1. On the Line
Phone Skills Set the Stage for Winning the Deal
Kathy Kimmel, Cars.com
Jason Cohen, Paramus Honda
Bill Phillips, AIM
Nancy PointduJour, Brunswick Toyota

2. Welcome
 Phone lines are on mute
 Have a question?
• Enter your question by clicking on the question mark in the lower right
corner of the WebEx browser
 Include your:
• Name, organization name, state

3. Your Host
Kathy Kimmel
• Cars.com manager of automotive
consulting and dealer training
• 15+ years automotive experience
• Featured speaker at 2008 NADA and
NIADA national conventions
• Featured in leading trade publications
as an industry expert and contributing
author

4. Today’s Presenters
Jason Cohen
• Internet & BDC Sales Director,
Paramus Honda
• Paramus, NJ
• 8 years experience in automotive retail

5. Today’s Presenters
Bill Phillips
• President/founder, Automotive Internet
Management Inc.
• Irvine, CAL
• 20 years experience in automotive
retail and consulting

6. Today’s Presenters
Nancy PointduJour
• Business Development Manager /
Internet Manager, Brunswick Toyota
• North Brunswick, NJ
• 5 years experience in automotive retail

7. Objectives for Today’s Call
In today’s call, we will discuss how to:
• Identify and groom salespeople with excellent telephone communication
skills
• Use the phone to effectively follow-up with email lead senders
• Engage callers in meaningful dialogue
• Create phone scripts that put you in control of the conversation
• Use the phone to set appointments and move closer to a sale
• Monitor and evaluate the quality of your calls to ensure ongoing sales
success

8. Phone Skills Drive Sales
 With internet shoppers, the
phone is your primary sales
tool
• Inbound calls
• Outbound calls
• Email follow-up
 Cars.com shoppers are
three times more likely to
contact you by phone than
email*
* Cars.com Internal Reporting, July 2008

9. Staff for the Sale
 Where do you recommend
finding top-notch people?
• Do you search outside of automotive
retail?
 How do you qualify sales
and BDC professionals?
• What requirements do you list in the
job posting?
• What interview processes do you
recommend? Do you screen
candidates prior to a formal
interview?
 What initial and ongoing
training do you provide?

10. Prepare Your Team for the Phone
 Scripts can lay the
foundation for success:
• How do you use phone scripts or
word tracks with your sales staff /
BDC agents for inbound and
outbound calls?
• How did you develop the scripts and
word tracks you’re currently using?
 How have the scripts / word
tracks improved business?

11. Use the Phone to Connect With Buyers
 Six secrets to winning on the
phone:
• Preload your online listings
• Listen, talk carefully
• Open your inventory
• Sell your store’s value
• Use the strategic hold
• Ask for the appointment

12. Secret 1: Preload Your Online Listings
Preload your online listings
How do you ensure you can quickly access up-to-date information about
your inventory?
• Ensures you see what the customer sees in
“Are you still online? real time
• Creates an online demo of the vehicle’s
Great! Let’s take benefits and features
a look at the car you’re • Opens the customer to other options
interested in…”
Working Words

13. Secret 2: Listen, Talk Carefully
Listen, talk carefully
 How do you demonstrate to the car buyer that you’re listening to
them?
 How do you encourage car buyers to provide the information
you need?
 What tools do you use to keep track of the information car
buyers provide?
 How do you strategically use words?
• “Sure” versus “I’d be happy to help”
• “OK” or “uh-huh” versus “My pleasure”

14. Secret 3: Open Your Inventory
Open your inventory
How do you use car buyers’ information (e.g., wants, needs and budget)
to match them with appropriate vehicles?
• Allows you to better understand how the
“Is it that particular consumer arrived at their vehicle choice
• Provides opportunity to introduce other
vehicle or the nicest vehicles available
one like it?”
Working Words

15. Secret 4: Sell Your Store’s Value
Sell your store’s value
 What information do you provide to encourage the car buyer to
purchase from you and your dealership?
• Industry recognition
• Community reputation
• Location
• Inventory/selection
 How do you give the car buyer a reason not to call your
competitors?

16. Secret 5: Use the Strategic Hold
Use the strategic hold
How do you create a natural pause in the conversation to give the car
buyer time to process the information you’ve provided and to get the
information they’ve requested?
“Thanks so much for
that information. I’d like • Gives you an opportunity to review the
to take a minute to look information they’ve provided
through some other • Ask for their phone number in case you’re
options that may fit your disconnected
needs. May I place you
on hold for a minute?”
Working Words

17. Secret 6: Ask for the Appointment
Ask for the appointment
 What reasons do you give the car buyer to schedule an
appointment?
• How do you ask for the appointment to encourage the car buyer to agree
to a specific time versus simply answering yes or no?
• How do you ensure the appointment is worth car buyers’ time?
 What information should you provide and request from car
buyers to ensure they keep their appointments?
 How do you confirm appointments?
 What will you do to follow-up with the car buyer after the
appointment? How do you respond if the appointment is
missed?

18. Monitor Calls for Ongoing Sales Success
 What tools do you use to
monitor calls?
 Who monitors the calls?
 How often are calls
monitored?
 How do you share feedback
to drive improved
performance?

19. Review
 With internet advertising, the phone remains one of
your most important sales tools.
 Ongoing training, monitoring ensures your sales staff
and BDC agents effectively use the telephone.
 Leverage phone scripts / word tracks to ensure your
sales process is consistently followed.
 Remember the six secrets to sales success:
• Preload your online listings
• Listen, talk carefully
• Open your inventory
• Sell your store’s value
• Use the strategic hold
• Ask for the appointment

20. Cars.com Resources for Online Success
Cars.com gives you the confidence that comes with
knowledge and personal attention. Gain access to
tools and resources to drive online success and
merchandise your inventory more effectively at no
additional cost. (http://dealers.cars.com/resources)
• Your local sales representative – Our knowledgeable staff is ready to
assist you as well as answer any questions you might have
• Local training – Attend one of Cars.com’s local training workshops for
a hands-on educational experience
• DealerADvantage monthly enewsletter – Subscribe and get tips and
techniques to maximize your online investment
(http://dealers.cars.com/subscribe)
• DealerADvantage LIVE – Tune in to our free monthly webinars, packed
with advice from expert trainers and the best dealers in the industry
(http://dealers.cars.com/live)

21. Register Now for Our Next Event
When First in Doesn’t Win
Driving Sales With a Quality Lead Response
• Noon ET, Friday, Sept. 14, 2008
• Register at http://dealers.cars.com/live
• Host: Ralph Ebersole, Cars.com
• In this free webinar, we’ll discuss how to:
 Meet consumers’ expectations with
quality email and phone responses
 Effectively use your response to start a
dialogue with the shopper
 Get the most out of your response by
selling the value of buying at your store
 Develop email templates and phone
scripts that help you consistently deliver
quick, quality responses
 Monitor lead response times and quality
to make ongoing refinements

22. Questions & Answers

23. Thank You & Good Luck