Automotive News

Ten Action Steps For Closing More Sales Part 5 – Listening Versus Agreeing

This is part five in a ten-part series that provides the tools you need to obtain commitment and close sales by making the most effective (and profitable) use of your time.

You’ve heard it said over and over again, listening skills are critical for the professional salesperson. The reason for this ongoing repetition of wisdom is simple. Human beings like to be heard, and they like to be “right.” Unfortunately, many also like to interrupt, and it’s an act that can kill a sale quicker than any other. This needs to be clearly understood by the salesperson committed to mastering the skill of listening, because two people cannot be heard at the same time. The role of the salesperson is to listen.

In modern times, the current headlines surrounding the state of our economy have produced a number of “armchair quarterbacks,” individuals who digest the daily news and pontificate about where things are going, when we’ll get there, and so on. That’s not a problem until one of these seers and sages becomes your prospect. When you are on a sales call, either on the phone or in person, what do you do when the conversation turns to “hot button” issues?

You have a number of decisions to make in a limited amount of time. First and foremost, you need to perform an attitude check on yourself. What is your top priority? Is it to explore the possibilities of doing business with your prospect, or are you there to have a lively roundtable debate? Assuming the first option describes your intent, let’s revisit the second paragraph of this article.

Human beings like to be heard, and they like to be “right.”

The interesting aspect of this desire is that people will talk (and assume they are being heard) as long as they believe someone is listening to them, and until someone attempts to “prove” them “wrong,” most people will assume that they are “right.”

As a professional salesperson (and as a disciple of listening skills at their finest), you are well acquainted with your role. You’ve read the books and articles on “mirroring” your prospect, on the occasional smile and nod of the head, all of the body language and facial expression keys to success. You have read a book or two on NLP and put the principles described into practice. That’s great, but you must remember one very important detail.

You’re human too.

You cannot use your “face time,” either in person or over the phone, to selectively listen and aggressively seek your “window,” your moment to jump in and resume control over the conversation. If your prospect has something to say, you must patiently and attentively listen to it, all of it, without interruption. If you find that you can’t do this, either because your prospect has the ability to talk for hours on end or you simply do not have compatible personalities, this is all part of your sales decision. If you do not wish to allow your prospect to be heard, don’t worry. The next salesperson will listen and close the sale you that don’t want. That’s one of the primary laws of the jungle…nothing goes to waste.

There is no room for “hot button issue” discussions in sales…politics, religion, the economy…don’t do it. It’s the quickest and easiest way to wave goodbye to your sales. But what do you do if you have actively listened, and your prospect is finished speaking, and it is now the appropriate moment for you to respond?

In one scenario, your prospect might have sounded off on the economy, on his or her belief that things will get much worse before they get better. Rather than “correcting” them, you could pause for a moment, smile, and say “I understand your concern.”

Those are four magic words that can spare you from a world of pain. “I understand your concern.” The reason for the power of these words is that the desire to be “heard” is really the desire to be “understood.”

When you say “I understand your concern” in response to a thought or idea that you disagree with (or perhaps agree with only in part), you’ve shattered that “Will he / she agree with me or disagree with me” moment of truth.

You haven’t compromised your principles or beliefs. You haven’t sold out. You haven’t caved in. You simply have chosen not to judge your prospect. You have allowed them to have their own opinion, to say what was on their mind, and because you chose to listen to them, they are now, in most cases, ready to listen to you.

Please take careful note of the words “in most cases” above. You will absolutely find prospects that are a “time sponge,” who take much and yield little. This is not about them. It’s about avoiding potential acts of sales self-sabotage when you are in the presence of opinionated prospects who might also be good customers.

Be patient. Try the old “1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi” second test when you want to react or respond immediately. Remember that reality is most certainly perception, and the manner in which your prospects perceive you determines whether or not they will become your customers.

Auto Recyclers Provide Opportunity to Save Big on Car Repairs

With so many industries in the United States taking hits in earnings, there is one that is actually thriving and helping individuals save money at the same time. The auto recycling industry isn’t shrinking, its growing and there are several key factors driving this boom in business. The most important one involves saving the average consumer a substantial amount of money on vehicle repairs.

