I have spent the last month or so contemplating my place in the automobile business. The second half of 2010 was rough for me and a real wake up call. One of The Others left a comment on my “I Hate Corvettes” piece that I’m “nothing but a burned out car salesman”. I always take things like this to heart, and I came to the conclusion that even though this idiot had no idea what the column was about he was right. I am burned out.
I think I’ve earned the right to be burned out, but that’s another story. The thing is what can I do about it? I have a little less than five years before I can move to the country and forget I was ever on a car lot. I’m 61 freaking years old. It’s way too late to consider a career change, so what can I do about it? What can I do to perform reasonably well and not be an embarrassment to myself or the dealership I work for?
I’ve decided to get dumb.
Knowing a lot about the car business can be a real plus, especially when it’s used to figure out the dynamics of a dealership. Being a former manager can help you in determining how to structure your write up and commitment. But it can also be a curse. I can size up a prospect in about thirty seconds. I’m sure that it’s helped me from getting jacked off a thousand times over, but it has also hindered me from writing up some people I should have written up.
The secret, I feel, is I have to try to go back to my basic training from all those years ago. I was trained well, by my brother, Danny, and the many other Car Men who gave me hints about the process of selling cars. I have to clear my mind of bad habits. I have got to stop sales managing my deals. I must take to heart the saying “He who sales manages his own deals has a fool for a desk man.”
Here is the beauty of our business: After a terrible December, I received my washout check and sat in my office stressing out over my poor performance. A near panic attack would be a good way to describe it. After a few minutes, I pulled myself together, went out to the showroom, and the first person I encountered bought a car from me.
What the hell is that all about?
Is it a message from the Car God telling me not to despair? What is in the past is in the past. In the car business today really is the first day of your life. Last month’s zero may very well be this month’s hero.
I’m taking a couple of days off. My wife broke her shoulder. I have to take her to the doctor. I have to take down the Christmas tree. And while I do this I will think about 2011, and try to find a way to make it better.
David
The Sound Of Silence
Before I get into any more detail about the mechanics of a write-up, I want to talk about the most effective close known by Car Men: silence. It’s so easy. All you have to do is learn when to shut your mouth, but it’s also the hardest close for many Car Men to learn and use effectively. Why? Because we like to talk, and no one likes the sound of silence!
Over the last forty years I have found that the old adage “less is more” applies perfectly to a car deal. In training, budding Car Men are taught what they should or should not say in a given situation. Closing a deal is almost always tied directly to eliciting a response from the customer, but little or no time is taken to teach you the art of keeping your mouth shut when it’s appropriate and allow the customer to answer the question.
Silence is against a Car Man’s nature—bullshit is—so we’re always trying to come up with magic closing words when words may not be necessary. Ever listen to the radio and all of a sudden no is speaking? That’s called “dead air” and it’s a basic broadcast “no-no”. I want you to think about what goes through your mind when you encounter dead air. Does it make you feel a little uncomfortable? What the hell is going on, you ask yourself? Do you switch to another station just to make sure there isn’t some national disaster going on? Well you can use that same tension to help you sell a car!
Just like you, customers don’t like silence either. It makes them feel uncomfortable. It makes them want to say something to fill the gap, but no one has taught them to fight the temptation to speak. So keep this in mind as we go through the subtleties of writing up a deal and closing it.
The simple rule is this: Once you are in the booth, if you ask a closing question, DO NOT say anything else until there is a response from your customer. An example: “My boss says the payments are going to be $450 per month. How is that?” You now SHUT UP AND WAIT! At that moment time slows down. Ten seconds feels like a minute; twenty seconds an eternity. You can feel the tension rise as you await an answer. More importantly, the customer feels it too. Maybe worse than you, because the question and an expect response is aimed at him!
Imagine yourself in this situation: Joe Carman is sitting across from you. He’s asked you to buy the car and now waits patiently for your reply, his smiling face looking into yours. The tension starts to build. You sit there and smile back at him. Do you say yes or no? After what seems like an hour your eyes begin to bulge, your palms begin to sweat. But Joe just sits and waits. He’s as patient as Buddha. Who will win? Who speaks first? You or him?
This is the battlefield where many a car deal is made or lost. This is where the rubber really does meet the road. Many times the deal is lost because a lot of salesmen crack under the pressure. They can’t stand the silence either (who does?). They crack first and say something stupid and the moment is gone. They lose.
