On the latest episode of Straight Talk, host David Lewis, President of David Lewis & Associates, discusses why customers should have more control of their car buying experience. Selling vehicles on a commission basis allows dealership employees to earn a good living, but it often leads to a mindset of trying to control the customer during the sales process. This philosophy has been taught and practiced in the car business for a long time, and it has created a perception that all salespeople care about is closing a deal.
If you buy into the idea that ‘buyers are liars’, then you’ll start treating every customer like a liar. Customers already walk into the car dealership with defensive postures, more often than not. How you respond to obstacles as a salesperson, will determine whether or not a customer will let you help them. If a customer refuses to cooperate with your sales process, then you have two options. You can become aggressive and use pressure tactics to gain control, or you can use their obstacle as a window of insight into what it will take to help them have a fun and successful car buying experience.
Remember customers don’t owe you their business, you have to earn it. Allowing customers to maintain control during their car buying experience will enhance your chances of making the sale. Set yourself apart from what car buyers have come to expect from the dealership. Add that to your ability to inspire the customer with your unique personality and genuine concern for the customers’ pain points, and you have a combination hard for competition to overcome.
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