Anytime there is a down turn in an economy, people generally seek out ways to save money on every front possible. Since vehicle repairs are usually a necessity not a luxury, it is only logical to assume that if there is a way to cut the cost of that necessity, people will utilize it. Choosing to repair a vehicle with quality used parts is a definite way to save money. Up until recently, choosing the option of used parts over new ones was not necessarily the first choice for most. However, with so many losing jobs, this option is now the first one chosen because of the huge savings to be had. Parts bought from automotive recyclers can be up to 75% less than the cost of buying the part new from the dealership. That is a tremendous savings that shouldn’t be left on the table.

The cost of repairing an automobile usually can be broken down into two parts: the cost of the part and the cost of the labor to install the part. Mechanics generally charge a certain amount per hour to repair a vehicle. This time usually includes the removal of the part, any work necessary to prep the vehicle for the new part and the installation of the new part. While there’s not much that can be done about the cost of the labor, it is possible to do something about the cost of the part needed to effect the repair. By choosing to use a quality used part, the cost of the repair can be cut significantly.

For example, I recently needed to replace the dual mass flywheel in my 2004 Volkswagen Beetle. The mechanic gave me an estimate of $1500.00. To break this down, the labor for the repair was going to be around $800.00 because it is a long intricate process to remove and replace this particular part. There’s not much to be done about that process. However, I did a little research and found that to buy the part new from the dealership would cost $700.00. That’s a little less than half the cost of the total repair. I got online and did a little looking. In about 10 minutes I was able to locate the part myself at an auto recycler that was located about 100 miles away. The price for this part including shipping was $300.00. That is a savings of $400.00! My mechanic did not have a problem with installing a used part. Choosing this option saved me a substantial amount of money. I even got a warranty on the part from the auto recycler. Needless to say auto recyclers can be a valuable resource when it comes to auto repairs.

It is a fact of life in this age and time that vehicular accidents occur quite frequently. According to a survey conducted in the United States in 2005, more than 6.5 million car accidents occurred that year which cost 230 billion US dollars in property damages. If you think about it, 230 billion is such an obscenely large amount of money and that was just on 2005. Yes, car collision usually result to lots of expenses and trouble, but the more unfortunate fact is that car accidents are also very frequent. The same survey mentioned as before also showed that one person dies because of vehicle accidents every 13 minutes, and that is only in the United States.

So why do you think I am telling you all these facts and figures? Precisely because these numbers and statistics are very real. Vehicle traffic incidents and car crashes are real dangers of the 21th century which you need to protect yourself from. And how exactly do you keep yourself from being a victim of car crashes? Well for one, driving safely and conscientiously is important, having a well-maintained and safe vehicle too. But aside from those things, you also need to get yourself a collision insurance.

A collision insurance in a nutshell is an auto insurance that would provide you coverage in case of a collision incident. They would not cover anything else. If your car was stolen, vandalized, lost, burned, mobbed by a riot and in some cases, even if it was hit by a missile, your collision insurance would not cover it.

So you ask yourself what then do they cover. Although different insurance companies may offer different terms and additional clauses, most auto insurance companies would cover your expenses and damages to property when your car was involved in a collision. Most collision insurances would cover you even though you have been the cause of the collision or not. And the term car collision may also include not just car to car collision but also instances when you hit a pedestrian, an object such as a lamp post, another vehicle or the road surface.

Depending on your coverage, collision insurances may cover all your repair expenses including the paint job, auto part replacement, mechanical repairs and many more. They may also cover damages to be payed for object, vehicles and pedestrians you have collided with but the specific details would of course vary.

If your vehicle was complete totaled or too badly damaged, some collision insurance companies may even suggest that they replace your car instead of spending thousands repairing an old one. But of course, there would be several factors to be taken into consideration first before the collision insurance company decides just how much of the damages and repairs they would cover. If the collision was brought about by your negligence, like when the breaks didn’t work because you forgot to replace the break fluids, there might be some problem with the insurance company then. Other aspects such as your age, experience as a driver, previous accident history an other factors would also be taken into consideration.

But let’s forget the technical details. The point is, having a collision insurance is important because you are guaranteed protection from collision accidents that you, of course, would not foresee and which you may not be financially able to handle yourself. Wouldn’t you feel like you can drive with a more at eased mind knowing that you are protected?

Used Auto Engines – Best Saving on Your Auto Parts Expense

Having trouble with your car engine and wondering how to go about replacing it? Have limited budget and want to spend it wisely? Don’t know the technical and financial aspects of buying a used auto engine? Well, in case your answer is yes then going for the used auto engine can be the most feasible option you can work on. It not only gives good return to the money spent, in terms of maintenance of the engine; but also prevents the vehicle from being declared as being a junk. Sometimes a used auto part outlives the original one.

