Revving Up Your Sales Engine: Appointments

The process by which you set, confirm, and follow-up with appointments is vital to your store's success. Having a consistent and visual method makes sure that everyone is on the same page and can add a few extra deals each month.

According to NADA statistics, for every three appointments set, two will show. And of those two appointments, one of them will buy. So where does your store stand right now? What would your store look like if you could improve your appointments by 20 percent next month? Here are some tips to help you get those prospects back in:

Appointment board
Set up an appointment board (if you haven't already) with the following columns: Date, Customer, Salesperson, Vehicle, Confirmed by, Showed, and Sold. The goal of the sales team should be to set as many appointments as possible to fill up the board daily.

Confirmation calls 
Confirm every appointment on the morning of the set date. This can increase your show rate by as much as 20 percent. As a manager, determine how many appointments each of your salespeople are setting. Coach the ones who may be struggling so you can help them improve their be-back rates.

Preparation 
If a customer is coming in on a particular vehicle, make sure it is clean and ready to go. Have a few alternative vehicles ready in case that vehicle sells or is out of budget. Prepare yourself ahead of time to make sure that everything runs smoothly.

Setting the stage 
One value of an appointment is that you have more control to set the stage for the customer. Creating expectations ahead of time can go a long way in building rapport and creating value in why they want to come see you. Let the prospect know that you will be preparing the car for test drive. Explain how the process works so they understand what to expect when they arrive. Buying a car can be a stressful situation for customers, but setting expectations can go a long way in easing that stress and building trust.