Not only will you end up selling more cars, but you will also create a closer bond with your customers. Let me give you an example of a true experience that I had early in my car sales career to illustrate my point. I received a phone call from a customer that I sold a car to about six months earlier and he asked me if I would be in that afternoon and if I had a good selection of the model car that I sold him six months earlier. I said that I would be in the dealership and that I did have a great selection. I then asked him why and he told me that he would be in to see me in a little while and tell all about his request.

Connect with Your Customer and Sell More Cars

About an hour later he came in with his wife and daughter and told me why he asked such a question. It seems that he and his family were in a nasty accident in the car I sold him only six months ago and that the car was totaled out by the insurance company. He told me that he was broadsided in an intersection by a larger vehicle than his and that the only injuries that he and his family incurred were some scratches and bruises.  Both he and his wife told that they wouldn’t even consider owning a car that wasn’t the same make and model that they had. I was relieved that they were alright, but talk about selling more cars.

Obviously I sold them another car and several more cars since that time. Each one was easier to close because they felt comfortable with me based on the previous experience I provided when buying a car. However the real payoff was the story that I have shared with many car buyers over the years. I have sold more cars and created more relationships with buyers than I can recall by using that story. This story portrays the experience that my customer had and ultimately became a third party testimonial.

Selling Cars is a People Business

This is a real-life story and one that people like to hear when they are considering the same automobile. The value of such a story and similar stories can be exactly what you need to close the deal sometimes. It’s not a commercial or a brochure; it’s a real-life story that can help you sell more cars. I may not have ever heard this story if it wasn’t for good car sales follow up and a positive car buying experience. I feel compelled to tell you that I have also received several referrals from that customer.

I am not telling you to fabricate a story to sell more cars because there are plenty of these real-life experiences to go around. Take your time, listen to your customers and learn more about them. People buy from people and more of them will buy a car if they feel that you care about their wants and needs. Do your follow up and ask for referrals because you can always sell more cars with stories.

Later, Fresh Up on the Lot

KB

You can sell more vehicles when asking for referrals and doing your follow up.

Check out the book Prospecting, Referrals and Follow Up!Similar Posts:

• Car Sales Prospecting It Pays
• Sell More Cars with Be Backs
• Car Sales Follow Up and Why
• Why Car Salespeople Fail – Part One
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1. Two People Meet and One Gets Sold.

When it comes to people and selling cars this is one thing that is always true. Somebody gets sold. Whether you sell your customer on why they should buy a car from you today or the customer sells you on why they are not buying a car today. What is it going to be? Are you going to sell your customer an automobile or are they going to sell you on one of their reasons for not buying now?

This is one thing to ask yourself every time you are with a customer and probably one of the most important things a car salesperson should know. Who is getting sold you or them?

2. They’re All Just Looking.

Of course they are all at the dealership to look at cars and nothing will happen until they meet a salesperson, but not just any salesperson it must be a car sales professional. They won’t tell you that they are here to buy a car they will tell that they are just looking and buying in the future, but if you are a REAL SALESMAN or SALESWOMAN you can sell them a car. Just looking is the car buyer’s first line of defense against the car salesman you can accept it or you can sell them a car, you decide.

3. Bad Mouthing Your Competitors Will Hurt More Than Help.

Don’t let yourself get caught in the trap of bad mouthing the competition because it will do more harm than good. You don’t know what they are thinking and you might even be insulting them without knowing it. Show them why you, your vehicle and your dealership is the best place to buy a car. I have seen many deals lost after a salesman talks trash about another dealership or brand. Your customer might be a regular customer at the dealer you are running into the ground for the past ten years and they just came by to see what you have to offer. Stay positive and show them what you have to offer and let them decide or you might be chasing them back to that competitor.

4. The Dumber the Better.

Use the selling system that you were trained to use to sell cars and don’t start thinking that you know a better way. This is the quickest way to see your sales drop. When you start leaving things out and short cutting the system you could be shooting yourself in the foot. Sales and training systems were designed to work throughout the dealership and be consistent. One step is made to work with the next and the one before. I will guarantee that you will lose deals when you start thinking you know better. Get back to basics and you will sell more cars.

5. There is Always More and F&I Will Prove It.

We have all had the customer that wouldn’t dump another dollar, but after they got done in F&I their payment went up 20, 30 or 40 dollars. There is always more, but when you believe that they won’t go another dollar think again. Maybe you didn’t show them a reason to spend more or provide enough value. Think about how bumping them another $100 will equal 20, 30 or 40 dollars in your pocket. If you don’t get it the F&I Department will.

6. Price Isn’t Everything.

Stop thinking that price is the only thing that will close the deal because that is not the case. Almost everyone is will to pay more when they see the value in something. Stop working the desk and start working the customer and provide more value. Many salespeople work the desk harder than they work the customer, but when you show them “What’s in it for Them” you provide more value and ultimately make more commission. This is something every car salesman should know whether they are a newbie or a veteran, but some times they forget.

7. “Be Backs” Won’t Be Back.

You may have heard this one a few hundred times, but that is because it is usually true so I will say it again: Be Backs won’t be back. They say they will, but what they are really saying is that my car salesman didn’t sell me on why I should buy a car from them and their dealership. They think there is more to be had somewhere else because you didn’t make them feel otherwise. They sound so sincere and they have numerous reasons, but that is their way of giving you the bad news. Granted they may visit another dealer and feel the same way about them, but if they meet a REAL CAR SALESMAN they will buy and a car and all the follow in the world won’t help.  Once they tell you that they will “Be Back” your only chance is that they visit another dealership and tell them the same thing and then you have a remote chance with follow up if you something more to offer.

