Last Friday, my good friends Tom and Tina asked me to help them lease a new car. The plan was to turn in their leased 2010 Acura MDX with the tech entertainment package for a new Honda Odyssey Touring Elite to accommodate their growing family. Having been a sales manager for eight years at a top-100 dealership before starting Daily Gameplan, I agreed to tag along to make sure they were getting a good deal. This is what happened:

One of the most overlooked components of the sales process is knowing which vehicles are in your dealership's inventory. Your lot probably changes daily with new stock, trade-ins, and vehicles that have been sold. Being efficient and creating a good customer experience may just come down to knowing what you have on the lot.

Every dealer competes on price. The store down the street will do all they can to beat your price and you'll do everything to beat theirs. While price is always relevant, it is far from the only factor. Customers want a great price, but they also want to buy from a salesperson and dealer who are honest, reliable, and offer quality service and follow-through well beyond the sale.

Marketing to referral customers is the most sure-fire way to build your sales today. It's much cheaper than advertising to cold prospects, referral customers are generally more satisfied with your services, and the closing ratios are much higher. But most importantly, IT'S EASY TO DO!