by Maura Schreier-Fleming
Do
you ever wonder why some customers are happier with their automotive
purchases than other customers are? You may think they work with better
salespeople. That may be part of it. They’re also better customers. As
a sales professional who works with thousands of customers, I can tell
you that the best customers buy the best products. If you want to buy
your best car, here’s how you to make it happen.
Know what you’re looking for.
What
kind of customer are you? You may be a family of campers and your
weekend activities include loading up your vehicle to the roof with
camping gear. You could also be the queen of carpools and spend most of
your waking hours behind the wheel of a car chauffeuring the under five
Teletubbies set. Then there are commuters who need a comfortable ride
that’s easy on the wallet. Each one of these customers would be
delighted with very different purchases. Your sales professional is
there to help you identify the vehicle that will be the best match for
you. You can help your salesperson by knowing what you need. So before
you go to your dealer, think about how you want to use your car. Be
prepared to tell your salesperson what your particular requirements
are. You’ll be even more helpful if you can prioritize what’s most
important to you, too.
Do your homework.
Great
salespeople know all about the vehicles they sell. They can tell you
technical specs like which vehicles have the most horsepower. They can
also tell you which colors you can choose from for the interior. So why
not get a general idea about what you will be looking at by going to
the websites of the car manufacturers that you’re interested in before
you go to the dealer? Surf around and see what the manufacturer has to
say about the car. What if you don’t have a manufacturer in mind? Go
to more websites and start a checklist of the characteristics of the
vehicles so you can begin to compare vehicles. The options selections
might steer you to one manufacturer over another.
Ask questions.
This may surprise some of you, but salespeople are unable to read
minds. The good ones can tell when you do have questions and need more
information. Most would welcome your help. Why not give them some
assistance? When something interests you, tell your salesperson why.
When something isn’t a fit for you or your family also tell the
salesperson why. It’s only when salespeople understand what you think
about what you’re seeing that they can do a better job of helping you.
And ladies, it’s fine to say, “What does the horsepower have to do with
what I’ll experience as a driver?” Mechanical components don’t have to
interest you, but how those components impact your vehicle usage is
important. Any salesperson who is not willing to answer your questions
so you are comfortable with the answer is a salesperson you should not
be working with.
Buying a great vehicle is what every customer wants. Now that you know
how to be a great customer you can be on your way to drive home the
best car for you.
________________________________________________________________________
Maura Schreier-Fleming is President of Best@Selling a sales training and consulting organization in
Dallas, Texas. Maura works with business and sales professionals on
real-world skills and strategies so they sell more and are more
successful in business. She is the author of the book Real-World
Selling for Out-of-this-World Results. Maura speaks at conferences
about sales and business improvement. Maura was Mobil Oil's first
female Lubrication Engineer in the US.
