The following HOTLINE article is a Q&A with automotive sales professional and author, Everold Reid
By Ross Fattori
EVEROLD REID IS A Canadian sales professional with over 25 years’ experience working in retail automotive industry, advertising and property marketing initiatives across North America. Throughout his career, he developed a set of proven best practices that propelled him to become a consistent top performer in fast-changing and competitive markets. Everold shares his experience in a practical coaching “how-to” book, entitled THE REID METHOD, A Blueprint for Achieving Sales Mastery, recently published by Milner & Associates Inc. The TADA caught up with Everold to ask him about his career and his new book.
Q. What is your desired audience for The Reid Method?
A. The Reid Method applies to all sales professionals, who are involved
in selling simple to complex, high ticket items. The book shares the best techniques that I’ve learned through trial and error over my 25 plus years in the industry. In fact, the strategies and insights apply equally to: new sales reps, average sales reps, top performers, sales managers, and business owners.
Q. What messages do you hope readers will take from The Reid Method?
A. Success is more than a possibility. It becomes a mindset and the book offers the tools to keep you focused on the ultimate goal, and that’s being the best you can be each and every day, month and year.
Readers are shown why having a plan, setting and consistently monitoring goals keeps you focused on outcomes – rather than one-off situations leads to success. Making consistent daily progress, even in small doses, can lead to big career changes and ultimate success. This approach works regardless of technology or social changes or competition. It is based on understanding the fundamentals of why clients make a decision to buy and how to align the process to respond consistently and become their trusted advisor.
Q. How did you devise your own strategies for success?
A. I put together my own strategic approach to sales success, after observing and following good examples of others before me.
- You must be fully committed to jump into this role with both feet, giving it your all and keeping an open mind to learn as much as possible versus making a quick buck.
- Start by spending time with others that are successful and learn from their examples. This can include experienced co-workers or managers and reading, or listening to sales motivational tips to broaden your perspective.
The Reid Method explains several other pieces to the puzzle from having daily rituals, follow up processes, how to systematically address client needs, to set a clear path to turn sales “job” into a successful career.
Q. Years ago, you adopted the Kaizen philosophy. How has that philosophy impacted your career and your life?
A. I embraced Kaizen philosophy and began making continuous improvements in my daily practices because I thrive on learning from my peers, and my own results.
I learned to apply Kaizen principles in my sales career in both the automotive and advertising industries. I remember touring the Toyota plant in Cambridge twice just after it had opened in 1989 and then again in the early nineties and realizing that it was nothing like one would expect of a car plant.
The team concept that Toyota and Lexus exemplifies is a significant part of the whole Kaizen philosophy world wide. At all levels of management, they treat each other as team members. This creates an environment of equality and openness to share individual ideas for the bigger goal of success for all.
I reassess where I stand in my daily, weekly and monthly targets; as well as in my personal life. Kaizen helps me to constantly adjust and ensure that I’m on the right track.
Q. What steps can salespeople make today to start improving their sales performance?
A. Most of the steps are small but effective if practiced daily. One core principle is that you must have rituals. Daily rituals guide you towards the state of mind necessary for peak performance.
Once you establish your rituals then you must adapt at least seven steps to achieve sales success. Here are just a few tips from the book:
- Start with a product you love. It’s hard to sell a product or service you’re not in love with consistently and successfully.
- Practice preparation. Have a disciplined approach to create your first impression, and prep for each workday mentally — prioritizing tasks, appointments and checklists.
- You must have goals. Goal setting helps to plan for and accomplish ultimate success. Consider them your “North Star” or compass to guide your journey. Make sure they are realistic and measurable.
- Invest in yourself. This doesn’t mean getting into debt and buying expensive suits or tools. It simply means taking time to learn about your field of work and what steps you can take to be better prepared.
Q. What are some best practices that have served you well in automotive sales?
A. “Top Sales people follow a common blueprint for success – which has three basic elements.”
- You should always start by setting realistic stretch goals and targets. Never wait to be assigned mediocre targets. Mediocrity is for anyone. To be a successful top performer, you must set higher, more ambitious goals.
- Carefully plan and monitor objectives to break down those big goals and targets, creating a detailed action plan and milestones to help achieve the entire year’s objectives. Top performers always want to know where they stand, and pay attention to the numbers constantly to ensure they stay on track to meet or exceed their goals.
- Practice the art of listening to the client. Only after you have listened carefully to understand your potential client’s point of view and needs, should you be conveying feedback. That’s how top performers close more deals and make higher incomes.
Everold Reid is a Lease Renewal Advisor at Lexus of Oakville. His book — The Reid Method: A Blueprint for Achieving Sales Mastery — is available at www.thereidmethod.com.
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