be your part in helping to get this kind problem solved. Every moment spent with a prospect or customer is a moment of truth. Snag those opportunities with talent and direction on the phone.
5/30/08
Paying $8 An Hour For A $100 An Hour Job?
The telephone is one of the most powerful communication tools in the world--even today--yet many (most that I have experienced) dealerships treat the phone as a nuisance. The telephone has such power to bring income into the dealership and it is treated like it isn't really important. I don't understand it. It is one of my long time pet peeves.
The phone is worth at least $100 an hour or more in my mind and many dealers are only willing to pay $8 for the person answering it. Some even go below that by having an automated system! The automated system is the worst! I could understand it if it were a library or something like that, but an auto dealership? Just imagine a salesperson following up with a prospect (it could happen) and the prospect calls them back and gets the automated system. . . "please listen as our menu has recently changed. . . for service, press one. . . for parts, press two. . .for sales, press three. . ." Gag me. Automated systems are the worst for this kind of a business!
I just made a phone call to a large metropolitan dealership today to talk to the commercial truck manager and when I asked for him, the operator said that he was off today and so I said, "Thank you" and she said "goodbye." What is wrong with that conversation? This happens a lot and you can believe that it is not just happening to me. Since my name was never stated or even requested, she had no clue whatever who I was or why I was calling and did not even ask to give me to voice mail or take a message or anything. There goes a sale. . . again . . . and again. . . Who trains this person? Who supervises this person? Who believes the telephone in a large automobile dealership is an important part of their business? Not this dealer. . . or so it would seem. There is an ad in the paper with a phone number to call (they call them "phone ups") and then we give this treatment? Scary.
So dealers tell me business is slow. Well, now is a great time to give their business a bit of a tune up. What are we doing that is working? What are we doing that is not working? How is the phone being answered? Let's practice on the things that will improve our efficiency and profitability when the market comes back since we know up front it is a cyclical market. Let's make good use of the downtime and go back to class and improve. Makes sense to me.
Of course this is not just happening in the auto dealership. Yesterday, I called a client who we are building a website for. I'm calling for the owners son and I say, "Good morning, this is Terry with Upward Trend, is so and so available?", I hear a grunt on the other end and the answer, "No." I say, "Will he be in later?", they say, "I dunno." I say, "Thank you." I hear a click. Wow. This business gets almost all of their business via the phone. Now, that is scary. No, it's ridiculous!
How many times have you been put on hold and no one ever came back to you? You would think there is one person with 50 phone lines to answer or something. You're thinking, "pay attention to me, pay attention." Sometimes it is funny how much of a struggle it is to get through to someone even just to leave a voice mail message. I cannot count how many times I just hung up and didn't call back. It can be better. I know it can. It is a simple problem to fix. It's called training and paying attention to the front line. There are quite a number of ways to fix it such as books, seminars, consultants, etc. You can call us at Upward Trend Management Services and we can help as well. The number is 707-480-0959 for Ryan Stone or 707-434-9967 for Terry Minion.
I guess it remains that the telephone truly is a powerful tool. The question should be, "to build. . . or to destroy?" Which to choose. . . . hmmmmm? I choose to build. There's no time to lose. Now is the time to get going.
The phone is worth at least $100 an hour or more in my mind and many dealers are only willing to pay $8 for the person answering it. Some even go below that by having an automated system! The automated system is the worst! I could understand it if it were a library or something like that, but an auto dealership? Just imagine a salesperson following up with a prospect (it could happen) and the prospect calls them back and gets the automated system. . . "please listen as our menu has recently changed. . . for service, press one. . . for parts, press two. . .for sales, press three. . ." Gag me. Automated systems are the worst for this kind of a business!
I just made a phone call to a large metropolitan dealership today to talk to the commercial truck manager and when I asked for him, the operator said that he was off today and so I said, "Thank you" and she said "goodbye." What is wrong with that conversation? This happens a lot and you can believe that it is not just happening to me. Since my name was never stated or even requested, she had no clue whatever who I was or why I was calling and did not even ask to give me to voice mail or take a message or anything. There goes a sale. . . again . . . and again. . . Who trains this person? Who supervises this person? Who believes the telephone in a large automobile dealership is an important part of their business? Not this dealer. . . or so it would seem. There is an ad in the paper with a phone number to call (they call them "phone ups") and then we give this treatment? Scary.
So dealers tell me business is slow. Well, now is a great time to give their business a bit of a tune up. What are we doing that is working? What are we doing that is not working? How is the phone being answered? Let's practice on the things that will improve our efficiency and profitability when the market comes back since we know up front it is a cyclical market. Let's make good use of the downtime and go back to class and improve. Makes sense to me.
Of course this is not just happening in the auto dealership. Yesterday, I called a client who we are building a website for. I'm calling for the owners son and I say, "Good morning, this is Terry with Upward Trend, is so and so available?", I hear a grunt on the other end and the answer, "No." I say, "Will he be in later?", they say, "I dunno." I say, "Thank you." I hear a click. Wow. This business gets almost all of their business via the phone. Now, that is scary. No, it's ridiculous!
