{"id":7484,"date":"2024-07-16T17:53:36","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T00:53:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mitchell11.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/shopconnection\/the-mitchell-1-customer-focused-sales-strategy\/"},"modified":"2025-05-22T12:49:36","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T19:49:36","slug":"the-mitchell-1-customer-focused-sales-strategy","status":"publish","type":"shopconnection","link":"https:\/\/mitchell1.com\/shopconnection\/the-mitchell-1-customer-focused-sales-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"From Busy Bays to Business Bonds: The Mitchell 1 Customer-Focused Sales Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mitchell

Pictured on the Mitchell 1 sales floor, from left is sales manager Kiran Wagh, and sales developers, including Alex Galvin, Bryan Bernetskie and Mark Smolik<\/p><\/div>\n

Editor’s Note: This is Part 1 of the Inside Look series of Mitchell 1 department teams who have contributed to the on-going success of the company.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

An automotive repair facility might appear as pure chaos to an outsider: phones ringing, customers describing vehicle issues, cars moving to service bays, technicians inspecting and servicing, and trips to the parts counter. In smaller shops, the same tasks occur with fewer hands.<\/p>\n

Life in the shop is busy, no matter the size of the business. So when a sales call pitches the latest gizmo or service, it often feels like valuable time is slipping away. Whether admitted or not, every shop has pain points that are endured or reduced with workarounds.<\/p>\n

Companies selling goods and services usually offer solutions looking for a problem, and the customer\u2019s current challenges will determine their interest in the sales pitch.<\/p>\n

Introducing Mitchell 1\u2019s Inside Sales Team: \u00a0Selling on Value<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Mitchell 1 Inside Sales team have joined together to establish a relational approach to sales. This approach has been a win-win for the sales team and customer, as evidenced by record sales in the past year and significantly increased retention in the sales department.<\/p>\n

\"Mitchell<\/p>\n

The 30-member team is led by Sales Manager, Kiran Wagh, and several sales developers, including Bryan Bernetskie and Mark Smolik, who happily agreed to share a few key aspects of this relational technique.<\/p>\n

As Kiran explained, \u201cOur training for new sales associates is focused on building a relationship with the customer \u2013 seeking to understand the pain points they are experiencing in the shop \u2013 and then pairing those issues with Mitchell 1 solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n

He described how the sales team develops open-ended questions to help shops identify where problems in the business exist. Commonly asked questions include: \u201cWhat impact does lost time have on your business?\u201d or \u201cWhat are some challenges you face when researching repair information?\u201d<\/p>\n

For instance, he said shops frequently mention they need quick access to repair information but are pressed with time. The sales reps will explain how ProDemand repair information<\/a> can help mitigate those challenges by making it fast and easy to find OEM information with its intuitive navigation \u2013\u00a0 or how Manager SE shop management software<\/a> can help shops stay organized in their daily operations with features like automated scheduling, parts ordering and reporting.<\/p>\n

He explained that pushing a product without understanding the shop\u2019s concerns can come across as aggressive and counter-intuitive to building a relationship. \u201cIf we can relate to them, they are more likely to listen to what we have to say, and really help them with their needs,\u201d Kiran said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur intention is to sell on value, not price and promotion,\u201d added Bryan. \u201cIn order to present the best value, however, the sales agent needs to know the right questions. This will help the customer express the unique issues they experience in the shop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Communicating Style<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"MitchellThe ability to maintain a unified selling approach demands that the relationship journey begins with the sales team. Kiran revealed how the \u201cselling on value\u201d concept starts on day one with new agents. This repeatable approach, called \u201ccustomer-focused selling\u201d involves identifying a customer\u2019s needs, determining the severity of the need, identifying how Mitchell 1 products can address those needs, and only then offering a Mitchell 1 solution.<\/p>\n

Mark noted the sales team works collaboratively internally and with the customer. \u201cOur sales agents are also trained to help the customer see how the impact of the problem effects the shop,\u201d he said. \u201cThe focus is helping the customer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Problem-Solving Feedback Loop<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Kiran described how the sales team is in a great position to connect the customer with the Mitchell 1 team, including product developers who are focused on continuous innovations based on customer feedback. As sales agents communicate with customers, new or additional problems are uncovered.<\/p>\n

As Bryan noted, \u201cwhen there is no solution, there is no sale.\u201d In other words, the sales team does not recommend a product if it\u2019s not addressing a particular problem.\u00a0 This lack of a solution creates a new opportunity for the Mitchell 1 product team to develop a new product or feature to resolve the problem.<\/p>\n

Kiran says the sales team meets with product managers to connect the feedback loop on a weekly basis. As the new solutions enter the market, the feedback loop continues and additional revisions or improvement are made. A collaborative effort between everyone at Mitchell 1 and the customer truly exists.<\/p>\n

A Culture Focused on Helping<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Mitchell\u00a0 \u00a0 \"Mitchell<\/p>\n

The culture focused on helping begins by building relationships within Mitchell 1. Everyone joining together to help others become successful is the absolute key to success.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the customer is satisfied and gains confidence in Mitchell 1 products, the employees at Mitchell 1 are encouraged to provide even more help through increasingly powerful solutions,\u201d Kiran said. \u201cEach sales agent is encouraged to help other sales agents, to provide the best experience possible for the customer.\u201d<\/p>\n

That is a culture worth striving for and one that makes Mitchell 1 a great business partner as well as a great place to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"Mitchell<\/p>\n

Mitchell 1’s Inside Sales Team focuses on relational sales founded on understanding customers’ pain points and identifying shop concerns. These tailored value-driven recommendations foster trust and engagement to drive continuous product innovation and customer-centricity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":10659,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":""},"shopconnection-category":[1632],"shopconnection-tag":[1611],"class_list":{"0":"post-7484","1":"shopconnection","2":"type-shopconnection","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"shopconnection-category-mitchell1","7":"shopconnection-tag-mitchell-1-inside-sales-team","8":"entry"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitchell1.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/shopconnection\/7484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitchell1.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/shopconnection"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitchell1.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/shopconnection"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitchell1.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitchell1.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mitchell1.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"shopconnection-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitchell1.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/shopconnection-category?post=7484"},{"taxonomy":"shopconnection-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mitchell1.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/shopconnection-tag?post=7484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}