The SPIES Want to Know: What Are the Things That Make a Car Salesperson Good OR Bad?
The men and woman who sell cars across this country get a bad rap. The butt of many a joke, the profession as a whole has been dragged down by more than its fair share of people who should have never been salespeople to begin with.
The fact is, a good salesperson can make a great income selling cars. The successful ones treat it as a career striving to learn the products and understanding the premise behind customer service as they strive to serve their customers and their needs.
But what is it that makes a salesperson successful?
I have bought more than my fair share of cars throughout the years, and I like most of you have had both good and bad experiences.
For me there have been 2 salespeople who not only went above and beyond, but have continued to do so multiple times earning the Holy Grail of cars sales, a repeat customer.
Knowing and understanding the needs of the customer has to be #1 in my opinion when it comes to sales. Several years ago I was looking to buy a new car and my wife and I were having a bit of trouble coming to an agreement as to which of 2 almost identical cars to buy. As we left the dealer I told the sales guy to prep the car I wanted stating I would be back tomorrow to buy it, however he knew that my wife and her opinion would prevail and he went ahead and actually prepped the other car.
The following day I called the dealer and told the salesperson that we had decided to choose the other car. He chuckled telling me he thought that as well and he had gone ahead and prepped the car and that it was waiting on the showroom floor.
He has since assisted in 2 other vehicle purchases including my current car. His approach is low key and low pressure allowing customers to make the decision serving more as a source of information than a shark looking for the next kill. The ability to listen and learn the needs of the customer is paramount in earning the respect and eventual business, fundamentals which apply across the board.
Of course we don't make a big fuss when we receive lousy service at other places, it is almost expected when venturing into a big box store. What makes car sales special is the fact that it is not an everyday occasion. Most people only buy a car every couple of years, and given that fact when a good or bad experience occurs we are quick to tell our friends.
So how about you? What things do you look for when buying a car?
What are some of the good or bad experiences you have had when buying a car?
And is there a person you return to based on the quality of service received?
And since we know there are a few car sales people on here, why not share some of your secrets to success with the rest of us.
I'll leave you with this...
A couple of years ago I went with my brother in law to buy his first car. We had spent the weekend looking and he decided he was going to buy a Ford Focus SVT. As this was his first new car purchase, he was obviously excited and honestly probably would have signed his name to just about any deal presented. The sales guy could smell the score.
After literally dragging him off the Ford lot, we went to my house and did some research as to invoice, dealer hold backs and interest rates. Ford was running a lot of 0% rates, however the sales person told us the SVT products weren't eligible for the 0% rates.
He was lying.
I put together some numbers including the monthly payment and said this is what the car should cost you. The following afternoon we returned to the dealer, the salesperson figured he had baited the hook and reeled in the score. We went to his cubicle and he immediately went for a credit application to which I told him that prior to that we needed to negotiate the price.
He agreed and was presented with the purchase price along with payments on the sheet I had written up for my brother in law. The salesperson laughed and said that there was no way he could do that deal.
I thanked him for his time, nudged my brother in law and proceeded to get up and started to leave. He was surprised and insisted that he be allowed to try to make that deal.
He took the sheet and disappeared for a few minutes returning again stating that there was no way they could do the deal.
Again thanking him for his time, we got up and left the dealership.
We drove 5 miles to the next Ford dealer, and there parked right out front was the same exact Focus SVT. Of course we weren't even out of the car before having a salesperson on us, I told him that my brother in law would purchase the Focus SVT parked in front of th dealership if they would do the deal I had written out. Looking at the sheet of paper, he asked for 5 minutes and disappeared to a back office.
While he was gone, we took note of the fact that the car they had actually had more equipment than the car we were looking at at the other Ford dealer. Within a few minutes the salesperson returned and stated that they would do the deal.
It took about an hour and a half to complete the deal and prep the car, but my brother in law drove away in the car he wanted with a deal that was great for him.
Perhaps it was the fact that the salesperson at the first Ford dealership laughed at the proposed deal, but we drove back to the first dealership and told the salesperson we got the deal we wanted.
He was shocked and in disbelief.
It took showing him the bill of sale to make him believe we got what we wanted.
Laughing at a customer probably isn't a great idea, and in this case it lost a sale that was his to lose.
In preparing for this story, Agent 001 reminded me, "...buyers are liars and sellers are storytellers."
There is a lot of truth to that statement, it is the true salesperson who is able to weed through to get to the truth.
So go ahead, have some fun and tell some of your stories making sure to tell the good and bad you've experienced.
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