Free Article Automotive Sales Training by Paul Hauke, BA, MBA, ICMP, ICCSP, ICCDP, ICCDMP
As the marketing in this industry changes so must the marketers. The marketing techniques, products and services change daily. New technology is always on the horizon. Today in the consumer retail environment there is change everywhere. Much of this change is necessitated by the ever increasing number of outlets selling the same products. As it has been often quoted, "the piece of the pie is getting smaller." Retail neighborhood storefronts of years ago had only to compete with other retail neighborhood store fronts, and only those in the same neighborhood. Then with the advent of shopping malls and centers , large retailers moved from the neighborhoods to the shopping malls. The competition then became centered on shopping malls and centers. Eventually neighborhood stores began to make a comeback by being more customer friendly and service conscious. Automotive, Marine, RV and Motorcycle dealers were no different. Many neighborhood dealers moved to better highway locations, and thus began the auto mall building. Some did this voluntarily and some were forced by the factories. Either way all retailers moving to "bigger and better" facilities also took on a lot more debt to do so. So the question is did taking on more debt to be "bigger and better" really make sense. To many it worked very well. However, I have been involved in working closely with "dealerships" that over spent and had to restructure, sell off parts of their business, or completely sell out. The buyers were almost always large and very well capitalized dealer groups. Many were publicly financed. And of those public companies many of them have also had to eventually restructure and/or sell.
Now today it's no secret that there are many dealerships in trouble. The competition between the dealerships is phenomenal due to the amount of makes and models available , with more coming. Many domestic manufacturers are making there money overseas. However, here in the USA many dealerships are struggling to stay alive. Many dealerships, mostly domestics, have not been able to find buyers for their franchises and have just closed. Domestic manufacturers have been planning for years to close many operating franchises, so to increase the "share of the pie" for the remaining dealerships.
Franchised dealerships, such as auto dealers, marine dealers, and motorcycle dealers do have an edge over the non franchised business.. The edge is that you must be a franchise to sell and service the product, unlike a clothing store , a restaurant, a food store, etc. With the manufacturers understanding the need to reduce the number of dealers , the future should improve. However , while this is happening another challenge is developing. The internet has brought about an onslaught of non franchised "brokers" for cars, trucks, boats, RVs and motorcycles that compete with franchised dealers on the internet to sell the franchisees products for them for a referral fee or a listing fee. These internet sites operate both inside and outside each individual dealer's area. The promise of the lowest price drives many of these sites. Dealers find themselves fighting over deals worth a few hundred dollars. It's ironic that dealers operate in a retail environment where when a $30,000. vehicle is sold the state collects a sales tax around $2,000.00 for doing nothing (depending on state) and the dealer who has stocked this vehicle, maintained it, and paid the overhead to operate the sales organization many times makes less, both on the gross side and the net side.
Ok , so what's the answer? Well the first thing is that the manufacturers must do a better job with product mix. There have been many management errors in this area. It seems that all manufacturers are aware of this. How well and how quickly they can and will make the necessary changes remains to be seen. Either way it has been and will be a very costly lesson for domestic manufacturers. Many dealers will be better off with leaving the business. Those who, for whatever reason have not kept up the rapidly changing times. The factories and these dealers have got to work the details out between themselves. For the survivors it is imperative that they know and implement the newest products, services and techniques available today and tomorrow and the next day, etc. As the old saying goes; "only the strong will survive." Actually, the new saying is that only those dealers that are " knowledgeable, prepared and willing to change will survive".
Sales training in the Automobile, Marine, RV and Motorcycle dealership is more important today then ever. Training that shows sales personnel how to prospect on their own, how the dealer can maximize the internet to his or her own benefit, how to cut advertising expenses, how to maximize return on investment not only with the fixed assets of the company but with the human assets of the company. As with both they must be developed. Too many dealerships are not maximizing the potential of the human assets. Unskilled owners and mangers are the problem. An owner, manager and salesperson today is dramatically different than an owner, manager or salesperson of twenty year sago. Just ask any dealership owner, manager, or staff of the dealers and dealer groups that have gone out of business and those who will fail in the future. Cutting edge products and services for the dealership of the future is the answer.
