10 TIPS TO CLOSE MORE CAR DEALS BY DASHBOARD BY NIADA When we talk sales, we often talk about closing the deal. But when it comes to used cars, it’s about a lot more than that. It’s about the entire experience you are providing for your customer from the moment they contact the dealership until they drive away in a vehicle you sold them. “It’s all about real connection,” Kristen Olson, sales manager at Wheels and Deals in Boise, Idaho told us. “If we don’t provide a positive, unique experience, we don’t close deals.” How do you get from first contact to a closed deal? Here are ten of our best tips.
1
Get Personal First, get personal. Learn the customer’s name, use it in conversation, and ask appropriate questions that open the door to more meaningful conversations, should they be open to it. By the same token, don’t pry or be nosy, and share information about yourself when appropriate. This keeps the buyer from feeling like a number or a conquest of some kind. They should feel like you are their friend when they leave. Remember, a customer doesn’t just buy one used car in their lifetime, and they could come back to you over and over whenever they need a new vehicle.
2
Be Professional While it is important to get personal, you also need to be professional. Pay attention to the way you dress, even if it’s in business casual or your dealership has a uniform. Pay attention to your personal hygiene and appearance. Simple things like combing your hair, brushing your teeth after that hot-wing lunch, and taking care of your nails, and washing your hands, all say a lot. It also gives you confidence when you approach 14 | THE FRONT ROW | WSIADA.COM MAY 2022
someone new, and that makes a huge difference when it comes to closing the sale.
3
Stop the Upsell One of the jokes about used car salesmen is that they are always trying to sell you something you can’t really afford. Stop the upsell. Ask the customer what they are looking for, and in what price range, and just show them those things. “Trying to upsell a customer, especially our typical clientele, only makes them trust us less,” Mitch Alexander, sales trainer for Dave Smith Motors says. “The only person who can change their mind about what they can afford is the customer.” Being pushy and too salesy can destroy that rapport you spend so much energy building with them from the start.
4
Use BANT When it comes to qualifying leads, there is a proven sales formula, and selling used cars is no exception. The initials are BANT and they stand for: budget, authority, need, timeline. To qualify a lead, ask yourself these questions: Can the customer afford to purchase one of your vehicles? Are you speaking with the decision maker? What are the true needs of the customer? What is the timeframe? “BANT is at the foundation of our sales training,” says Will Allen of Driven. “If you are not listening to your customer, there are certainly other dealers right down the street who will.” Following these rules makes sure you’re not wasting your customer’s time, and they’re not wasting yours.
5
Know Your Stuff You should know your inventory and have information about all your vehicles as much as that is possible. If you don’t know something, go find out. Don’t bluff your way through it. If a vehicle has just arrived, get to know all you can about it. These things include: Part of being a professional is being an expert on the cars you’re selling.
6
Know Your Competition Compare your inventory with others when you are not busy with customers. If they ask about the Chevy at the dealer down the street, you can have a ready answer about why that vehicle might be cheaper, more expensive, or not as comparable. Remember, the more knowledgeable and honest you are, the more likely you are to make the sale. If you genuinely don’t know the answer the customer is looking for, ask for a few moments to do some research. If you don’t, your competition will.
7
Never Pre-Judge Regardless of how anyone is dressed or your other perceptions of them, never prejudge someone who walks on the lot. The guy in the ripped-up jeans and old jacket could be a doctor on vacation who wants to pay cash for a vehicle you have that no one else does. On the flip side, the guy in the suit and tie could be looking for a subprime loan your dealer may offer. Never assume. Ask the same questions, greet each customer with a smile, and treat them as if they are the only ones that matter at that moment.
8
Talk Honestly about Financing Nothing is worse than getting down to the end of the deal and not being able to close on financing. Talk money from the
