A game-winning strategy for hitting your sales goals

Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you try to hit your sales goals, it never seems to work out? Let’s listen this month to veteran ATI Coach, Rick Johnson, explain how he helps shop owners accomplish their sales goals. You have a great shop and state-of-the-art tools, you went to self-help classes and seminars, and sought management consulting help. You even sent your staff to classes, bought a cabinet full of top-notch tools, and invested in software that was supposed to put your business on auto-pilot while you “rake in the dough” and take it to the bank. But somehow your processes fell apart, business got slow, and you found yourself wondering — is there another way? Is there something I am missing? And there begins your journey for the next shiny penny.

Trust me, there are plenty of shiny pennies out there. Plenty of products promising all kinds of wonderful results. But sadly, I’m here to tell you that’s not the answer. More than likely, you have all you need to be successful. You already have the tools, equipment, training and marketing in place. So, what could be keeping you from achieving success, keeping your business from running like a well-oiled machine, whether you are there or not? I have an idea, and the good news is that you don’t have to buy anything!

"Almost" doesn't count

That’s right, the only thing you must buy into, is what I am about to tell you. When you have everything you need, and you continue to end up back at square one, chances are, you’re missing effort. Is your staff giving less than 100 percent on the job? Does it bother you when you ALMOST hit your sales goals, or your team ALMOST hits their hours-billed goals? What’s worse is, when you ask them why or what happened and their answer is: “We tried.” If you’re like me, you get frustrated. Tried? Come on! — what does that even mean? Winners don’t just try; they make things happen. They overcome objections and bring their A game every time. When they miss their goals, they know why and how to adjust so that they win next time.

I see this mindset and strategy in football. In fact, the other day I heard that in the average football game there are only 6 plays on offense that are successful. Imagine that, in a game that has typically 120 or more plays, only 6 on offense are successful! But the team that wins, comes to the line each time, confident they will score. They block and tackle with all their might, the receivers run the best route they can, the backs run as hard as they can — every play, every time, knowing full well that they are only going to be successful six times! But they do it play-after-play, week-after-week, for those 6 plays of glory.

They too have the best of everything — equipment, facilities, coaches. But they also have the desire and attitude to win. There is no “trying” on their team. So, how does this apply to your auto shop? You must cultivate this winning attitude in your shop by sharing knowledge. You must tell your staff how to be the best and why it’s important.

Unlike winning football teams, we shop owners often forget the fundamentals. We stop doing the simple things like handing out business cards and asking for referrals. We stop exit scheduling and setting the next appointment when we get busy, don’t we? And how about follow-up calls? We tend to let those slide too, don’t we? Posting on Google My Business or Facebook business posts are also forgotten. And how about looking into your customers’ vehicle history to find out what service milestones are approaching, and other forms of customer relationship building? Today, more than ever, customers want to know that they’re more than a number. If you’re struggling with remembering to do these fundamentals, use ATI’s Back to Basics Checklist.

Winning is never easy

Educating the customer as to why they need to invest $800 for maintenance on a car that runs well takes a lot of effort and needs to be done repeatedly. Just like the lineman on a football team, blocking each play, making sure his stance and foot position are absolutely perfect. Just like the receiver running route after route, making sure his turns are exactly on time with perfect body position. He doesn’t know if this will be the time he scores, but he sure knows he won’t ever score (or in your case make the sale) without 100 percent effort.

So many times, I’m asked: what is the one thing I need to do that will make me successful? There is no “one thing” or otherwise shortcut to success. It is no different than the championship football team. Winning the game starts days before game day. It’s all those hot summer workouts, endless hours in the weight room, hours of film study and running the same play repeatedly, and that 100% effort each time they’re in the game and at the line.

What's you game day strategy

Think about your shop. What does your summer workout “onboarding” look like? How does your weight room “on the floor training” look? How many times do you run the play over and over, “role-playing” with your associates? So, what I am telling you is simple, there is no one big thing, it is 100 little things that add up to the score or sale! And the willingness to give it your all every time. No matter how many times you don’t score or make the sale, are you willing to give it 100 percent effort the next time you are on the line?

So, talk to your staff and explain the Importance and impact of giving 100% effort and surround yourself with staff that will do all those little things each time. If you do, you will surely find success and the business you have always wanted.

At ATI we have compiled a Back to Basics Checklist. These are the simple fundamentals that combined with all your shiny pennies and training will help you reach the success that you desire. Simply go to www.ationlinetraining.com/2020-04 for a limited time.