Q: Are there any new incremental sales products out there, and how can I phase them in?

— John L. — branch manager, Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

A: Many companies have searched high and low to add innovative products to their already expanded incremental sales menus. Product additions are most effective if those new products can be positioned as an upgrade or as an accompaniment to an already established coverage package.

If your firm has an established service-based sales program, with an effective training resource, the opportunity to present an emergency travel services (ETS) product will enhance your coverage package and provide more benefits to your customer.

In many cases, adding the ETS product will provide another layer of coverage for international customers, medical assisted flights, language services and some legal assistance for international and domestic customers. ETS can simply be introduced into the description of your overall coverage package.

Utilizing your existing GPS product line is also an effective way to introduce a higher tech tablet, which can provide additional resources above and beyond just navigation.

Providing your customer with a tablet that also includes international calling, Wi-Fi hotspot services, a language translator and entertainment options for passengers is a great way to enhance their experience and boost your bottom line.

When introducing the tablet, it is critical that you review your marketplace for international and domestic customers, your current GPS sales rate and, most importantly, your internal inventory controls. Having a well-defined training process and a launch team is critical.

Regardless of the product or service, it is important that your frontline sales force believes in their value, understands their main benefits and is compensated correctly.

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Q: Should I use job fairs to recruit?

— Ann R. — agency operator, Central Florida

A: The most successful companies utilize job fairs as a critical part of their recruitment strategy. Job fairs can be effective for car rental, but they have the opportunity to become even more effective if the fair evolves into a concise training session, a positive introduction to the industry and, most importantly, the first step in a four-step selection process.

To make your job fair a success, you need the mindset that your job fair has to evolve into a “sales selection seminar.”

In order to do this, it is critical to expand your candidate sourcing pool by introducing the sales selection seminar as an exclusive event with on-site interviews. Incorporating SEO strategies, social media and strategically placed print ads will drive candidate participation.

Once candidates are in attendance, it is critical to project a positive message about the industry, your team and your company. The seminar will introduce the role of the sales agent and the service-based sales process used on the job. Candidates who understand the role and who can demonstrate the sales techniques will be immediately interviewed at the end of the seminar.

Growing the candidate pool and making a positive first impression in the seminar are both extremely important. The most effective sessions take at least six weeks of preparation to become successful. If done correctly, this innovative recruitment approach will help your team win the war for talent.

What's Your Question?

Email your car rental operation-related questions to Auto Rental News care of chris.brown@bobit.com.

Consultants from Frontline Performance Group will come up with concise, insightful answers to help you better run your car rental operations. Feel free to contact them directly at questions@frontlinepg.com.