How many times have you been put on hold and no one ever came back to you? You would think there is one person with 50 phone lines to answer or something. You're thinking, "pay attention to me, pay attention." Sometimes it is funny how much of a struggle it is to get through to someone even just to leave a voice mail message. I cannot count how many times I just hung up and didn't call back. It can be better. I know it can. It is a simple problem to fix. It's called training and paying attention to the front line. There are quite a number of ways to fix it such as books, seminars, consultants, etc. You can call us at Upward Trend Management Services and we can help as well. The number is 707-480-0959 for Ryan Stone or 707-434-9967 for Terry Minion.
I guess it remains that the telephone truly is a powerful tool. The question should be, "to build. . . or to destroy?" Which to choose. . . . hmmmmm? I choose to build. There's no time to lose. Now is the time to get going.
5/29/08
Dressing Up To Go To Work? Absolutely!
There is a theory that you don't dress up a truck because it is just doing a job and it's just a worker and not on display. I agree that it is doing a job and a worker, but it is also on display. Every customer and potential prospect sees it and what it looks like speaks to them.
The most expensive piece of real estate at the dealership is the display space. To many it is a parking lot. To me it is my Macy's window display. When people drive by at 70 miles an hour, I want my lot to speak to them in that way. Who cares about a parking lot? All lined up and pretty just blends in. How they are positioned on the lot is everything in the way it will speak to the people driving by. Blank spaces in between is critical. Odd angles is critical. Color is critical. Knock-out gorgeous is critical.
Here's an idea that worked extremely well for me that may assist you. I wanted to dress up my trucks and create knock-out gorgeous trucks for my display. One of the ways to do this is color and I've talked about that. This time I'll talk of a merchandising partnership that was very powerful and very efficient and very inexpensive to the dealer.
I've loved mag wheels since I was a kid (shows my age. . .), now called aluminum wheels generally. They really do wonders in dressing up any vehicle--including commercial work trucks. It doesn't matter if it is a 3/4 ton or a medium duty truck, aluminum wheels will make it look much better. Although colored trucks really brings out the aluminum wheels, they look great on white trucks. And, here's the good news: It really helps sell them and brings better gross profits as well.
I used Alcoa Aluminum Wheels almost exclusively. I am picky about making sure that the wheels meet or exceed the factory specifications for wheels and Alcoa Wheels do. I sold a huge volume of 19.5" wheels along with smaller wheels for the lighter duty 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. On the 19.5" wheels, we sent them out to be polished which made a huge difference. The smaller wheels came polished from Alcoa. Whenever possible I used the Alcoa center cap kits. This cost a bit more, but the look is well worth it. It looks so cheesy to use standard center caps and have the lug nuts showing. Put them side by side and you will see what I mean. I even put Alcoa's on some of my cutaway van bodies! They looked great.
So, I contacted the local tire guys and sat down and talked about what I wanted to do. I said that I would buy some and show them what I can do in moving wheels, tires and other things from them and that after a short period of testing I wanted to work a much larger deal with them which would entail them giving them to me on consignment but that they would see how that would benefit them based on this test marketing approach. Out of the dealership capital, I bought several sets of wheels and merchandised part of the lot. After a couple of months of this, we agreed to do everything on consignment from then on.
The benefit to the dealership of this arrangement is the dealerships capital is not invested and is available for other uses. The benefit to the tire company was substantially increased business. In addition, I did not shop around for better pricing as we agreed to keep it reasonable and they had 100% of my business in this area. Since they were putting up the capital for the truck merchandising, they have to have a very good return and this arrangement gave it to them. After a little over three years, I had done over one million dollars of business with them. About 60% of my trucks had aluminum wheels! It really helped me sell more trucks, get more attention on the lot, keep the dealers cash flow flowing and created a great partnership with a local supplier. Win-Win-Win. But, it also provided value to my customers. They loved how the trucks looked and it made a difference in how their customers perceived them. Everyone wins all around.
Pssstt- Here's a bonus for you Ford dealers out there: you can get the Alcoa wheels from the factory and it is much less than I was paying 12 years ago. What a deal. Here's a plan: Get your key body companies (those that you are really teaming up with) to order trucks to your spec. So you order whatever percentage with the Alcoa wheels so they are ready to go when you get them! Wow. That is powerful. Sure would have been great to have that when I was doing it--and I surely would have used it to the max. Order up just the options that you want to sell and promote. This will set you apart and set your profits apart as well. Make it happen!
The most expensive piece of real estate at the dealership is the display space. To many it is a parking lot. To me it is my Macy's window display. When people drive by at 70 miles an hour, I want my lot to speak to them in that way. Who cares about a parking lot? All lined up and pretty just blends in. How they are positioned on the lot is everything in the way it will speak to the people driving by. Blank spaces in between is critical. Odd angles is critical. Color is critical. Knock-out gorgeous is critical.
Here's an idea that worked extremely well for me that may assist you. I wanted to dress up my trucks and create knock-out gorgeous trucks for my display. One of the ways to do this is color and I've talked about that. This time I'll talk of a merchandising partnership that was very powerful and very efficient and very inexpensive to the dealer.
I've loved mag wheels since I was a kid (shows my age. . .), now called aluminum wheels generally. They really do wonders in dressing up any vehicle--including commercial work trucks. It doesn't matter if it is a 3/4 ton or a medium duty truck, aluminum wheels will make it look much better. Although colored trucks really brings out the aluminum wheels, they look great on white trucks. And, here's the good news: It really helps sell them and brings better gross profits as well.
