The EnterTrainer Podcast with Todd Hudak: Recent Episodes
Todd Hudak
Boost your Career with advice from Todd Hudak, a successful corporate consultant and motivational speaker.
Today, I want to use an analogy that might sound kind of funny: showering.
Most of us took a shower today, but how did we feel beforehand? Grungy? Tired? Lazy? Negative? Most of the time, we don't head into a shower feeling too good. But how do we feel after a shower? More often than not, we feel great! We feel excited, clean, and ready to go!
Did you shower your brain today? This is a bit of a tougher question. Most salespeople are operating in a pretty tough environment -- they know that the customer is going to say no several times before they say yes. We hear no over and over again, and what happens is it starts to tarnish our enthusiasm.
In order to combat all the negativity that often comes with a sales job, we need to shower power our brains, just like we shower our bodies when we want a fresh start. To do this, I try to watch motivational videos, read books, or simply watch The Three Stooges to give me a laugh! It’s as simple as visiting YouTube and typing in something like, “people are awesome,” or, “inspirational,” to get great results.
Positive videos and positive reading are great strategies to shower your brain. After you’re done, you’ll be ready to go out and face a couple more no’s. If everyone was saying yes, yes, yes, we wouldn’t need sales people! Sales starts when the customer says no -- that’s how it is and that’s how it always will be. But if you want to counter that negative energy and keep on top of your game, you need to shower your brain!
If you would like additional tips on how to perform at a high level, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m always here to help you improve your skillset!
I want to show you guys something. This is what a BDC is supposed to look like. It may not be the fanciest looking room, but this is where all the work happens. They’ve got their scripts on the wall, and they’re working away. If you need help putting together your Business Development Center, give me a call. If you can’t get handshakes in today’s market, you’re dead in the water. I will talk to you and your team. Get out of the soup line and get on the phone line!
Just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!
I train all over the nation and people are always asking me how many calls they need to make, how they should track their calls, and what they should do to be better at what they do. I give all of them the same answer.
If you want to make improvements in your field or in your personal life, it all starts with making a daily goal. If you make 10 quality contacts, calls, or handshakes, you're probably going to make a sale. These are little goals that add up in the long run.Today, I want to challenge you. Set 10 goals for yourself each day and try to achieve them. If you think it's more realistic to set the goal at five, start with that! Once you start accomplishing your five goals a day with regularity, increase the number of goals you want to accomplish each day!
Force yourself to set the goals for you! Once you start doing this, you will have a track record and will be able to have fun with it!
If you have any questions about making taking the next step in you business, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I would love to give you a hand!
Today, we'll discuss how to create handshakes in today's market.
Here's what I want you to think about: people aren't just walking into the dealership anymore. They are doing research online before coming in, and they usually have a car in mind. So, how can you create handshakes?
One of the things that I implement is this: "Sell me once, no big deal. Sell me twice, now you've got it." Most people, after they sell to a customer, go on to the next deal. I want you to make two phone calls. In the first call, you're the hunter. You're sitting on the edge of your chair, and you believe this person wants to buy a car.
The second call is a fun call - call someone who just bought a car. Sit in the back of your chair. Relax. Just show some interest, and ask about the other vehicles in their household. You're creating a need where there isn't one. Ask which vehicle is next to be replaced, and figure out why they want to get rid of that one.
The key is that the customer is the one who voices concerns about the vehicle. You did not badmouth the vehicle at all, and now they see that they need a new one. That opens the door for you to solve whatever problems they have with that car.
It takes a while to learn this, but you have to call and show concern for the consumer. Showing them you care puts you in the position of being the best person to solve their problem.
If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.
Today, we introduce the concept of a Business Development Center. There are very few BDCs out there. Instead, many businesses end up with Business Reaction Centers. Some even end up with Business Compliance Centers. I know we're throwing a lot of letters out there, but there's a big difference in money to you as a dealer depending on which one you end up with.
In a Business Compliance Center, you have to do certain things without getting sales. Many dealerships get stuck at the Business Reaction Center phase, where you answer the phone and respond to Internet leads.
Ultimately, the Business Development Center is the most proficient. You have a follow-up system for people who haven't been in the dealership for 60, 90, or 120 days. You maintain a relationship with your clients and create a need in their household to buy another car. You develop business from your database, where people know and trust you already. The Business Development Center captures business and brings it to your dealership.
