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Industry: Motor retail
The business challenge
With an established record for safety and reliability in the family car market, Volvo Cars wanted to stress the style and desirability of its new S80 sedan and its C70 coupé ranges. Marketing campaigns for its pre-family, family and post-family target sectors were attracting potential customers into Volvo's independent dealerships across the UK . But the sales force in the dealerships faced two challenges: most of the sales executives are young and single. They need guidance in selling to customers who are older and may visit car dealerships with their children in tow. The sales force also needed to find a way to persuade customers to take a demonstration drive in a Volvo car, a crucial part of any car sale process. Customers who have taken a demonstration driven are highly likely to buy a car.
Volvo wanted a reasonable training strategy that would allow it to offer training to dealerships across the country. Although Volvo Cars UK already offers sales training at its training centre in Daventry – for many dealers this can mean substantial time and cost incurred in travel and accommodation. The 3C approach offered an effective solution - phone training - without requiring sales executives to leave their local salesroom.
3C Associates approach
3C knew that while hard pressed car sales executives might attend one phone training session on the recommendation of head office, they would not dial into eight, two-hour conference calls spread over 4 weeks without good reason. The 3C instructor, who has worked in the car sales industry, designed a course that built on the common experiences of Volvo car sales executives working round the country. Delegates dialled in for each of their eight phone training sessions because they had fun, valued what they were learning and enjoyed swapping experiences with other sales executives. Seven delegates followed the phone training programme.
The course covered:
- understanding Volvo brand behaviour
- meeting and greeting customers
- building rapport using matching techniques
- developing listening skills
- handling different buyer types and coping with children
- asking customers effective questions, and giving them appropriate answers rather than a
- using the Volvo Customer Enquiry Form as an effective sales tool
- encouraging the customer to take a demonstration ride
standard list of the latest Volvo car features
- closing the sale
The results
The delegate experience
By the end of the second week of the programme, delegates said they were selling more cars. They attributed their success to the course.
“I have been selling for 11 years, and you have taught me things I didn't know.” Delegate
The delegates found they could approach customers on the sales floor they would have previously ignored. ‘I now help the whole family to buy the car, not just one person,' explained one delegate. A mixture of new and highly experienced sales people attended the course. ‘As manager and sales person I would describe this programme as absolutely invaluable for all our people,' said another executive.
The organisation's experience
‘This programme was a real challenge for the dealerships – would sales executives phone in, or would they be distracted? “We were really impressed by the consistent turnout and evident enjoyment seen at each phone training session,” said David Baddeley, Volvo UK 's National Training Manager. “I even joined some of the sessions myself, and found them lively, stimulating and effective.” The managers of the dealerships support the programme too, as they have seen quick results and salespeople do not have to leave the premises.
Learn more about this programme
3C Associates offers a mix of telephone, internet-based and traditional face-to-face learning interventions using highly experienced trainers. The company is based in Henley on Thames , England .
© 3C Associates 2002
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