I used Alcoa Aluminum Wheels almost exclusively. I am picky about making sure that the wheels meet or exceed the factory specifications for wheels and Alcoa Wheels do. I sold a huge volume of 19.5" wheels along with smaller wheels for the lighter duty 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. On the 19.5" wheels, we sent them out to be polished which made a huge difference. The smaller wheels came polished from Alcoa. Whenever possible I used the Alcoa center cap kits. This cost a bit more, but the look is well worth it. It looks so cheesy to use standard center caps and have the lug nuts showing. Put them side by side and you will see what I mean. I even put Alcoa's on some of my cutaway van bodies! They looked great.
So, I contacted the local tire guys and sat down and talked about what I wanted to do. I said that I would buy some and show them what I can do in moving wheels, tires and other things from them and that after a short period of testing I wanted to work a much larger deal with them which would entail them giving them to me on consignment but that they would see how that would benefit them based on this test marketing approach. Out of the dealership capital, I bought several sets of wheels and merchandised part of the lot. After a couple of months of this, we agreed to do everything on consignment from then on.
The benefit to the dealership of this arrangement is the dealerships capital is not invested and is available for other uses. The benefit to the tire company was substantially increased business. In addition, I did not shop around for better pricing as we agreed to keep it reasonable and they had 100% of my business in this area. Since they were putting up the capital for the truck merchandising, they have to have a very good return and this arrangement gave it to them. After a little over three years, I had done over one million dollars of business with them. About 60% of my trucks had aluminum wheels! It really helped me sell more trucks, get more attention on the lot, keep the dealers cash flow flowing and created a great partnership with a local supplier. Win-Win-Win. But, it also provided value to my customers. They loved how the trucks looked and it made a difference in how their customers perceived them. Everyone wins all around.
Pssstt- Here's a bonus for you Ford dealers out there: you can get the Alcoa wheels from the factory and it is much less than I was paying 12 years ago. What a deal. Here's a plan: Get your key body companies (those that you are really teaming up with) to order trucks to your spec. So you order whatever percentage with the Alcoa wheels so they are ready to go when you get them! Wow. That is powerful. Sure would have been great to have that when I was doing it--and I surely would have used it to the max. Order up just the options that you want to sell and promote. This will set you apart and set your profits apart as well. Make it happen!
5/28/08
Service and Sales Peace and Prosperity
After 25 years in the car business and working with dealerships for 11 more, I have seen a lot of the typical service department versus the sales department wars. I've experienced it in dealerships that I worked for as well. I used to blame service for killing future sales and complain about them and their attitudes and generally, I participated and even encouraged the wars by doing these things. I said I wanted one thing and then did another. I thought I was a builder but truly, I was just another destroyer. A blamer. A whiner.
Then I got involved in building a commercial truck department. . . and all of a sudden it hit me: if we work closely together (sales and service working together?) we could help each other build our own little empires. Wow. What a turning point.
What changed? I stopped thinking about warranty issues and started thinking about maintenance issues. I stopped thinking about unhappy customers and started thinking about helping businesses be more efficient. I stopped thinking of myself and started thinking about my prospects, customers and yes, even my own dealership! It all made sense as it had never done before.
So, what did I do? I sat down with the service manager and laid out a plan of how we could help each other grow our own little businesses which grows the whole dealership business. I made a pact with him to drive business to the service department which in the long run would create trust with the customer and would create sales as a result.
I have to tell you that it was one of the greatest things I did because one of the best ways to build a client base in commercial sales is to provide maintenance and repair services in a timely and reasonable way, thereby building a relationship and trust. In commercial trucks more than any other sale in the dealership is the most solid repeat and referral business going. . . if you can build the relationship and trust. Since a business is making money with their vehicle and when it is down, they are losing money, it is critical to get it back online as quickly as humanly possible. Service actually then becomes a foundation for a strong and growing commercial truck operation. Seriously.
One of the best ways to prospect is to invite prospects into the service department. You would find a lot that are not ready to buy, but everyone needs service and a business needs it more regularly. Become a service department salesperson. Promote the service department. Learn what the specials are. Learn everything you can learn to help drive businesses into the service department. At the same time, the service department should be pointing out opportunities for a sale when a vehicle is in need of excessive repair or other similar circumstances. Go so far as to hand out flyer's, business cards of service writers and so on. You will benefit in a grand way. I am absolutely sure of it.
Sales and Service Peace and Prosperity! You can make it happen.
Then I got involved in building a commercial truck department. . . and all of a sudden it hit me: if we work closely together (sales and service working together?) we could help each other build our own little empires. Wow. What a turning point.
What changed? I stopped thinking about warranty issues and started thinking about maintenance issues. I stopped thinking about unhappy customers and started thinking about helping businesses be more efficient. I stopped thinking of myself and started thinking about my prospects, customers and yes, even my own dealership! It all made sense as it had never done before.
So, what did I do? I sat down with the service manager and laid out a plan of how we could help each other grow our own little businesses which grows the whole dealership business. I made a pact with him to drive business to the service department which in the long run would create trust with the customer and would create sales as a result.
