Selling cars for a living has its challenges, but at the same time can be enjoyable and financially rewarding. It demands that the salesperson be mentally sharp, and be able to process information to formulate effective responses in just seconds. In my opinion, it takes a different kind of person to be successful selling cars, but many of these things can be learned.
The car selling process is a journey, the beginning being the initial greeting from salesperson to customer, and that customer driving off in a new car as the destination. You, as the salesperson, have to take careful, strategic control of the process and guide your customer to the desired outcome. This is usually achieved by asking as few questions as possible to get the information you need, and then steering your customer down the desired path that you have chosen based on their answers.
These questions are usually mutually exclusive, meaning the answers cannot exist at the same time. For example, "are you looking for an automatic or standard? Is a new car a must, or are you open to used? Do you need a sports car or an SUV?" Following this series of questions allows you to get extremely close to discovering exactly what your customer wants or needs within about five questions.
By this time, you should have narrowed it down to one or two choices in your head that either you know are available on your lot, or you have easy access to. Now, before you present a vehicle, you want to share with your customer your unique selling proposition. This can be something like "next to buying a house, I know this is one of the largest purchases you're going to make. So I commit to you that I'll provide you with all the information you need, so when the time is right, you can make a well-educated decision." Then, say to your customer "Mr. Customer, if you'll follow me I believe I have the perfect vehicle for you." This positions you as more of a consultant and a professional, and if you're successful in your vehicle selection, it builds trust.
You may have heard the saying that motion builds emotion, and for the most part, this is true. Energy is contagious, and when you present a vehicle with excitement and big body language, it infects your customer. Combine your energy with a smile and the odd tasteful bit of humour, and you'll build big points with your customer.
During the test drive, continue to build value in the vehicle, as this will reinforce why it's the perfect one for them. Keep things light and simple, and get the customer to get in the habit of saying 'yes'. Towards the end of the drive, you'll want to start asking some soft closing questions such as "so could you see yourself driving this every day?" This gets them to begin to take mental ownership of the vehicle.
The car selling process is a journey, the beginning being the initial greeting from salesperson to customer, and that customer driving off in a new car as the destination. You, as the salesperson, have to take careful, strategic control of the process and guide your customer to the desired outcome. This is usually achieved by asking as few questions as possible to get the information you need, and then steering your customer down the desired path that you have chosen based on their answers.
These questions are usually mutually exclusive, meaning the answers cannot exist at the same time. For example, "are you looking for an automatic or standard? Is a new car a must, or are you open to used? Do you need a sports car or an SUV?" Following this series of questions allows you to get extremely close to discovering exactly what your customer wants or needs within about five questions.
By this time, you should have narrowed it down to one or two choices in your head that either you know are available on your lot, or you have easy access to. Now, before you present a vehicle, you want to share with your customer your unique selling proposition. This can be something like "next to buying a house, I know this is one of the largest purchases you're going to make. So I commit to you that I'll provide you with all the information you need, so when the time is right, you can make a well-educated decision." Then, say to your customer "Mr. Customer, if you'll follow me I believe I have the perfect vehicle for you." This positions you as more of a consultant and a professional, and if you're successful in your vehicle selection, it builds trust.
You may have heard the saying that motion builds emotion, and for the most part, this is true. Energy is contagious, and when you present a vehicle with excitement and big body language, it infects your customer. Combine your energy with a smile and the odd tasteful bit of humour, and you'll build big points with your customer.
During the test drive, continue to build value in the vehicle, as this will reinforce why it's the perfect one for them. Keep things light and simple, and get the customer to get in the habit of saying 'yes'. Towards the end of the drive, you'll want to start asking some soft closing questions such as "so could you see yourself driving this every day?" This gets them to begin to take mental ownership of the vehicle.