If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!
By using the power of either/or questions, you remove “no” from the equation. We often say no to get out of things. For instance, if someone invites you out on a Friday, you say no to get out of it. Instead of yes-or-no questions, we practice either/or by asking questions, such as:
Does right now work for you or would later be better?
* Are you free to talk about this now or later?*
If you provide choices, the prospective client can assume they’ve already made the decision to meet with you anyway. Give the consumer the choice to pick either “now” or “later.” You win as long as they choose between two options.
Ask the question as if it were about equipment on a particular vehicle. Do you want something with leather? Do you prefer a light or dark color? Do you want two or four wheel drive? It’s phenomenal as a control tool, even when customers think they’re in charge.
If you have questions about this topic or anything else, reach out via phone or email today.
Today we are going to talk about how to deal with good questions, customer concerns, and objections. Knowing how to respond to each of these, as well as how to distinguish them, will not only increase your sales prowess, it will make you more comfortable dealing with difficult customers as well.
When a customer says to you, “How much do you want for that vehicle?” that is obviously a question. We always want to answer questions honestly. Let them know what the car’s list price is, as well as their options to upgrade, should they choose to do so. Acknowledge the question, bridge it, and come back to close by offering either/or questions.
When a customer says, “Wow, that’s a little bit higher than I was thinking at $450 per month,” that’s a concern as opposed to an objection. They are concerned about the price, but not flat out coming out and saying they won’t pay it. When you hear a concern, let’s get back together and figure out a way to make it work.
Now, when a customer comes out and says “No way I’m paying that price,” we have an objection. To address objections, you have to become a problem solver. Figure out another option to make things work, whether it’s coming down on price a little bit, or finding them another vehicle.
Sales people expect confrontation and sometimes overreact to a lot of these questions, concerns, and objections. It’s important to remember that there are ways for you to deal with all three of those calmly and carefully. Learning how to deal with these kinds of situations is half the battle!
If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!
2016 is right around the corner! Are you ready? Do you have some ideas for what you want to do next year? I've got some goals that I've written down, and I'm actually very excited.
Every year, this is a time to renew your life. Where do you want to be in a year? Do you want to increase your sales? Make more money? Or just become better at what you want to do?
No matter what your goals are, you need to have a plan of action. If you aim for nothing, you'll hit it dead on the head every time. Don't let that happen to you!
Consider Alice in Wonderland. When she came upon a fork in the road, Alice asked the Cheshire Cat which way to go. The Cat asked, "Where are you going?" Alice said she didn't know. The Cheshire Cat said, "Then it doesn't matter which way you go.I don't know what's in store for you in 2016, but if you have a goal, you need to sit down and write it out. About 3% of people are goal setters. That means that in a room of 100 people, three people in that room have more money than the other 97 combined. If you write down a goal, you start to process it and integrate it into your life.
If you have any questions, reach out to me! I love the joy of giving. I've been in 500 dealerships, trained thousands of salespeople, set up development centers, and I'm in the pit every week. I know what's going on out there from the high end of the car market to the low end. If you want some insider tips, let me know!
I want to be there for you now and in the future. I'm excited to be part of your growth this year. I know that whatever you set your mind to, you can achieve it.
So go forth and set those goals! Have a great New Year's, and call me with any questions!
Today I wanted to talk to you for a moment about selecting the right outside vendor or consultant. I am a consultant myself, so I know what you should be looking for in any person you decide to hire on a consultative basis.
First off, you need someone who is a generator. Before you hire a consultant, especially a sales consultant like myself, you need to make sure they can demonstrate what they can do for your team. It’s important to put them to the test and make sure they are ready and willing to demonstrate on what they teach and prove why it works. In sales consulting, it’s all about getting some fundamental skills going. Repetition of scripts and time spent on the phone learning are the best ways to get this started. When we consult, we go through sales scripts and teach employees how to act on the phone.
Are they going to end up getting an appointment every time? No. But over time, you’re going to be able to set those appointments at a higher rate. Once that starts happening on a consistent basis, that’s when they become generators. If you have a team full of generators, the future's looking bright.
I’m not like those other companies, idly standing by and raking in the cash. I want to be in the trenches, helping you and your team become better at whatever it is you do. If you have any questions for me, or want to see my teaching in action, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!