I have to tell you that it was one of the greatest things I did because one of the best ways to build a client base in commercial sales is to provide maintenance and repair services in a timely and reasonable way, thereby building a relationship and trust. In commercial trucks more than any other sale in the dealership is the most solid repeat and referral business going. . . if you can build the relationship and trust. Since a business is making money with their vehicle and when it is down, they are losing money, it is critical to get it back online as quickly as humanly possible. Service actually then becomes a foundation for a strong and growing commercial truck operation. Seriously.
One of the best ways to prospect is to invite prospects into the service department. You would find a lot that are not ready to buy, but everyone needs service and a business needs it more regularly. Become a service department salesperson. Promote the service department. Learn what the specials are. Learn everything you can learn to help drive businesses into the service department. At the same time, the service department should be pointing out opportunities for a sale when a vehicle is in need of excessive repair or other similar circumstances. Go so far as to hand out flyer's, business cards of service writers and so on. You will benefit in a grand way. I am absolutely sure of it.
Sales and Service Peace and Prosperity! You can make it happen.
5/26/08
Your Bathroom Tells Me A Lot About Your Company. . .
This is true of every business I think, but since my commercial truck blog deals mainly with dealerships, I will focus here. I have been in a lot of dealerships over the years and I have learned that the condition of the bathroom will speak volumes about the whole company. A clean bathroom is a minimum expectation of a good business by customers and prospects.
Some years ago I read the book, "Moments of Truth" by Jan Carlzon who was President of Scandinavian Airlines. It is a book I highly recommend and is thin and very easy to read. One part stuck in my mind all this time was that they found that if the ashtrays were not emptied (back in the day. . .) and the plane spruced up between flights, the customers would think that that might be how they handle the maintenance of the engines on the airplane. Jan thought that every single contact with a customer was a "moment of truth" and how that moment was handled would determine to a large extent the success of the airline in general. It is a great book to add to your success library.
I can think of many dealerships that I have been in that just do not pay attention to their bathroom and consequently, they don't pay attention to a lot of other details that are also important. I also know many dealerships that have very clean and well kept restrooms and they make it a point to inspect them hourly and even have a checklist for the customer or prospect to see. That tells me how well they care for customers in general. I know full well which one I am doing business with and why.
The bathroom is one indicator. What about the customer lounge or customer waiting area when someone is in the service department? What about the showroom? The lot? The landscaping maintenance? Each communication with a prospect or customer on the phone? At the service drive? At the cashier window? There are many, many opportunities around the dealership every day to give the prospect or customer a good feeling about your business. . . or a not so good feeling. All moments of truth.
5/25/08
Give Value First - Jeffrey Gitomer
If you have trouble playing this video, here is the direct link: Give Value First
5/24/08
Commercial Truck Events Strategies
It has become a very common thing to have a commercial truck event at the dealership and also invite vendors to participate and even to pay for the privilege. I have planned and executed my own and have attended many others over the years. Some even do it as an annual event. I have seen events with 15 vendors paying $200-400 each where very few prospects showed up, leaving the vendors getting nothing for their money and making it a waste of every one's time. I have also seen great events with over 500 attendees having a great time. As a result of all of these experiences, I have learned a number of things about these events and how they might be more effective.
I once had one of these events and sent out flyer's to a 10,000 name database. I prepared a test drive course and worked on the right display, invited the manufacturer of the franchise we had, got all the refreshments and a lot of fine details. About 50 people showed up. I was devastated and embarrassed. I vowed to never have another event without a better plan.
There are a lot of things to take into consideration, like timing, weather, handling the traffic if they actually show up, getting the needed support and so on. It plain words, it is a lot of work to put this kind of thing on.
Here are some things I learned that may be of value:
I once had one of these events and sent out flyer's to a 10,000 name database. I prepared a test drive course and worked on the right display, invited the manufacturer of the franchise we had, got all the refreshments and a lot of fine details. About 50 people showed up. I was devastated and embarrassed. I vowed to never have another event without a better plan.
There are a lot of things to take into consideration, like timing, weather, handling the traffic if they actually show up, getting the needed support and so on. It plain words, it is a lot of work to put this kind of thing on.
Here are some things I learned that may be of value:
- Plan the event way in advance. I suggest that you plan this kind of event a minimum of 90 days out and preferably 6 months to a year out. This will allow you to think of everything that you need, gain all the tools and support, have a plan B, C and D ready and so on. It takes time and effort to put this event together.
- What is the draw? Some are called customer appreciation events, vendor day, commercial truck event, 4th annual . . . It doesn't much matter what it is called, the most important thing is what is the draw? Why are the prospects or customers going to take the time out of their day to show up? What will bring them in? A free lunch? Because you invited them? Think of them asking themselves, "What's in this for me? Why should I bother to go to that event?" You need a really good answer. Maybe you are giving away a Plasma TV along with a bunch of other desirable prizes and they must show up to have a chance. I have to assume they are not coming because of the trucks. But, maybe you get BigFoot (R) or a race car or some other unique specialty thing that will draw them. Think of your own time and how full your life is and then ask yourself, "would I go to their event based on what they are telling me?" Think this through thoroughly and get a really good answer. It is critical to your event. It is the most critical thing of all. Why?
- Why? What is your purpose? Sounds like an unnecessary question, but I think it is an important one. Why are you having this event to begin with? What is the purpose? What do you want to achieve with it? What is the goal? You cannot do these events without other people's time and energy, so make sure that it is worthwhile.
