A much requested topic this week. We look at when a customer asks about the best price at the start of the conversation.
We talking about before they’ve even sat in the car, within the first 2 minutes.
After listening to this episode, you will leave with 3 techniques that can help you navigate this question.
Here are the highlights:
{02:24} Small talk
{04:17} Easiest part of my job
{07:11} Is the car is right
{12:12} Don’t take it personally
{12:36} Read your customer
{12.45} Slow them down, by speeding them up
About Symco Training:
Symco Training was founded in 2000 by Simon Bowkett and it was his belief that the business had to offer its clients something different. That difference was clear to Simon from his days in the dealership when he experienced many sales trainers who had all the answers, but were unable, unwilling or both to actually show the delegate how they could be implemented. It remains the ethos of the business today. You see, Symco only employ trainers that are committed to delivering not only in spiring and insightful training, but are equally as happy to demonstrate these skills and techniques with real customers in your own showroom. We believe in order for sales training to be effective and in Simon’s words ‘real world’, it needs to be tried and tested in the only place it matters the showroom floor. There is no room for theory when your goals are for your team to sell more cars, hours or parts and retain more profit. In dealerships around the world the focus applied by many of the sales executives is to try and sell a deal. Symco specialise in getting your teams to focus on selling themselves, the product and then supporting this with the deal.
To find out more visit
www.symcotraining.co.uk
Welcome to the Selling and the Motor Trade Podcast, an association with Symco Training. This is the weekly podcast where we share best practice tips and ideas on how to sell more cars, improve your service department and generally put more profit into your dealership or dealer group. I'm your host, Simon Bowkett. As some of you probably already know me as Skippy, I will start by saying thank you for taking the time to listen to this podcast. Do you have an appetite for an open sales training program? You see, we normally run our sales training programs for dealer groups or manufacturers so we can get enough people in a room to make the training cost effective. But every year I get lots of people saying, oh, I've got one dealership or I've got just two dealerships, I've got three salespeople that could really go through your training program. And we're often saying, I don't know how well it's going to stack up for you. Now you have options. You could also go to Amazon and get the book Words That Sell Cars. It's a great book and we have lots of clients give that to every salesperson when they start in the industry. Of course, you could always go to our signature sales fitness training program. If you listen to our podcast, we plug that all the time. It's cost effective because it's only £299 for three months of digital online training that gives your salesperson a great start in their career. You could do that. But what is an appetite for an open physical training course? Now guys, we have to run that course interactively. It's not one of these courses where your salespeople sit there, cross an arms, just listen to it board throughout the day. It won't be death by PowerPoint. So that sounds like something you'd be interested in. Go to our website. It's simcotraining.co.uk. Look for the tab about open courses and you get all the details you need right there. Hi, welcome to another episode of Selling in the Motor Trade. Here's another one of those ones you can share with your sales team in the morning meetings. And Colin McAllister, great friend of the show, been on the podcast lots. He's been to talk about this one again, specifically for his team. We do a lot of work with Colin McAllister and the John Clark Motor Group. And this is one of the ones he said that deal with the objections at the meet and greet stage. So there's one specifically that comes up all the time. What's your best price? Now, of course, everyone's going to say what's the best price in the car. But I'm going to talk about right at the beginning of the process. All you've got into the presentation, demonstration, raise the design. We know we want to take the customer for drive in the car to raise the desire before we get in the prices. But if we turn around and say, well, leave that alone at the moment. Oh, well, that's not going to work. Okay. The customer says, hey, I know what I want. Come on, what's your best price? So let's kick around some ideas on this. Now, again, on our sales fitness program, we have the sales masterclass. We have the first 90-day program. Then we got service, selling value added products, dealing with the email inquiries and the management series. Okay. So I'm going to do a mix between the first 90 days, some real simple ones. Then I'm going to go into some of the masterclass stuff. If you're relatively new listening to this, some of the masterclass ones might be, I don't know, just be careful