F&I and Showroom, September 2015

44 F I and Showroom September 2015 Mad Marv His Madness profiles Type D customers buyers who show a total lack of interest in you your sales process and whatever product you present By Marv Eleazer A s an active participant in a social media group for F I managers I often see posts from producers seeking advice on how to work with a tough customer who wont budge on a service contract Having been there before I know what its like Nothing is more frustrating than having a customer stonewall you when its clear he or she needs the protection Sure I could dig into my tool box and offer a few tips on dealing with these types of customers but Im not sure it would help Thats because there is a type of customer who is nearly impossible to close regardless of how well you present your products Customers can be classified into the four following categories Type A Theres nothing better for the ego than welcoming A into your office Theyre open to suggestion and they will buy almost anything you offer Type B Much like their Type A brethren B is prone to buying something most of the time However B isnt a follower and will need some persuasion before pulling the trigger Type C Sharpen your wits because C requires great product knowledge closing skills and patience Type D F I managers beware because D has done his homework and his guard is up from the first handshake Hes confident savvy and he wants a bargain So no amount of cajoling or fancy word tracks will work on D D is also quick tempered so dont waste his time So when I see an F I manager asking for advice on how to work with a tough customer I know he or she is referring to Mr D Hell tip you off with his total lack of interest in your sales process In fact a pitchy presentation will usually end in D slamming the door on the way out of your office So make sure youre providing solid information during your presentation The good news is you wont see a lot of Type Ds but they can really wreck your day when you do See D doesnt respond well to manipulation and sales tactics Being straightforward about the products benefits how it can relieve financial stress and save him or her time is your best hope in getting through to D But dont be surprised if despite your best efforts you still get an adamant No And thats why my advice to anyone dealing with Type D is to move on if he isnt biting See the biggest mistake you can make is to believe that one more run with another fancy word track will get the job done All that does is irritate D even more So dont risk harming your CSI or ruining the dealerships chances of getting a few referrals from D Believe me its not worth it So the old adage A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still certainly applies to Type D customers So how do you spot D before you make your presentation Unless you possess the skills of Sigmund Freud you probably wont Some of my interview preaching colleagues believe that the right question can somehow magically reveal the customers true persona But heres what my experience has taught me About 10 to 15 of people are Type A customers Type D customers make up about the same percentage with the remaining 70 to 80 of customers youll meet being C and B customers Thats why most training curriculums focus on C and B But remember customers arent coming in with their personas tattooed on their foreheads And you never know the type of customer the latest incentive is going to attract Thats why the best thing you can do is be mentally prepared for whoever walks through your door Also keep in mind that most customers understand our products offer peace of mind well except for Mr D Hed rather take his chances But our job is to help our customers visualize the need before we offer a solution Then it becomes a matter of fitting the terms to the customers needs Just to be clear Im not suggesting you simply give up on a particular type of customer No sir I just wanted to bring to your attention the different types of customers youre going to face and why its important that you be mentally prepared for whoever walks through your door So dont get frustrated and remember that even the best of us dont close every customer Good luck and keep closing Marv Eleazer is the F I director at Langdale Ford in Valdosta Ga Email him at marv eleazer@ bobit com The ABCs of Customer Acceptance