- Who will be there and why? Are you inviting suppliers, factory reps, aftermarket suppliers, etc.? Why are they attending and what will they be doing? What is the goal for them relative to your own goal for the event? Is there a payoff for them? Will it be worth their time and energy? Are there ways you can create teamwork that is mutually beneficial? Who are all the players?
- The day and time are important. Having an event on Saturday or Sunday for a commercial prospect will not produce a good result. With a busy commercial customer, a weekday is much more productive. I have found mid week to be about the best and to have it in the lunch area time frame. Have a published start and end time and make it flexible enough that people can get there. As an example, 11am to 1pm is a pretty short window and 10am to 2pm would work better. It is easier to break away from work at the lunch time than any other time for many. After work in the evening they have other commitments that will compete with your event. Weekends are really full for most even if they are just unwinding from the week. The exception might be that you are promoting a family event with a clear family draw.
So, you've decided to go ahead and have answered all the questions above and have given the event the thought it deserves. . .
- Three words: Advertise, Advertise, Advertise. You have to get the word out and it would be best to get that word out in a number of ways. Maybe you will put an ad in the local paper within a day or two of the event. Maybe you can get some advance free publicity due to the things you will have at the event. Certainly, email and other direct marketing is a huge advantage. You should plan at least two mailings, one about two weeks or so out and one a few days out. Make calls and tell people about it and get commitments of attendance. Get the rest of the dealership promoting it as well such as the service department, parts and so on. Get your vendors and suppliers promoting it and you might even provide them with a number of flyer's to get out. With any event like this, I think that too many people showing up is a good problem compared to not enough. The best way to achieve this is to advertise, advertise, advertise.
- Make sure to be ready early. If the event starts at 10am, make sure everyone is ready full-on by 9am at the latest. Better to be over prepared than under prepared.
- Event coordinator. Make sure you or your assigned parties are making sure that events are happening in a timely and efficient manner. If you are serving food, make sure everything about that is flowing smoothly. If you are having a lot of drawings, keep it flowing and maintaining interest. Make sure you have a PA system that works really well and that you are playing music or some other pleasant distractions. Make it work like a masterful performance.
- Follow up. Make sure and thank all who supported and participated in your event. There will be plenty of people to thank. Gather the names of prospects and follow up with them, thanking them for attending and presenting any special offers again that you might have. Great job! A successful event! Many prospects and many sales! Awesome job! Whew! That was a lot of work! But, it paid off for everyone!
These kind of events can be very effective if well thought out, planned and executed. I wish you this kind of success with your next event.
5/23/08
Tilt Cab Strategies
I do have a fondness for the tilt cab truck because it really adds a new dimension to my commercial truck operation. My strategy with the tilt cab is fairly simple: I want to show prospects how that truck really shines by stocking the body selections that demonstrate its unique value and benefits.
In the previous article, I discussed the main benefits of the tilt cab versus the conventional cab, so my strategy for stocking bodies will take advantage of these benefits and point them out in very obvious ways. Here is that general strategy: Stock the same kind of bodies that you sell on conventional cab trucks, but stock them with longer bodies. As an example, lets say you are stocking a 12' flatbed on an 84" CA conventional cab truck. It is a very common truck. On the tilt cab, I will stock the 120" CA and put a 16' on it. The overall length of each truck is about the same, but I can put 4' more cargo on the truck with the same overall length. That is a huge advantage. Instead of an 11' Service body on an 84" CA, I will stock a 13' or 14' Service body on a 108" CA and it will still be shorter than the 11' body on the conventional cab. Again, more cargo for the same or shorter length.
Now, let us just take Ford for an example on the conventional cab truck. An 84" CA on the Ford would have a wheelbase of 165" approximately and accommodate a 12' bed. If I compare the Ford LCF tilt cab with a 108" CA, the wheelbase is 137" with a 14' bed, 149" with a 16' bed, and 167" with an 18' bed. So the turning radius is about the same on the 18' bed LCF versus the 12' bed on the conventional cab. That is the power of the design of the tilt cab.
I have found that if I stocked the same length bodies as normal, but just pointed out the shorter turning radius that this strategy did not do much to increase my sales. When I stocked the longer bodies, that did increase my sales and turned my inventory faster. People want more bang for their buck and with the tilt cab, they get more body for their truck.
The other strategy is to take advantage of certain markets that cry for the tilt cab. The first and most common application is the dry van body. Again, my strategy in length to stock will be the longer like the 16' and 20' van bodies with a few 14' units thrown in for good measure. Stakebed is another example of a very common application and I would focus on the 14' and the 16' mainly with a longer one for good measure.
In addition, there are some other markets that are often overlooked that work wonderfully with the tilt cab. One of them is the Landscaper type body which is a common name for a flatbed dump with solid sides and a swing away rear gate system that is used most in the landscaping field. Here again, I can take advantage of the less common 14' body and still have a much shorter turning radius and shorter overall length to boot. This is a great seller on this chassis. It is also a great seller with a storage box behind the cab in front of the body. Another overlooked body is the flatbed dump. I would stock that in a 14' and 16' model with no side gates. The gates can be added later if desired. Of course, I would make sure the dump is displayed in the up position to take advantage of the way this looks.
