Dealer Consultants

Session one of sales training

Steve LemcoSession One: S.O.B

S.O.B. stands for Sit On Bike. It is a very important step. Not just for customers getting to feel the bike underneath them, but for salespeople to be in control.

First, I tell the class that for the most part, customers will not say, “No, please don’t greet me.” Neither will they stop you from being friendly and building a good relationship. But they might say, “No, that’s ok; I don’t want to sit on it. I’m afraid I might buy it.”

Taking sales one step at a time is the key. Salespeople need to trust that if they hear a customer say no, it does not always mean no. If a customer says no to the comment from a salesperson of, “Here go ahead; have a seat on it and see how it fits,” then it is time to guide the customer, so we can follow the sales steps.

The best way I know to change a customer’s mind is to slap the seat and say something like, “Awe go ahead; it’s okay! Have a seat and check it out.”

The salesperson that hears no when he or she first asks a customer to sit on the bike, but gets the customer to sit on it anyway will also be a good salesperson at the write-up and closing stages.

Lunch Break

I let the class know that after the break I will go over the first four sales steps and then they will take turns role-playing them in front of the class. I also tell them that I will let them practice with each other in private for 10 minutes first.

Additional note

As you can see, there is a lot to go over in the first 90 minutes. This is why I don’t let introductions last more than a minute for each person. My goal in the first two sessions is to open their eyes and show them that there is a lot more to sales than just selling. I want them to understand that selling is an attitude game, and without it the job would not be for them.

Normally, 2-4 people go home by the end of the lunch break. Maybe they just lose confidence in themselves and figure you would never pick them. Or maybe being a showman and doing role-playing is too much for them to handle. You might have given them a high rating before, but you can’t talk someone into being a good salesperson. If they lost the sales attitude already, they probably would have lost it shortly after you hired them. In the long run, it was better they eliminated themselves.

This is the 19th part in a series of blogs about hiring new salespeople. To read the previous blogs in this series, click here.

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Steve Lemco is the youngest brother of the late Ed Lemco and has been doing sales training and hiring for motorcycle dealers since 1983. He is the author of three sales books, the new “Training and Hiring New Salespeople,”  “Motorcycle Sales Made Easy” and “You Gotta-Wanna.” Steve has trained in every state in the U.S., as well as England, France, Australia and New Zealand. Steve incorporates motivational boards and games along with his training and hiring because he believes the best way to get the job done is to make it fun. 

Contact: stevelemco@aol.com


Website: www.stevelemco.com


Phone: 253/826-6110

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