Bob Clements International

HomeAboutDealer ServicesSpeakingArticlesDealer ToolboxProducts Home Bob is currently a contributing writer for Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) Magazine. In addition, he is a speaker for the GIE+EXPO. Bob regularly visits dealers to help them create successful businesses. He recently released the DVD series "Creating a High Proformance Dealership".
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About Bob

About Bob Clements

Bob is the president of Bob Clements International Inc., a training and development company specializing in creating high performance dealerships and organizations. Bob is author of the book, "The 8 Greatest Sales Secrets in the World" and a contributing writer for three national publications. Over the last 20 years, Bob has spoken to thousands of owners, sales people and businesses, giving them the tools they need to achieve personal and financial freedom. His organization and his leading edge development packages have helped to improve dealerships across America. Bob's speaking and training has brought him national recognition and he is considered one of the top trainers and speakers in the country addressing the needs of high performance organizations.

Dealer Testimonials

Clay's Power Equipment Raleigh, North Carolina

CNM Outdoor Equipment Indianola, Iowa

Mountaineer Mowers, Inc. Beckley, West Virginia

For 43 years, customers have turned to Clay's when they have needed outdoor power equipment. When Jerry wanted to move their dealership to the next level, they turned to the BCI team
CNM is a family owned dealership that has been prouding serving their Iowa community since 1947. As Dan looked at upgrading their dealership he decided to partner with the BCI team.
Mountaineer Mowers works hard to provide the best in equipment and parts When Jeff and Lydia decided it was time to turn their service department into a strong profit center they contacted the BCI team.

Contact Us

Contact Us
Bill_bobclements.com800.480.0737

Dealer Services

Dealer Services

Diagnostic Visit

Tune Up

Annual Visit

Social Media Package

DVD Series

Diagnostic Visit

Diagnostic Visit
Dealers all over North America are benefiting from the BCI Dealership “Diagnostic” Visit.A BCI team member will meet you and your staff for a half-day, on-site visit. During that time, you wll benefit from the knowledge and expertise of BCI. You will receive input and valuable advice as we provide an analysis of your key profit centers and processes. As a result of this visit, you will receive advice that is directed at improving your profits and increasing your efficiency.During our diagnostic visit we look closely at:1. Service department processes2. Parts department inventory and pricing3. Wholegoods marketing strategies and aftermarket sales opportunities4. Compensation programs5. Dealership goals and objectives to make more profit.In advance of our “Diagnostic” visit, we will ask you for some key information so that when we arrive on-site we will begin providing value to you and the dealership immediately. Following our initial visit, we develop and send to you a full report to be sent after the visit outlining the procedures and steps necessary for improved profitability. Processes and procedures that you are doing successfully may receive a suggested "tweak", and where there are gaps observed we suggest changes that can help dramatically elevate dealership profits. The report also explains how you could work with BCI in a “hands-on” project as a further step - if you were to choose to do so.

Tune Up

Tune Up
Dealers all over North America are using our BCI High Performance Programs. In this “Tune Up program we come to your dealership, spend the day, discover needs in your key profit centers AND, provide direct help to immediately impact profit.Key questions:• What are the two most pressing needs in your dealership?• How can you address those needs in one day & see results?Before we come, you will supply to us some confidential dealership information including general financial data so that the minute we arrive you will receive the best value.The day (depending on your needs) may include the following:• Evaluate & Change shop processes for profitability• Adjust parts department to improve inventory turns and gross on OEM parts• Create whole-goods service packages and pricing strategies• Effect other initiatives unique to your dealershipAnother result from the day--we provide a check list for your continued implementation and a summary-review of the day’s work. BCI has worked with 100s of dealers we have found that this program proves to be effective, moving dealerships like yours forward without incurring the expense of a major “Rebuild” project. We will make every effort to help you profit from our visit.

Annual Visit

Annual Visit

Existing dealers engage us for an “Annual Service” two-day project to sharpen their focus on improvement!

We have found from work with 100s of dealers that crucial processes often aren’t as crisp as they were and that some processes have slipped or eroded. This is the reason that we now offer an “Annual Service” two-day project to dealers like you where we have previously worked.

Key questions:

• In your dealership, what do you know deep-down that needs review?

