By Ashley Reyes
Automotive restylers are increasing their sales profits and building successful dealer-direct strategies through the help of the SEMA Professional Restylers Organization (PRO) Sales Training Manual and SEMA Accessory Sales Professional (SASP) Exam.
Developed by PRO to help restylers, trimmers and accessory retailers expand their businesses, the program outlines proven tactics that can help restylers get their foot in the door of any dealership. The manual covers how to structure a sale, the rules of sales success, tips for refining negotiation skills, and the importance of product knowledge—all of which are essential traits that can help restylers build a client base and develop strong partnerships with their customers.
“I made it mandatory for all of our current and future employees to take the course and become certified,” said Rod Bennett, general manager at Chrome Enhancements. “This has resulted in a nationwide salesforce that have become more confident and better prepared to understand the inner workings of car dealerships. It has improved their ability to identify the key decision maker, and has helped them develop better sales strategies, which has resulted in a significant increase of our customer base.”
His thoughts were echoed by Evan Cook, COO at Trim Illusion Inc. “Understanding the inner workings of a dealership and the interactions our customers have daily can be crucial. This is not always easy when you are involved in the operations and supply-chain side of the business. The SEMA Accessory Sales Professional program has greatly improved my ability to relate to our customers and given me insight on the obstacles they face. The SASP has been vital in improving our customer relations and learning how we can help our customer close the deal.”
To date, 190 PRO-member company employees have passed the course, qualifying their expertise and setting their businesses apart from competitors. An accessory sales professional certificate and badge is awarded to restylers who pass the exam, earning them recognition for their achievement and providing business owners with a valuable marketing edge. Bill North, account executive at Reputation.com, also notes that SEMA members who have attained this accreditation take pride in showing what they have learned about selling into the automotive dealership environment.
“Selling vehicle accessories is one thing; selling vehicle accessories to car dealers is a whole different level,” added Josh Poulson of Auto Additions Inc. “Passing the PRO SASP Exam proves a person‘s true understanding of the current market and trends, and the how to successfully navigate the car dealer arena.”
PRO members can order a free electronic copy of the manual by contacting Denise Waddingham at deniselw@sema.org.
Learn more about the PRO Sales Training Manual and SEMA Accessory Professional Exam.