HARDISON’S TIPS – MARCH 15, 2021 – TRAINING IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS
Tips To Being A Successful Car Salesperson In 2021
Hooking the Trade
Do you know one of the best ways to get a potential shopper in front of you? Hook the trade. We aren’t talking about “Do you have a trade? Oh you do, great! Bring it with you when you stop by and we will see if it’s worth something”. You need to really HOOK the trade and make this shopper feel like they can’t make any decisions before they bring their trade to you. When positioned properly, it is a proven tool to get shoppers to show. Want to know how to get customers as a car salesman, this needs to happen on EVERY. SINGLE. CALL.
Opening Up Inventory
How often do you have a shopper call in asking for one thing, and end up leaving your lot in something completely different? It happens all the time, right? This is why it is critically important to open up your shoppers to other vehicles they might consider rather than focusing on the one car they called in on. Your dealership’s inventory changes daily and even by the hour, so make sure you don’t get tunnel vision and only focus on what the shopper called in on. More than 8 out of 10 shoppers will switch cars from the original one they called in on, that is why opening up inventory is a crucial element in how to sell more cars as a car salesperson.
Know the True Goal of a Sales Call/Email/Chat
If we were to ask you what the goal of a sales call (or sales interaction) is, what would you say? Would you say the goal is to set an appointment? Well if you did, don’t feel bad, many other salespeople out there just like you have been drilled into submission thinking that is the case. However, the true goal of a sales call/email/chat is to get the shopper to actually show up to the dealership. As great as it is to get an appointment set (and we aren’t saying not to do this, you absolutely should be trying to set an appointment), the true goal behind what you’re saying and why you’re saying it to this shopper, is to get them to come see you and touch tile at your store. Wouldn’t you rather make a sale from someone you talked with and might not have set an appointment with, vs setting an appointment, and them never showing? Understanding this will go a long way in learning how to be a good car salesman. You can read more about this in our blog here.
Embrace a Proactive Mindset vs a Reactive Mindset
Have you heard of a “lot lizard”? The person or people at the dealership that stalks the lot, clings to the doors and windows just waiting for someone to show up so they could run out and start selling a shopper before they even get out of their vehicle? Then when no one is at the store, you can find them working on their tan standing outside, maybe smoking a cigarette or complaining about their fantasy football team? This individual is working with a reactive mindset. They are only reacting to what is happening around them. You want to know what you can do to get more customers as a car salesperson, become proactive in your day. When you don’t have a customer in front of you, work to get one there. Call your unsolds, database, or orphan owners. Film a video or two and be active on social media. Hop into our training and work on a few scripts or simulate with a co-worker or manager. Doing any of these things will lead to you closing more deals, versus waiting for random ups that may never come.
Final Thoughts
All in all, learning how to be a good car salesperson isn’t hard, it just takes some work. Anything worth doing is going to take some work. 2021 is a new year, and the first full year we can strive to become better in this new reality. From embracing training and simulation, hooking the trade, opening up inventory, and knowing the true goal of a sales call, we hope these tips for becoming a successful car salesman help you out and allow you to sell more cars. We also asked our followers for some sales advice – see their answers here.
