For all you Green Peas out there, you need to keep something in mind and that is, cars do not go on sale. Cars are a not like turkeys, milk or any other item that may go on sale at the store, cars are always on sale. Sure, the manufacturer may have some incentives that could include financing or rebates, but technically cars do not go on sale. When a dealership has a sales event is not because the cars are on sale it’s because they need to drive some traffic into the dealership by creating urgency and the perception of a big car sale.

Green Pea, Cars Don't Go On Sale

I laugh when I hear a Green Pea ask about the big sale going on at the at the dealership, they expect a 20, 25 or 30% mark down like you would see at your local department store. I know I shouldn’t laugh, but we have become so conditioned in the car business and even cynical when somebody talks about a big sale. The price of cars doesn’t go down, the invoice price is still the invoice price. Obviously manufacturer incentives are always a good thing, but those are available to all dealers of the same brand. We can use those to create urgency for our customers and sell more cars, but when it comes right down to it cars don’t go on sale.

The Car Dealers Big Sale

The big car sale going on right now is all about perception. All that matters is the customer’s perception of what is going on at the dealership. If they believe there is big sale, then there is a big sale. The ability of a car salesman, Internet Sales Manager or BDC rep to change and adjust to each customer is critical to success. Knowing what to say, when to say it and how to say it is the key to consistently selling more cars. It’s much like an actor trying to adlib a scene in the movie, they can change their demeanor, and there voice, facial expressions and anything else they need to change to play the part. The same way a car sales professional does it when they are with a customer.

Next time you have a big sale at your car dealership think about your customer’s perception. What do we want them to think about when they hear about our big car sale? Obviously we want them to think about buying a car and we want them to do it now. The big sale will always drive some traffic into your dealership, which is our true objective of having the sale, but be prepared to answer their questions about the big sale. Help reinforce the customer’s perception by following their lead and create the urgency you need to get them to take home their new car today.

Later, Fresh Up on the Lot

KB

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