Another perfect body for this truck is the taller service body and combo body options. As an example, Harbor Truck Bodies sells a service and combo body that is 56" tall instead of their standard height of 41". The tilt cab truck is perfect for this body and you will find it a fast seller as well for a number of reasons. One is that body looks like it belongs on the truck because of the taller cab, and two, the body will carry larger and/or more things in the same or less overall length. Continue to point out the advantages.
If you were involved in the sale of tow truck bodies, the tilt cab is an excellent choice for the obvious advantages of the increased maneuverability and shorter overall length.
I have learned that trying to sell the common length bodies did not work well, but selling the longer bodies and displaying this perfectly on the tilt cab truck worked perfectly.
In the previous article, I discussed the main benefits of the tilt cab versus the conventional cab, so my strategy for stocking bodies will take advantage of these benefits and point them out in very obvious ways. Here is that general strategy: Stock the same kind of bodies that you sell on conventional cab trucks, but stock them with longer bodies. As an example, lets say you are stocking a 12' flatbed on an 84" CA conventional cab truck. It is a very common truck. On the tilt cab, I will stock the 120" CA and put a 16' on it. The overall length of each truck is about the same, but I can put 4' more cargo on the truck with the same overall length. That is a huge advantage. Instead of an 11' Service body on an 84" CA, I will stock a 13' or 14' Service body on a 108" CA and it will still be shorter than the 11' body on the conventional cab. Again, more cargo for the same or shorter length.
Now, let us just take Ford for an example on the conventional cab truck. An 84" CA on the Ford would have a wheelbase of 165" approximately and accommodate a 12' bed. If I compare the Ford LCF tilt cab with a 108" CA, the wheelbase is 137" with a 14' bed, 149" with a 16' bed, and 167" with an 18' bed. So the turning radius is about the same on the 18' bed LCF versus the 12' bed on the conventional cab. That is the power of the design of the tilt cab.
I have found that if I stocked the same length bodies as normal, but just pointed out the shorter turning radius that this strategy did not do much to increase my sales. When I stocked the longer bodies, that did increase my sales and turned my inventory faster. People want more bang for their buck and with the tilt cab, they get more body for their truck.
The other strategy is to take advantage of certain markets that cry for the tilt cab. The first and most common application is the dry van body. Again, my strategy in length to stock will be the longer like the 16' and 20' van bodies with a few 14' units thrown in for good measure. Stakebed is another example of a very common application and I would focus on the 14' and the 16' mainly with a longer one for good measure.
In addition, there are some other markets that are often overlooked that work wonderfully with the tilt cab. One of them is the Landscaper type body which is a common name for a flatbed dump with solid sides and a swing away rear gate system that is used most in the landscaping field. Here again, I can take advantage of the less common 14' body and still have a much shorter turning radius and shorter overall length to boot. This is a great seller on this chassis. It is also a great seller with a storage box behind the cab in front of the body. Another overlooked body is the flatbed dump. I would stock that in a 14' and 16' model with no side gates. The gates can be added later if desired. Of course, I would make sure the dump is displayed in the up position to take advantage of the way this looks.
Another perfect body for this truck is the taller service body and combo body options. As an example, Harbor Truck Bodies sells a service and combo body that is 56" tall instead of their standard height of 41". The tilt cab truck is perfect for this body and you will find it a fast seller as well for a number of reasons. One is that body looks like it belongs on the truck because of the taller cab, and two, the body will carry larger and/or more things in the same or less overall length. Continue to point out the advantages.
If you were involved in the sale of tow truck bodies, the tilt cab is an excellent choice for the obvious advantages of the increased maneuverability and shorter overall length.
I have learned that trying to sell the common length bodies did not work well, but selling the longer bodies and displaying this perfectly on the tilt cab truck worked perfectly.
Advantages of the Tilt Cab vs Conventional Cab Truck
There are many advantages of the tilt cab style truck versus the conventional cab truck. I will discuss what I think are the top advantages and the ones that will help you sell them effectively. First and foremost is a much tighter turning radius. This happens for two reasons: 1) a much shorter wheelbase and 2) Generally tighter wheel turning ability due to the design of the cab. On the typical 84" CA chassis, the conventional cab cannot make a 360 degree turn in the average city street, but the tilt cab does it with lots of room to spare. If your customer is making deliveries or working on jobs in the city, this is a very important selling feature. Matter of fact, you typically can turn a 360 degree turn with a 108" CA! A massive advantage in maneuverability.
The second advantage is that the cargo length is 4' longer on average for the same CA when comparing the tilt cab to the conventional cab. The reason? Basically, in the tilt cab, you sit on top of the engine and the conventional cab you sit behind the engine. There is no hood on the tilt cab and that 4' of hood is now translated to cargo space instead. This is a huge advantage. More cargo or a bigger body in less space overall. That means efficiency.
The third advantage is shorter overall length when comparing same size bodies on the tilt cab versus the conventional cab. Take a 12' flatbed on an 84" CA conventional cab and then compare the same body on the tilt cab and the overall length is typically 4' shorter! Not only is the turning radius smaller, the overall space the entire truck takes up is 4' shorter. In tighter areas, this is a huge advantage.