Ask yourself what’s the worst thing that can happen when you ask a closing question and shut up? The customer might finally say “No freaking way am I going to pay $450!” If he does, then you start would-you-taking him again until you get another commitment. But if you stand your ground and keep your trap shut sometimes, especially when it becomes obvious to your customer that you’re not going to back down first, he’ll say the magic word: “Yes.”
Bingo! You’ve got yourself a deal!
So remember, as we go along, the sound of silence. It should be music to your ears if you’ve got the testicular fortitude to do it right. Keep it in mind as we explore the inner workings of a successful write-up. Can you do it?
And at this point I will shut up and wait for your answer.
David
Over the last forty years I have found that the old adage “less is more” applies perfectly to a car deal. In training, budding Car Men are taught what they should or should not say in a given situation. Closing a deal is almost always tied directly to eliciting a response from the customer, but little or no time is taken to teach you the art of keeping your mouth shut when it’s appropriate and allow the customer to answer the question.
Silence is against a Car Man’s nature—bullshit is—so we’re always trying to come up with magic closing words when words may not be necessary. Ever listen to the radio and all of a sudden no is speaking? That’s called “dead air” and it’s a basic broadcast “no-no”. I want you to think about what goes through your mind when you encounter dead air. Does it make you feel a little uncomfortable? What the hell is going on, you ask yourself? Do you switch to another station just to make sure there isn’t some national disaster going on? Well you can use that same tension to help you sell a car!
Just like you, customers don’t like silence either. It makes them feel uncomfortable. It makes them want to say something to fill the gap, but no one has taught them to fight the temptation to speak. So keep this in mind as we go through the subtleties of writing up a deal and closing it.
The simple rule is this: Once you are in the booth, if you ask a closing question, DO NOT say anything else until there is a response from your customer. An example: “My boss says the payments are going to be $450 per month. How is that?” You now SHUT UP AND WAIT! At that moment time slows down. Ten seconds feels like a minute; twenty seconds an eternity. You can feel the tension rise as you await an answer. More importantly, the customer feels it too. Maybe worse than you, because the question and an expect response is aimed at him!
Imagine yourself in this situation: Joe Carman is sitting across from you. He’s asked you to buy the car and now waits patiently for your reply, his smiling face looking into yours. The tension starts to build. You sit there and smile back at him. Do you say yes or no? After what seems like an hour your eyes begin to bulge, your palms begin to sweat. But Joe just sits and waits. He’s as patient as Buddha. Who will win? Who speaks first? You or him?
This is the battlefield where many a car deal is made or lost. This is where the rubber really does meet the road. Many times the deal is lost because a lot of salesmen crack under the pressure. They can’t stand the silence either (who does?). They crack first and say something stupid and the moment is gone. They lose.
Ask yourself what’s the worst thing that can happen when you ask a closing question and shut up? The customer might finally say “No freaking way am I going to pay $450!” If he does, then you start would-you-taking him again until you get another commitment. But if you stand your ground and keep your trap shut sometimes, especially when it becomes obvious to your customer that you’re not going to back down first, he’ll say the magic word: “Yes.”
Bingo! You’ve got yourself a deal!
So remember, as we go along, the sound of silence. It should be music to your ears if you’ve got the testicular fortitude to do it right. Keep it in mind as we explore the inner workings of a successful write-up. Can you do it?
And at this point I will shut up and wait for your answer.
David
On The Lot With David Teves: The Phone Call
PHONE CALL: 6:10 PM:
“Good evening, Sledgeway Chevrolet. May I help you?"
“Let me talk to service.”
“Sorry, sir. The service department is closed for the evening."
“Closed, heh?”
“Yes.”
“I wish I had a job like that.”
“Me too.”
“So they’re closed. With hours like that you think I could get a job back there?”
“I don’t know, sir, you’d have to talk to service about that. This is the sales department.”
“Oh, so you’re one of those dealer scumbags, heh?”
WHAT I SHOULD HAVE SAID:
“Gee, sir. There’s no need to talk to me like that. You don’t even know me. I’m just a working stiff like you, just trying to make a living for my family. I know you’re stressed out about something, and I sure know where you’re coming from. My job is as stressful as they get. But remember, in this life men are all brothers. Now tell me, is there anything I can do for you that might help you out tonight?”
OR:
"That's MISTER Scumbag to you, Dude!"
WHAT I DID SAY:
“Hey, buddy? Fuck you!”
