Selling Cars – Male or Female

Some people today may say that a woman might have an even better chance of being a top salesperson if she had the experience, but others say that a man is better at negotiating. You didn’t think I would be stupid enough to pick one over the other did you? I have worked with women in the car business that were absolutely remarkable at their job and quite successful that included floor sales, F&I, sales managers, GSMs and GMs and I don’t think there is an answer. I have seen some women that were better than others and I have seen men that couldn’t sell a car if their life depended on it. Although I must admit that I think that a woman with the experience and the determination to succeed could do very well in every department at the dealership.

I really don’t think gender matters when it comes to selling cars professionally. The person is what makes the difference not their sex. Some say that the woman in a family makes the final decision when it comes to purchasing a vehicle so a woman would be a better choice, but I have seen men that can connect with women just as well as any woman. Others say that if the man is dead set against the purchase his other half won’t need to make the decision to buy.  However not every customer is a couple. Buying a car is not a job best done by a man today like it was yesterday. I have sold cars to many women that were much tougher to deal with than most men.

Agree to Disagree on the Best Car Salesperson

This debate could go on forever. There may be pluses and minuses on both sides of the fence, but when it comes right down to it there are many factors and skills that make a top salesperson and I don’t believe that being a man or a woman matters. Whether you are male or female you likely have your own opinions on who would make a better car salesman or car saleswoman, but talk is cheap and the proof is in the results. So lets sell a bunch of cars, have some fun doing it and may the best car salesperson win.

Later, Fresh Up on the Lot

KB

You can make a Six Figure Income Selling Cars No Matter Male or Female – Read the Book!Similar Posts:

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I usually try to keep things upbeat and positive, but there are those days when your Fresh Ups consists of mavens, mooches and shoppers the car salesman’s nightmare. Those are the days that make you wonder why you ever got in the car business. Don’t get me wrong I’m not here to rain on anybody’s parade because I love selling cars, but every once in a while I thought it was a good idea to be honest about what it is like being a car salesman. As with all jobs no matter what your career choice might be there are some negative aspects of your job.

The Car Salesman and the Mooch

I want to give you a realistic view of one of those days because you will have them too, and I want you to be prepared for those days. Fresh out the box you get a fresh up and you think this is a great way to start the day. Then you find out that they have come from a town that is several towns away from yours. They are looking for a new vehicle. They haven’t really settled on a trim level or color but they know what kind of car they want.

You go through the whole dog and pony show and finally settle on a car, take a test drive and sit them down at your desk. But then it all comes out, they have been to several dealers and have prices from all of them, but they still didn’t buy a car. They want to buy your car for several thousand dollars less than invoice. You stay positive and work them with all your might while keeping your composure, but they won’t budge off of that unrealistic number. To make a long story short you know what happens after that and your first mooch of the day is out the door.

The Maven the Buyer and the Car Salesman

Ok, shake it off because it happens to all of us, just move on take your next customer. Then you come across a young couple on a lot looking over your new cars and give them the meet great. You assumed they were a couple, but they are a brother and sister. She wants to buy a new car and he (the maven) is here to help her so she gets a good deal. Once again you put on your happy face and do your walk-around, test drive and dealership tour before you set them down at your desk. Now it’s all about the numbers and she is no longer in control, but her big brother is and he is determined that she gets a fantastic deal on her new car.

It’s not his car or you would’ve been done a long time ago, it is for his little sister and he needs to show how good he is at negotiating. She’s excited she can’t wait to drive her new car home. However her brother is in no hurry and is determined to get her car for less than invoice. Round and round you go before you know it hours have passed and the maven is still talking crazy. The scenario has only 2 possible outcomes, one is that they move on to torment another dealer and salesperson or you finally do sell them a car and your car salesman is commission is a mini. However, it is very possible you don’t sell anything and you are back out on the lot looking for a customer.

A Shopper and a Car Salesman Meet

Here is a “Fresh Up” standing next to a new sedan on the lot with his folder full of paperwork neatly tucked under his arm and you start all over again. Only this customer wants more than a walk around and a test drive, he wants to know more about this car than the manufacturer knows. He has spent hours online researching his next vehicle and still wants more. Then he proudly tells you about how he is not going to buy until next month and is only researching several vehicles. You grind him, grill him, offer discounts and do everything you can think of only find yourself eventually giving him your card and thanking him for coming in today.

Reality of Being a Car Salesman

I have had days like that and I am sure you have too. You worked you butt off and did everything you could think of to sell a car, but all you ended up with was a “Hat Trick” of mooches, mavens and shoppers, a car salesman’s nightmare. My objective was not to be negative, but this can happen to you when you sell cars for a living. This is a very realistic possibility if you’ve been selling cars long enough, but it doesn’t happen every day it just happens once in a while. Then at the end of a day like this you realize that you’ve worked all day and didn’t make a dime. Call it a day and start over tomorrow. Forget about today and hit the ground running tomorrow …you are a Car Sales Professional and it just comes with the territory even when you earn a six figure income selling cars. Attitude is everything in the car business so make sure you have a good one.

