The biggest blockbuster of the summer has all the dealers ranting and raving:
Done in 60 Seconds...
Forget about Nic Cage and Angelina, the only dynamic duo here is the salesperson and the sales manager. For those of you who have yet to see the trailer, let me set the scene. You just took a customer out for a test drive. The next moments coming back are crucial to finishing the sale, yet it’s a difficult situation to navigate. If the customer hasn’t yet made up her/his mind, being overly aggressive can easily backfire leading to a jaded customer. Or, the customer can have her/his mind totally made up that she/he wants to drive home in that car today, and your own apprehension and weariness could blow the sale. You can make the world of a difference in just one minute, and be Done in 60 Seconds!
Assuming you’re with a customer who crossed over from looking to buying, you must keep up the pace and softly move from showing to selling. The transition comes with increased tension and a bit of fear, on both sides of the bargain. You begin to feel the pressure from fighting back the urge to (prematurely) ask for the sale and the fear of the lost sale (before it even happens) also known as the “I have it but I don’t want to lose it” syndrome. While you’re wondering whether it’s the right time to move forward with the sale, buyers get caught between the fierce desire to buy and the creeping fear of making a mistake.
The next 60 seconds is paramount to making or losing the sale.
First, you need to set the stage. As you approach the dealership on the way back from a test drive, text your manager to be ready to receive you and the customer. The manager can then in position to greet you warmly: “Welcome back! How was it?”
Think of it like you were back in a high school dance. You see someone across the room that you think has been looking back at you too. Your fear of rejection could totally kill your chances of dancing away the night with your high school sweetheart, and at the same time your premature confidence might backfire and ruin it for good. That’s when your buddy saves the day, walks over and tests the waters for you. Let your manager be your wing-man! All your manager has to do is invest a minute to converse with the buyer:
“Welcome back, how was it?”
“Is it the one you like best?”
“If we can work it out to your satisfaction, can wrap it while you are here?”
“Great, let’s start the paperwork and lets see if we can make everyone happy.”
The above should generate an exchange that would give everyone the green light to start the write-up process and would only take an extra 60 seconds but it will keep the salesperson out of the monetary conflict: the source of tension in every buying and selling situation.
It will produce a verbal commitment from the buyer before it goes on paper, and it will make it so much easier to secure the 5 elements of a solid offer:
1. Specific car to be delivered.
2. Specific time to do business.
3. Conditions and contingencies.
4. Customer consent.
5. Source of funding and appropriate documentation.
So now that we’ve confirmed that the buyer is ready to buy and we know sellers are always eager to sell… it looks like we’re almost DONE!
Done in 60 seconds: Coming soon to a showroom near you!
Comments
Thank you for reading the post and for the question.
EMI (early manager intro) happens shortly after a prospect arrives at a dealership.
A Manager would:
- Enhance the welcome.
- Assures the prospect that they are in good hands.
- Indirectly assumes the responsibility for #s & $ (salesperson to concentrate on building value).
- Promote the test drive and create "intrigue" about possibilities "a deal".
- Promise to be available for further assistance.
The transition from looking to buying happens during the test drive (if/when it dose).
The salesperson should wait until the end of the drive to inquire about reaction/intentions.
The sales person should remain a "product specialist", stay out of the $$$ conflict, and not go for a trial close prematurely.
The manager should be in position to greet everyone after the test drive and attempt to verify buyer/shopper and proceed appropriately.
Below is my Perfect game plan for a better road to the sale including the where/when to execute some the techniques described the article above .
My question would be this: Assuming "EMI," the salesperson confirmed the client is ready to buy, and we're going from casual to formal disussion, why would you want a manager to ask the trial close question instead of the salesperson? Assuming there is a level of rapport between the salesperson and the client, and assuming the above elements were met (EMI, ready to buy, formal discussion), the answer from the client to the salesperson should be the same as if the manager asked the question. And if the client tells the salesperson they aren't ready, "we still want to look/shop" then the salesperson can get the manager involved if he can't overcome that stall. Personally, I don't see the benefit of getting a manager involved as you pull back into the dealership.
Great Post I am reading it on Friday to the boys and girls in the sales meeting!
Thank you all for reading the post and for taking the time to provide great feedback.
The "scene" described in the article above makes the following assumption:
1- EMI (early manager introduction) was done earlier... please read my post "Have you EMI'd lately?".
2- The salesperson had confirmed that customer had crossed over from Looking to buying.
3- We are attempting to move from a casual conversation (looking) to a formal discussion (buying).
Please keep in mind that the article is about one scene only (60 seconds out of the whole buying experience). I hope to have the opportunity to showcase the entire movie soon :)
I enjoyed your post but I agree with Mat and Mark in regards to the commitment question. The key element is if the vehicle is the correct one for the customer, not trying to pin them down on buying today. Maybe a better question would be "Can you see yourself driving this car for the next few years?"
Good post! I am a big believer in the manager as a sales coach with the constant manager interaction. I would be apprehensive about the commitment question as I believe it causes false fear. Commit them on the car only and take to the next step. I think sometimes we take all the rapport, comfort and excitement and then throw it out the window with a test close that really just creates fear and often creates a false answer of no just so the customer can protect themselves. However, there are more than one way to do things and I like the post.
“If we can work it out to your satisfaction, can wrap it while you are here?”
I believe Cardone said it before but we know that if we can't work it out to their satisfaction , they won't buy so why ask right? Just my opinion. :-)