• Have some of your key processes moved off dead-center, slipped or eroded?

• How has your marketplace or dealership changed in the past 12 to 18 months?

• Is your business producing you the profits you expect?

• As an owner do you feel chained to the business?

We diagnose each of your key processes completely and then “re-align” these to move your dealership on to the next level of profitability. We apply our “ 10-Point Inspection Service” geared for your dealership.

We look closely at these categories and multiple parts in each:

□ Profitability Analysis

□ Systems & Processes Analysis

□ People Analysis

□ Marketing Review

Also, you will benefit from the new ideas that we have learned over the past year as we have worked with dealership like yours.

We can help you keep up and get ahead of your competition!

Social Media Package

Social Media Package
Social media and online advertising is a great way to market your business in todays high-tech world. BCI offers a media service package that allows you to utilize social media to promote your business effectively with your current and potential customers. With a variety of packages to choose from, you can decide how much assistance you would like with your marketing. With the assistance of BCIs Media Director, we make sure you are getting the right package for your needs At BCI we can help you with the:1. Set up and management of your Business Facebook Page2. Set up and management of your Business Twitter Account 3. Creating and developing ads for Google and/or Facebook

DVD Series

DVD Series
Creating a High Performance Dealership is a complete DVD series designed to give owners and managers the tools needed to move a dealership to a higher level of performance. In this high impact series, using humor and real life examples, Bob will lead you and your employees through exercises that will change the way you think about doing business and demonstrate how to use the tools that he and his team use every day to move dealerships to levels of performance and profitability they thought were impossible.How do we get started?Begin by purchasing the program. With your purchase, you will receive facilitator’s materials, student workbooks and DVD’s of the program. Then, you can set a start date, and begin sessions that work with your schedule. The course is easy to facilitate -- Bob does all the teaching on DVD. You will be provided with discussion questions and helpful forms that will be used in developing effective systems and processes for your dealership.What comes with the program?The Creating a High Performance Dealership Training Program includes the materials you will need in promoting, starting, and leading the course. With your order you will receive --• Facilitator Guide – a step-by-step guide that will assist you in leading the training sessions• Complete set of DVD’s – Bob does all the teaching!• Ten (10) participant workbooks• All related worksheets & forms to improve processes and efficiency.

Speaking

Speaking

Speaking Samples

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Speaking Samples

Bob Clements Sales Sample

Sales Meeting Sample

Creating A High Performance Dealership 2 0

Speaking Samples
Check out some of Bob's speaking samples. Contact Bill_bobclements.com for more information!

Bob Clements Sales Sample

Sales Meeting Sample

Creating A High Performance Dealership 2 0

Article 2

Sales Program
Designed to meet the needs of seasoned sales and customer service professionals, BCI provides a variety of programs to meet your needs:Dare to Be DifferentProfessional Negotiation SkillsPresentations that SellUnlocking the Secrets of BusinessUncommon ServiceDealing with Difficult CustomersThe 8 Greatest Sales Secrets in the World Listen to a sample"Ive trained under a lot of programs in my 25 years of sales. I wish this program had been the second course after my basic sales training. I would never have taken another."Manager Distribution Development, BMA Financial Services"When I was told about our workshop, I must admit I wasnt overly enthusiastic as I thought I smelled another potentially boring rerun of what weve all heard dozens of times. Well, was I surprised. You certainly showed me. I felt "Dare to Be Different" was refreshing and worthwhile."Insurance / Financial Sales Agent

Article 3

Keynote Program
Fun, practical, insightful and enlightening are words that describe the BCI Motivational programs. If you are looking for a keynote presenter that rallies your people to a new level, BCI can help. Call 1-800-480-0737 today.Consider these programs:Winning AttitudesBuilding MomentumMeeting the Challenge of changeListen to a sampleContact BCI today to see how we can work together to make sure that your people walk away from your next meeting motivated and refreshed."Great job last week! Comments have been Outstanding! Everyone felt re-charged."Vice President of Credit & Collections

