[Ghrankenstein]

The Role of the Salesperson

Frontline warriors, this is your time to shine.

Where I’m going with this is that true truck applications require expertise. Trucks are expensive, and if the application requires a greater expense than originally anticipated, they require a strong level of expertise. Any Chevrolet and GMC salespeople reading this are advised to consult GMAutobook and GMFleet with your customers in order to confirm that the truck they want is the truck they need. Some customers require an 8000 lb GVWR, and others require a 16,000 lb GCWR. Selling these people a half-ton truck is the worst thing you can do, and you need to know your product, and your specification programs (e.g. Gmfleet.com) well enough to advise them properly.

Similarly, Ford, Dodge, and Nissan aren’t playing around. They’re selling over a million trucks a year that you aren’t. Every cross-shopper that you get is an opportunity to demonstrate that you are the expert. Truck buyers drive a hard bargain, that’s true. That’s part of the business, and the business is volume. You have the tools, and hopefully the drive to gain the knowledge, to show your customers that your truck is truly the best. You also have GM Business Choice at your disposal.

If you aren’t able to log into Autobook, get ahold of your IT person (or your semi-informed sales manager), and have them get you a login. You can build out any competitor, any of your own vehicles, get their GVWR’s, curb weights, payloads, tow ratings, and even options ratings and prices. You’ll see where competitors carry hundreds of pounds more in curb weight just for a few pounds of payload. You’ll see where a competitor’s GVWR’s and GCWR’s add up to nothing more than corporate permission to tow an excessively heavy load. You’ll find that a GMT-900 usually prices out at a roughly equal point to the competing truck, even the Nissan, with comparable equipment.

Autobook already includes ¾-ton and 1-ton GMT-900’s. Get in there, and build out some Duramaxes by trim level and by equipment that you frequently see. Get in there and build out some 6.0/6L90E’s as well. Be ready for these bad boys, because if you can’t beat a competitor with a high-end 1500, you’ll likely nail them with an SLE/LS 2500.

I also recommend that you keep your eyes open, and watch the VORTEC-MAX package. In the GMT-800 series 1500HD, Chevrolet got the cheap end of the stick, a lower price point, while GMC got a full-floating rear-end. If we get (in GMC, Chevy, or both) a full-floating rear-end in a half-ton truck, it would be a big advantage over half-ton competitors, which all have semi-floaters. Keep an eye on Autobook for Toyota, and be ready to counter anything they offer. If you aren’t familiar with the difference between a semi-floater and a full-floater, grab your commercial/fleet manager or your most trusted technician, and a SRW HD (2500 or 3500) pickup. I must repeat that I don’t know what the VORTEC-MAX will get, but I suspect that it will be similar hardware (other than frame rails) to the previous 1500HD.

Competitors’ Gimmicks:

I can only reemphasize that the success of these trucks, and their nearly infinite options, hinges on your consultative abilities to communicate our trucks to your customers. You don't need gimmicks.

OHC Engines: Ford, Toyota, and Nissan offer overly bulky, heavy (even if they are aluminum) engines. So far, no competitor has the combination of power and fuel economy of GM. These engines have more parts, and vastly longer timing chains, in comparison to GM. Toyota and Nissan offer VVT and electronic throttle control. GM has offered electronic throttle control on its trucks for years, and has, enjoyed the highest fuel economy (despite Toyota’s misleading advertisements) for its trucks, also for years.

In a daily work vehicle, complexity is the enemy, and the competitors have, for now, more parts, longer chains, and shorter warranties. Understand the fundamental differences between OHV advantages and OHC advantages, and they clearly favor the OHV, especially in trucks, despite Nissan’s misleading advertisements. The mentioned competitors OHC engines are merely bulky, heavy, complex powerplants that are tuned to perform like OHV engines in the first place.

“But they breathe better.” Again, it’s a matter of OHC tuning versus OHV strengths. Better breathing helps an engine at high RPM’s, in peak horsepower, not in low-end torque, where truck engines are relied upon to move their loads. The dual-plug OHV Dodge Hemi also breathes very well, and has superior thermal (minimal) energy-loss properties. Cumbustion chamber turbulence, and the resulting fuel-air mixing efficiency, at low RPM’s is the hallmark of the Vortec engines, which gives them their low-end power (torque) to move heavy loads reliably, and with maximum simplicity, minimal mass, and minimal bulk. “Better Breathing” is a gimmick, with nothing to do with truck performance.

Fully-Boxed Frames/Fully Hydroformed Frames: I still don’t know if any competitor actually offers full-length hydroformed frame rails, sensu the GMT-360’s. I hear the claims by the competitive salespeople, but I have a response. “What is hydroforming?” Competitive salespeople often don’t know what it is, its benefits, or its disadvantages. Consult me by PM, or your GM trainer if you’re not informed about what hydroforming is. The benefit is a maximization of high strength and low weight in a truck frame rail, but it can also add more weight than is necessary.

In the GMT-900’s, this benefit is utilized in the front frame rails. Engineers wanted more strength, and more manufacturing flexibility, in the center frame rails, so they chose a heavier, welded box section with an L-brace reinforcement. The non-boxed portion comes after the rear wheels, where torsional strength is minimal, and where weight can be saved with a handling bonus.

Higher GVWR: Look at your vehicle’s GVWR versus its curb weight, the difference being payload. The GM vehicles have the lowest curb weights. When the information becomes available, know your frame rails’ yield strength in psi. They’ll be much stronger than Ford’s, and, historically, noone else besides Ford will provide that information. Finally, it's all about corporate permission.

High Maximum Tow Ratings: Yes, GMC, with the VORTEC-MAX package, has the highest factory-approved maximum tow-rating as of right now. Be prepared for Nissan (with a 3.20 rear-end ratio) and Toyota to go higher on some of their half-ton trucks with special towing packages.

Why? It’s purely a matter of corporate permission, and corporate responsibility. Compare the curb weights and GVWR’s, and you’ll see that the half-ton trucks are all very close in their capabilities, with the imports giving owners the permission to simply tow more. GM requires engines, brakes, Stabilitrak, and a rear-end ratio to achieve its maximum tow rating. None of GM’s competitors has similar requirements. GM’s tow ratings have historically tended to be on the conservative side, the responsible side, and their vehicle statistics have shown it. In the big picture, GM’s message is not to use a ½ ton truck to do a ¾ ton truck’s work.

Know your stuff, and your competitors' stuff. Most of the time, your competitor will only claim your his peak tow rating. Unfortunately, this can also be another GM salesperson. Be ready to show (not just tell), your customer the truth.

Fuel Economy: Honda and Toyota both run advertisements that imply that their trucks (Ridgeline and Tundra) get better gas mileage, but offer no competitive numbers. Salespeople, clip them, and put them in your evidence manuals.

Cheap Leather: The half-ton trucks can be ordered with leather in an SLE-1 and its equivalent Chevy.

Limited Slips and Nissan’s E-locker: see above.

These are just a few of the gimmicks I can think of, but they amount to sales shortcuts that can lead to customers getting the wrong truck, and you not being able to get them out of them.

I don't know if it's been entirely worthwhile reading; I at least hope it's been helpful.

Ghrank