Now, it is generally perceived that used engines are sold at cheaper prices than a brand new one as they lack quality. This is not the case. You should understand that mostly those engines which are made from recycled goods, usually become cheap when resold in the market.

Today in fact, if we look at the present scenario of auto industry the market for used auto engines has flourished rapidly in the last few years. Those who are in this business are very well aware that going for a new vehicle is far more expensive than considering refurbishing the old one. Taking advantage of this opportunity a number of vendors have also emerged in the used auto engine market along with their attractive offerings. Their main objective is to make the owners aware of the fact that tough the functioning of all engine parts are complex and interdependent but nevertheless many parts of the automobile engine still remains in excellent working condition.

The web has vast resources providing good bargains targeted for those looking for used-engines. But one need to be utterly cautious and enquire thoroughly about the crucial aspects of such an engine, which includes it’s make, warranty, shipping policies and costs, and most importantly the price-tag. How can you be sure that the spare parts you are buying is still working and in good condition? A good homework will help you to differentiate between the things that can still be used and those which should go to the landfill. Most vendors or recyclers; as they are commonly known, give warrantees on the spare parts that they are selling so that buyers can always return the things that they think, are not working as they should under normal conditions.

Last but not the least, buying a used automobile machine helps to reduce pollution. This is so because when we are recycling from disposed material, the resources spent by the government to get rid of that garbage automatically reduces to a large extent. Moreover it should be noted that to manufacture car parts from the scratch one needs to use a lot of oil and grease, again that can be harmful to the environment and also cause health related problems to humans and animals due to contamination of water. Hence by buying used auto engines you are in a win-win situation.

Keeping cars running can be an expensive business, so it can be worth looking into alternative methods of transport to help replace them at times. If you only live a short distance from your workplace, consider cycling rather than driving – this can help cut costs as well as help to improve your fitness level.

If you live and work in a city and only drive occasionally, it can be worth looking into joining a pay-as-you-go car club. For a one-off annual fee you then have the opportunity to hire cars by the hour, which can be useful if you need to travel out of the city for a short time, before returning the vehicle to a specially designated pick up and drop off point.

As well as considering the mechanical aspects of your vehicle, it’s also useful to consider how much you’re paying for the paper side of ownership. By taking some time to get your finances in order you can help reduce the costs of running your vehicle and free up a little extra money to spend elsewhere.

When it comes to car finance – which you’ll need if you aren’t able to pay cash-in-hand – be sure to research the deals thoroughly before committing to a plan. Finance plans and insurance deals can be arranged through showrooms, but some deals are likely have a high annual interest rate, so it can be worth looking into car loans as an alternative.

Car insurance can be expensive if you have a large car, so consider switching to a smaller vehicle in order to reduce costs. Your driving manner can also play a part in getting cheap car insurance; if you are a careful driver you have a better chance of accumulating no-claims discount, which can come in handy when it comes to renewing your policy.

It also pays to be honest in your application for car insurance; as giving false details can lead to complications should you need to make a claim – as well as being illegal. Careful drivers can build up a no claims bonus, which is can be useful in helping to reduce their car insurance renewal quotes.

As well as an insurance policy, breakdown cover is another essential for car owners, as this entitles you to roadside assistance should anything happen to your vehicle during your journey. Different levels of cover are available – from basic packages that include roadside assistance, to those that cost a little more but entitle you to assistance should you experience problems before you’ve even got the car off the driveway.

By considering certain aspects of daily use and maintenance, driving carefully and ensuring that you have the correct paperwork in place, you can help yourself to reduce the costs of owning and running a car.

Do It Yourself Auto Repairs – Why Many Fail To Achieve Success

Do it yourself auto repair goes beyond acquiring auto mechanic

tools, auto repair manuals,auto parts etc. You need careful planning to avoid failure. Learn here what to avoid to succeed in Do it yourself auto repair jobs.I have seen a lot of frustrated faces of car owners who have tried their hands on Do it yourself auto repair jobs and did not succeed, just because they stumbled on it on the internet and dabbled into it without making adequate planning and preparation.From my observations and from the answers I got when I tried to interview them, I found out that there failure is hooked to one or more of the following points, any vehicle owner who wants to succeed in Do It Yourself auto repair should take note of them.Failure To Plan:Do it yourself auto repair requires serious planning. You need to first identify your goals, why do you want to be a Do It Yourselfer. The right answer to this will help

you to determine your limit of operations and help you to focus on achieving your goals.You also need to identify your level of knowledge of auto repair, and approach your goal from the point of acquiring enough information that can help you succeed.Failure To Overcome Personal Fear:This is common to those who are trying their hands on Do It Yourself auto repairs for the first time and they lack adequate know-how. If you have planned very well, and you have a good well illustrated, simplified manual to follow as a guide, then you don’t have anything to fear.