Articles

Articles

Customer Service

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Dealing with Difficult Customers Among Other Common Issues
Seldom does a day go by that I don’t receive a question from dealers who have either read my articles or attended my workshops. They range from issues dealing with employees, finance, floor plans, manufacturers, distributors and customers. During my next few articles, I thought it might be beneficial to group some of the questions together into categories and share my thoughts on how I would handle or deal with them if they came up in one of the dealerships with which I work.Customer issuesCustomer problems are an issue for all dealerships and are a recurring theme in questions that are asked by dealers. I think we would all agree that customers are an important part of the business, but I find in most cases that dealerships bend over way too far to help some customers who simply need to be fired.You all have them -- those customers who regardless of what you try to do, are never satisfied, but continue to come back (probably because other dealers have already fired them). As an owner, it’s important to understand that not everyone who walks in your door is someone you want as a customer. As a matter of fact, 10 to 15 percent of your current customers create the bulk of the headaches in your dealership.It may be difficult to think about getting rid of customers you have invested time and money on trying to attract to your business, but when a customer is costing you money or driving your employees insane, it can be a smart move. Of course, you don't want to let a profitable customer go if losing that revenue could sink you. And no one is advocating firing customers just because they are demanding or you simply don't like them. It’s a good idea to assess each of your customers -- how much you are bringing in from them and how much are they really costing your dealership.If you have customers who aren’t making the cut, then the next time they come in, as an owner, you should have an unemotional conversation with them, present them with some options on how the relationship between you and them can be improved, and let them make the decision if they want to continue to work with you or not. Keep in mind, sometimes these conversations can get a little ugly, but it’s better to go through the pain of dealing with them one time than the pain and cost to your dealership and your employees of having to deal with them every time they walk through your door.Posted labor ratesSetting the labor rate for your service work is one of the most important things you, as an owner, can do for the sustained profitability of your service department. The big question is: How do you go about determining what the rate should be?Over the years, I have seen several formulas that other consultants use to determine the “right rate” based upon costs. However, for the most part, I have found that dealers, who have used the formula, shortchange themselves by not charging as much as they should or could.The first question I ask my dealers when we look at their posted labor rate is: What are the car dealers in their area charging to do work? I use car dealers as a baseline because that is where your customers’ perception of what a “fair rate” would be. Now, most customers won’t feel that OPE dealers should charge what car dealers charge, which I am OK with, but there is no reason you as a dealer can’t be somewhere within their range.The other factor I look at regarding the labor rate is the recovery rate for labor on warranty claims. If your dealership is falling short of making money doing warranty work, then you need to move your posted labor rate up to offset the shortage. Think about it this way: If my posted labor rate is $65 per hour, and I find that in doing warranty work I am only recovering 90 percent of my billable time, I am going to increase my posted labor rate by 20 percent to $78.I try hard not to just break even on anything. Keep in mind that you have no control over what a manufacturer sets for warranty times on repairs, but you do have the ability to set your rate to a level that will let you be profitable while doing their work. The $78 will be charged to manufacturers for warranty repairs and to customers who want to use your service department, but who didn’t buy their equipment from you. You could then do a 20-percent discount to your preferred customers (those who have purchased equipment from you) and use that 20-percent difference as a selling tool when someone is price shopping you on your wholegoods.Service techsMost of the work my company does in dealerships has to do with the service department. As a result, I receive a lot of questions regarding service techs and the issues dealerships face in finding, hiring, and motivating them to perform at a profitable level. I find that in many dealerships the shop is the mysterious thing that is left to run on its own with little oversight or expectation from the ownership. If you have attended any of my workshops or read any of my articles during the past several years, you know that I demand a lot out of a shop. To make the service department produce, you have to know what is reasonable to expect and then manage to those numbers.As I work with dealers, we focus on managing a service department’s inventory, which is time. We know how many hours (clock time) we pay every day per technician and know that we need to sell at least 85 percent of that time to be profitable. I also know that by using flat-rate pricing, I can actually sell more time (billable time) than I actually have -- which is pretty cool. I also have other time (non-billable time) that is my thief, which I monitor with a religious-like fervor to make sure there is little, if any, that gets away from me.My goal is to have every minute of every day billed to someone either internally or externally. The best way to get a handle on your time is to have your technicians, for one week, track their non-billable time on a sheet of paper. When a tech is pulled away from a bay or bench to do work that can’t be billed to a customer (e.g. unload a truck, help demo a piece of equipment), the dealership’s owner should evaluate each of those occasions and determine if an employee other than a tech could have done the work.Most techs are blamed for the lack of production, yet when I am in dealerships and working with their service departments, I seldom find the tech at fault for the lack of efficiency. In many shops, it is the techs that are interrupted to do work that could be done by other less-experienced, less-qualified, lower wage-earning employees.It’s important to hold your techs accountable to be at least 85-percent efficient, but that can only happen if your parts department is doing its job and you keep the techs on the bench turning wrenches.Hopefully, I have answered some questions that are relevant to your dealerships either now or at some point in the future. If you have a question that you would like for me to address, please feel free to post it on my Facebook page or e-mail it to me at bob_bobclements.com and I will write or call you with a response.