with them before you're trying to start with. So let's start off. Okay. First one. Let's get those into your business. Okay. I personally don't like to go straight out and say, hi, welcome to Symco Honda. My name's Simon. You are leaving. If you walk straight out with a, hi, welcome to XYZ Honda. My name's Simon. You are. I can tell you sometimes it tends to work in American. It tends to be the American approach. But sometimes I find it might be just two, I don't know. What's the word I'm looking for? In your face, too pushy. You might be at, I don't know, parts of Scotland there where people are like, whoa, hold on pal, slow down for a bit. And you might push people away. Now, don't take it the wrong way. Okay. I know that columnicality is going to be sending the extruder to everyone in his team. So there's 180 salespeople in his team that he's going to send this one to. Okay. Your manufacturer might want you to say hi. Welcome to John Clark Motor Group. My name's Simon. I'm a bar. Okay. If your manufacturer is saying they want you to do that, bear in mind, you work for yourselves. Measure. You work for your dealer principal or your boss. You work for John Clark. You don't work for me. But I personally just find it too pushy. What I might do is say, good morning, good afternoon. Okay. And lovely weather. The summer's still with us here at the moment. I still love a bit of small talk to start with. Okay. Then I might say, hey, have you found what you're looking for if they walk around the use cars? Okay. You can't mind. So listen, what brings you here today? Oh, I want to look at the five series. Great. There's three or four different models of five series. And which one you've been researching online. Okay. Ask the M-Sport model. Great. What's about the M-Sport model that caught your attention? What's about the M-Sport model that put it on your shopping list? Okay. So I might still do that. Introduce yourself to everyone in the buying party. But if they turn around very quickly within the first two minutes, they say, so go on. What's your best price on it? What's your best price? Here's my first objection handling technique. And there's three parts to it. Part one of it is saying, listen, get in the figures right. Here's the easiest part of my job. Okay. Well, come in as we got to thanks for that one. Right. Listen, get in the numbers right. That's the easiest part of my job. Now, I know what some of you might be thinking. Simon, get in the numbers right is not the easiest part of my job. Why are we telling customers that? Well, hold on. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you keep saying, oh, the numbers, that's going to be hard, but oh, no, it will be hard. But if you keep saying all the time, listen, get the figures right. That's not the easiest part of my job. And you know what? If you're a brand new salesperson, listen to this. It is the easiest part of your job because your management team gets it right. It's their job to get it right. But yours. Okay. Now, listen, get the figures right. It's the easiest part of my job. But then tell them why. Because we're actually part of Swansway. We're one of the biggest dealer groups in the Northwest. We're actually part of the Jude Uffy group. We're one of the biggest dealer groups in Ireland. We're part of John Clark. We're one of the biggest dealer groups in Scotland. And we just don't get that way without getting the numbers right. Okay. So tell them why getting the numbers right is the easiest part of your job. Okay. Another one you can say, hey, get the numbers right. It's the easiest part of my job because in the internet world, if we're not on the front page of car zone, if we're not on a front page of car sales, Australia, we just don't get the inquiry. If we're not on the front page of auto trader, we just don't get people coming to find us here in little old rexom. That's why getting the numbers right here is the easiest part of my job. So tell them why it's the easier part of my job. Stage two is, you might say, if we lose anyone's business, it's rarely over the number side of it. If we don't sell someone car, it's rarely over the number side of it. But the third part's the key to it. But you know what? Unless that car is exactly right for you, no price is going to be good enough. Let me grab the keys and make sure the car is exactly right for you. Now, if it's really early, you then might say, well, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm sorry, I'm in U.R. John and Joan. Okay. And you must be, let me guess. You look like a David. No, my name's Johnny, to the six year old kid. Okay. So let's look at those three parts together. It's not three different techniques. It's three parts to the one technique. Okay. So the customer says, hey, what's your best price on that? Voila. So getting the numbers right here, that's the easiest part of my job. Just because we're part of Hatfields, we're one of the largest dedicated Jaguar Land Rover businesses in the country. And we just don't get that way without getting the numbers right. In fact, if we don't sell someone car, it's rarely over the numbers. But you know what? Unless that Voila is exactly right, no price is going to be good enough. Let's just grab the keys and make sure it's right for you. Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't introduce myself. I'm sorry, I'm in U.R. Oh, Pat, okay. Hey, Pat, what was about this particular Voila that got your attention? Hey, Pat, what was about this particular Voila that put it on your shopping list? And then you're back into your process. That's the first way that you might want to use to slow it down. Okay, now if a customer keeps pushing it and they say, no, no, no, no, that car is exactly right. By the way, that's why I like that first technique. Okay, because a good old 80% of your customers will slow themselves down. Okay, however, you'll get some people 20%. I'm guessing those numbers obviously. Okay, might turn around and just say, no, no, no, no, the car is right. Okay, all want your best price. I'll take you for a those because within the first two minutes, you got a customer saying that car is exactly right. That's exactly what I want. I'll take that, wouldn't you? Get that most people slow themselves down. Okay. So if you're one of the 20% customers you're dealing with, okay, and they say, no, the car is right. All the ones your best price, I might try this one. Now, listen, getting the price right, okay, is the easiest part of my job. In fact, if we don't sell someone cars rarely owes the numbers of it. You know, unless that valor is exactly right, no prices coming enough. No, no, the car is exactly what I want. It all just comes to the numbers. Well, the best price is always going to be the amount of money coming out of your pocket. So what you need to do is get the details about the car you're looking to trade in, just so you can get the best balance to change and monthly payments. That's the important thing, really, isn't it? So what car you're looking to trade in? Now, with that one there, notice I didn't say, do you have a car to trade in? Because the best price customer, they're the ones I've said, no, no, no, no, no, leave that out. All the ones your best price, okay? So what you're going to do is say, listen, start the first bit first, get the price right, seize the price on my job. If you don't sell someone cars rarely over the best price. But unless that car is exactly right, no price is going to be good enough. When they push you, well, the best price is always going to be the amount of money coming out of your pocket. Or the best price is going to be that best balance to change. What we need to do is have a look at your car, someone get the best balance to change and monthly payments. That's the important thing, really, isn't it? Now, if you're listening to this podcast at the moment, when most people do, my head's actually nodding in the yes. Let's get into the yes frame of mind, the yes role, okay? All right, and here's a figure for you. I stole this from automotive management in a franchise dealership. Okay. The last stat I seen that was on a used car conference, 89% of people in a franchise dealership have got a car they're considering trading in. I thought it was quite clever, the way that was worded. Okay, 89% of people have a car they're considering trading in. Okay. Doesn't mean they actually traded in, they might sell it through, I don't know, car zone, done deal, auto trader, eBay motors, whatever. Okay. I thought that's quite interesting, but if 89% of people have got a car, they're looking trading in, well, the best price is always going to be that amount of money coming into your pocket. What we need to do is get the details about the car you're looking trade in, just so we can get the best balance to change and monthly payments. I wish, what car are you looking to trade in? Don't ask that customer, do they have a car to trade in? Because they're the ones that say, no, no, no, no, leave it out. You'll go through the whole process. You get to the end of it and they'll spring the part exchange. They'll spring the trade in on you. They'll turn around and say something along the line and say, oh, by the way, what would you give me for this? Okay. And then it's a car that's, I don't know, 15 years old and you have to value it by working out how much fuels in it. Actually, no, that's not the problem car. The problem car is it's 11 months old, it's on a personal contract hire and they'll have a fortune on it and you're trying to dig them out of it. Okay. Just assume people are going to trade in because you know what? The vast majority of people do. Okay. Now, here's a controversial one. Okay. Please be so careful with this. This is not for every customer. This technique here is only in our master class on the sales fitness program because I really believe you need to read your customer on this technique. And if you're using this technique more than once a month, you use it far too much. Okay. This is once in a blue moon. It's a customer that's a bit of an arsehole. We've all had them. Okay. The guy's determined that, no, no, no, mate, you're not listening. All the ones you're best priced would someone just give me the best price. Okay. They're just being hard