IRONIC REPLY:
“Fuck you too, you asshole!
(CLICK)
I’m the asshole?! I’m the freaking asshole?! How does he figure that?
Later that evening while driving home, I looked at myself in the review mirror and reflected on the situation.
Maybe I am an asshole.
“Good evening, Sledgeway Chevrolet. May I help you?"
“Let me talk to service.”
“Sorry, sir. The service department is closed for the evening."
“Closed, heh?”
“Yes.”
“I wish I had a job like that.”
“Me too.”
“So they’re closed. With hours like that you think I could get a job back there?”
“I don’t know, sir, you’d have to talk to service about that. This is the sales department.”
“Oh, so you’re one of those dealer scumbags, heh?”
WHAT I SHOULD HAVE SAID:
“Gee, sir. There’s no need to talk to me like that. You don’t even know me. I’m just a working stiff like you, just trying to make a living for my family. I know you’re stressed out about something, and I sure know where you’re coming from. My job is as stressful as they get. But remember, in this life men are all brothers. Now tell me, is there anything I can do for you that might help you out tonight?”
OR:
"That's MISTER Scumbag to you, Dude!"
WHAT I DID SAY:
“Hey, buddy? Fuck you!”
IRONIC REPLY:
“Fuck you too, you asshole!
(CLICK)
I’m the asshole?! I’m the freaking asshole?! How does he figure that?
Later that evening while driving home, I looked at myself in the review mirror and reflected on the situation.
Maybe I am an asshole.
Gettin' Certified
I’m getting’ certified. Soon I will become an official GM salesman, welcomed into the bosom of the reborn corporation like a long lost son. Soon I will be qualified to sell new Chevy cars and trucks with confidence and clarity like there’s no tomorrow. As a bonus, I’ll soon be eligible for any GM spiff money--as soon as the federal government gives them the okay.
I’m freaking excited!
Regardless of what some of you might think, I have no problem with gettin’ certified. As a matter of fact I kind of enjoy the process. Though I prefer the simplicity and potential gross profit of a used car, selling new ones is a hell of a lot easier if you know what you’re talking about. Understanding how Stabilitrak works and what the hell DEF is may be the key to my future success in my declining years.
No, I’ve got no problem with it. Seriously. I’m learning how my product stacks up against the competition. I’m figuring out how to calculate a payload for a horse trailer and which truck will pull it even though I don’t really get along with those types of people. Ford salesman are shaking in their boots just thinking about it. David Teves will soon be unleashed on the unsuspecting new vehicle automotive world. Lock up your wife and children, pink slip and check book.
But I do have once little itty-bitty bitch about the whole thing. It’s the part of the certification program where they try to teach you how to sell a car. For me that’s where the whole gall darn thing begins to break down.
Any faithful reader to this blog knows that I have written rather extensively on this subject: the manufactures version of the sales process versus real life; also, their attitude toward Car Men in general. Early in the course, “Becoming a Professional Sales Consultant” the term “car salesman” is presented as an old, out-molded term for those of us who sell their products. As the name of the course suggests, we are now “Sales Consultants”. This is a grand concept for sure. We are no longer the brave Car Men who hustled their iron for the last one hundred years; we are now described like clerks at a Target store.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for new advances in the car business, and I’m all for meeting the new generation of cooperative customers that GM optimistically thinks are out there. I’m all for sitting them down in my office and presenting them with a “sales plan” prepared by my willing sales manager that the customer will go along with with only minimal amount of haggling. I’m all for introducing them to the used car manager who will happily let them help him evaluate their trade. (I’ve suspected for years that used car managers secretly enjoy that.) I am all for showing them an appraisal sheet with not only the ACV (actual cash value) of their trade but the retail value as well, even though I don’t understand why the hell you would want to do that.
As I went through the course I couldn’t help but notice the images of what Sales Consultants look like it. It’s as if the models in a “Lands End” catalog stepped off the pages and went to work in a Chevy store. They are all a very handsome and diverse collection of YOUNG people, all looking as if they’ve been waiting for the opportunity to sell cars all their lives. As I said in the very first post of this blog, no one graduates from college and says, “I’m going to sell cars for a living.” These people do not exist. The car business is filled, and will always be filled, with misfits and dreamers who are willing to take a chance doing something that 99.5% of the population would never dream of doing.
