RV Salesman Looking tc Rev Up Commissions

If C.B. Johnson ever wins the Super Lotto, he knows exactly what he’ll do. He’ll buy himself a customized, million-dollar Prevost motor home and take to America’s highways.

But short of receiving such a glorious windfall, the 54-year-old Upland resident is willing to pursue a more modest dream: He’d like to earn more than the $40,000 a year in commissions he’s making now as a recreational vehicle salesman. The question is, how?

“I like sales. I like helping people get the right RV. And I get along with the administration at my dealership,” Johnson said. But “I’d be more comfortable making $50,000, and I’d like to find out how to get there.”

Johnson isn’t sure why his earnings have flat-lined. He wonders whether he has exhausted his local consumer base or, after 25 years of sales, he’s in need of a skills tuneup.

For guidance, Johnson contacted Scottsdale, Ariz.-based sales expert Tom Hopkins, author of “How to Master the Art of Selling” (Warner Books, 1994).

Hopkins closely questioned Johnson about his work history, sales techniques and present employment situation.

Johnson said he is a top rep at his Ontario dealership, Affordable RV, selling about 150 RVs every year. He routinely follows up on manufacturers’ leads, writes thank-you notes to new buyers and even gives them free meal certificates to show his appreciation, he said. Johnson added that his dealership enjoys good walk-in traffic and has a fine reputation in the surrounding community.

But he admitted he might benefit from learning new marketing techniques to generate first-time sales and stimulate repeat business, which can account for up to 70% of an RV rep’s sales.

Hopkins and other sales experts offered Johnson these pointers:

* Hone technique and retrain. This is an excellent time for Johnson to sharpen his selling skills. Last year, the $15.8-billion-a-year RV industry enjoyed record sales, as legions of first-time buyers in the 35-to-54 age group took to the roads in RV models ranging from humble pop-ups (fold-down campers with collapsible walls) to million-dollar bus conversions, complete with home theater systems, telecommunications offices, Jacuzzis, Italian circular showers and wine cellars.

Consumer interest in RVs is still growing, analysts say. Johnson needs to convert that trend into commissions. First, he should evaluate his ability to close sales. How many shoppers does Johnson convert into buyers?

If reps at other dealerships are closing more sales than he is, Johnson should investigate their selling strategies. Some top performers won’t mind discussing their successful techniques, particularly if they’re in noncompeting territories, noted Harvey Mackay, author of “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive: Outsell, Outmanage, Outmotivate and Outnegotiate Your Competition” (Ballantine Books, 1996).

Though Johnson is a sales veteran, he may want to enroll in selling seminars, which might introduce him to fresh ways to generate business, Hopkins said. To keep optimistic and focused, Johnson also should listen regularly to motivational tapes, Mackay suggested.

Johnson should list as many ways as possible to “go the extra mile” for his prospects. If shoppers express interest in a motor home, Johnson can call them days later, offer to drive the coach to their home and take them for a trial ride, suggested Mike Sassi at RVs of Merritt in Palm Springs, who has been selling RVs for 37 years.

With the permission of his dealership’s management, Johnson might spearhead a “try and buy” program for people matching the demographics of RV buyers but who as yet haven’t traveled in a motor home, said Michael Bosworth, author of “Solution Selling: Creating Buyers in Difficult Selling Markets” (McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, 1995).

* Target repeat business. “Once they’ve got the sale, most RV salespeople forget about the customer,” Sassi said. “They’re afraid to call because they don’t want to hear that something’s wrong.”

Unlike the more regulated automobile market, the RV industry doesn’t have “lemon laws” or manufacturers’ suggested retail prices for most of its inventory, said Perry Clark, owner of RV Experts in Mobile, Ala. As a result, there is great potential for customer dissatisfaction and dealership abuses.

Johnson can distinguish himself from the RV sales pack by presenting himself as a customer advocate. He can check competitors’ prices to see if he can match or better their deals. He might come up with value-added incentives to entice customers too.

By cultivating excellent work relationships with his dealership’s service technicians, Johnson can see that his customers receive good care and prompt attention should they have problems with their new RVs, said Erik Gordon, research director at the University of Florida’s Center for Retailing, in Gainesville.

Other steps Johnson can take to increase sales include asking for three leads from each new customer, inaugurating “customer appreciation days” for repeat buyers and following up with them annually to see if they might want to “trade up.”

He may also want to read “Customers for Life: How to Turn That One-Time Buyer Into a Lifetime Customer” by Carl Sewell (Pocket Books, 1998), Mackay said.

* Evaluate risks and rewards. Eventually, Johnson will have to decide if he is willing to take more risks to improve his earnings. According to industry experts, the fastest-growing segments of the RV market are mid-priced, tow-behind trailers and self-contained motor coaches, which cost between $50,000 and $100,000. Johnson, however, is handling lower-priced inventory, from $10,000 to $40,000.

Will Johnson consider selling the more expensive lines, even if it means relocating to another dealership or even to another state?

Florida, the destination of winter-phobic snowbirds, is an RV salesperson’s mecca. Top producers at the state’s biggest dealerships can earn upward of $200,000 a year in commissions, said Stewart Schaeffer, chief marketing officer of Lazy Days RV Super Center in Seffner, Fla., the world’s largest RV dealership.

However, if Johnson opts to remain at his present job, he should sit down with management and brainstorm ways to boost his income. Perhaps he can delegate some non-income-generating responsibilities, such as identifying serious buyers and writing proposals, to assistants or reps in training, suggested Ed Harms, senior vice president of sales at CareerEngine Network in New York.

“Don’t suffer in silence,” Harms said. “Management has everything to gain by helping a top producer. They tend to get very involved in the process, trying to find out how they can create greater rewards and challenges for such an individual.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Time for a Change

* Name: C.B. Johnson

* Occupation: RV salesman

* Desired occupation: More successful RV salesman

* Quote: “I’ve considered other types of sales, like computer sales. . . . But I like what I’m doing. I just would like to earn more at it, if I can.”

*

Meet the Coach

Tom Hopkins is the author of “How to Master the Art of Selling,” which sold more than 1.3 million copies, and he is head of Tom Hopkins International in Scottsdale, Ariz.