Make Those People Glad They Met You

A wise man once told me two things: “The way you can tell if a customer is lying to you is to read his lips. If they’re moving, they’re lying.” And the second thing was, “Make those people glad they met you.”

The first saying is a universal truth. I realize they’re not always lying, but you have to be on guard all the time because even the nicest of customers can be sneaky little bastards if given the chance.

The second saying, however, has served me well over the years. I’m a natural born talker, but not a natural born salesman. Off the field I’m pretty introverted especially so when I was younger. I lack the natural killer instinct that many good Car Men has. A guy I knew named Bill Cola once said that I have no larceny in my heart. That was the most perceptive thing anyone has ever said about me.

I seem to be incapable of lying to a customer. I’m honest to a fault—although I’m pretty adept at leaving some things out. I’m sure that over the years this has cost me a lot of money, but I just can’t help it. It has to do with my upbringing, I suppose. I had humble, honest, parents, and they passed that onto me (or at least the honest part). Good for my chances in the hereafter, but not a practical trait if you hawk cars and trucks for a living.

On the other hand, my inability to be a kink has served me well. I can honestly say I can close deals that others can’t because I can effectively communicate with most customers—assuming they’re not crazy which can be a big assumption. I discovered long ago that the reason a lot of customers are so nervous is that they are ignorant of what’s going on during the sales process.

As Car Men we go through the steps of selling a car every day. It becomes second hand. A green pea may be nervous when going in for a bump, but a Car Man has done it so many times, overcome so many objections, that it’ second hand for him. The thing we often forget is that the customer only goes through the process every few years, and it scares the hell out of him.

One example: While doing your write-up briefly explain to the customer what you’re going to be doing for them. Let’s face it; what we do is not brain surgery. Explaining to the customer that you’re going to take the deal to the desk where they will check their credit, appraise their trade, and determine what they can do for them is not giving away state secrets. It makes that goofball sitting across from you more at ease, and it makes it easier for you to present you ridiculous pencil from the desk.

Damn this sounds a lot like sales training, something I promised myself I’d never do when I started out writing this blog. But I feel it’s important because you do not have to be the loudest or the strongest to be an effective Car Man. You have to be yourself and use the tools that were born with to help you close the sale.

So what does “make those people gland they met you” mean? The customer comes on the lot expecting you to behave in a certain way. They may be thirty years older than you, but in their hearts you scare the crap out of them.” So unless you’re one of those gifted ones, so talented and sure of your abilities that you can close just about everyone (as most green peas perceive themselves!), use what you have so that the customer sees you as a fellow human being and not a fire breathing ogre with one eye.

Even if in your heart that’s exactly what you wish you were.



Talk to you later,


David