F&I Tips: Setting the Proper Image

In business, image is everything. Your customers will make assumptions about you based on your image. If you look professional, they will see you as professional. This positive image sets the stage for sales success. Remember: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. The same hold true for the product as well, which is why the presentation should be polished and informative. Factors essential to creating a successful overall image include the quality of your wardrobe, grooming, politeness, voice, size, posture, body language, etc.



THE PROPER ATTIRE

It’s a well-known fact that people make assumptions based on a person’s attire. While there are certainly exceptions to this rule, the surest method of maintaining success is consistently putting your best foot forward. Your customer’s first impression will lead them to form assumptions about some important attributes, which will, in turn, influence the way the customer responds to you during the business transaction. Should your appearance lend itself to a poor first impression, you have sabotaged yourself from the start. Some of the assumptions your customer may make based on your appearance are your:

Professionalism

Education

Economic well-being

Success level

Moral fiber

Take whatever time is necessary to select the proper wardrobe. If you want to be taken seriously by customers who are going to spend a lot of money at your dealership, honor them by wearing appropriate attire. Customers should have an idea if they like you or not, if they feel comfortable with you or not, based on your appearance. This gives you a significant advantage during the sales process: if your customers take you seriously in your capacity as an advisor, they will be listening attentively as you discuss product knowledge and other aspects of the sales process.

BE COURTEOUS

Your customers are hoping to spend a lot of money with you – that’s why they are at the dealership. Treat them with respect. These are people who generally have worked hard for the money they are about to spend, and they deserve to be treated accordingly. Be polite to them, and remember where you are: You are in a professional dealership, be careful with the car lingo!

ADDITIONAL PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Always smile, let your customers see that you care about them. Your facial expressions and body language communicate a great deal; in fact, communication is primarily non-verbal. No matter how courteous your words are, they will be undercut by body language and facial expressions that seem disrespectful or insincere. Let your non-verbal communication say you have an interest in presenting your products to your customers, rather than trying to force them into a particular decision. Let them feel that the decision is their choice, not yours. In other words, don’t give them an opportunity to dislike you. That’s self-defeating, and will result in fewer sales.

How you project your voice is important too. Project with confidence, and convey enthusiasm and sincerity. In the old days, customers were wary about fast-talking salesmen. They still are. Remember, these are people, not dollar signs! Look at them. Talk to them. After all, you know your product. Let them hear your expertise in your voice.

The way you shake hands never goes unnoticed by the recipient. Let it represent your professionalism and attention. Let the customer know you really are pleased to meet them, that you’re not just saying that.

In the end, you are responsible for what your customers see. If you put forth the effort to present a polished, friendly appearance, your interactions with your customers will be more productive and more enjoyable for everyone involved. Taking the time to create a professional image for yourself is an investment in your own success.

AFI

Source article by: Arzu Algan

AutoFinanceInsider.com

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The Right Attitude in Sales

By Dean Arzu Algan

Your attitude toward yourself and your customers is critical to your success. Attitude influences our behavior and our actions, and ultimately defines what we can or cannot do. Once a negative attitude takes hold, success becomes an uphill battle. Much like a disease, a negative attitude can become a chronic problem, constantly eating away at your success. You become programmed to accept losing. Unless you break free of that cycle of negativity, you simply cannot succeed. Toward that end, it is essential that you leave personal and other problems at home. Customers don’t want to know about them – they want to interact with someone who is knowledgeable, and who exudes professionalism.

POSITIVE ATTITUDE

The power of a positive attitude must be realized. There is no other way to become a success, whether in sales or in any other endeavor. Think successful, become successful.

The individual who feels like a failure will find a way to fail. There is a definite relationship between positive attitude and accomplishments. Professional people cannot afford to give out negative energy. The more positive your attitude, the greater your prospects for achieving success. A positive attitude helps generate the energy to get things done. Attitude, like health and diet, can be changed. It can be improved.

Seek opportunities at every turn. If things do go wrong – and they sometimes will, it is the human condition – view them as a learning experience. In other words, strive to find a positive angle on what otherwise might be a negative (and destructive) incident. Keep striving for success, and realize that if you take two steps forward for every step backward, you are still making progress. Take pride in ethics and legal compliance. Exercise self-control. Your customers will appreciate it, your company will generate more business, and you’ll feel better about yourself.

AVOIDING A RUT

Human beings, by their very nature, are creatures of habit. Some habits, as we all know, are better than others. Often, the difference between success and failure are the quality of their habits. Think about it, and the kind of habits that will generate success.

Those who continually fail generally often find it difficult, if not downright impossible, to abandon the immediate pleasure bad habits may offer. Consequently, they have low expectations which they may or may not realize. Successful people have learned that they are responsible for their own success. They are willing to put their long-term goals ahead of short-term pleasures by cultivating proper habits. They strive to make each day – and each deal – count, even if the odds appear against them.

LISTENING WITHIN

Developing a good understanding of ourselves is an important phase of human growth and development. Self-awareness, a thorough understanding of our own identity, sets the stage for improved relationships. To become meaningfully involved with others and to make a positive impression we must have an awareness of self. Without first understanding the persona you current project, how can you change the way others perceive that persona?

Few people are aware of how they feel about themselves, of what is important to them, and thus are relatively unaware of the feelings of others. Individuals who are not aware of self tend to lack superior judgment and wisdom. When we discover that something we do bothers someone else, we have the option of altering our behavior. Greater self-awareness also improves our communication skills.

When faced with a toxic, unproductive outlook or negative habits, many people refuse to examine the source of their problems: themselves. Rather than undergo the sometimes painful process of introspection, they continue in their destructive practices. If you hope to succeed, you must avoid this trap. If you want to be successful, you must be willing to face the unpleasant possibility that you are the cause of most of your failures. Your courage will be rewarded with a greater insight into yourself, and, subsequently, a more successful career.

Excellent article.

AFI

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