In the first installment you learned how Earl Swalm, a Canadian floor dealer, took control of his business and grew it by 50% in one year, while at the same time cutting his work hours to less than 35 per week. In this installment I’m going to cover the sales and marketing strategies Earl used [...]
“I was putting in 60 or more hours per week,” Earl Swalm told me. “I have two kids, and I felt like I was missing out on a lot. It was really tough, very stressful.” Many dealers can relate to those words. In this installment you’re going to learn Earl’s story; how he took control [...]
“Wow,” I thought to myself. “If I ever need tax help I’m calling this guy.” I was in the waiting room of a local CPA, looking through a very plain, white binder filled with letters from his clients thanking him for getting them out of tax trouble. They raved about how he got their tax [...]
I was planning a recent business trip and, like I always do, I checked the reviews of the hotels where I was considering staying. It was second nature, as much a part of making my decision as checking a hotel’s availability, pricing, amenities, etc. I do this for virtually any new service or product I’m [...]
“What do you think of my website,” a dealer named Bob asked me. I pulled up his site and saw some common mistakes that were costing him thousands of dollars. Let’s review these mistakes and how they can be corrected. Mistake #1: Failure To Differentiate Bob’s site had the name of his business at the [...]
Box stores, national chains, and online sellers have deep pockets which enables them to outspend small retailers in the advertising game. They also have strong purchasing power, which gives them advantageous pricing when buying wholesale. To the small, independent dealer these advantages can seem insurmountable. The good news is that local retailers have unique advantages [...]
“I’m trying to implement improvements to my selling system,” a dealer that I was coaching told me, “But I’m getting resistance from some members of my sales team. How can I get them onboard?” A lot of dealers can relate to this question. I get it most often when I’m helping dealers implement a more [...]
I was on Amazon recently to purchase individually-wrapped computer screen cleaners. Trying to decide between over a dozen options, I read several online reviews to help me decide on what turned out to be a $19 purchase. How many times have you done the same thing for minor purchases? For that matter, how many times [...]
“If ten people walk into your store, how many wind up buying?” is a question I often ask dealers. The national average is about three in ten, so this gives me a benchmark. I know dealers who close seven or eight out of ten - more than double the national average. How is that possible? [...]
“Whenever I hear dealers claim closed sale ratios of 70% or 80%, I don’t believe them because the national average is only around 35%.” I was on the phone with a floor dealer who needed help closing more sales. He made that statement after I told him about dealers I know personally who are getting [...]