8. Enthusiasm Sells Cars.

Even the grumpy old fart that buys a car is excited about buying a new car, but they certainly aren’t going to tell or show you that. Car buyers don’t want the salesman to think they are excited about the prospect of driving home in a new ride, but they are and enthusiasm will heighten that excitement and engage more of their emotions. Being positive and enthusiastic about them having a new vehicle will only help you sell more cars and increase your commission. When people use their emotions to purchase a vehicle you are the one that comes out on top. Enthusiasm is an emotion and your ticket to sales and logic is the quickest way to a short deal. Be enthusiastic and upbeat with your customers and you will sell more cars and make more money.

9. The Sales Manager Wants to Sell a Car as Badly as You Do.

You might think otherwise, but it really is true. The sales manager gets paid based on sales and gross and they really do want to sell cars. When the desk or sales manager won’t accept your deal it is because they feel there is more room, the customer can be bumped or that the next person will pay more for the same car. It’s not personal they want to sell cars just like you do.

10. Buyers are Liars.

I left this one for number ten because too many salespeople like to use this for an excuse when they don’t make deal, but it is true in many cases. Talk to enough car buyers both on and off the car lot and you will find out that the average consumer thinks that lying to the car salesman is acceptable part of the game. Even that person that never tells a lie thinks that it’s not a lie, but part of the car buying process. Again this is one of the few things that the customer uses as a defense because they don’t want to be taken advantage of by a car salesman. Every car salesman should know that this is how the customer thinks and understand that they need to break down this barrier to what the customer thinks is acceptable. This is also where body language, tone and facial expressions are important when selling cars for a living. Most people are honest unless they are buying a car so they will usually give themselves away with their facial expressions and eye movement. Accept this fact, but don’t use it as an excuse for not selling a car.

These 10 things every car salesman should know are basic, but true nonetheless. They are many other things that you should know when you are selling cars for a living, but these will get you started or remind those of you that may have forgotten some of them. If you have some things that car salespeople should know please add them in the comment section below and I will publish them when appropriate.

Later, Fresh Up on the Lot

KB

Back to Basics is thrown about the dealership all the time, but there is a lot of truth to it.

Read the Book and Close More Car Deals.Similar Posts:

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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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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 Techniques

Start Creating Your Own Traffic – Prospecting, Referrals and Follow-Up for the Car Sales Pro

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When they call into the dealership and they ask questions about a certain vehicle or if they are looking for a particular trim level, model or color it is because they want to make a deal. They are no longer in the shopping mode, but they are in the buying mode. The way that the BDC handles those particular phone calls can make the difference between getting a customer in the door and the opportunity to sell them a car or send them to a nearby competitor.

The Car Dealer BDC is Part of the Marketing Chain

The car dealer BDC needs to be much more than a receptionist that answers the phone, they are the next step in the marketing channel that creates the need or desire for the customer to come to your dealership. Car dealers spend untold thousands of dollars each and every month on marketing of all types. Whether it is print advertising, radio, television or Internet marketing and all of this advertising is designed to get the customer into the dealership or at least call the dealership. When the potential car buyer calls in and the call is handled poorly the potential loss to the dealership, not to mention the car salesman or car saleswoman working the floor could be anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.

Having a trained and professional person answering the sales phone is absolutely critical today. Having an enthusiastic BDC team member with a positive attitude can make a big difference in the bottom line. Whether you realize it or not the potential car buyer that is on the other end of the phone is either qualifying you or disqualifying you as a dealer where they want to spend their hard-earned money. The wrong attitude, the wrong answer or an unprofessional demeanor will cause that potential customer to call the next dealer.

Sales BDC or Dealership BDC

Some dealerships operate their sales BDC department along with the Internet Sales Department and others combine their receptionist with their BDC department that handles service parts and sales. In my experience I have found that a BDC department that primarily handles sales or one that works with the Internet department is usually the most effective. When the sales department BDC or the Internet department handles incoming sales calls they are usually better equipped and better trained to get the customer into the showroom. These departments typically have incentive programs and pay plans that reward team members for making appointments and getting customers to show for their appointments.

Second to having the potential car buyer in the show room is the telephone and when the person that answers that phone has a smile in their voice, the knowledge, experience and people skills that are required for a good BDC representative the chances are that customer will show up in your showroom. This is the way that today’s automobile dealership creates floor traffic and ultimately car sales. I am not talking about being helpful in answering every question in detail including the ones that will cause them to seek out another dealership, but being helpful in providing the right amount of information without causing the customer to look elsewhere.

The Effective Car Dealer BDC

Internet leads are great and represent potential customers, but when the customer calls into your dealership it is because they have chosen you. So handling them and their request for information properly can make or break the automobile dealer in the long run. It all comes down to getting them in the door so your sales staff has the opportunity to (Earn Their Business) sell them a vehicle. After all the current statistic tells us that 85% of car buyers today purchase a vehicle that is somewhat different than the one that they were planning on buying. Most of that 85% is based on the color of the vehicle so why would you turn someone away simply because you might not have a certain car in a certain color. I’m not talking about the car dealer BDC lying to a customer because that will usually come back and bite you, but I am talking about talking to customers and giving the potential car buyer reasons to visit your showroom.

Later, Fresh Up on the Lot

KB

The BDC or Business Development Center

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