Despite drastic transformations in the way vehicles are sold, a car buyer’s business is still won more often through sales strategy rather than competitive pricing. Dealers and their sales teams must constantly search for ways to refine their approaches if they hope to continue building their customer base and outperform their rivals.
On this episode of Inside Automotive, host Shyann Malone is joined by Sean Gardner, instructor and sales trainer at the Joe Verde Group. Gardner is a seasoned retail automotive salesperson who has dedicated his career to helping his colleagues in the industry excel in their roles. As part of the Joe Verde Group, he has taught hundreds of fellow professionals the right way to serve the needs of car buyers, earn more for their dealership and generate handsome incomes for themselves. Now, he discusses the latest principles in sales strategy and the skillsets driving excellence in the car business.
Key Takeaways
1. A good sales strategy breaks down the process into four phases: building rapport, investigation, presentation and demonstration.
2. 71% of customers purchase their vehicle because they liked and trusted their salesperson, underlining the need for building rapport and trust.
3. Ensuring teams know the sales strategy is critical. Roughly 85% of car buyers say that their salesperson did not do a good job of building rapport or investigating their needs.
4. About 88% of customers felt the salesperson failed to provide a good presentation and demonstration. Dealers can lower this number by ensuring their teams prioritize test drives and physically showcase the vehicle’s selling points.
5. Of all the sales strategy phases to focus on, these last two are the most important. Roughly 50% of car buyers said they bought their vehicle on the spot if the salesperson provided them with a presentation and demonstration.
"The one asking the questions is the one that's in control, not in a bad way, but...kinda leading the sale like a dance." — Sean Gardner
