OMNICHANNEL MARKETING
Sucess on The showroom floor
Any customer that has agreed to come into your dealership is an extremely hot lead. These days buyers spend an average of 15 hours researching online before landing on a vehicle at your dealership. They then set an appointment or walked into your showroom floor. All of this work and effort shows just how committed the customer is and conveys that they’re ready to make a purchase. However, when a deal is handled in the wrong manner, even these hot leads can be lost. So, it’s up to the sales professional to be ready to deliver a unique buying experience while making it as easy as possible for the buyer to say “yes” to buying a car. In this blog, discover the 5 best showroom floor best practices that will help you close deals with any customer that walks into your dealership.
Best Practice #1 – Building RapportBuilding rapport is an extremely important aspect of any car sales process. The better rapport you have with a customer, the easier it will be to do your job. Yet, many sales professionals attempt to build rapport the wrong way. It can seem tempting to engage the customer around topics like sports and politics, but it is extremely risky. Building rapport around things like this can completely kill your deal once the buyer has an opposing view. It’s unprofessional and an easy way to lose a deal that would otherwise get closed.
Instead, build rapport around the reason why the customer has come to your dealership – to purchase a vehicle! So, in the greeting, make sure to give the customer a compliment and let them know that you can do whatever they want to do. This makes the buyer feel good, lets them know that you’re listening and is a surefire way to build rapport early on!
Best Practice #2 – Early ObjectionsIn situations where you get hit with objections early in the deal, it’s vital to keep things small. Objections in the greeting, for example, are likely just test objections. Most customers tend to toss out objections that aren’t serious because they feel that they have to. However, even in cases where it’s a serious objection, there’s no need to handle it at this stage. Handling objections at this stage will likely only damage your deal.
Remember, if an objection is small to you, then it is small to the customer. On the other hand, delving deep into the objection will make customers think they’re onto something and will make it much harder to move past. At this stage in the deal, your goal is just to move the customer to the next step, not sell them a vehicle. So, when a customer objects, just agree with them, tell them why and move to the next step of your process! Customer: “I’m not buying anything today.”
Sales Professional: “I understand that you aren’t buying anything today. I’d want to look around too if I was in the market for a new car. We can make today just a looking day.
Best Practice #3 – Fact Find HereFact finding is a crucial part of any deal. It allows you to gather important information that you can use to expand your inventory, land on a perfect vehicle and sell the buyer on what matters to them. Although, if you want to collect the best information possible, then it’s necessary to fact find at the customer’s current vehicle. Fact finding here sets you up for success by allowing you to:
Compliment the customer. This is another chance to make the buyer feel good and establish some more rapport around their current vehicle.Find out the features and equipment that are important to the customer. Now, you will be able to include this in your sales pitch and will make you more effective at closing. This information will give you far more opportunities to succeed.
Best Practice #4 – An Effective Test DriveThe demonstration drive is any buyer’s favorite part of the car buying experience. In turn, this is where a lot of deals solidify. So, it’s no exaggeration to say that your deal depends on your ability to give the customer a perfect test drive. To deliver this quality of an experience, it’s imperative that you have a set demo route and master the two steps of the test drive.
Step 1: Drive the car off of the lot yourself. A sales professional should always be the first one to drive in the test drive. This is your chance to sell the vehicle to customer and point out all its amazing features and equipment.Step 2: Switch spots with the customer. Your set demo route should have this be in a great location, especially one that gives the buyer perspective on how nice the vehicle is. Now, it’s your time to keep quiet and allow the buyer to get a feel for the vehicle. The only time you should speak here is giving directions or answering the customer. Once a customer feels for themselves how the vehicle handles, it typically becomes a done deal.
Best Practice #5 – Negotiating the Right WayWhether the customer objects to the vehicle price or their trade valuation, both can be handled by negotiating in the right way! Before ever negotiating on money, you should always first negotiate with vehicles. As long as you have set yourself up for success early in the deal, you will be able to handle this objection most of the time without having to negotiate on price. In turn, close more deals and hold far more gross.
Instead, build rapport around the reason why the customer has come to your dealership – to purchase a vehicle! So, in the greeting, make sure to give the customer a compliment and let them know that you can do whatever they want to do. This makes the buyer feel good, lets them know that you’re listening and is a surefire way to build rapport early on!
Best Practice #2 – Early ObjectionsIn situations where you get hit with objections early in the deal, it’s vital to keep things small. Objections in the greeting, for example, are likely just test objections. Most customers tend to toss out objections that aren’t serious because they feel that they have to. However, even in cases where it’s a serious objection, there’s no need to handle it at this stage. Handling objections at this stage will likely only damage your deal.
Remember, if an objection is small to you, then it is small to the customer. On the other hand, delving deep into the objection will make customers think they’re onto something and will make it much harder to move past. At this stage in the deal, your goal is just to move the customer to the next step, not sell them a vehicle. So, when a customer objects, just agree with them, tell them why and move to the next step of your process! Customer: “I’m not buying anything today.”
Sales Professional: “I understand that you aren’t buying anything today. I’d want to look around too if I was in the market for a new car. We can make today just a looking day.
Best Practice #3 – Fact Find HereFact finding is a crucial part of any deal. It allows you to gather important information that you can use to expand your inventory, land on a perfect vehicle and sell the buyer on what matters to them. Although, if you want to collect the best information possible, then it’s necessary to fact find at the customer’s current vehicle. Fact finding here sets you up for success by allowing you to:
Compliment the customer. This is another chance to make the buyer feel good and establish some more rapport around their current vehicle.Find out the features and equipment that are important to the customer. Now, you will be able to include this in your sales pitch and will make you more effective at closing. This information will give you far more opportunities to succeed.
Best Practice #4 – An Effective Test DriveThe demonstration drive is any buyer’s favorite part of the car buying experience. In turn, this is where a lot of deals solidify. So, it’s no exaggeration to say that your deal depends on your ability to give the customer a perfect test drive. To deliver this quality of an experience, it’s imperative that you have a set demo route and master the two steps of the test drive.
Step 1: Drive the car off of the lot yourself. A sales professional should always be the first one to drive in the test drive. This is your chance to sell the vehicle to customer and point out all its amazing features and equipment.Step 2: Switch spots with the customer. Your set demo route should have this be in a great location, especially one that gives the buyer perspective on how nice the vehicle is. Now, it’s your time to keep quiet and allow the buyer to get a feel for the vehicle. The only time you should speak here is giving directions or answering the customer. Once a customer feels for themselves how the vehicle handles, it typically becomes a done deal.
Best Practice #5 – Negotiating the Right WayWhether the customer objects to the vehicle price or their trade valuation, both can be handled by negotiating in the right way! Before ever negotiating on money, you should always first negotiate with vehicles. As long as you have set yourself up for success early in the deal, you will be able to handle this objection most of the time without having to negotiate on price. In turn, close more deals and hold far more gross.