Oh no, a protracted comment! Well I got this little phrase from one of my favorite Dream Theater songs, but it's how I've decided to live my life inside the car business and beyond: "I am responsible, when anyone anywhere reaches out for help, I want my hand to be there". The customer is the customer, so if they want they want it , I'm going to give it to them. It has not been easy, I get skated and they buy somewhere else even when you did the best job of anyone, but this 'mindset' has enabled me to be generous with my time and knowledge, thus it's opened opportunities for me to sell cars all over the US, Canada, Mexico, Middle East, Russia & Africa via my job as an ISM. Fortunately for my situation and our dealership, the GM get's it - and let's us play grown up, and if we can have fun and make a living - I'm wanted somewhere else.

Joe... You always come through with fantastic educational, thought provoking and straight to point articles. "Just Get 'em In" ranks right along with the old school, dinosaur phrases of "Can I Help Ya" and "If I Could... Would Ya", of which we still hear today. Definitely one of your best!

Joe,
Fantastic advice! "Just get 'em in" is old school, and old school is dying. The traditional mentality was, "Sell 'em a car." Today's winning mindset is, "Help them buy a car." A lot of people have said it: the sales process begins online and over the phone, not in the showroom. Keep 'em coming, Joe!

This is for real!  Thanks for writing it, I just forwarded to all our manager in house..  

Stanley, no pom-poms and cheer-leading from this desk. In my decades of travels, this is as close to shooting fish in a barrel as it gets. 

Try a few years of cold calling selling Yellow Pages, or insurance or Real Estate.  How about those annoying Cell phone reps in the Malls?  IMO, it's MUCH more difficult to recruit, train and motivate a rep that has to push thru 199 rejections to land a single up!

I know managers are getting bashed here but lets not generalize. If you can sell cars you can sell anything!

Good insight!

I was told this for years.  "just get them in" was all that they thought was needed.  At http://nabacar.com we have to target customers in a different way.  That just won't work. we had better have something to offer.

15milion times a year, some American has to buy a car.  Any moron in a managers chair can F* it up time and time again, and the phone keeps on ringing.

I've never been in an industry with so many opportunities and this is why we burn thru ups without a care.  Pluck that manager out from the car sales biz and have them sell ANY other high ticket item and you've got an epic FAIL.

It's ALWAYS the pay plan.
If managers were also rewarded on "%of Market Sold" I'd bet you'd see some new attitudes showin' up.

I don't comment that often but this one deserves a comment.  If the sales manager hires and trains experienced sales reps, "Just get 'em in" would not have to be used.  I agree with Jon Quade. 

The experienced sales rep will use his talents and training to "Just get 'em in".  If the sales manager has to say "Just get 'em in", he has either hired the wrong person or has failed to train them.   Maybe he should take the call and say "Let me show you how to Just get 'em in".  A few calls and, hopefully, he doesn't have to say "Just get 'em in" again.        

I love the use of the term Circle Jerk.  It's the truest thing I've read on this site, ever. Way to be blunt Joe.

DUDE- BULLSEYE! Laughing my butt off. You are so right Joe. The managers are so clever, if we just get them in they can close anyone. I particularly love the part where the high school dropout SM is going to educate the professional who shopped us on the INet and has an MBA. Yeah- let me know how that one works out.

Check the ego at the door ladies!  Great article Joe

Good Stuff as always, Joe.

Here's 5 more words that make me cringe, "If I could, would you...?"  As you said Joe, there was a time you could get away with these weak "tactics".

This downturn has already started filtering the winners and losers of the next generation in this business.

Great article, Joe -

Particularly liked this point:
"Sales Managers need to stop sounding stupid, start addressing customers’ questions, and put their Internet and BDC team in a position of power with transparent information."Many dealerships still do not fully appreciate the power and influence that word-of-mouth and online reviews have over their brand's reputation. It is imperative that the internet team be allowed to provide 'transparent information' to potential clients, in order to grow a positive brand image and strong customer loyalty- rather than racking up negative reviews. The more open dealerships are with 'online' customers, the more likely they will be to 'get'em in' to speak with the sales team in person. As Doug Rice pointed out in his comment above, it's hard to convince a customer to come into the dealership if you yourself aren't even convinced that there's a reason for them to be there. Thanks for writing!

Joe,

Great thoughts! Effective sales management cannot be achieved in this way. I cannot tell you how uninspired, and consequently unconvincing, I feel when I am told to "just get 'em in." How can I convince a customer to come in when I don't even believe there's a reason for them to come in. It's not only about giving customers reasons; it's about giving the sales reps reasons. If I know and believe that there is a good reason for a customer to come and buy a car from me, I am much more persuasive. When I am told, though, that I essentially am just trying to trick the customer, I lose faith in what I am doing. Call me naive, but I want to believe that I am making a positive difference in the lives of those I sell to. Convince me that I am doing just that, and I will "get em in."

Nicely said.  When the dealership ceased being the primary source of information for automotive research and purchase decisions, the 'Front Door" moved from that space 50 feet in front of the Sales Desk to somewhere in Cyber Space.  Sales Managers need to realize that how you respond to these inquiries is MORE important than how you respond to people who walk through the door -- and increasingly so!  They're "locking their doors" and not letting anyone in. 

Well said Joe.  I think there is also another important consideration with your argument.  In today's market, if you (for example) take the guy who lives 3 hours away and wants to know if he can get pre-approved before he makes the drive, if you "just get 'em in", and he doesn't get approved, then you have a BIGGER problem on your hands when he leaves negative reviews about the poor experience all over the Internet that do not go away.  Short term gain (got 'em in) for long term pain (ruin your reputation).  We work in a DYNAMIC market, and you need to "adapt and overcome" (my old USMC drill instructor would be so proud to see me use that...) to be successful in today's Internet market.  Keep up the great work Joe!

Well said Joe.  I think there is also another important consideration with your argument.  In today's market, if you (for example) take the guy who lives 3 hours away and wants to know if he can get pre-approved before he makes the drive, if you "just get 'em in", and he doesn't get approved, then you have a BIGGER problem on your hands when he leaves negative reviews about the poor experience all over the Internet that do not go away.  Short term gain (got 'em in) for long term pain (ruin your reputation).  We work in a DYNAMIC market, and you need to "adapt and overcome" (my old USMC drill instructor would be so proud to see me use that...) to be successful in today's Internet market.  Keep up the great work Joe!

Totally agree. Some pretty good reasons to have counsel on staff. Each state does have some differences. However, there is some more standard language that can survive across state lines. Either way, dealers need to pay careful attention and continue to be vigilant.

Now that's funny.

Mike - the use of any contractual language is always at the interpretation of a court of law at the end of the day.  An initial implication can have a final interpretation that is different.  This is why we should have lawyers looking our contracts over. 

Perpetual -- like the constant allure, comfort, and wear-ability of  jean shorts.

It's important to have some experience in reading contracts. The 'perpetual' language means that since they don't own the data, they have to have permission from the dealer to continue to use the data in the event a relationship no longer exists (it was cancelled by dealer). It doesn't mean that they get to access the dealers DMS perpetually even if there is no relationship in place. For example, they can't go behind a dealers back with the user/pass, etc and grab the data even if the dealer no longer uses their services.

That sure is an easy term to lose in a glance.

Thanks for adding your comment Chris. These 2 companies can careless regarding the dealership. They've stated it themselves in numerous statement. I am NOT against our industry changing. I am not against edmunds and also TrueCar (sorta), I have always been against the way they are acquiring our information.