Again, first impressions is everything in the auto business, keeping a routine way of talking and meeting your potential buyers is crucial to long lasting customer retention. From the moment a new customer drives up to the lot, parks, and stares down a group of starving salesmen, it is known exactly what is running through their minds. In the car biz, it is very easy to make friends and enemies. You might mean well, but it is those very guys that distract you and make you "take your eye off the ball". Besides, friends don't make your paycheck, you create your own payplan! Do you want to stand apart from the rest of the "average" salesmen? Here are a couple of important tips to help improve your bottom line.

First of all, know what you look like to other people. In the morning when you wake up, take a look at your outward appearance in the mirror. Be professional and clean before you decide to ask many customer's for their hard earned money. Looking good and smelling clean is extremely important, and I couldn't stress just how important. Sales is a profession that works real well individually, it is a commission based deal, so be prepared. Stay away from the "friend huddle" and be your own man. You'll have all the concentration in the world and you won't be distracted by others who just can't stop talking about their poker game last night. Have the smile on your face the moment the buyer drives up on the lot, because they'll pick up on the facial expressions and attitudes right away.

So now, the customer has parked, so what now? One thing is for sure, be ready! Don't just jump all over the customer just yet, don't open doors or leer right next to the driver's window, most folks are put off by this. Additionally, take the hands out of the pockets and take the shades off, people gain trust by looking into their helper's eyes. If you are also a smoker, please put the cigarette out long before and pop a mint or something, don't be a part of the stereo types. I met a nice salesman that had all the right moves, he just didn't smell the part, I was extremely put off by the habit. Put on the ear to ear grin and be ready to make their day, in the end you'd be pleasantly surprised at what a little pre-party presentation will do for you.

So, did any of this help? Are you guilty of any of those little no-nos? I'm not going to lie, I was more than guilty of a few of those. One thing that helped me curb all of those problems was to rehearse to service and parts customers. They're there every day and most of them we already know as our previous customers, so it makes it real easy. I guarantee if you apply some of these easy meet & greet tips, you'll will notice how many customers will stay for the long haul, and not head for the hills so fast. Trust me, it's the little things that make a lot of difference.