Remember my friends, that the CUSTOMER, not the car, is the Star of this show!
What show may that be …?
“This Is Your Business”
starring ___________ (your name goes in the blank) with today’s guest STAR appearance of ______________ (your client’s name goes in this blank – all in caps!).
Dance, as most of you well know requires rhythm and steps.
Are we going to Salsa / Waltz / Cha-Cha / Quick-Step / Ballet / FreeStyle? What if your Guest Star has what appears to have 2 left feet? No sense of rhythm, no idea of the steps, much less the order they go in.
That is where we as the seasoned professional lead our partners (customers) across the dance floor.
It’s very simple if you think about it. A Star is in front of us – they really want to do well at this – their “fans” will be watching (family/friends/coworkers). They are willing to take instructions as long as they think it will benefit them and make them look good (remember that point).
They burst onto our lot ready to do the Cha-Cha (fasted paced dance) – they want to get in and out, as quickly as humanly possible.
We, on the other hand, KNOW this is a Waltz (slower-paced) and must begin the process of leading our dance partner. The sale of the unit is not the goal – a happy enthusiastic fan is.
Customers pay the bills – FANS build rapid profit.
We slow our dance partner down by using questions.
- Will you be the primary driver? – who is the vehicle for?
- Will you be paying cash? (effects pricing and the next few steps of the Dance).
- Will you be trading in your current vehicle? (is the customer upside down on their trade – effects LOAN).
- What will you be using your new vehicle for? (pizza delivery guy ain’t driving a Yukon at 9 mpg – zero in on the unit.
- What did you NOT like about your last or current vehicle? (hot buttons and closing keys here ladies and gentlemen).
- What do you really like about your current vehicle? (why are they looking to buy.)
Small hint – if they ask for credit or say they don’t know what their credit is like… it is usually a sign they have weak credit at best!
Weak credit is going to affect the dance in a major way! If your customer struggles to get financing, it’s kind of like dancing with NO music. It can be done … just not as satisfying! Will they need a cosigner? More down? Less vehicle? ALL the above?? This is the part of the dance most dealers hate, and customers dread. They Cha-Cha in looking at that 2017 Land Rover (Champagne) and Quick-Step out in a 2014 Sante Fe (soda pop).
So how do we get them away from the Champagne and over to the soda pop? Easy – show them the steps.
The Star wants the perfect car for less than wholesale. Been there conquered that – that’s now a familiar rhythm of the dance.
So just HOW do you get your shy little STAR through this dance?
“So, Mr./Mrs. Jones, here lately we have helped a lot of folks find great financing, regardless of credit challenges they THOUGHT would stop them. Since you said you’ll be looking to finance your new _________ (vehicle they’re looking at), I’m going to need your help in this process.
I can use your help by your filling out all of the basic required information and your guidance as far as your financial boundaries when it comes to payments, duration of the loan, and down payment. While I may be well versed in assisting clients getting loans, I feel it my obligation to make sure you get the best loan possible for you. Bear in mind I simply facilitate this process, so remember I’m here working on your behalf and can always use the assistance.”
Or something to that effect.
If you cannot hang the paper – no sale! So WHY wait till almost the END of the sales process to do the most important part? Lead the dance and get to the PAYMENT part sooner rather than later. It will always be a matter of educating your Star of the proper steps, rhythms, and nuisances of the dance. We’re the PROFESSIONAL and have had far more experience buying, selling and financing vehicles. Asking for their help and asking the right questions in the process right up front may seem a little awkward at first. Get used to it as more sales, better sales, and higher gross depend on how well you lead the STAR in this dance. The more you involve the STAR in every part of the process, the more you learn if your dance partner is a novice or is a competitor ready to dance and ready to win.
Create a great day,
Tom
