Between 1963 and 1978, a legendary salesman named Joe Girard achieved the remarkable feat of selling 13,001 cars. In the pinnacle year of 1973, he set a world record by selling 1,425 cars, a record that remained untouched for 44 years.
Joe Girard’s incredible success not only propelled him into the spotlight but also transformed him into an acclaimed author and motivational speaker. Sales professionals across industries sought to uncover his secret, and Joe’s answer was deceptively simple: 100% follow-up.
Back before the days of the internet, Joe formed his own method of “automating” his follow up process.
He assembled a small team dedicated to sending thank-you cards on various occasions – Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, you name it. These cards weren’t sales pitches; instead, a simple “hello, I’m very glad to have met you and your family this year. Happy holidays.”
This unassuming thank you card did two things:
- Demonstrated genuine appreciation for the customer’s business.
- Maintained a personal connection between Joe and his customers.
It’s easy to predict who these customers thought of when they needed a new car or when they were considering buying their child’s first vehicle.
The answer? Joe Girard.
Today, it is even easier to implement the Joe Girard follow up than it was when he was selling 1970’s Chevrolets. Yet, most of us aren’t implementing this kind of follow up in our stores. In fact, most of us would probably agree that following up is one of the most common setbacks of our salespeople. Unfortunately, it is an issue that often cannot be trained or fixed. Life happens, and often our sales team had every intention of following up with a client or a prospect, but something came up. They got sick. They took an up that took longer than they expected, they called but didn’t get ahold of the client.
Whatever the reason is, a lack of follow up leaves potential deals on the table.
What if we took the time to automate this process? What would an automated Joe Girard mean for a dealership? If your sales team followed up perfectly, 100% of the time, how much would this affect your bottom line?
When people are involved, nothing goes perfectly 100% of the time. We’re people. We all make mistakes, knowingly or unknowingly. However, automation can turn follow-up into a dependable, consistent process with minimal disruptions.
Here’s an example:
Your salesperson has interacted with a customer who’s interested in a vehicle, taken a test drive, and found the terms agreeable but needs to consult with their spouse. This scenario is familiar to most salespeople, and it often leaves them uncertain about how to proceed. The customer says they’ll discuss it with their spouse later.
Many salespeople would follow up with a call, text, or email, if they remember, have the availability, and possess the necessary communication skills.
What if we could schedule a series of texts in order to handle this situation? A scheduled text that evening with a simple
“Hey, how did your husband/wife feel about the vehicle?”
If there’s no response, a follow-up text the next day could say something like:
“Good afternoon, I just wanted to reach out regarding the vehicle you looked at yesterday. Are there any questions that you have about the vehicle or our process?”
If there’s still no response, a subsequent text could suggest alternative vehicles with a simple message like:
“Hey, I saw a couple of our cars here and I thought about you. Do either of these vehicles interest you? I think they would be a good fit for what you need.”
These automated texts are sent with the goal in mind to keep interest, stir further interest, and eventually, reopen the conversation. Now, imagine if every single up that didn’t buy received a similar series of automated texts regarding their specific situation?
Some might argue, “Joe Girard also did this with his existing clients.” That’s absolutely right!
Imagine sending your clients a quick birthday, Christmas, or Thanksgiving message. It could be something as simple as a text wishing them well, or a quick video doing the same. Think about the value that is built in such a personal message. Now, consider the time that your salespeople save by focusing their efforts on selling, while your automated Joe Girard handles the follow up.
And, finally, consider the revenue potential when you no longer have to worry about whether someone received the full extent of follow-up they needed.
The best part? You can implement all of this right now, today, at a minimal cost. It’s entirely customizable.
So, why aren’t we doing it?
