The forgotten skills your sales team needs to relearn in 2023 — David Kain

As dealers prepare for the automotive industry’s revival, they often find that their sales departments have forgotten skills which were once foundational to their business’s success. Vehicle scarcity and high prices removed the need to charm customers, but, as availability and competition grow back, successful sales professionals will once again need to learn the tactics which won so many buyers over in the past. David Kain is the president and owner of Kain Automotive, and has spent 40 years in the auto industry teaching managers and salespeople how to provide excellent service and customer care. On this episode of Inside Automotive, Kain joins host Jim Fitzpatrick to discuss the forgotten skills salespeople will need to navigate the car market of 2023 like a pro.

Phone conversations

The relationship between employee and consumer is foundational for sales success, and nearly all relationships start with a conversation. However, as digital technology has replaced many of our traditional communication methods, dealers have found it more difficult to earn their clients’ trust and loyalty, either in-person or over the phone. “The art of a good telephone conversation, and controlling the dialogue, really has fallen by the wayside,” notes Kain. He suggests that storeowners teach their staff the forgotten skill of tactful conversation, and even go so far as to practice with them in mock telephone calls.

Email marketing

Email has outlived many other forms of communication, especially where lead generation and marketing are concerned. However, for its widespread use, few have mastered the art of sending emails which both intrigue the reader and become the catalyst for an eventual sale. Kain offers a variety of helpful tips for writing successful messages and honing this forgotten skill.

1. Put the client’s name in the subject line. This is an excellent way to grab the reader’s attention, and makes their first interaction feel more personalized.

2. Keep email word counts to a minimum. Customers should be left wanting more, rather than feeling like they know too much.

3. Never send an email without a question mark in the subject line. This way, customers feel as if they are actually participating in a conversation, and will contribute more naturally.

4. Never end an email with “If you have questions let me know.” Instead, offer specific pieces of information that can be provided should the customer be interested.

Great salespeople care about the customers they interact with. Their goal is to give the buyer the best vehicle purchasing experience they can find. Without these forgotten skills, their department’s success is severely limited and poorly optimized for returning buyers. By learning how to converse and write better emails, sales teams can work their way back to their former level of talent. As Kain notes, “Guests never tire of someone who really cares about what’s best for them.”