There are many other advantages such as:
The second advantage is that the cargo length is 4' longer on average for the same CA when comparing the tilt cab to the conventional cab. The reason? Basically, in the tilt cab, you sit on top of the engine and the conventional cab you sit behind the engine. There is no hood on the tilt cab and that 4' of hood is now translated to cargo space instead. This is a huge advantage. More cargo or a bigger body in less space overall. That means efficiency.
The third advantage is shorter overall length when comparing same size bodies on the tilt cab versus the conventional cab. Take a 12' flatbed on an 84" CA conventional cab and then compare the same body on the tilt cab and the overall length is typically 4' shorter! Not only is the turning radius smaller, the overall space the entire truck takes up is 4' shorter. In tighter areas, this is a huge advantage.
There are many other advantages such as:
- Better visibility (typically more glass area and sitting up a bit higher)
- Access to the engine by tilting the cab. (Depending on the job being done, this can be a great advantage for minor repairs.
- Driveability. (People often find that they are fun to drive because of the way they feel when turning and the greater visibility and the angle of the steering column when compared with the conventional cab. This is totally subjective.)
- Parking. (This is one of the easiest trucks to parallel park!)
- And more. . .
All in all, the tilt cab truck is an excellent addition to your commercial truck operation. You will get incremental sales because of the benefits. Those who have owned the tilt cabs usually love them and they will go elsewhere to buy if you do not carry them. Next up: the strategy of stocking these trucks.
5/21/08
The Real Reason Customers Stall - Jeffrey Gitomer
If you have trouble playing this video, here is the direct link: The Real Reason
5/20/08
Learning From the Masters Club - Lifetime Member
Benjamin Franklin, easily one of the greatest figures in American history, said this: "If a man empties his purse in his head, no one can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."
History class in high school was boring and it seemed like all they wanted us to do was to memorize some dates and events, pass the test and move on. That was true for me except for one teacher who I only had the pleasure of working with for a few months. This teacher read parts of books, told interesting stories, taught us what things were different back then and how people responded the things and events. It was fascinating because this teacher was inspired and fascinated himself. That came across to me perfectly and I am grateful for the experience.
Reading books during my school years did not happen. I used to buy summary books to avoid reading a whole book. I wanted to learn, but not so much as to read a thick book all the way from cover to cover. I mean, get real. It wasn't until I got into sales when I was 22 that I really began reading books and they continue to inspire me today 36 years later--and frankly, even more so now times ten.
There are so many awesome books, audio books, seminar tapes, CD's, MP3's, DVD's, Flash Movies available now that to me it is like a kid in a candy store! One of the newer things in the last few years is the advent of websites like YouTube, Facebook, Digg, and many others where you can get interesting information in staggering volume and depth. You might have to wade through some odd stuff to get there, but I have presented a number of YouTube videos in this blog and there are hundreds more like them that are instructive and uplifting.
Want to learn more about sales, sales management, personal finances, investing, playing guitar, biographies of great people, inspirational messages, etc.? They are now so easy to find and get them from a wide variety of people and companies. When I started in sales in 1972, I had a very hard time trying to find books and other materials on sales and now it is very easy; albeit, you do have a lot of choices and choosing can be a bit strenuous--and exciting!
So now, you heard of this strange named guy called Zig Ziglar, so you go to YouTube and type in Zig Ziglar and you will be amazed how much stuff is on there about and including Zig Ziglar. If you don't know about Zig, he is a classic motivational speaker from the 70's and 80's and beyond. One of my personal mentors is Jim Rohn. You will find tons about him. In the last few years, my sales guru is Jeffrey Gitomer and I am sharing a number of his videos, books and such. Powerful information to make changes, get inspired, learn better ways of doing things, make more money, whatever.
I got through high school without reading one average size book cover to cover. I dropped out of college and joined the service. At 22, I went back to school by reading books and a couple thousand books later, I decided to stay in school for life. I wonder what I will learn next? Memberships are still available in this club. It is the Learning from the Masters Club. All interested parties are welcome!
History class in high school was boring and it seemed like all they wanted us to do was to memorize some dates and events, pass the test and move on. That was true for me except for one teacher who I only had the pleasure of working with for a few months. This teacher read parts of books, told interesting stories, taught us what things were different back then and how people responded the things and events. It was fascinating because this teacher was inspired and fascinated himself. That came across to me perfectly and I am grateful for the experience.
Reading books during my school years did not happen. I used to buy summary books to avoid reading a whole book. I wanted to learn, but not so much as to read a thick book all the way from cover to cover. I mean, get real. It wasn't until I got into sales when I was 22 that I really began reading books and they continue to inspire me today 36 years later--and frankly, even more so now times ten.
There are so many awesome books, audio books, seminar tapes, CD's, MP3's, DVD's, Flash Movies available now that to me it is like a kid in a candy store! One of the newer things in the last few years is the advent of websites like YouTube, Facebook, Digg, and many others where you can get interesting information in staggering volume and depth. You might have to wade through some odd stuff to get there, but I have presented a number of YouTube videos in this blog and there are hundreds more like them that are instructive and uplifting.
Want to learn more about sales, sales management, personal finances, investing, playing guitar, biographies of great people, inspirational messages, etc.? They are now so easy to find and get them from a wide variety of people and companies. When I started in sales in 1972, I had a very hard time trying to find books and other materials on sales and now it is very easy; albeit, you do have a lot of choices and choosing can be a bit strenuous--and exciting!
