A recent study by Kelley Blue Book revealed one in five men knows the exact vehicle he wants, while women are twice as likely to be undecided about what vehicle they desire. Additionally, 58% of men are confident in the car-buying arena, versus 38% of women. As a result, women take longer to make a purchase (a median of 75 days, compared with men’s 63 days), because they are spending more time than men doing research in an effort to build confidence and knowledge. The total sample size from all sources was approximately 40,000 US adults.
Many women really love to shop and here lie the challenges when the “dealership sales process” and her shopping style collide at the dealership. When a woman says “I am just shopping”, 90% of the time she really means she is just shopping! The well-honed and trained super dealer #1 professional sales staff takes these words, “I am just shopping” as a battle cry and immediately decides to take the challenge and take out their bag of dealer sales tactics and do whatever it takes to turn her into a buyer before she escapes!
How do you approach and close the sale with an “undecided” woman car shopper and identify what is keeping her from making a decision?
Change your approach! Stop selling! Instead become her vehicle consultant, her car coach, her partner in finding the perfect vehicle!
Consulting Approach
Asking many questions to understand her lifestyle, stage of life, vehicle, and feature needs along with her budget is a good starting point. This will help you match them to your available vehicle inventory and narrow down her choices to provide the opportunity to test drive the vehicles that best match her needs.
Ask Lifestyle Questions
Is the vehicle going to be used for business, pleasure, or family use?
What are her lifestyle activities? Gardening, camping, carpooling, road-tripping?
How much passenger and cargo space do you need?
If she has children what are their hobbies?
Are they are any special options or features that you are looking for in your next vehicle?
Are you interested in the latest technology?
Are you more interested in fuel economy or power?
What safety features are most important to you?
What price range did you want to be around?
The more you understand her lifestyle needs and wants, the easier it will be to help match her needs to your vehicle inventory.
The Test Drive
Give her an informed walk-around before you test drive pointing out some of the main features that might interest her most based on what you found out by listening to her lifestyle. Women tend to take in the whole experience when test–driving a car so give her space, time and be quiet if you ride along let her ask the questions. Let her experience the vehicle fully and take as much time as she needs. I really believe a no-pressure test drive is one of the best closing tools with women. Letting her take it home for 24 hours to really get a feel for the vehicle is even better.
After the test drive and only after, when she is showing interest in a specific vehicle, is the right time to ask, “Would you like to take a quick look at some numbers?”.
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