Article 2

Taking the Difficulty Out of Dealing With Difficult Customers
Issue Date: April OPE 2009, Posted On: 5/11/2009 Taking the difficulty out of dealing with difficult customersBy Bob Clements If you've owned your dealership for more than 30 days, you may have already heard customers say some of the following things:You people are complete idiots!I will never do business with you again!I will make it my goal in life to make sure that everyone I know finds out about how crooked your dealership is!I am going to get a lawyer and sue you!It could happen in your store, across your parts counter, in the service department, or in your parking lot, but at some time in your life as a dealer, you have had to deal with an unhappy customer. I always smile as I hear dealers tell the stories they wear like badges of honor of some of the customers they have had to deal with and how they resolved the problems they have encountered with out-of-control customers.Now granted, not all customers who are angry are stupid people, and not all dealers are angels in how they handle their customers. In this article, I want to look at both sides of the issue and give you some insight on how to deal with an out-of-control customer, as well as tips on how you can change some of your processes to reduce the possibility that a customer feels the need to take your head off.Three types of difficult customersLet's face the facts: If you have been in business as long as I have, you will find that "difficult customers" fall into three categories: Psychos, Scammers, and Keepers.1. Psychos: These customers are hyper-defensive from the moment they enter your store. They don't trust you or anyone else, and there is nothing you are going to do to change that. They question everything you do, and go line by line over the bill. These are the customers that deal in a reality that few people ever enter.I've had dealers tell me stories of the "Psycho," who threatens to contact the state attorney general to bring price-gouging charges against them for what they are charging for a carburetor or a repair. I recently had an Ohio dealer who shared the story of a "Psycho," who brought the local police in to help him make the dealer give back a $35 diagnostic fee because he chose not to have the box store string trimmer repaired. Of course, the "Psycho" was unaware that several of the community's police officers and firefighters were commercial cutters who purchased all of their equipment from the dealer. Needless to say, the dealer kept the fee, and the police removed the "customer" from the store.Just to be clear, there is nothing you are going to do to make the "Psycho" a happy customer. These are people who need medication and psychological treatment, and there is nothing you or I can do to solve their problems. Your goal with these people is to identify them and move them to your competitor as soon as possible, letting them know that they may take their business elsewhere.Don't worry about them telling other potential customers about your business. These are people who attract others like themselves, and the last thing you want in your dealership is the friends of these people.2. Scammers: "Scammers" are the ones who come into your dealership with the intent to take advantage of some flaw in your policies, so they can get something for free or at a reduced price. I won't call them "con artists" because what they do is not illegal, but their goal is to legally steal from you because of some weakness you have in how you do business. These are the people who imply that you told them something that you know is not true, and work you or your employees like a "rented mule" to get something for nothing. They will fight you over the smallest thing until you finally give in, and, when they leave after getting what they want, they treat you nicely to set you up to be worked again in the future.As much as "Scammers" disgust me, they do provide a valuable service in business. They are the ones who magnify your weaknesses and force you to make the necessary policy changes to improve your dealership. We are fortunate that even though the "Psycho" and the "Scammer" are a pain in the backside, they represent a small number of the customers you deal with, and they have very little impact on the overall impression that potential customers have about your dealership.3. Keepers: "Keepers" are good customers who have expectations about your dealership that you didn't meet. They are angry but worth keeping for the future of your business.So what initially makes a "Keeper" unhappy? Well, in all cases, it starts with unmet expectations. When "Keepers" enter your dealership, they bring with them an expectation of what should happen. Some base their expectations on past experiences at your store, while others who have never been in your dealership base theirs off an experience at another OPE dealer or another retailer like a box store.Let's use the example of charging a diagnostic fee to estimate repairs on equipment. Pretend for a moment that you have a customer who walks into your store to have you look at repairing a string trimmer that was purchased elsewhere. The customer comes to the counter with several expectations. First, the customer may assume that you have a tech ready to look at the equipment at that moment, and