We are, according to GM, a young, chipper crowd, bursting with knowledge, eager to please, eager to cooperate in the process of the politically correct perfect sale. I was struck with the tall willowy blond in her late twenties who represents the image of a sales manager. I couldn’t help but wonder, are there actually people like this out there somewhere in a wondrous Chevy dealership that totally embraces the GM approved sales process and has a high CSI to match?
Regardless of what the GM thinks, the car business will always be at least to a certain extent a war zone, and the Car Men are the infantry who fight the battles. It will always be a place where salesmen continually come in conflict with people who do not go along with the blissful vision of what a customer should be and should act. The Others have never taken the course on how to act with Sales Consultants. They haven’t passed the test that makes them the reasonable people GM (and all the others manufactures!) think they should be.
We Car Men should take note that “beating up” customers is not something you can do today. We have to conduct ourselves with professionalism and honor. (Me included.) But we should always remember that this is a dirty business and those that survive will be those with the talent and guts to do the job.
After, of course, you get certified.
David
UP NEXT: The First Moment of Truth
I’m freaking excited!
Regardless of what some of you might think, I have no problem with gettin’ certified. As a matter of fact I kind of enjoy the process. Though I prefer the simplicity and potential gross profit of a used car, selling new ones is a hell of a lot easier if you know what you’re talking about. Understanding how Stabilitrak works and what the hell DEF is may be the key to my future success in my declining years.
No, I’ve got no problem with it. Seriously. I’m learning how my product stacks up against the competition. I’m figuring out how to calculate a payload for a horse trailer and which truck will pull it even though I don’t really get along with those types of people. Ford salesman are shaking in their boots just thinking about it. David Teves will soon be unleashed on the unsuspecting new vehicle automotive world. Lock up your wife and children, pink slip and check book.
But I do have once little itty-bitty bitch about the whole thing. It’s the part of the certification program where they try to teach you how to sell a car. For me that’s where the whole gall darn thing begins to break down.
Any faithful reader to this blog knows that I have written rather extensively on this subject: the manufactures version of the sales process versus real life; also, their attitude toward Car Men in general. Early in the course, “Becoming a Professional Sales Consultant” the term “car salesman” is presented as an old, out-molded term for those of us who sell their products. As the name of the course suggests, we are now “Sales Consultants”. This is a grand concept for sure. We are no longer the brave Car Men who hustled their iron for the last one hundred years; we are now described like clerks at a Target store.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for new advances in the car business, and I’m all for meeting the new generation of cooperative customers that GM optimistically thinks are out there. I’m all for sitting them down in my office and presenting them with a “sales plan” prepared by my willing sales manager that the customer will go along with with only minimal amount of haggling. I’m all for introducing them to the used car manager who will happily let them help him evaluate their trade. (I’ve suspected for years that used car managers secretly enjoy that.) I am all for showing them an appraisal sheet with not only the ACV (actual cash value) of their trade but the retail value as well, even though I don’t understand why the hell you would want to do that.
As I went through the course I couldn’t help but notice the images of what Sales Consultants look like it. It’s as if the models in a “Lands End” catalog stepped off the pages and went to work in a Chevy store. They are all a very handsome and diverse collection of YOUNG people, all looking as if they’ve been waiting for the opportunity to sell cars all their lives. As I said in the very first post of this blog, no one graduates from college and says, “I’m going to sell cars for a living.” These people do not exist. The car business is filled, and will always be filled, with misfits and dreamers who are willing to take a chance doing something that 99.5% of the population would never dream of doing.
We are, according to GM, a young, chipper crowd, bursting with knowledge, eager to please, eager to cooperate in the process of the politically correct perfect sale. I was struck with the tall willowy blond in her late twenties who represents the image of a sales manager. I couldn’t help but wonder, are there actually people like this out there somewhere in a wondrous Chevy dealership that totally embraces the GM approved sales process and has a high CSI to match?
Regardless of what the GM thinks, the car business will always be at least to a certain extent a war zone, and the Car Men are the infantry who fight the battles. It will always be a place where salesmen continually come in conflict with people who do not go along with the blissful vision of what a customer should be and should act. The Others have never taken the course on how to act with Sales Consultants. They haven’t passed the test that makes them the reasonable people GM (and all the others manufactures!) think they should be.
We Car Men should take note that “beating up” customers is not something you can do today. We have to conduct ourselves with professionalism and honor. (Me included.) But we should always remember that this is a dirty business and those that survive will be those with the talent and guts to do the job.
After, of course, you get certified.
