I’ll Be Back

The reason?  A poor sales process that is more focused on selling a vehicle than helping your client buy. 

           Customers feel it. If they are not sold on you… they won’t be sold on your vehicle either, so they duck out with, “I’ll be back”. By the way, why would they come back?

           What you do and say at the beginning of the sale determines whether they will buy or say, “I’ll be back” and don’t mean it.

           If you want to succeed closing more sales with first time walk-ins… it is all about relationship. If you want to succeed getting more be-backs back to buy, it is all about relationship. If you suck at building relationships early, then you pay the price of failure too often. Many people come in to buy but… if they don’t trust you they walk.

Here are two clues:

? Are you showing a vehicle within five minutes or less of meeting a walk-in?

? Are you sitting at your desk within five minutes or less of meeting a new customer?

If your first impression is, ‘let’s cut to the chase and see if you are really a buyer’ then you lose more often than you win. Dumb sales strategy! “I’ll be back” is a polite way for people to say, “You don’t impress me as a person I can trust so I will keep on lookin”.   

The solution - Don’t go to the lot to show a vehicle when you first meet your showroom walk-in.  Especially if they tell you what vehicle they are looking for when you first meet them. Successful selling is not about showing vehicles it is about helping people make comfortable decisions.  You can’t be a stranger and still expect your customer to be motivated to buy from you. 

           Make no mistake about this next statement, guys and gals. Your customers know what they want before they came on to your lot. They know you either have a suitable vehicle or you will get them one easily. They know the vehicle and model they are interested in, the price and payment range and equipment they want before they leave home but…they don’t know you! 

           You could be the biggest jerk around. You might try to take advantage of them, or sell them the wrong vehicle. The pressure is on them to avoid making a mistake. So until they trust you…they don’t.

           Are you effective establishing rapport and trust early in the interview with all types of customers? If not you will not succeed, guys.  

       Introduce yourself, exchange names, thank them for coming in, ask where they came from, discuss the type of vehicle they are considering, you know the drill. Then use this simple but effective phrase “By the way, what are you driving now?”

           Go to the client’s present vehicle first and you will find lots to talk about. Every customer’s vehicle reads like a book about their personal and work life.   Go to their vehicle and look for: baby seats trailer hitches parking permits dents bumper stickers sports equipment—something that will create a discussion and build relationship. It will only take a minute and it pays $$$$.

           Blow away the stranger first and you will succeed more often. “I’ll be back” will not be on their mind or lips if they find a salesperson they like and trust.

           So don’t walk the lot and pitch vehicles until you know the prospect’s name, (and use it), where they live, what they are driving now, what they are going to use the next vehicle for, where they work. And the real pros secret?—provide your customers with enough information about you personally to build connections and relax with you.

           Separate yourself from the mediocre crowd and start making some serious money in this GREAT car business! If you improve the buying experience you will increase your sales ratio. 

Sales Quote - “Your destiny hangs on the impression that you make.” - Barbara Walters

PS      Most salespeople give lip service to rapport and relationship building with first time walk-ins. And most salespeople don’t make enough money. Is there a connection? Of course! 

           Unless the person in front of you is your best buddy or has bought vehicles from you before don’t short cut your relationship and go anywhere near the lot when you first meet. It will blow your deal. (I can just hear some of you saying, “That is where I always go”. Quit whining. Make money!

Make it a champion day!

":SALES TRAINING MATTERS"