Sign the commitment and buy right now... Or Else!

[ddavis]

Subi, just ask your customer, "If I showed you a car, at a price, that was so irresistible that you couldn't pass it up, you would buy today?" (Who is going to say no?) "Initial here".

I promise, I can get around any goofy idea that the desk comes up with.

If the customer is so insistent that they are not buying today, you may not want to give them a price or a "shopping price" but that is up to the desk.

 

[Eley Duke]

a manager has tried to convince me that asking a customer to sign a piece of paper with a loosely worded commitment to buy TODAY if we get them the best price we can... is the only way to spot a real deal. In my opinion, it seems pushy and old-school.

The whole process of convincing a customer that we're only going to move forward if they sign this darn paper just grinds my gears.

Eley, I guess some of my ideas pre-date "old school".

There is no doubt in my mind that Duke Automotive doesn't have high turnover and has a lot of tenured employees. Unfortunately, that is not the norm. Relationship selling is "old school".

Doug, referring to the comment above, it is 'negative' old school. There are many ways, as you describe in your last post, to go about approaching a commitment. The approach above may work for some, but its old school and stereotype car selling. My Mom always tells me, "its not what you say, but how you say it". I have a new friend in the business that will be helping Duke in 2013, and he has said many times already to me, "As it begins, so it will go" - pushing people to sign anything is not a good beginning.

And I agree, relationship selling is old school, but of the 'positive' old school techniques used in salesmanship. At Duke we go 100% on relationship selling, we build a relationship with our customers, check out our Dealer Rater reviews. I am amazed at some of those and the comments about the customer experience. There are a lot of good relationships being built here, and I am proud of our team and the good work they do. Our secrete; we treat people honestly and right, just as we want to be treated, and it works.

 

[ddavis]

Eley, We are definitely on the same page here. What we are lacking is a better definition for "old school". DealerRefresh is a forum dealing with the internet and technology. Most of those, on here, "get it" and those that chose to ignore it, I usually think of as "old school". These are people that are so set in their ways that they just can't accept change. I don't equate liars, crooks and thieves as "old school". The truly existed when I started selling cars but there is no shortage of them today. I have a problem lumping those that are honest but backwards into that category.

I'm open to some clarification from anyone.

 

[subi101]

Thank you all for your comments!

I'm all about getting creative with some sort of a hybrid! Doug, I 100% agree that the "old school" relationship selling is KEY! Mix that with proper training and some creative overcoming of objections ... and I think its all I need.

I'm more convinced than before that the ultimatem has to go! Especially with the more educated and knowledgable customers out there (not only with the ever present information... but with our "lines" and "pitches" from their own experiences, but the internet and social media).

I don't think its about old-school vs new school. I think its about making sure we put the consumer experience first and start changing the culture somehow. Creating a transparent, educational, friendly and easy process is key. It has always been a goal of mine at any dealership I work in. It is hard as hell, but isn't the goal to evolve? We're selling to such a diverse population. Different generations who prefer different products and a different style of communication. And I tell this to my team of managers... If you're goal is to sell to my generation... wouldn't it be best to try to understand that generation and evolve instead of complaining that the internet is ruining the industry?