Later, Fresh Up on the Lot

KB

Did you read the book, the Car Salesman Guide?

You should and Car Salesman Closing Techniques.Similar Posts:

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The car industry has had its share of ups and downs (mostly downs) in the last few years for seen several reasons ranging from the economy, a credit crash and even inventory availability. However there is more to it than that and recent statistics tell us the reason for decreased showroom traffic and that reason is the Internet.

Why Showroom Visits are Down

While we have been trying to make the best of an ugly state of affairs the world has changed and it is having a great impact on the car business. People are still buying cars, but they are doing things little differently today than they did only a few short years ago. The Internet and technology is continuing to move forward at a very fast pace and the business of selling cars is changing too. Granted our sales are down and our showroom traffic is down, but automobiles are still being sold every day.

The numbers don’t lie and we can we see it in or showroom traffic. Ten years ago it was said that the average car buyer visited 3 or 4 car dealerships before they made a purchase and 2 years ago that number went down to 1.8 visits. However several sources are saying that the number of physical dealership visits has gone down to 1.2 visits. That number is a little hard for me to swallow, but it sure it is lower than it was two years ago.

Customers Visiting the Car Dealer Showroom

People are visiting your showroom and in fact that number is rising, but they are not doing it in person. They are virtual visitors or virtual showroom traffic and they are doing from the comfort of their home or office from their computer or Smart Phone. They are visiting numerous automobile manufacturer websites, review sites, FaceBook and your websites. Instead of coming to your lot and getting excited about having a new vehicle they are surfing the web. They can see pictures, watch videos, read reviews and do research before they ever set foot on your lot.

The Internet has placed an incredible amount of information in the hands of the consumer and we have less control over the first steps of the car buying process. They are creating their own desire, needs and wants with the tools available to them via the Internet and when the time comes to make a trip to their local dealership they are ready to purchase a vehicle. We have seen it from the showroom traffic we see today, they have printouts and know more about their vehicle of choice than most car salesman that are working the floor. I am not trying insult anyone out there, but it is true because they have spent so much time online researching the vehicle they want. Not that they can’t be switched after a walk-around and test drive, but they are usually pretty clear on what they want to buy.

Solutions for Decreased Showroom Traffic

People are still buying cars and we need to make a living so now more than ever we need to step up our game. We are not out or disappearing, we are going to change and become a true car sales professional. The economy is getting better, inventory is available, credit is readily available, new models have more “Must Have” features than ever before and the tried and true rules of selling cars for a living remain unchanged. Decreased showroom traffic is merely a game changer and one that we will not take lightly.

Areas for the Professional Car Salesman and Car Saleswomen to Improve and Change to Overcome Lower Showroom Traffic:

Product Knowledge: You can never have too much knowledge of your product. When the car buyer thinks they know what they want and you provide the knowledge and experience that goes beyond what they can find on the web they will want you to sell them a car.

Frame of Reference: Remember that when they come to your dealership they are ready to buy not just kick the tires no matter what they may say. Treat them like buyers and not like lookers. Treat them like they own the place. Acknowledge the research they have done and compliment them, but also give them respect.

Attitude: Enthusiasm and a Positive Attitude is contagious. They have chosen your dealership to visit and they are your potential customers. They want to buy a car or they wouldn’t be there. Nobody comes to spend hours with a car salesman if they don’t want to buy a car. Get them involved and let their emotions help them make a decision to buy from you. Sell them you, the car and the dealership.

Referrals, Past Customers and Reputation: Everybody wants a friend in the car business and you need to be that friend. A referral and a past customer is the easiest to sell. Get yourself out there, network, ask for referrals, use your dealership Bird Dog program and follow up with everyone that you sold a car to in the past. Today email is acceptable for follow-up and it is much easier and cheaper. A regular email on holidays, birthdays, and whenever there is a sale or service special will go a long way to retain your customers. If you are new to the business or a dealership ask your sales manger about orphan customers that you could contact. If they bought from your dealership in the past they are easy to sell to again.

The car salesman of the future is not going away, they just need to become more professional. Showroom traffic is great, but if more of them are buyers instead of lookers and shoppers them it doesn’t matter because you can still sell cars and make good car salesman income. In future posts I will include things that the floor car sales person and the Internet Sales Manager can do to create more traffic for them and the dealership. The future is bright if you can make the changes that are needed to prosper as a Car Sales Professional.

Later, Fresh Up on the Lot

KB

Read the Car Sales Professional Book or how about some Sales Closing TechniquesSimilar Posts:

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Not Asking Questions

Many car salesmen feel that they are being rude or pressuring the customer when they ask them questions, but not asking questions is a mistake and one of the reasons car sales people fail. It is critical to ask questions of your customer when you are trying to sell them a vehicle because you need to gather information. This information is what you will use to make a deal and to break down the barriers that customers build to keep you from getting too close to them. Asking questions does not mean that you need to fire question after question at your customer because that will make them feel like you are prying, but you do need to ask them questions.  When you ask questions you will normally get answers and these answers along with their comments and reactions will help you sell them a car.

