| While many notable onlookers attribute Detroit's | | | | I told my prospect: (1) I'd be happy to order his |
| decline to being insulated, arrogant, and slow to | | | | cars and what the lease prices were to the |
| adapt, having been in the car business right out of | | | | penny, what his mileage allotment would be, along |
| college, I see their problems differently. | | | | with the equipment he'd get; and (2) We'd buy |
| To me, car retailers are hopelessly stuck in a | | | | one of his existing cars, though we needed to see |
| business model that depends on doing business by | | | | it first to determine its cash value. |
| car. They haven't fully grasped the implications of | | | | Then, over the weekend, I mailed the leases to |
| the Internet, and still insist on seeing prospects | | | | him for signature. |
| face to face. | | | | "You didn't drive out to see him and ink the deal?" |
| Not only are the gas guzzlers they sell wasting | | | | my boss snorted. "He'll never buy that way!" |
| energy and the environment, but by doing | | | | But he did, and as promised, we bought his used |
| business through a traditional retail model, they're | | | | car. |
| forcing their customers to pollute as a | | | | Within two weeks, all new trainees at my leasing |
| pre-condition of buying. | | | | company spent at least some of their time cold |
| Prove this to yourself. | | | | calling by phone, because I demonstrated it could |
| Call a handful of dealers to get a quote on a lease | | | | be done, and quite efficiently. |
| or purchase. Sellers will hem and haw and do | | | | You would think that in the intervening years the |
| everything they can to avoid reciting figures, | | | | car business would embrace telephone |
| even ballparks, in favor of getting you into their | | | | effectiveness and telemarketing, but it hasn't. Like |
| showroom or offices. | | | | so many industries it wastes its human and |
| They believe deals are made face to face and | | | | financial capital driving and flying places to get |
| nowhere else. | | | | done what can be accomplished for a fraction of |
| Recently, I left a message for a senior executive | | | | the cost by a combination of phone, fax, email, |
| at a company that owns several California | | | | and the Web. |
| dealerships. I suggested they consider selling their | | | | With gas now well above $4 a gallon, and |
| Prius and other hybrid models by telephone. | | | | predicted to rise much higher, all organizations |
| I wasn't called back, and they probably thought I | | | | should explore alternatives to pressing the flesh |
| was a crank. | | | | face to face. |
| Let's turn the clock back a few decades. I went | | | | You'd expect me to say this, being the best-selling |
| to work for a Beverly Hills based auto leasing | | | | author of You Can Sell Anything By Telephone! |
| giant. Instead of trying to lease a car to everyone | | | | And Reach Out & Sell Someone(TM). |
| in my family, I picked up the telephone and made | | | | But what alternatives do we have? |
| cold calls. | | | | The best mileage we'll ever get is from the trip |
| My manager thought I was nuts and doomed to | | | | we don't take. Put the phone to better use, |
| an early retirement from the business. | | | | today. |
| To his utter astonishment, I leased not one but | | | | After all, it's "The Green Machine(TM), the best |
| two very profitable vehicles to a downtown Los | | | | way to ring up sales, perform customer service, |
| Angeles businessman whom I had contacted the | | | | and help the environment at the same time. |
| prior week. | | | | |