Whatever you think of used car salesmen, you’ve got to admit that they’ve got sales down to a fine art, or, at least, the good ones have. They know how to reach out to new customers, engage them once they arrive, and negotiate like their lives depend on it. Whether you’re a car salesman in training, or you’ve just got a product to sell, we can all learn a lot from the veteran salesmen.
Appearances count
Have you ever seen a salesman get a sale in jeans and a snapback cap? Probably not, unless he’s a god among men (and women). Every car salesman knows that he has to look the part. People build trust based on appearances, and there’s no way on earth anyone would buy a car from a guy they can’t trust. A suit is essential. Personal grooming is key too – looking like you have the time and money to take care of your appearance reassures a potential customer that you’ve had successful sales in the past. When you have a client come to your office, or you meet for a drink to discuss a deal, never let your appearance slip.
Consider your environment
Just like a potential client will be more likely to trust you based on your appearance, they’ve judge you based on how your office, shop, or studio looks too. If it’s untidy, dirty, or badly kept, it will automatically leave a sour impression to start. People want to walk in and be greeted by a well-dressed salesman, be offered snacks and refreshments and led to a clean, bright, and comfortable seating area to discuss the deal. Anything less would be selling yourself short.
Listen, don’t speak
Think about the worst car salesman experience you’ve ever had. Chances are, you couldn’t get a word in edgeways, right? They barely stop for air while telling you what you want and need, instead of asking. The key to being a great salesperson is always listening, that way you can offer the perfect package for their requirements, and it also allows you to find areas to increase sales. If you sell an accountancy package, that’s all well and good. If you listened closely, you might realize that they’re also looking for a payroll system and tax advice. Without listening, you might never have realized that you could potentially sell them extra products.
Know what you’re selling
A car salesman has their work cut out remembering the tiny details of every single car they’re trying to sell, but if they didn’t, they’d be an awful salesman. Knowing your product inside out is about building up customer trust. If you can’t answer their questions about your product, how can they believe that you’re in any position to advise? Knowing the tiniest details about your product is the best way to match a potential client to their perfect package, and it could even help you to guarantee repeat custom.
Reach out
In this day and age, nobody can sit back and expect potential customers to come to them. Tips for car dealership digital marketing ring true across the board. You have to take advantage of social media, you have to tailor your branding and marketing to the right audience (trying to sell convertibles to agricultural farmers seems a bit of a waste of time), and you have to establish yourself in your field. Without any of this, your marketing and outreach are wasted time, and a wasted opportunity.
Give them time
Potential clients don’t want to be rushed. When they’re making a big decision, whether it’s a car, a new website, or accounting software, they’re more likely to turn around and walk right out of that door, without ever looking back, if you’re pushing them hard for an answer. A great car salesman will let customers poke around the car for a bit, test drive it, ask questions, poke around some more, and keep on answering questions. They’re always there, always available, and will always steer people back around if they start to lose interest and drift away. It’s about playing the long game, but it pays off.
Negotiate smart
Finally, you need to know how to get the most out of your customer. A car salesman will know his costs to the cent, and so he will know his break even point. This means he knows exactly how low to allow negotiations to fall. If he didn’t, he could quite easily lose a sale by asking too much, or money by letting it go for too little. The power of negotiation is the best way to ensure both you (and your finances) and your customer feel like they’ve got a good deal.