How often do refuse to follow-up with the customer or challenge their perception during negotiations simply because you are afraid of being wrong?
I don't know many people that are more hell-bent on being right than me, but more than that I want to sell cars and get paid. No time was that more evident than yesterday.
I oftentimes concede to my buyers that confirming you don't like a particular model is just as important as confirming you do like another one during the selection process.
For a sales professional, it is just important to confirm when your thoughts are wrong as it is to confirm when they are right.
By doing this exact thing yesterday, I was able to stay front and center with the customer, be influential throughout their decision-making process, and ultimately close the deal!
Jeff and Diane came in looking at a brand new Ford Fusion. They had spent the last 2+ years driving a fully-loaded Dodge Charger R/T, and they had been really impressed with the available technology and the power it provided, but with changes in the amount of miles Diane would be driving for work, they needed something that got better gas mileage.
Before meeting me, they had determined that Diane's top two choices were the Ford Fusion, because their son was the happy owner of one, and the Toyota Camry based on its reputation of dependability.
I spent my first 20 minutes with these great people doing everything I could to impress them with the Fusion they had chosen, one with an EcoBoost engine that mates performance and fuel economy. A small portion of that time was spent finding out what their budget hopes were and what other options they were considering.
Then came my first opportunity to be wrong. When Diane indicated she still wanted to take a drive in the Camry, and after she had been adamant that she would not get into another payment over $350 per month, I took the opportunity to infer out loud that she would probably only consider the V6 version of the Camry because of the performance she was looking for. Her response sounded like she had not thought about this before, but she agreed that was probably true, but that maybe she could find a used one with low miles to fit her budget.
I knew that was unlikely, but I had put the thought of needing the V6 in her mind and also confirmed that if she was opened to pre-owned options that I had more options than just the one or two new Fusions that closely fit her needs.
Feeling that I had pushed as much as I could in the moment, I let the customer leave without trying to make a close, knowing they were going to go right across the street and look at Camry options.
I don't know many people that are more hell-bent on being right than me, but more than that I want to sell cars and get paid. No time was that more evident than yesterday.
I oftentimes concede to my buyers that confirming you don't like a particular model is just as important as confirming you do like another one during the selection process.
For a sales professional, it is just important to confirm when your thoughts are wrong as it is to confirm when they are right.
By doing this exact thing yesterday, I was able to stay front and center with the customer, be influential throughout their decision-making process, and ultimately close the deal!
Jeff and Diane came in looking at a brand new Ford Fusion. They had spent the last 2+ years driving a fully-loaded Dodge Charger R/T, and they had been really impressed with the available technology and the power it provided, but with changes in the amount of miles Diane would be driving for work, they needed something that got better gas mileage.
Before meeting me, they had determined that Diane's top two choices were the Ford Fusion, because their son was the happy owner of one, and the Toyota Camry based on its reputation of dependability.
I spent my first 20 minutes with these great people doing everything I could to impress them with the Fusion they had chosen, one with an EcoBoost engine that mates performance and fuel economy. A small portion of that time was spent finding out what their budget hopes were and what other options they were considering.
Then came my first opportunity to be wrong. When Diane indicated she still wanted to take a drive in the Camry, and after she had been adamant that she would not get into another payment over $350 per month, I took the opportunity to infer out loud that she would probably only consider the V6 version of the Camry because of the performance she was looking for. Her response sounded like she had not thought about this before, but she agreed that was probably true, but that maybe she could find a used one with low miles to fit her budget.
I knew that was unlikely, but I had put the thought of needing the V6 in her mind and also confirmed that if she was opened to pre-owned options that I had more options than just the one or two new Fusions that closely fit her needs.
Feeling that I had pushed as much as I could in the moment, I let the customer leave without trying to make a close, knowing they were going to go right across the street and look at Camry options.
Once they were gone, I got my next chance to be wrong. And this time I was, but it was OK.
I wanted to stay on their mind as they continued to shop because as much as I knew they liked the car I had shown them, I knew I had connected with them on a personal level as well, so just moments after they left I did search of my pre-owned property, found a 2013 Fusion with identical features (and in a more preferred color) with very low miles and for a lot less money and made the call to Jeff's cell phone.
He was pleased with my finding, mentioned that they had trouble even finding a pre-owned Camry with the V6 engine, and said that he and Diane would be back soon. They were, and by the time they arrived back, Jeff had searched our pre-owned inventory and discovered a 2015 Fusion Titanium with the larger EcoBoost engine that more closely matched the technology and performance they had been accustomed to in the Charger.
I could have located that vehicle for them myself, but it wasn't about finding the perfect option, it was just about staying in their eyes and ears with an option that might be acceptable so they saw me as the professional wanted to help them find the solution.
Needless to say they were home with a more fully-loaded car than they had expected coming in, got the payment Diane was after, and even made the investment to protect their vehicle with the extended service plan.
If you spend too much time worrying about being right, you will spend a lot of time missing sales.
Once they were gone, I got my next chance to be wrong. And this time I was, but it was OK.
I wanted to stay on their mind as they continued to shop because as much as I knew they liked the car I had shown them, I knew I had connected with them on a personal level as well, so just moments after they left I did search of my pre-owned property, found a 2013 Fusion with identical features (and in a more preferred color) with very low miles and for a lot less money and made the call to Jeff's cell phone.
He was pleased with my finding, mentioned that they had trouble even finding a pre-owned Camry with the V6 engine, and said that he and Diane would be back soon. They were, and by the time they arrived back, Jeff had searched our pre-owned inventory and discovered a 2015 Fusion Titanium with the larger EcoBoost engine that more closely matched the technology and performance they had been accustomed to in the Charger.
I could have located that vehicle for them myself, but it wasn't about finding the perfect option, it was just about staying in their eyes and ears with an option that might be acceptable so they saw me as the professional wanted to help them find the solution.
Needless to say they were home with a more fully-loaded car than they had expected coming in, got the payment Diane was after, and even made the investment to protect their vehicle with the extended service plan.
If you spend too much time worrying about being right, you will spend a lot of time missing sales.