The key to qualifying your prospects is asking the right questions
Before asking questions, think about what you are trying to learn.
Selling is an honest and sometimes lucrative profession and everyone who works in a dealership should learn some sales fundamentals. One of the most important skills to learn is how to effectively qualify a prospect.
The most common mistake salespeople make is to immediately launch into a product presentation or “pitch” when they first meet a prospect. They extol the virtues of their vehicle line and tell the prospect how reliable, inexpensive or easy to use their vehicles are. They talk, talk, and talk hoping they’ll convince the customer to buy.
The problem with this approach is that the “pitch” seldom addresses the issues or concerns of the buyer. Because their needs have not been addressed, there is no compelling reason for them to consider buying from you. If you really want to give prospects a reason to buy from you, you need to give them a reason. One of the most effective ways to do this is to ask a few well thought-out questions to uncover what is important to the prospect. Here are a few examples:
- “I notice you are driving an Acura. How long have you had it?”
- “What do you like most about the Acura?”
- “If you could change one thing about the Acura, what would it be?”
- “What was the most important consideration when you bought the Acura?”
- “What type of driving do you expect to be doing in your next vehicle?”
Notice that each of these is an open-ended question which means it begins with “who”, “what”, “where”, “why”, “when” or “how.” These types of questions encourage the prospect to open up and share information of what their needs and wants are.
Take the time to learn about the customer before launching into a presentation. If you really want to begin differentiating yourself from your competitors, take the time to learn about your prospect’s situation. By doing so, you’ll begin to give them a reason to do business with you instead of someone else.
Make It A Champion Day!