Car dealers sometimes think they have the most difficult job in town, which happens to be the task of convincing a potential buyer to buy a car he/she wants but does not want to be led into buying it by the seller because he/she is afraid of getting ripped off. While this may true; not just for dealers but for other salesmen, with the right strategies and tactics, you can kiss your worries goodbye. Below are 4 tips to help you sell more cars.
Don’t Try to Control Your Customer
One of the mistakes you and other car dealers probably make is that you think you are supposed to control the decisions of the customer. Sometimes, you make it so obvious to your customers that you are the experts and that they don’t know exactly what they want for themselves. While it is true that some customers don’t know what they want, giving them a feeling that you are trying to make a decision for them may sometimes come across as manipulation in the estimation of your potential buyers.
The question is: How do you sell without coming across as being manipulative? Award-winning marketer and New York Times bestselling author, Neil Patel, has an answer for you. Do your own part of the job by helping potential buyers make up their minds and not trying to control what their decision should be. Are you wondering how to go about this? Here’s how Neil Patel answered the question:
“For example, rather than saying something like: “You should buy this car because it is more efficient than any other vehicle on the market,” you might instead, say: “Testing has proved this car is more efficient than any other vehicle on the market by 3%. So, if saving money on gas is important to you, this model is worth considering.” Notice how the first approach is just telling your customer what to do, while the second is giving him an objective fact, then relating it back to a benefit he may value?”
Make Sure the Deal Doesn’t End After Payment
Sales could be so tasking that once car dealers have the deal signed, sealed and delivered, they are looking for the next customer to sell to. If you have been running your dealership this way, it is the wrong way. For every deal you make, you have the prospect of turning that deal into more deals. How does this work? After selling to a particular customer, you should allow them some time to enjoy the car; maybe a month or two, then, send them a personalised ‘thank you’ card/text message.
This seemingly small gesture has helped many car dealers to convert their customers into promoters of their dealership. This gesture has the potential to bring in more referrals from his family, friends and associates. Try this out with your next sales.
Treat Each Customer as Unique
Sometimes, because of your success with many customers, you might begin to feel like they are all the same and start treating the next customer like the one before them. When you do this, you fail to understand what they are truly looking for in terms of budget, wants and needs.
All customers have different backgrounds and no two deals are exactly the same. It is a mistake to compartmentalize all your customers into the same box. When you realise that every customer is unique and should be treated so by listening to them intently to get an understanding of what they want and the reason they want it, then selling more cars becomes a tad easier.
By All Means, Don’t Lie
Customers want a dealer that they can trust and the truth is that you have to earn that trust. It is because car dealers are usually considered sleazy and dishonest that every car dealer should work to earn the trust of buyers. Earning their trust doesn’t mean you have to start blurting out everything to them. Rather, it means not telling them lies. It is a known fact that once a customer suspects the slightest intent to hoodwink him/her into buying a car that doesn’t have the features that you are promoting, they not only end up not trusting you anymore but avoid doing business with you entirely.
Above all, have it at the back of your mind that it is not always about the immediate sales. Build a rapport with buyers with every given opportunity you have to do so; with the hope that it will someday turn into leads.