SALES EVIDENCE MANUALS

Why Sales Evidence Manuals?

Whether you have been in sales for a week, a year or a decade, you have probably at some time in your career experienced information overload.  As a sales professional, you receive information all the time.  You receive product and pricing information from your manufacturer / distributor.  You receive sales training and information from your  manufacturer / distributor, your dealership, your colleagues and your own research.  You receive client, competitor and market information from your clients, your colleagues and your manager.  You receive customer service information and ideas from a variety of sources, including your clients!   This is the first area where sales evidence manuals can help.    

I find that one of the bigger challenges that sales professionals frequently discuss with me is how to better source, receive, read, sort and present information relating to their sales role and the product that they sell. As an example, just one manufacturer’s models could have numerous model upgrades in a month, as well as price changes, new advertising and marketing campaigns, fresh press information, reviews, client feedback and ratings for quality and customer satisfaction. 

It is not uncommon for the volume and diversity of all this information to become an overwhelming challenge for us to manage effectively, even though it is information relating to our field of expertise. Sales evidence manuals provide a professional logical way to keep this important information.

An even more important perspective is that of our clients. For a moment, let’s look at this from the client’s point of view. The client has to sort through a huge amount of information on several competing manufacturers and models. They may then contact several competing dealers ( perhaps even representing the same brand ), and they are often given conflicting information. From my experience, only a small part of the information that is relevant or required by most clients is supplied by the manufacturer in writing.  Sales evidence manuals can help you to address this challenge, too.

Many of our clients may be confused or frustrated due to the excess of information they receive when looking for a new car, particularly when it is ( in their view ) irrelevant, ambiguous or conditional.  I have often found when I look after an angry or aggressive customer particularly well, that they eventually calm down when they realise that they can trust me.  They then explain their anger / aggression and even apologise because they were so frustrated with the uncertain nature of the information that they were getting from so many sources.  It is worth remembering here that a vehicle purchase is a significant financial decision for almost all of our clients, and it is already loaded with some anxiety, apprehension or fear.

The point here is that many of clients start out looking for a new car in a shadow of uncertainty and the more they research, the more they shop around and the more people they speak with, the more uncertain they become.  If you've ever had one of those 'crazy' clients in your showroom, you may now be getting a better understanding of why!

These clients have set out with some uncertainty, expecting to gain more certainty.  Instead, they have gotten the opposite of the certainty that they want: more uncertainty!  They are given conflicting prices, availability, options, colours, advice, tips, benefits and advantages of a particular vehicle.  

The good news for you is that this is an opportunity for a sales professional to create a significant point of difference and become a customer’s island of certainty in that sea of uncertainty, by having an array of professionally presented sales evidence manuals.

A sales evidence manual is a sales presentation folder. It contains printed matter relating to your vehicle, your dealership, your service and yourself. A sales evidence manual proves that you are truthful.  A sales evidence manual helps you present even more effectively and helps your customer to trust you.  A sales evidence manual may include product information and reviews, dealership service information, model, service and cost comparisons and customer testimonials.

For more information on sales evidence manuals and to download our free guide to preparing sales evidence manuals, go to our Sales Resources page.  

For more ideas for content for your sales evidence manuals, visit our Links page.

If you are an Auto client, ask to see our example sales evidence manuals next time we're in your dealership! 

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