Try your hands on a simple job like; changing of oil, spark plug etc, as done in the manual, and from there move on to something bigger.Failure To Study Repair Manuals:Some Vehicle Owners buy Do It Yourself auto repair manual but they don’t study it enough, and they don’t pay attention to little details which matters.Let your manual be your guide, read the portion you need at least twice, ahead of the job you want to do to get a good knowledge of the job.Failure to seek help:There are some Do it yourself auto repair sites that you can register with at a very minimal fee, and then you can enjoy, guidance, one-on-one, on whatever you want to do. I highly recommend this especially for starters.

These sites also have forum where you can interact with other car

owners and learn from their mistakes and success. The keyword here is

determination. Whatever you have chosen to do in your Do It Yourself

auto repairs, be determined and you will get it done at the end.

Remember the story of Henry Ford.

How Do I Sell My Car For Under 1000 Dollars? Part 2 of 2 Placing a Good Ad

In part 2 of this series we will discuss a little bit about how to place a good effective Ad that can help attract more buyers. This is very important to getting your vehicle sold faster and at a great price.

First step when placing an Ad is to go take some pictures! Now we may not all have access to a digital camera, but keep in mind that photos are going to increase the amount of interested parties by double or even triple! When taking photos, do shoppers a favor and take lots of pictures – and good ones too! A great photo can do wonders in getting a vehicle sold quickly, so that 3 a.m. shot you took in the parking lot with your camera phone may not be the best choice. First, location can make a big difference. If at all possible try and take the car to a cool spot for a photo or if your vehicle is not running try to remove any distracting items or clean up the scene a bit, tall grass and other miscellaneous stuff isn’t what people are looking to buy. Secondly, I realize we are not all professional photographers, but taking a photo in the morning or evening when light is better can really help as well as maybe choosing a low angle that you can get the whole car into. This can help set your vehicle apart from all the other standard side shots in a parking lot. Also don’t forget the interior and engine bay.

Now that we have some great photos of our vehicle, lets place our ad. Now today in the information age people shop for vehicles much differently than they used too. Most buyers use websites to find or browse for vehicles they are interested in and will narrow down to a few that they would actually like to travel to see in person. This benefits the seller too, because typically we can now sell a vehicle to somebody that is much farther away than we could in the past giving a larger pool of interested buyers. However with this type of buying process in mind it is a good idea to give as much information as possible to the buyer. Put yourself in the shoes of the buyer and think of what type of questions would I ask? This can be a start, but the more detailed information you have the better. Think of anything from options the vehicle is equipped with to new parts, repairs that have been made, and so on. Something that is irritating is to see ads that just say “runs good’ or “call for info” this is inconvenient to the buyer and can waste a lot of your time with tire kickers as well.

Now that we have some information on how to make our car more appealing to potential buyers and give them the information they need the only thing left to do now is get it sold!

When you’re ready to purchase auto insurance, I wanted to give you some tips, and pointers on how you can find the best auto rates. I wanted to tell you exactly what you should look out for, as well as what you should plan in the process of getting your auto insurance. Whether it’s your first time, or 100th time, it’s always best to know what’s best for you.

Get the facts straight – When you request a quote, always make sure that you’re getting your facts straight. What I mean by this is that you should have your car information correct, as well as your own personal information correct as well. What you’re going to find out is that by putting the right information, you’re going to get the best quote possible for yourself.

Know what you want – There are so many things that you can add on, as well as take off of your policy. Do you really need tow insurance? Do you need a $250 comprehensive plan? The more you know about your terms, the more you’re going to save. You don’t want to be too cheap though, because you’re going to find out by doing so, you’re going to have pay more, if you get into an accident.

What you’re going to want to do is find a comparison engine online that will enable you to browse through 100s of insurance companies. Pop in your information, and they will give you quotes. By doing so, you can save 100s.

