Thread: Looking for Salesman and Good Sales experiences.

The mechanics car is always the one needing the most work :<0)

Originally Posted by 10Pups

The mechanics car is always the one needing the most work :<0)

yeah, i'm way guilty of that (partly) because i know how to patch it up with a shoestring and a hairpin and get home. I may park away and "walk in" to some of these spots. That'll rob 'em of preconceived notions wrt the taped-in rust holes and all that mud and those modifications.

Well I'll just add two things - know who you are selling. Back in the day when I did B2B sales, it was remarkable how many "assistants" or "secretary's" actually had their hands on the trigger though they were only in the meeting "taking notes" lol.

I don't know the car business, but I wonder how many of those wives/husbands/friends that are just there to support their spouse/friend looking completely bored, actually have the final word?

Finally, I agree that it is rare to have a natural sales person. There is always a weakness. That said, a well trained or experienced salesperson can make a person seem like a "born" salesperson.

Sales (to me) is more than simply forming a relationship or bond, it's about closing. And closing is more than an art - keeping a sale closed especially in the car business where there is a large window for reneging, is something I would read up on. Being aware that simply saying a key phrase at a key time can keep the sale closed long enough for someone to not renege is priceless. I'll never forget my one car sales guy saying "you have made a great decision today" to me. It bolstered me and was all I needed to hear to stay in the deal. I also recall another guy who when I was taking a car out for a test drive, told me to pay particular attention to how the car cornered - it was a freaking Neon lol! But I wanted to hear that lol.

Knowing what to say and when, otherwise known to me as closing, can pay huge dividends... or commissions as the case may be.

Good luck!!

Be flexible and find out what the clients buying motivators are, this way you will be able to point them to what suites their wants. Never assume that you know who the decision maker is as advised before, cater to everyone at the meeting. if you get the feeling that the client is buying in to the sale and manage to close it, just keep it there with the previous advice on positive affirmation, don't get over eager you can say the wrong thing with verbal diarrhoea. Never bul$I-It the client, they will pick up on it. Guarantee your customer service, you will be surprised how much this holds value with a client. Beyond that believe in your product and know that the pricing is fair and you will do well.

Recently having driven my lady friends beloved 1997 Acura coupe off the freeway at 65 MPH after fishtailing across two lanes (no other cars involved) and racking the frame, I was in on the new car buying experience. Agreeing to contribute to the new car I sat in on most of the transaction. Previously I loathed car salesmen. Now, it is not quite that simple. There were two people involved in the transaction, a good cop and a bad cop, if you will. Good cop...Iraq veteran, newly married...all around nice guy, just trying to help you in the car you want (read anticipate your next thought). So the car was selected and onward into the finance chamber.....this room sealed off from the showroom had a tabletop that looked like something from the 22nd century, basically a huge computer touch screen where the operator could move his fingers at the speed of light from one column to another. It was a manic experience and a short time later much of what happened in that room of smoke and mirrors was undone. So we are happy with the car but unhappy with the experience. We were under pressure to get a new car and used CRV's were not an option as they did not exist in our area at the time. We had one car and I was renting until we could get another car.
Wade, I've seen your bikes and you seem to be a hands on guy. I suppose there could be another Wade. Good Luck!

I really enjoy sales, and I believe the formula is quite simple but the delivery is not...

First, I only believe in sales where the sale is a mutually beneficial contract. I do not believe pressure tactics or tricking someone into buying something they do not need.

Moving on from that, the first step is to establish rapport. If someone doesn't like you, they will be reluctant to buy from you even if you have a decent product to offer. Sell yourself before you attempt to sell a product.

Don't bother trying to sell a product if you don't know your product better than your customer and your competition.

Sell the end result of your product rather than the product itself. Nobody wants 16gig of ram in a computer, or a 0-60 time in xx seconds. What they want is a responsive computer, a responsive car, or something that will impress their peer group. ie a slightly slower car will still get the ladies if it looks better or if it is easier to drive and show off in. They want what the product can deliver rather than the product itself.

Ask for the sale... so many times I have seen people do a great demonstration of what their product will do, the service their company will offer, then leave the buyer with a brochure and a smile as they walk away... if you don't squeak you won't get oil.

Remove buyers remorse... once the deal is done, bring a couple of factors into the conversation. Know what your product's criticisms are and negate them in a casual way, as a buyer will tell their friends/colleagues about their purchase, and if anything bad is said you want them to have the answer/response without you actually telling them how to respond. Reassure them they have made a great choice and the same choice you would have made, as an expert, in their position and justify those comments with factual information.

Don't sell them something that doesn't suit their needs. You may miss that individual sale but over time will develop a good clientele who will happily refer new business to you. One happy customer may tell 2-3 people, an unhappy one may tell 20-30. (now with social media those numbers increase greatly)

Above all else, you have to love or believe in the product you are selling. If you don't love it and are enthusiastic about it, how can you expect your clients to be.

If you can do this a sales role can be rewarding and enjoyable, sleep well at night and build many friendships.

