F&I and Showroom, October 2019

It takes about 60 to 90 minutes from walk in to paperwork a window in which deals are made or lost in a series of questions and answers www fi magazine com 26 F I and Showroom October 2019 Without exception the most common question we always get is Whats the best close Good question But first lets go back to Everything matters Have you ever just absolutely not hit it off with a customer From the moment you met they didnt like you and you didnt like them So would a super closing question have helped you make that sale Probably not How about with a customer who is absolutely convinced your 40000 vehicle is overpriced by at least 20000 Would a power close have helped Again probably not People dont buy from people they dont like yet Thats why its so important to make a great first impression greet them properly build rapport and sell service and the other people in the dealership You cant do those things though if you dont know how to ask the right questions at each stage SKIP A STEP AND LOSE A SALE There are no secret closes that will make up for skipping steps in the selling process If you dont investigate to find out exactly how theyll be using the vehicle so you can personalize a targeted presentation just for them you cant possibly build enough value to get them to pay the extra money it takes If you skip the demo youre down to a super low price deal to try to make up for it which not only doesnt usually work but tends to lower the price further you just signaled that youll come down even more Closing is a combination of everything you do and say that moves the sale forward to the point where you start your closing process When youre having trouble closing its a combination of problems from what you didnt say or do that creates your customers sincere objections The good news is that you know you Draw a line down the middle of a sheet of paper On the left make a list of everything you can think of that makes closing the sale easier On the right make a list of everything that will make it tougher Things as simple as wearing one of those joke ties to work your kids gave to you for your birthday can cost you a sale Or for a real thrill be dumb enough to bring up politics or anything in the news that half of all Americans support and the other half dont Even if you think a warm and friendly greeting like Hey whats up How can I help you guys today should be on the left side of the page it shouldnt It may be friendly but it will get you a negative response like Just looking more often than not Slow down and sell more It takes 60 to 90 minutes from the time you greet the customer to get through the selling process correctly so you can head inside to start your paperwork Thats 60 to 90 minutes of either leftside or right side things youll say or do that will almost completely determine whether you have an easy to close sale or an almost impossible to close sale Make a bad first impression use the wrong greeting add in a couple of price questions from them that you mishandle show them cars they dont want based on price wander around with no control just answering questions about options colors and pricing and youre almost done Now to really kill a deal take a phone call or two skip the demo ignore the woman in the group leave them alone too long and be sure to toss in a lowball or highball response to Whats my trade worth Then try to close with So are you ready to get it today if the price is right You dont seriously think thats how the salespeople who earn over 100000 really sell do you Youre going to spend your days at work whether you sell or dont sell and you alone control the outcome To really understand why selling is so easy when you do it right consider this question Just how hard should it be to sell a car to someone who came to buy it ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joe Verde is the president of Joe Verde Sales Management Training Inc and an award winning trainer who has worked in the car business since 1973 Contact him at joe verde@ bobit com SHOWROOM GETTYIMAGES COM SKYNESHER