Don’t Like Pressuring the Customer

When consumers purchase small items they simply make a decision, but when they are considering a major purchase like an automobile may need some help to make that commitment. Everyone customer is different, in fact I have even sold cars to people that required me to tell them to buy the car before they would buy. Some salespeople are afraid they will be seen as a classic pushy car salesman and therefore they don’t want to pressure the customer. This is probably one of the best ways to turn a customer into a “Be Back” and we all know what with Be Backs, they visit another dealerships and run into a car sales professional that doesn’t have a problem applying a little pressure and they buy a car.

You can apply a little pressure when you use car sales closing techniques without being a pushy car salesman, yet many salespeople fail when it comes to applying a little well thought out pressure. The car salesman or car saleswoman that is afraid of pressuring the customer is boomed and they will sell far fewer cars. A little pressure can be a very good thing and it will sell you more cars. The secret is how much pressure and to which customers.

The Dealership

Many believe that the dealership is one of the reasons why car salespeople fail, but this is rarely the case. Granted there are some dealerships that run a less than respectable operation and don’t deserve to have any professional car salespeople working for them, but there are less and less of those dealers all the time. When a dealership plays games with commissions, is anything less than open and honest about pack and other expenses it may be time to find a another place to sell cars.

Most car dealers today are well run operations and understand the value of a good sales staff. They know they need salespeople that want to make big money because that is the only that they will make money. If you end up at one of those poorly run dealerships simply move on, but that is not a reason for you to call it quits. There are too many well run stores out there that will appreciate a car sales professional and pay them what they are worth. You often hear people bad mouth the car business because they couldn’t make it, but rarely is the reason for failure the dealership. If you read the book I talk about earning respect as a car salesman and that is only done by selling cars, lots of cars.

This is the last installment of why car salespeople fail, there may be other reasons, but I covered the most popular ones that I see every day in the car business. If any of these reasons for failure sound familiar to you than you know what you need to do, like they say a word to the wise is sufficient.

You can sell more cars if you Read the Book and learn some Car Sales Closing Techniques.Similar Posts:

• Why Car Salespeople Fail – Part One
• Why Car Salespeople Fail – Part Three
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Not Asking for the Sale

You’ve probably heard this before, but not asking for the sale is one of the biggest hurdles to success for new car salespeople. It sounds simple, but there are salespeople showing cars, going for test drives, and doing walk-arounds, but not asking for the sale. It’s not difficult all you have to do is look them in the eye and ask them to buy the car. It can be done in several different ways and with several different car sales closing techniques, but if you don’t ask them to buy they will rarely buy. Asking them to buy is the best way to bring out their objections and you will not be able to overcome their objections if you don’t ask them to buy. I know it sounds too simple, but asking them to buy the car puts them on the spot and requires them to make a decision. I have probably seen hundreds of salesman that go on and on about the features of the vehicle and wait for the customer to say yes I will take it, but that rarely happens until you ask for the sale. I’ve seen salesman talk the customer into buying the car and then just keep talking and talk themselves out of a sale. Once you ask for the sale and get an answer you know what you need to do next either start the paperwork or start overcoming objections.

Not Listening

The quickest way to blow a sale is by not listening to your customer. I’ve said it over and over again spend enough time with your customer and listen closely because they will tell you how to sell them a car. They might not use the exact words they may not lay out the steps that you need to take, but they will tell you how to sell the car if you listen closely. Customers will not make it easy for you, at least not most of them, but they will tell you how to sell them a car. I’ve seen countless numbers of salespeople try to close a customer on a particular car only to discover that they were trying to sell them a car they didn’t really want or car that contained options or features that they didn’t want. Listening closely to the customer does not mean you have to believe everything they say, but you do need to listen very closely to every word they’re saying so you can sell them a car.

Attitude

I’m sure you have all heard that attitude is everything, but when it comes to selling cars your attitude is probably the most important factor in becoming a successful car salesperson. Your mental attitude whether it has to do with your personal life, the dealership or your customer is often a deciding factor on whether you will be a success in the car business. In fact this is such an important aspect of selling cars for a living that I’m planning to do a post just on attitude. Your attitude comes through no matter how well you can put on a smile and go through the routine. When you have a positive attitude it shines through and nothing sells cars like enthusiasm. The salesman that comes across to the customer as a positive and upbeat person will sell many more cars than the person that has an attitude problem.

Part Five the last part of “Why Car Salespeople Fail”

Read Part One, Part Two and Part Three

Later, Fresh Up on the Lot

KB

Get the Book and Sell More CarsSimilar Posts:

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• Why Car Salespeople Fail – Part Five
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