Critical Areas For Success

• 1). The first thing you have to understand to be a successful car salesman is your customers. Who are they and why are they buying? Each individual may have their own reasons for looking for a car, but the major automakers spend billions on customer profiles for each of their cars. Sales is a people business, and if you don't understand the basic reasons why someone would want to buy a vehicle, then you will never have an edge when talking face-to-face. Knowing why someone would prefer a Volvo (safety concious) over a Prius (environmentally conscious) helps you understand your customers and how to serve them.
  
  
• 2). The next thing you have to understand is your product. Your dealer will have lots of glossy pamphlets about each of the models, and you had better read them because your customer does. You want to be a recognized as an authority, and if you don't know the basics of your product, then your customer will lose respect for you. What is the key technology featured on the model? How did it come to pass? What challenges did the car engineers encounter and what innovations did they inspire? Knowing your product inside and out as well as hidden gems of information that the customer did not find in their own research will build you as an authority and not just a salesman.
  
  
• 3). The next thing is to learn about your competitor's product. Knowing the key differences between your product and your competitor's product not only further increases your authority in the prospect's mind but helps you draw out benefits for your product that the prospect might not have seen before. What are the drawbacks that your competitor's car has that makes it inferior in some aspect compared to yours? Does your competitor have a a dealer incentive such as a rebate or interest rate? If not, do you have one that could help you make the case as to why yours is a better buy? Does your competitor's product have electrical problems that were featured in Consumer Magazine that your customer may not know about?
  
  
• 4). Finally, learn to sell without selling. Most people from a psychological perspective just want to be heard and treated with respect. Going onto a car lot is intimidating and most people will be defensive. However, you can set yourself apart by listening and being helpful while qualifying important points. Next to a house, buying a car is the most expensive purchase most people will make in their lifetimes, so set yourself apart by using zero pressure. Give them plenty of information so that they feel informed without being overwhelmed--while you take them through the sales process that your dealer has laid out. Professionals communicate, amateurs pressure.
  
  
• 5). Once you're perceived as an authority in your field your words will carry more importance with the customer. You then can begin to take on a consultant-type role, matching the benefits and payoffs of the product for your customer. Once you master this, then success is a natural by-product and is almost guaranteed.