So now, you heard of this strange named guy called Zig Ziglar, so you go to YouTube and type in Zig Ziglar and you will be amazed how much stuff is on there about and including Zig Ziglar. If you don't know about Zig, he is a classic motivational speaker from the 70's and 80's and beyond. One of my personal mentors is Jim Rohn. You will find tons about him. In the last few years, my sales guru is Jeffrey Gitomer and I am sharing a number of his videos, books and such. Powerful information to make changes, get inspired, learn better ways of doing things, make more money, whatever.
I got through high school without reading one average size book cover to cover. I dropped out of college and joined the service. At 22, I went back to school by reading books and a couple thousand books later, I decided to stay in school for life. I wonder what I will learn next? Memberships are still available in this club. It is the Learning from the Masters Club. All interested parties are welcome!
5/19/08
The Magic of Inspiration!
The year was 1973 and I had been in the car business for just a few months. I was an auto mechanic in the Air Force and didn't want to do that anymore, so I thought since I knew trucks from the bottom up, I surely should be able to sell them. Well. . . it sounded good. . . and I did it, but it wasn't an easy transition.
My sales manager and general manager of the dealership shared some personal training materials with me that led me from one book to another to another and each built more excitement in learning new things. I went to the library for more and found a gem there that is still powerfully with me 35 years later. It was written by an insurance salesman named Frank Bettger (Bet chur) and the title was long and accurate: How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success In Selling.
I read that book over and over again, sent away to the publisher (Prentice-Hall in New Jersey) and bought 25 copies to give to friends and fellow struggling salespeople. I was inspired! I have never forgotten that feeling and I am always, everyday on the hunt for anything that will bring me that feeling again and again. For me it is almost always in learning from other people's experience and occasionally my own.
The most important thing in this book is brought down to one sentence: Enthusiasm is contagious and is necessary for success and to become enthusiastic, act enthusiastically. That sounds so simple, but when you are feeling down or depressed, it seems ridiculous. Nonetheless, it is among the truest statements I have ever found.
The greatest gift we have as humans is that we have the power of the will. We have the power to change how we feel, how we act, how we think, how we respond. We can force ourselves to do what we need to do if we can find a good enough reason and we believe that we have the will power. It is hard to act enthusiastically when you are not feeling good, but I guarantee that you will find that when you act enthusiastically, you will start to feel better and better until the blues are gone and replaced with feeling good and enthusiastic. Thirty five years later, I still remind myself of this lesson from 1973 (published in 1949) and decide to choose how to feel.
How can you be enthusiastic in an economy like this? You can choose to. Surely it is not all doom and gloom as the news media would have you believe. Think about what things you can be thankful for; things you can be enthusiastic about. Maybe you have a loving spouse, a beautiful child, grandchild, loving friend. I made a list a few times in my life that started with "I love. . ." and then I just made a long, long list of the things that I loved. Some were silly to others like, "I love the smell of water on concrete on a hot day. . ." or "I love a full tank of gas and somewhere I want to go. . ." You will be amazed how long this list can get if you just let your mind go. Then, next time you aren't feeling too good about things, just pick up the list and start reading.
It's the magic of inspiration! Find many things to get inspired about.
My sales manager and general manager of the dealership shared some personal training materials with me that led me from one book to another to another and each built more excitement in learning new things. I went to the library for more and found a gem there that is still powerfully with me 35 years later. It was written by an insurance salesman named Frank Bettger (Bet chur) and the title was long and accurate: How I Raised Myself From Failure To Success In Selling.
I read that book over and over again, sent away to the publisher (Prentice-Hall in New Jersey) and bought 25 copies to give to friends and fellow struggling salespeople. I was inspired! I have never forgotten that feeling and I am always, everyday on the hunt for anything that will bring me that feeling again and again. For me it is almost always in learning from other people's experience and occasionally my own.
The most important thing in this book is brought down to one sentence: Enthusiasm is contagious and is necessary for success and to become enthusiastic, act enthusiastically. That sounds so simple, but when you are feeling down or depressed, it seems ridiculous. Nonetheless, it is among the truest statements I have ever found.
The greatest gift we have as humans is that we have the power of the will. We have the power to change how we feel, how we act, how we think, how we respond. We can force ourselves to do what we need to do if we can find a good enough reason and we believe that we have the will power. It is hard to act enthusiastically when you are not feeling good, but I guarantee that you will find that when you act enthusiastically, you will start to feel better and better until the blues are gone and replaced with feeling good and enthusiastic. Thirty five years later, I still remind myself of this lesson from 1973 (published in 1949) and decide to choose how to feel.
How can you be enthusiastic in an economy like this? You can choose to. Surely it is not all doom and gloom as the news media would have you believe. Think about what things you can be thankful for; things you can be enthusiastic about. Maybe you have a loving spouse, a beautiful child, grandchild, loving friend. I made a list a few times in my life that started with "I love. . ." and then I just made a long, long list of the things that I loved. Some were silly to others like, "I love the smell of water on concrete on a hot day. . ." or "I love a full tank of gas and somewhere I want to go. . ." You will be amazed how long this list can get if you just let your mind go. Then, next time you aren't feeling too good about things, just pick up the list and start reading.
It's the magic of inspiration! Find many things to get inspired about.
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