David
UP NEXT: The First Moment of Truth
Test Drives Advice
I’ve already written extensively about what can happen to a Car Man on a demonstration ride. For those of you that are new to this blog, please refer to my previous posts, “My Ride with Rudy” and “Demo Rides”. You can find them easily by typing the titles into the search box at the very top left of this page. Do it now; I’ll wait. . .
…Done? Okay. The basic rule of a demonstration ride is this: Any drive that doesn’t find you dead in a trunk is a successful one. It can only go up from there.
If handled properly a test drive can be a wonderful opportunity. Having the customer say yes to the drive is one of my little closes, and the drive itself can be used to extract useful information that might help you make your deal.
Some dealerships are very specific about demo rides and routes. I suggest that you adhere to the rules—if only for your job security. I’ve heard of salesmen being followed on their rides to make sure they go on the prescribed route!
As hinted above, the first thing to consider is your safety. If you get really bad vibes from a customer, DO NOT take him out in a car! Even in this troubled market it’s just not worth the risk! This is especially true for female Car Men for reasons I don’t have to go into. DO NOT go on a ride (even if you’re the one driving) with a customer you suspect is intoxicated! ALWAYS get a copy of the customer’s driver’s license and leave it with the desk. And if you can get a cell phone number even better.
Plan your route! Do not be stingy on the ride—unless you suspect you are being jacked-off. You can’t expect a customer to make as important decision as buying a car by driving around the block. I suggest you have at least three different routes of varying lengths. If you sense a jack-off, take him on the shortest route. A real prospect should be taken on a longer route, and the longest route should be used if there is more than one buyer such as a spouse or parent.
The general rule is the longer the drive the better your chances of having a customer bond with the car, and the more time you have to make him feel relaxed with you.
While on the drive, your customer’s guard is down. Though you don’t want to spend the drive grilling the guy, you can use it as an opportunity find out a few useful things. These questions should be asked as if you are merely making conversation. I suggest you gaze out passenger side window and speak in a casual tone. The questions should be paced so that the customer doesn’t get the feeling he’s being worked. Here are some questions you might ask:
“What you driving now?”
“Thinking about trading it in?”
“What ya' do for a living?”
“Owe any money on the trade?”
“Dang, that teenage daughter of yours is a sweet little thing, isn’t she?” (Use with caution!)
Anyway, you get the idea.
Now here’s a classic question that might help you gauge how much the customer is bonding with his new ride:
“When you buy a new car, where’s the first place you’ll take it?”
I once asked this while sitting in the back of a new Nissan Quest. The customer answered with a rambling story about taking his new van up the California coast to a little cabin nestled in the redwoods. Hell, it made me want to go with him! Needless to say I sold the van and made a nice pop besides!
Sales trainers mostly recommend that you remain silent on a test drive. Bullshit, I say! Use it as a selling opportunity!
Just don’t overdo it.
David
Note: I also have a short story about demo rides you might enjoy. If you’re interested, access my short story blog, “unexpected pleasures” by clicking the link at the right of this page and type “The Demonstration Ride” into the search box.
UP NEXT: Gettin' Certified
…Done? Okay. The basic rule of a demonstration ride is this: Any drive that doesn’t find you dead in a trunk is a successful one. It can only go up from there.
If handled properly a test drive can be a wonderful opportunity. Having the customer say yes to the drive is one of my little closes, and the drive itself can be used to extract useful information that might help you make your deal.
Some dealerships are very specific about demo rides and routes. I suggest that you adhere to the rules—if only for your job security. I’ve heard of salesmen being followed on their rides to make sure they go on the prescribed route!
As hinted above, the first thing to consider is your safety. If you get really bad vibes from a customer, DO NOT take him out in a car! Even in this troubled market it’s just not worth the risk! This is especially true for female Car Men for reasons I don’t have to go into. DO NOT go on a ride (even if you’re the one driving) with a customer you suspect is intoxicated! ALWAYS get a copy of the customer’s driver’s license and leave it with the desk. And if you can get a cell phone number even better.
Plan your route! Do not be stingy on the ride—unless you suspect you are being jacked-off. You can’t expect a customer to make as important decision as buying a car by driving around the block. I suggest you have at least three different routes of varying lengths. If you sense a jack-off, take him on the shortest route. A real prospect should be taken on a longer route, and the longest route should be used if there is more than one buyer such as a spouse or parent.
