Kelly’s Korner – Turn Signals
Q How do you know when to turn a customer to another sales representative?
A The attitude that signals “ If I cannot sell them no one can” literally can cost a dealership countless deals every month. Not everyone clicks with everyone else. Personalities, egos, and attitudes can become barriers between a sales consultant and customer at any point in the sales cycle. Knowing when to turn the customer to an associate is critical for successful sales.
Your customers are on the lot looking for someone to show them a solution to their vehicle needs and to ask for their business. So the right time to turn is anytime a barrier prevents a breakthrough to solutions that meet customer needs and create commitment to purchase.
If sales were a football game, you could predict a win based on the amount of time a team controls the ball. The team that quickly gains possession of the ball and then maintains that possession by advancing the ball down the playing field to score usually comes out ahead. If you think about sales, it is much the same. The sales representative who gains possession of the sales process and controls the process by successfully moving the customer through each phase of the selling cycle will most often make the deal.
First impressions do count, and studies have shown that most people will decide if they like their sales representative in the first 30 seconds – a very short time to make such an important choice.
Have you “caught” the ball and secured it to move ahead? Do your customers feel genuinely welcomed and believe that it is “safe” to reveal information that will help you help them realize their vehicle needs? Are you seeing “eye-to-eye” the way to proceed? Are all the players positioned to send and receive communication that will lead to a sales score?
If you find yourself following your customer’s lead on the lot, it is a signal to either regain control or turn the customer to a colleague.
To regain control, get an idea and turn and walk away in another direction. It is your inventory. You know where the exact vehicle is that will satisfy the customer needs. Take them there, do a full power presentation, demonstrate that you were listening to the customer during the interview.
Or perhaps you found the right vehicle and the customer just wants figures. You missed something in the process. Don’t fumble this close to the goal line. Instead, hand off to a sales manager. A new face and fresh pace can put the right finish on the deal.
“Turn them before you burn them” is sometimes your best next move. In today’s marketplace, you can’t afford to mix the signals. If you see that you can’t make the right play, be willing to regain the lead and step up to follow or get out of the way.
“Kelly’s Korner” Column, Oregon IADA Newsletter, Squeaky Wheel, July ’05, p.24