second, assumes you will do it for free with the hope of getting the repair business. In the dealerships I consult, neither of those expectations would be correct, but it doesn't change the fact that the "Keeper" has them.Keep in mind that if you have a lot of unhappy customers, it's probably not because you are just an unlucky dealer. Most likely, you are not being clear in what you offer or how you explain your business processes to your customers. The faster you "fix" your problems, the fewer hostile situations you are going to have with the customers you want to keep for the life of your dealership.Eight steps for dealing with difficult customers1. Get your process right.As an owner, the first and most important step in dealing with difficult customers is to do whatever you can to make sure your employees communicate clearly to every customer how you do business. If you charge a diagnostic fee, make sure customers understand that it is paid up-front and not refundable, even if they choose not to have the work done. If the equipment is taken apart, make sure your employees communicate that the equipment will not be reassembled if the customer makes the decision to not have the repair completed.2. Dump the "Psycho" and the "Scammer."Move "Psycho" customers to a place in your dealership that is away from the front counter. Don't say a lot, and let them wear themselves down. They are going to scream and shout like a 3-year-old child throwing a tantrum. Don't try to stop them -- just let them burn themselves out.For "Scammers," listen to them and then say, "I appreciate what you are saying, and this is what we are able to do for you." They will argue with you. Once again, listen to what they have to say and repeat the same statement, "I appreciate what you are saying, and this is what we are able to do for you." Continue to say the same thing, and at some point, they will realize that you are not going to budge from your position. Keep in mind that they know what they are doing and will feign shock at your unwillingness to change your position. Don't argue, stand your ground, and don't give away the farm. These customers are not ones you want, so why lose money on them?3. Focus your energy on the "Keeper."Your goal with "Keepers" is to salvage them as customers, not to prove them wrong. You want to do whatever you can to keep them happy and keep them coming back year after year. Don't argue with the "Keeper," because even if you win, you lose.4. Listen to what "Keepers" have to say."Keepers" are not there to rip you off. They have what they believe is a legitimate concern about how you are dealing with them. Your goal is to listen to what they are saying without interrupting them. Since they feel they have been wronged, ignored, or under-appreciated, your focus should be to listen for ways to change their feelings.5. Ask "Keepers" for their input.Let "Keepers" know that you want to do what's fair and right for both you and them. Say something like, "I know you want to be fair. What do you think we can do to make this work for both of us?" If you appeal to their sense of fair play, most of the time, they will live up to your expectation. Tell the customer what you can do.6. Watch your words.Use positive language when you are discussing options. State what you can do, not what you can't. Instead of saying, "It's not our policy," say, "Here's what we could do." Rather than saying, "I don't know," try saying, "I'll find out." Say, "The best option for us both is going to be," not "The only thing I can do is."7. Be proactive."Keepers" are anxious to put problems behind them and to resolve issues. If you exhibit a genuine concern and a willingness to take immediate action, the "Keeper" will remember your positive attitude longer than any negative feelings.8. Agree on a solution.Make sure that you come to a solution that will get an agreement from "Keepers." If there's more than one potential solution, explain each option and let them choose which they would prefer.The truth is that, as an OPE dealer, no matter how good you or your employees are, there will always be customers who are unhappy about something. You won't be able to save them all. However, if you focus on the customers who will bring you long-term value and dump the ones who you will never satisfy, your life and your business will be much simpler.

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BCI is the industry leader in OPE, Ag and Powersports dealerships working with service, parts and wholegoods departments to improve profitability and efficiency.Utilizing cutting edge strategies and processes BCI works hand-in-hand with dealers and their employees to radically change the work environment to produce a high performance dealership.

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At Bob Clements International, we provide a wide array of services from consulting, dealer visits, training, speaking, keynote addresses,hiring and employment testing and social media management.

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Bob and his team are currently visiting dealers all around the country and helping them incease their shop efficiency and profitablity. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get daily updates.

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