Vital Facts That You Must Know About Car Engine Mounts

The engine is undoubtedly the most important part of the car. The second most important part would be the car engine mounts. Without the proper mounts in place, no car can venture to move one step forward, the wheels may be ready to roll, the ignition all set to fire up, but if there are no car engine mounts, there would be no point in moving the car ahead. If the car moves ahead it would result in a major accident, with the engine flying off, tearing through the bonnet and the fuel lines, and the car would be in a mess.

Car engine mounts are the simplest of all components in a car. The function they perform is vital and yet they are conspicuously simple to look at. Nothing more than just two strips of steel with a rubber bushing in between, these two pairs of mounts help in holding the engine firmly in place. There is no vibration and no vigorous shaking of the entire car, the car that rolls by without a noise remains noiseless. Every research has gone into refining the technology not only of the engine, but also of the mounts together. It is strongly believed by some automobile experts that if you have the most modern silent engine hoarding a huge power build up within it; you must be ready to have it firmly secured in place with the help of equally capable car engine mounts.

There were engine mounts when the car was first invented as one of the means of rapid transport and they still are today. Engine mounts are indispensable. They do not have alternative replacements either. If the engine is to be welded in place on the chassis, it would serve a good purpose, but what would happen if the mechanic needed to dismount the engine to do a complete overhauling including re-engineering some of the components? That would not be simply possible with the welding idea, that is why the manufacturers still need the familiar nut and bolt mechanism with steel plates and a rubber bushing in between to hold the engine together to the chassis of the car.

As a separate component, car engine mounts are available openly in any auto parts shop. You will have to specify the type of the car that you own and the specific model so that it is easy for the shopkeeper to locate the exact mount for you. It is always advisable to go for the manufacturer recommended mount so that there are no problems later on and you can always pull up the manufacturer should the mounts prove to be defective. Keep a constant check on your engine mounts to ensure that everything is in order. Though a check would not be necessary, always keep an alert ear to noises coming from under the bonnet. A slow vibration should be looked into immediately as that may mean that the mounts are in a problem and need replacements at the earliest.

Top 10 Ways To Get Cheap Car Insurance Rates – Part 1

Car insurance is a very necessary, but also expensive part of owning and driving an automobile. There is no telling when you might find yourself in an auto accident, so you have to be prepared with reliable auto insurance coverage. But there is no reason that the coverage you get has to be any more costly than absolutely necessary. Here are ten ways that you get cheap car insurance rates and still maintain great coverage at the same time:

1. It really goes without saying that the better driving record you have, the cheaper your car insurance rates will be. But some folks just don’t seem to get that. Constantly speeding and driving recklessly will not only put you at a much higher risk of hurting yourself and others in an auto accident, but it also will eventually lead to your paying a much higher car insurance rate as the traffic citations mount. So slow down and drive carefully to save money.

2. Shop around thoroughly to get cheap car insurance rates. There is absolutely no reason that the average person cannot get several auto insurance quotes quickly and easily today because of the internet. You really don’t even have to pick up the phone and make any calls to do it these days. Just log on and search for car insurance quotes in your favorite search engine, and go down the list provided getting as many quotes as you can. Just be sure to choose from the best and highest rated insurance companies, and avoid newcomers that haven’t been around long enough to establish much of a record yet.

3. Shop for insurance before you buy your car. Unfortunately many have not done this and suddenly find out that the car they just bought that they can barely afford will now cost them even more because it raises their car insurance rates significantly. Remember that auto insurers base their rate calculations on many things and some of them have nothing to do with you and your driving record. For instance, they consider the sticker price of the vehicle, how costly it is to repair, how prone to theft it is, and so forth. So before you buy, make sure you know how any car purchase that you make will affect your car insurance rates and avoid those vehicles with rates that are out of your price range.

4. Raise your deductible. The deductible of a policy is the amount that you agree to pay out of pocket for each claim that is made. The more that you agree to pay, the less risk that poses for the insurance company and therefore the lower rates you can enjoy. However, just make sure that you don’t exceed the amount that you actually can pay in the case of a claim.

5. If your car is older you may consider eliminating collision coverage that pays to repair your vehicle if it is in an accident. If the car’s value is very low, you will most likely be paying for more insurance than you really need, and eliminating this part of your coverage could result in serious savings on your car insurance bill. Of course, in this case if the car is ruined in an accident you will most likely have to buy another one. Just check out the worth of your car at kbb.com and decide for yourself whether this makes sense for you or not.

Be sure to read through Part 2 of this article to find out what the next 5 tips for getting cheap car insurance rates is.