The general rule is the longer the drive the better your chances of having a customer bond with the car, and the more time you have to make him feel relaxed with you.
While on the drive, your customer’s guard is down. Though you don’t want to spend the drive grilling the guy, you can use it as an opportunity find out a few useful things. These questions should be asked as if you are merely making conversation. I suggest you gaze out passenger side window and speak in a casual tone. The questions should be paced so that the customer doesn’t get the feeling he’s being worked. Here are some questions you might ask:
“What you driving now?”
“Thinking about trading it in?”
“What ya' do for a living?”
“Owe any money on the trade?”
“Dang, that teenage daughter of yours is a sweet little thing, isn’t she?” (Use with caution!)
Anyway, you get the idea.
Now here’s a classic question that might help you gauge how much the customer is bonding with his new ride:
“When you buy a new car, where’s the first place you’ll take it?”
I once asked this while sitting in the back of a new Nissan Quest. The customer answered with a rambling story about taking his new van up the California coast to a little cabin nestled in the redwoods. Hell, it made me want to go with him! Needless to say I sold the van and made a nice pop besides!
Sales trainers mostly recommend that you remain silent on a test drive. Bullshit, I say! Use it as a selling opportunity!
Just don’t overdo it.
David
Note: I also have a short story about demo rides you might enjoy. If you’re interested, access my short story blog, “unexpected pleasures” by clicking the link at the right of this page and type “The Demonstration Ride” into the search box.
UP NEXT: Gettin' Certified
Landing Your Customer On The Right Car
Landing your prospect on the right car is a magical combination of art and luck. Many a Car Man has discovered midway through his deal that the car he has written up is way more than the customer can qualify for or afford. I like to call it the sand-to-bag ratio. You can’t get ten pounds of sand into a five pound bag. So if your customer is telling you he has a grand to put down and wants a $250 payment, it’s probably not a good idea to show him a $40,000 SUV.
But alas, it's ultimately the customer’s decision on which vehicle to buy, and no amount of cajoling or attempted hypnotism will steer him away from the object of his desires. If you’re lucky, he may be intelligent enough to choose something that fits his budget. If you’re unlucky enough to have latched onto a goof with champagne tastes and a beer budget, there’s not much you can do about it. After all, it’s your job to write prospects up, and I certainly won’t tell you any different here. No sir! I won’t tell you that sometimes it’s better to cut your losses and find another up. You won’t hear that from me!
But if you’re smart and have a little patience you can influence which car your customer lands on. The trick is in your words and your actions. It starts with a little number sometimes known as profiling. All Car Men are excellent profilers. That’s why we should be put in charge of national security—but that’s something for another post.
Profiling starts the moment the customer parks his car. We’ve already talked about checking out the trade. If your customer is driving a newer Lexus it tells you a number of things: He might be a person of means and may have (or at least once had) good credit. But be cautious. The Lexus might be a warning sign that he’s buried in his car. You should immediately say a brief prayer to the Car God that he isn’t going to trade the sucker in! (Also keep in mind that people that drive expensive cars think they know everything!)
If your customer is driving a broken-down Mitsubishi Gallant it tells you something else: He’s not that particular about what he drives, and he probably doesn’t qualify for that $70K Cadillac Escalade on the showroom floor. This is not to say that he can’t buy something, but you have to be careful about what you show him. When it comes to finding the right car it’s easier to go up than down. Once he falls in love with something that’s too much for him, it’s damn near impossible to switch him to a less expensive car. Even if he realizes you’re right, his feelings get hurt and to save face he may leave and purchase the cheaper car from someone else who doesn’t know he’s a borderline idiot!
So your prospect gets out of his car. What do you do next? At least at the beginning you can’t do much. You have to let him roam a little and get a feel for the lot. This is when you begin the process of having him see you as a thinking feeling human being and not the seed of Satan. Once you’ve gained his confidence you can begin to steer him toward a car that’s right for him—and for you.
Of course the right car is a used car! In my humble opinion new cars are the work of the devil and should be viewed only as a necessary evil. The new car franchise sign on your building is the gateway to the little jewels on your used car lot. For the most part new cars are a mini-commission, something to be avoided at all costs. But sometimes you have no choice but a new car. Just accept the fact that money-wise you’re probably screwed and try to do the deal as quicly as possible.
As you show him around discreetly ask your customer what price range he’s trying for. These are code words for “how much down, and how much a month?” If you get an answer you can better steer him toward the vehicle that gives you the best chance of making a deal—hopefully with some gross in it.
