TO:   Sales Consultants & Sales Managers
SUBJECT:  CSE Quick Tip #9 – The Needs Assessment and POD Connection
Date:  March 2020

Performing a Needs Assessment is essential for understanding your customers’ needs and preferences for their new Kia vehicle, while building value in you, your dealership, and the Kia brand. An effective Needs Assessment will help close the sale of today, while setting you up for success in the new vehicle delivery and reducing problems on delivery (POD).

How do the Needs Assessment and POD tie together?

Revisiting the Needs Assessment during the delivery process allows you to customize the delivery to features that are most important to the customer, all while increasing customer satisfaction and reducing POD.

Important points to remember for conducting the Needs Assessment:

• Ask open-ended questions to learn what motivates the customer
• Paraphrase to the customer to demonstrate your understanding
• Learn if the customer has Kia knowledge
• Understand the customer’s time constraints and expectations of the process

When it’s time for the new vehicle delivery, utilize the knowledge gained from these Needs Assessment questions to tailor the delivery to your customer:

• Customize the new Kia vehicle delivery to the customer’s key motivators
• Don’t forget to spend time with difficult-to-understand (DTU) and hard-to-operate (HTO) features that matter most to the customer
• Utilize the CDW to prepare for a customized delivery
• Under the current circumstances around COVID-19, customers may be apprehensive about staying at the dealership for a long time to learn more about their new vehicle. Dealers can direct customers to the Kia Features & Functions Videos channel on YouTube^™ to easily learn more about their vehicle.

Conducting a Needs Assessment with every customer, every time will improve the customer experience for new vehicle delivery and reduce POD, helping to boost your sales and achieve rewards through the Sales Elite program. Visit the Kia Performance Center (KPC) from KDealer to gauge your progress. You can also opt-in for text message updates by following these simple steps:

• Go to KDealer.com and log in (desktop/laptop)
• Go to your KDealer Profile page
• Enter/verify your mobile number and click 'Yes’ to opt-in or 'No' to opt-out under 'Text message consent’
• Click the ‘Save Changes’ button when completed

Remember, conducting a proper Needs Assessment and customizing the delivery to the customer’s specific preferences will reduce POD and enhance the overall customer experience.

Sincerely,

Sales and Field Operations Team
Kia Motors America, Inc.