Confirming and destroying stereotypes

Every customer has a stereotype about the car-buying experience. On today’s Saturday Morning Sales Meeting, Jonathan Dawson says it’s on you to confirm or destroy that stereotype.

Transcription:

Jonathan Dawson:
With every customer that you meet today, you’re going to have an opportunity to either confirm a stereotype, or to destroy it. What are you going to do?

The customer who comes on the lot today, is going to have a stereotype about the car buying experience. And you are going to have an opportunity now, to do something about it.

The fact that some customers come in, and they’re afraid of the time it’s going to take, the headaches that they’re going to have, the process overall. So many customers still have that gut fear about coming into a dealership, and what’s going to happen?

When that happens with your next customer, you got to look at that as your opportunity. This is your chance to take that stereotype, and to destroy it. Today, Saturday, is the day you’re going to have probably more face-to-face opportunities, to put someone through your sales process, than any other day of the week.

So what I’d like to encourage you today to do, is to imagine from the customer’s perspective, what are the things they’re most afraid of? What are the things that they have in their mind, that’s going on, “Oh God! What if this happens, what if that happens?”

Take those fears, take those anxieties, take those stereotypes, and do the opposite. Do the thing they don’t expect. Add more value to your customer than they anticipate. Listen better than the average salesperson.

In fact, consider your sales process and just ask, “What kinds of things can I do with this next customer to add so much unexpected value, that they start thinking, ‘This isn’t what I thought it was going to be. This is different than I expected?'”

The reality is, every day in the marketplace, there are average salespeople, there are below average salespeople, and then there are exceptional salespeople. And those exceptional ones, are the ones who demolish stereotypes. And they do it intentionally.

This is not something you just show up to see what happens. This is something you map out, you process, and you say, “I’m going to make a difference with this customer. I’m going to be more excited than I’ve ever been before.

I’m going to be more convinced and convicted than I’ve ever been before. I’m going to make sure that while I’m with these people, they have my undivided attention. ”

While I’m with this client, my goal is to destroy the stereotype. It’s to add so much value, they go, “I can’t imagine buying a car from anybody else.” And as you do this with the customers you see today, Saturday, as this happens for your business, you’re going to start to see a business explosion for yourself.

Keep in mind, the customer’s fear from the guy down the road, the customer’s experience down the road, is what sets you up to be the different player, to be the difference maker, and ultimately, to destroy the stereotype. This Saturday, makes sure that you don’t confirm the stereotypes, you destroy them.

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