Hint: Customers never want you to make money. It’s in their DNA. They also think (thank God!) that you make more money on a new car than a used because a new car is more money. You can use this mistaken belief to your advantage. If it comes down to choosing a used vehicle versus new try this: “Of course I’d make more money on you if you bought the new car, but the used car is your better buy.” (Flop!) Ironically this is usually the truth. New cars depreciate faster than a piano being thrown off the roof of a high building. A later model used car is best for everyone involved.
Remember: The time to switch a guy is at the beginning of the sale, not in the middle. Try not to”change horses in the middle of stream” as they say.
You might get wet.
David
NEXT: Test Drive Advice
But alas, it's ultimately the customer’s decision on which vehicle to buy, and no amount of cajoling or attempted hypnotism will steer him away from the object of his desires. If you’re lucky, he may be intelligent enough to choose something that fits his budget. If you’re unlucky enough to have latched onto a goof with champagne tastes and a beer budget, there’s not much you can do about it. After all, it’s your job to write prospects up, and I certainly won’t tell you any different here. No sir! I won’t tell you that sometimes it’s better to cut your losses and find another up. You won’t hear that from me!
But if you’re smart and have a little patience you can influence which car your customer lands on. The trick is in your words and your actions. It starts with a little number sometimes known as profiling. All Car Men are excellent profilers. That’s why we should be put in charge of national security—but that’s something for another post.
Profiling starts the moment the customer parks his car. We’ve already talked about checking out the trade. If your customer is driving a newer Lexus it tells you a number of things: He might be a person of means and may have (or at least once had) good credit. But be cautious. The Lexus might be a warning sign that he’s buried in his car. You should immediately say a brief prayer to the Car God that he isn’t going to trade the sucker in! (Also keep in mind that people that drive expensive cars think they know everything!)
If your customer is driving a broken-down Mitsubishi Gallant it tells you something else: He’s not that particular about what he drives, and he probably doesn’t qualify for that $70K Cadillac Escalade on the showroom floor. This is not to say that he can’t buy something, but you have to be careful about what you show him. When it comes to finding the right car it’s easier to go up than down. Once he falls in love with something that’s too much for him, it’s damn near impossible to switch him to a less expensive car. Even if he realizes you’re right, his feelings get hurt and to save face he may leave and purchase the cheaper car from someone else who doesn’t know he’s a borderline idiot!
So your prospect gets out of his car. What do you do next? At least at the beginning you can’t do much. You have to let him roam a little and get a feel for the lot. This is when you begin the process of having him see you as a thinking feeling human being and not the seed of Satan. Once you’ve gained his confidence you can begin to steer him toward a car that’s right for him—and for you.
Of course the right car is a used car! In my humble opinion new cars are the work of the devil and should be viewed only as a necessary evil. The new car franchise sign on your building is the gateway to the little jewels on your used car lot. For the most part new cars are a mini-commission, something to be avoided at all costs. But sometimes you have no choice but a new car. Just accept the fact that money-wise you’re probably screwed and try to do the deal as quicly as possible.
As you show him around discreetly ask your customer what price range he’s trying for. These are code words for “how much down, and how much a month?” If you get an answer you can better steer him toward the vehicle that gives you the best chance of making a deal—hopefully with some gross in it.
Hint: Customers never want you to make money. It’s in their DNA. They also think (thank God!) that you make more money on a new car than a used because a new car is more money. You can use this mistaken belief to your advantage. If it comes down to choosing a used vehicle versus new try this: “Of course I’d make more money on you if you bought the new car, but the used car is your better buy.” (Flop!) Ironically this is usually the truth. New cars depreciate faster than a piano being thrown off the roof of a high building. A later model used car is best for everyone involved.
Remember: The time to switch a guy is at the beginning of the sale, not in the middle. Try not to”change horses in the middle of stream” as they say.
You might get wet.
David
NEXT: Test Drive Advice
Little Closes
Budding Car Men often think that there is some magical moment at the end of a sale when a deal is miraculously closed. Though it is true that there is a final closing question, capped with a handshake, but that question comes at the end of a carefully crafted presentation that's made up of many little closes. Little closes: that’s what it’s all about. From the moment you meet your prospect the closing begins.
