Lynn Hunsaker interviewed for Honda dealerships' magazine on how to be customer-focused in sales and service opportunities for better customer experiences. See http://ClearActionCX.com Contact us at OptimizeCX@ClearActionCX.com

1. From magazine for Honda dealers, by James Piechocki:
How to Create a Unique Selling Proposition
Honda products offer special advantages to any professional sales consultant, including
the brand's vaunted reliability, safety and value. Yet a great product comprises only
one-third of the tools of influence we possess. In this article we focus on two others —
our dealership and ourselves.
Sell Yourself
"I ask any customer if they have owned a Honda before," says COSL Gold
Master Sharon Dortort of Boardwalk Honda. "This jogs great memories and immediately
makes the sale a positive experience for people."
Sharon then sets out to make the dealership experience just as memorable.
"In a previous career I was Customer Service Manager for a hotel chain," she
continues. "I used to teach staff how to make every interaction for our guests special,
and I use those skills every day."
In the new economy, consumers are delaying every expense, compelling Honda
sales consultants to work doubly hard to develop what experts call a unique selling
proposition. Simply put, this is a reason for Honda customers to consider you, your
products and your dealership that no other sales consultant or dealership can claim.
What is your unique selling proposition, or USP? Perhaps, like Gold Master Jeff
Tolke, it is your tenure at the dealership.
"I point out to customers that there will always be someone here to take care of
their needs," says the 10-year veteran of Honda East in Cincinnati. In other words, the
staff offers a high level of commitment to customers, providing a strong reason to
consider purchasing.
According to Gloria Hawkins of Jeffrey Honda, her USP may be the ability to
dedicate yourself to others with a passion. Entering her office, visitors experience a
shrine of more than 300 thank-you cards, a décor that connects her COSL Gold Master
plaques with customer-driven service.
In a phrase, her USP is that she replaces the fear of buying with the joy of a
great dealership experience.
Steps to a Unique Proposition
How can Honda sales consultants new to the profession or the dealership begin
to build their USP?
"A customer-driven experience is simply a matter of turning an 'ow' into a 'wow,'"
points out customer experience consultant Lynn Hunsaker.
In other words, top sales consultants are conscientious about the value they add.
Six characteristics distinguish COSL Gold and Gold Masters, which Hunsaker shares as
guidelines for building a USP.
Listen carefully to the customer's needs. From the first moments with customers,
ask questions to determine their goals for the visit.

2. Find out what they have already done. At which stage of the sale are they? Are
your customers Honda owners or are they new to the brand? This determines the
content and depth of your presentation.
Record your findings. Taking notes shows customers you are listening and
distinguishes you from the majority of other sales consultants they have worked with.
Minimize repetitive requests for information. Careful focus on customers allows
you to remain laser-targeted on their needs and saves time, a most precious resource
for today's Honda customers.
Empathize with the customer's viewpoint. Express that you understanding how
customers feel, based on what they have told you.
Take the customer's pulse. Periodically ask if customers are getting what they
need from you.
"This last trait — double-checking your understanding of the customer's situation
— separates the majority of top professionals from beginners," says Hunsaker, whose
clients include top Silicon Valley sales organizations and the Department of Defense.
Sell with Your Dealership
Walk into any restaurant or retail store and read the signage. You will experience a
carefully crafted USP. Pizza parlors promise prompt delivery or the food is free. A
mailing service guarantees that items are delivered overnight. Burgers are made your
way, customization that creates clientele.
Your dealership offers you a similar proposition that encourages customers to
become Honda owners.
Beyond the basics of good sales treatment, community presence and reliable
vehicle service, what features of your dealership can encourage customers to move
ahead on the road to a sale?
"Our service department is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays," says Jeff
Tolke. "Our hours of operation and a free shuttle service are very attractive to
customers."
Sharon Dortort makes the point by including a drive to her service department in
her demonstrations. She then points out the convenient service entrance and describes
the prompt response that service clients receive.
Gloria Hawkins has incorporated the convenience of her service department's
shuttle into her sales process. If new owners lack transportation prior to delivery, she
simply schedules a shuttle pickup, often at work, spreading the message to coworkers.
She also points out that the service department offers an alternative to a wait in
the traditional service lounge: a $3-off coupon for a nearby restaurant. This further
demonstrates of her dealership's commitment to customer convenience,
What unique benefits of your dealership's service department can you
incorporate into your USP? Free car washes, long-term tenure of service personnel and
a high Honda Total Satisfaction Index rating can add to advantages over competitive
salespeople.
In the recently released 2009 J.D. Power and Associates Customer Service
Index, great brands were shown to retain service customers up to 80 percent of the time.

3. Sales and service treatment above the norm completes the picture, contributing to an
unfair advantage over competitors.
Online USPs
Today's technology allows sales consultants to create compelling USPs electronically.
Services such as Youtube make it easy for you to post your photos and positive
feedback from clients (with their permission, of course) on the Web.
"Microsoft salespeople carry around a Flip camera whenever they meet clients,"
points out Lynn Hunsaker. The reason? They are able to gather customer feedback
and positive testimonials.
She suggests that Honda salespeople place these comments on a Youtube site,
an online evidence manual that empowers customers with information.
"How many auto salespeople have a Youtube site or use services such as
Twitter to generate interest?" she asks. "Putting yourself ahead of the pack can give you
a marked advantage."
For Gloria Hawkins, every day offers an opportunity to surpass her customers'
expectations of Honda products, the dealership and her own high level of customer
service. Her job is especially challenging, as many of her Michigan clientele live in the
back door of the domestic auto industry.
Her desire to create a unique reason to consider Honda begins with a personal
commitment.
"I don't take my job for granted," she says. "I keep my door open as long as I
can, and customers respond in kind."
Resources
 Interview. Gloria Hawkins. Jeffrey Honda. Roseville, MI. July 21, 2009.
 Interview. Sharon Dortort. Boardwalk Honda. Harbor Township, NJ. July 22, 2009.
 Interview. Jeff Tolke. Honda East, Cincinatti, OH. July 23, 2009.
 Press Release, ibid. 2009 Customer Service Index Study. February 25, 2009.