Originally Posted by HaiKarate

But there is no ugly. I cant say it enough..

I suspect I have no idea what you are trying to get at when you say there is no ugly. Just as I suspect you have no idea what I mean when I offer a perspective on the good, the bad and the ugly of the car business. I am referring to the totality, all of the challenges and opportunities. Pretending there aren't going to be challenges or problems is just setting yourself up to fail. For example working retail hours can present challenges to a family that hasn't dealt with that before. Best to be aware of it and deal with it rather than get blindsided.

It has been said earlier, in case you missed it… invest in professional sales training, start by reading good sales books and then make training an ongoing part of your education. Good training is worth what you pay for it.

Less than one percent of sales people have ever taken a sales class, fewer have read a sales book.

I went into sales from a profession where training was a lifestyle, done daily. I was amazed at how little sales training my peers had and even more, how few employers provided real sales training.

The hallmark of a good employer is the quality of their training. Most do not provide any, except product specific training. The most important and least taught is, understanding the sales process from the buyers prospective.

Good training will teach you how to Qualify, Identify the “Decider”, what they can afford, the decision making process and most important when and how to close.

I cannot tell you how many sales people spend hours trying to sell something to someone that cannot afford the product. Or not close the deal because they missed the “I’m ready to buy” sign and keep taking the buyer out of the deal.

Much is often said of schmoozing and rapport. Schmoozing can easily turn into BS.

True sales training will not teach you “tricks” to close deals. It will teach you how people think, and how and when to ask hard questions that determine what they really want or need. The answers to those questions will sell and or save you valuable time, where you can be in front of someone who can buy.

Start with the Gold Standard read Dale Carnegie, “How to win friends and influence people” and take the Carnegie courses.

Selling is a craft, an ongoing process, not a single book or class.

Originally Posted by WW243

Recently having driven my lady friends beloved 1997 Acura coupe off the freeway at 65 MPH after fishtailing across two lanes ...
Wade, I've seen your bikes and you seem to be a hands on guy. I suppose there could be another Wade. Good Luck!

I fishedtailed a 5.0 down Interstate for a ways once. Got full view median/shoulder through the front- seemed like forever (flash storm had wetted road and i didn't notice the rear wheels breaking loose as we were fighting a worn out clutch which would slip some). Wasn't my car either, but i kept it on the pavement. Kept thinking we were going to get run over (as it happened). In reality, folks back way off when you go sliding around in front of them. Got it straight and kept rolling, was still doing 55. Adrenaline RUSH.

I'll make a lot more bikes when i can get my shop and supplies outfitted and stocked up. It's a pursuit that I've not been able to get off the ground. So I'm not leaving that Wade, just expanding his repertoire and generating some CASHflow.

I'm pretty sure I can do both (sell cars and make/sell bikes). Many of the current hand-made bike guys have full-time other jobs. Not perfect, but way better than where i am now.

As far as "knowing" cars goes, I do. It's very easy for me to over do that part. And I know some folks don't really care beyond the basics (and you gotta be able to tell them from the others). But I'll know the cars better than many salesmen without even trying. HECK I saw a car lot with "V8" across the windshield of a 2nd Gen Dodge/Cummins, clearly doortagged (factory emblem) for the 24-valve. I saw this at 45 mph. I called the number and told the secretary how to win an easy bet. Wonder if she did? (I told her there were only 6 cylinders under that hood and they were inline, not vee, and suggested she "play" with the boys over it).

But i've never met a car sales guy/gal who knew anything near what i did about the car they were selling. But i haven't been "shopping" since this internet thing took off. Product intimacy won't ever be my issue. ADD.

Now that i have restored running water to my abode, I can clean up and get out there meet some folks. GET this ball rolling!

[QUOTE=Lazarus;1345688 Pretending there aren't going to be challenges or problems is just setting yourself up to fail. For example working retail hours can present challenges to a family that hasn't dealt with that before. Best to be aware of it and deal with it rather than get blindsided.[/QUOTE]



Wades not going to get blindsided by any challenge..His attitude is good.
I create my own ugly...hence I can destroy my own ugly.
I dont pretend anything as I do not live in some fantasy world. My entire perspective is about the good.
You do have an idea what im typing about. I create my own ugly. I can only speak for myself on that.
Is Wade gonna meet chalenge? Yep. I can guess he's dealt with it a many times. Can he overcome the challenge?
My guess is yes.
I cant find it but theres a post, on this site that says something along the lines of "be kind but vigilant, everyone is fighting a hard battle.'. It might be a signature.

Wades not gonna get blindsided, hes not ignorant. But those that want to try to blindside him are going to fail.

I've lost my train of thought im gonna shut up now.






[QUOTE=Lazarus;1345688 Pretending there aren't going to be challenges or problems is just setting yourself up to fail. For example working retail hours can present challenges to a family that hasn't dealt with that before. Best to be aware of it and deal with it rather than get blindsided.[/QUOTE]