Paul Hauke, the President of IFFPF Inc. has over twenty five years of professional experience in these areas. He is an expert and has written many articles and books on the subject matter. IFFPF Inc. was the first and is still the only company to offer Professional Certification Programs in Marketing, Customer Satisfaction, Customer Development, Retail Sales, Hospitality Sales, and Professional Auctioneering. Paul Hauke , himself has over fifteen professional Certifications. He is a pioneer in the development of web based marketing and has developed many successful strategies for search engine optimization for clients.
Paul Hauke and IFFPF Inc. are the INNOVATORS.
http://www.iffpf.com
Paul Richard Hauke is the President of IFFPF Inc. , (http://www.iffpf.com) the leading international automotive sales training company in the world. He has a MBA in business management and is IFFPF Certified* in numerous professional specialties; such as ICREP, ICIREP, ICREMP, ICFSP, ICLIP, ICRP, ICRMP, ICMP, ICCSP, ICCDP, ICCDMP, ICPA and ICHSDP. He has spent his entire lifetime working with Cadillac, Toyota, Honda, Chevrolet, Acura, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi, Buick, Lexus, Dodge, and Chrysler dealerships and factory representatives to maximize sales and professionalism in the automobile business. IFFPF Inc. additionally supplies promotional direct mail programs, and marketing incentives to the automobile business at wholesale and distributor pricing at http://www.iffpf.com. IFFPF Inc. is a full service marketing firm. *IFFPF Certifications are trademarks of IFFPF Inc.
Related Tags: automotive, sales training, rv, motorcycle, management training, leadership training, marine, dealerships
Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- The Resurgence of Fred Perry Clothing
Summer might long be over and Wimbledon may be a distant memory, however the fashion is a year round - Uncovering Men's Tank Tops
I don't know a thing about you, but I'll bet that you have worn a tank top. Tank tops have also been - Make Use of Silk Scarves to Take Good Care of Your Skin
In the event you are new about silk scarves, you could never read about this particular feature of s - Just For Men Scarves - the Preference For Guys in the Vogue Domain
If you are not certain what style of present you could provide for men, maybe you can consider men s - Think Black Friday Shopping is Beyond Your Budget?
Moms who are juggling the bills and still trying to provide the perfect holiday gift to loved ones a - How to Make Conscious Shopping Choices
Many people have heard the phrase "voting with your dollars" and they understand that it means your - Silk Scarves - Unique Present Approach in Xmas Seasons
The most prevalent silk add-on is scarves, and many focus is presented on inspired designing on thes - Benefits of an Aloe Vera Shampoo
A lot of people are not aware of the specific benefits that using an aloe vera shampoo can do to the - How Effective is the Power of Your Subconscious Mind?
Most people are bombarded with this thought whenever they feel weak and wish to affect certain chang - Silk Scarf - the Record For Human Being in the Style History
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries the worldwide recognition of silk scarves developed dramatica
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Surf and Turf: the Race Track
Surf and Turf: The Race TrackOne of the favorite places for The G to hang out at, especially in Summ - Are You Looking For Cholesterol Drugs Without Side Effect?
High cholesterol level is probably one of the widely spread complication among Americans. Almost for - Friday the 13th could be a lucky day?
Friday the 13th sounds unlucky ? Traditional superstition ? And a lot of people dislike it and beli - Don't Judge A Man
Our world is full of bad tongues, fault-finders, gossipers, mockers, and insulters but do these grou - When Personalized Gifts Make a Difference
Finding the right gifts for a particular occasion is always a challenging task. Sometimes it is nic - Managing My Resistance: Learning To Flow With What Life Offers
One of the things that interests me most about conflict is the tendency to resist it and the ways in - What Are Horoscopes Based On?
If you do not know much about astrology, you may wonder what are horoscopes based on and how astrolo - 7 Dumbest Relationship Mistakes Smart People Make
We often find ourselves amid the wreckage of a love gone wrong, wringing our hands and asking, "Why - Motivation as the heart of self improvement
You should be able to find several indispensable facts about Motivation in the following paragraphs - Is Complete Abstinence from Use of Paychoactive Substances Necessary for Recovery?
Can a sober alcoholic in recovery who has no history of abuse of marijuana, use marijuana without