Back when I was young, the managers compared a car deal with a roll of nickels. There are twenty nickels in a roll, and each one represents a step in a car deal. As it was hammered into me, you had to carefully go through each nickel/close to have a successful deal. If you skipped a step or changed their order you risked endangering or possibly losing your deal.
Over the years I've learned that you can skip a step or two and still make a deal, but at a cost of gross to you. You can always make a deal if you’ve stumbled across a buyer, but the amount of money you make is dependent on how that deal is constructed; hence, the importance of little closes.
Another thing I’ve learned is that there are more closes in a deal than nickels in a roll. A roll of fifty pennies is probably a better analogy. All the little things you do to get a customer to allow you to control the deal are a close. It starts from the moment you meet and greet. A positive reaction to your smile and opening lines is a close. “What type of vehicle are you looking for?” you ask. If they answer, that’s a close.
If you work at a dealership that keeps their cars locked, that’s an opportunity for a close. The act of a customer allowing you to go back to the office to retrieve a key is a close. Before you even get to the test drive there might be a half-dozen mini-closes that will ultimately help you make your deal.
The secret is your demeanor. You should try to come off as(and really be) a gentle, caring person. You must never make a prospect feel they are being trapped into buying a car, even when that’s exactly what you are attempting to do. Selling is a form of seduction. Customers must always feel that if they wanted to turn and leave the lot they can, because if you are doing your job correctly, they won’t want to leave. You must legitimately disarm their fears and let them allow you to sell them a car.
I’m sure that any of The Others reading this are up in arms about what I’ve just said, but as a Car Man philosopher once said, “Screw ‘em”. We are not doing anything wrong. We didn’t go out into the street, shot out the customers tires and dragged them back to the lot like a gang of deranged big game hunters. They came in voluntarily because they wanted a car. We are just doing our best to meet their needs and sell it to them--at an honest profit.
Yes the little closes, that’s the trick. Listening to your presentation is a close. “Would you like me to start the car up?” That’s a close. “Would you like to take it for a test drive?” All the little questions you ask on the ride. If they answer they are part of the pennies that add up to a roll.
The little closes help you make your deal; the professionalism that you apply to those closes is what might make you a commission that is more than a mini.
David
UP NEXT: Landing Your Customer On The Right Car
Back when I was young, the managers compared a car deal with a roll of nickels. There are twenty nickels in a roll, and each one represents a step in a car deal. As it was hammered into me, you had to carefully go through each nickel/close to have a successful deal. If you skipped a step or changed their order you risked endangering or possibly losing your deal.
Over the years I've learned that you can skip a step or two and still make a deal, but at a cost of gross to you. You can always make a deal if you’ve stumbled across a buyer, but the amount of money you make is dependent on how that deal is constructed; hence, the importance of little closes.
Another thing I’ve learned is that there are more closes in a deal than nickels in a roll. A roll of fifty pennies is probably a better analogy. All the little things you do to get a customer to allow you to control the deal are a close. It starts from the moment you meet and greet. A positive reaction to your smile and opening lines is a close. “What type of vehicle are you looking for?” you ask. If they answer, that’s a close.
If you work at a dealership that keeps their cars locked, that’s an opportunity for a close. The act of a customer allowing you to go back to the office to retrieve a key is a close. Before you even get to the test drive there might be a half-dozen mini-closes that will ultimately help you make your deal.
The secret is your demeanor. You should try to come off as(and really be) a gentle, caring person. You must never make a prospect feel they are being trapped into buying a car, even when that’s exactly what you are attempting to do. Selling is a form of seduction. Customers must always feel that if they wanted to turn and leave the lot they can, because if you are doing your job correctly, they won’t want to leave. You must legitimately disarm their fears and let them allow you to sell them a car.
I’m sure that any of The Others reading this are up in arms about what I’ve just said, but as a Car Man philosopher once said, “Screw ‘em”. We are not doing anything wrong. We didn’t go out into the street, shot out the customers tires and dragged them back to the lot like a gang of deranged big game hunters. They came in voluntarily because they wanted a car. We are just doing our best to meet their needs and sell it to them--at an honest profit.
Yes the little closes, that’s the trick. Listening to your presentation is a close. “Would you like me to start the car up?” That’s a close. “Would you like to take it for a test drive?” All the little questions you ask on the ride. If they answer they are part of the pennies that add up to a roll.
The little closes help you make your deal; the professionalism that you apply to those closes is what might make you a commission that is more than a mini.
David
UP NEXT: Landing Your Customer On The Right Car
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