work. Now, if you're relatively new, don't take it personal. It's not you. That person's had a tough time trying to buy a car somewhere else. Okay. So often we in sales people would take a person, don't we? But they don't know you yet. They don't know to be upset with you yet. Okay. It's the motor trade or the perception of the motor trade they're upset with. So often they had a tough time trying to buy a car from someone else. Okay. But read your customer. Okay. And if they are that us all of the customer, keep pushing. No, no, no. Will you just give me the best price? All I want is the best price. Why do we attempt to slow these people down? Why? Speeding them up. Okay. Tony Islander, I can thank for this one. Tony Islander will turn around and say, thank goodness for that. Someone wants to buy a car. I just spent two hours last people that we can't even supply it through their company. So if you like to come inside, we'll get that sorted for you. Hey, thank goodness that. Someone wants to buy a car. I just spent two hours last people that we can't supply it anyway because it's just through their company. If you like to come inside, we'll get that sorted for you. Now right then, so often that best price customer, okay, we'll go into, well, no, I just wanted a price. And then you metaphorically give them a get out of jail free card. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm rushing you. Okay. You haven't even had chances here because, right? I never even introduced myself. Let me go. I'm sorry. Let me get the keys. Let's make sure the car is right for you. Okay. So I'm probably slowing them down by speeding them up. Okay. Now slowing them down by speeding up. Thank goodness that. Someone wants to buy a car. I just spent two hours last people that we can't even supply it or they're looking at buying an 18 month time. If you like to come inside, we'll get that sorted. Now, sometimes it's not even a look, okay? Or they don't say anything. It is the look. Okay. Right then you give them that get out of jail free card. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm rushing you. You haven't even had chances here if the car is right. I didn't even introduce myself. I'm sorry. I'm in here. You are David and hey, Mary. Okay. Hey, Mary, David, can I ask you what was about this particular rather for the first quick attention and what was this particular EV six that caught your attention? Well, like it's got this on it's got that on it. Okay. Then you're back in the process. So you've got three different techniques there to try. Okay. And Colin McAllister, I hope this works well for your team there. I mean, other people, our clients that we work with all the time, if you have special requests, just let us know and we can do this for you. I know Kevin Connolly does it all the time. He asks us for a specific video he wants for the team there. Okay. So this is one and we're going to put it on the podcast anyway, but three simple steps. Okay. Number one, okay. I get the figures right. It's the easiest part of the job because in the internet world, if we're not on the front page or to trade it, we just don't get them query to get people to come and find us here in little old Aberdeen, okay? And on the outskirts of Aberdeen, okay, to get people on and come and find us. But you know what? Unless that car is exactly right for you, no price is going to be good enough. So when to come on this side, let's make sure the car is exactly right for you. Three steps. Keep pushing you. No, no, no, the car is right. Well, the best price is always going to be the amount of money coming out of your pocket. So what we need to is get the details about the car you're looking to trade in just so we can get the best balance to change and monthly payments. And what can you look and trade in, okay? Or if they keep pushing you, the last one, I think goodness that, someone wants to buy a car. I've just been two hours last people that we can't even supply it just because it's through their company. So if you'd like to come inside, we'll get that sort of view. No, no, no, I just want a price. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm rushing you. You have any man's chance to see if the car's right for you. I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Simon here you are. Guys, try some of those things to slow down the best price customer at the beginning just to get them into your process. We all know it's going to be so much easier for the customer to like that best price once you raise the desire with a presentation and the demonstration. Anyway, try it. See how you get on with it? There's lots of other ways as well on our sales fitness program. We're talking about that, but we want to keep this short and sweet for the point. That just leaves me to say that all details of this episode and other episodes on the selling in the motor trade can be found on our website simcotraining.co.uk. Go there to get a copy of our book, Words That Sell Cars. Go there to sign up to a free trial of our sales fitness online sales training program. Easiest way to get hold of me is Simon Bowkett, food link there. Thank you.
