Sales Management Training Academy Student Profile, No. 3
Chris Hawkins is a powersports industry veteran, having spent the past 6-plus years selling on- and off-road units to Texas consumers. Even with that experience, Hawkins discovered a new sales strategy at his initial Garage Composites’ Sales Management Training Academy.
Chris Hawkins, Sales Manager, Cycle Center of Denton, Denton, Texas
Chris Hawkins is a powersports industry veteran, having spent the past 6-plus years selling on- and off-road units to Texas consumers. Even with that experience, Hawkins discovered a new sales strategy at his initial Garage Composites’ Sales Management Training Academy.
A strategy that figures to prove pivotal to his dealership’s success in 2016.
Hawkins learned how Garage Composites uses transaction and lead management data to identify missed sales opportunities and appropriate staffing levels.
What did this transactional data comparison reveal to Hawkins? "We’re behind," he said. "We need to talk to more people" to convert more in-store traffic into unit buyers.
As a result of this finding, Hawkins instituted a couple of measures in his first weeks back from the first of the three Garage Composite academy sessions. Now his store is logging more consumers per salesperson – 35% more than the previous year. Plus, due to the increased daily training that is happening as a result of the academy, Cycle Center’s unit profit margin has nearly stayed on par with last year despite the fact that the store focused on selling older inventory.
What were the specific measures Hawkins instituted as a result of his first Garage Composites’ Academy?:
- A proven hiring process to bring his sales staff up to a number that will be poised to better capitalize off the store’s traffic;
- More emphasis on logging consumers. Hawkins said, "Sam (Dantzler of Garage Composites) told us to stop yelling, to stop telling and start coaching" on why it’s important for salespeople to create logs, or electronic notes, from their consumer discussions.
- The sales process itself, shifting away from talking about product to "talking to people about people," Hawkins said. This leads to a more satisfying sales experience for the consumer and a more profitable one for the dealership.
Need more information on the Garage Composites’ Sales Management Training Academy? Contact Garage Composites’ Neil Pascale at neil@garagecomposites.com.