"Selling Starts With a Great Foundation: Greeting & Rapport"
 Let's look at the critical first two steps in the sales process: Meeting the customer and finding common ground. In classes I find that many salespeople are rushing to find out if they are talking to a buyer, that they miss these steps and severely hurt their chances of making a sale. Just as in building a home, you must start with a strong foundation if you want your sale to be secure.
The Importance of the Greeting
No step is more important than our initial meeting of the customer. The reason? You won't get the opportunity to advance the sale to the other steps if the greeting is ineffective. Your first impression will likely determine your ability to make the sale. Many people are too nice to blow you off but the first few seconds may have made them decide to leave before buying.
Have you ever met a salesperson and thought “there's no way I'd buy something from this person”? Why? It may not have even been on a conscious level, but something made you uncomfortable. When someone is making a decision to spend thousands of dollars and 20% or more of their net pay, they want to feel comfortable with the person they are dealing with. Let's look at how to get off to a great start every time.
First Impressions
How do you look when you greet a customer? What is your dealership's dress code? Are you dressing to the high end or low end of the dress code? Many dealerships and companies today are allowing business casual dress. In fact, where I work we dress business casual at the office. When we go out to see customers or conduct training, we wear business suits and ties. While there is no right or wrong here, my recommendation is to dress one notch above the average look in your store. If business casual is the norm, wear dress slacks, nicer shirts and dress shoes. If coat and tie is appropriate, wear tasteful suits with nice ties. The bottom line is to dress the way you would expect someone to who is advising people on purchases of $30,000, $40,000 and up. How do they dress at nice jewelry stores and stockbroker offices in your area? Take a cue from them.
Speaking of appearances, you may look great but what does the customer think when they pull in and see six or seven of your buddies standing outside the front door waiting for them? It's a very negative sight so if that's happening at your store, break them up or at least separate yourself from them. That group is normally the biggest source for “stinkin-thinkin” in the town you live in.
Be Prompt not Pushy
It's important to greet customers promptly when they arrive at your store. This doesn't mean opening their door and pulling them out of their vehicle though. As you approach them follow this four-step rule for your greeting:
- Smile. Nothing communicates warmth to someone like a smile. Not a huge, all teeth, cheesy “I'm about to lift your wallet” smile. A warm, sincere it's nice to meet you smile.
- Introduce yourself: Simply tell them your name and pause. They'll give you their name back almost every time. Again, be friendly not formal. Your goal here is to begin the process of building “business rapport” so that you begin to establish a basis for trust in this relationship.
- Welcome them. Just as you would welcome a guest into your home, invite the customer into your dealership.
- Position the sales process. Your goal is to put the customer at ease here so lay out the game plan. Let them know who you are, a little about the dealership and where you are going in the process.
A good greeting might look like this:
Hi, welcome to ABC Motors, I'm Jimmy Atkinson, we're glad you stopped in today. (Get the customer's name) Here at ABC we've been able to help thousands of customers find the vehicles that meet their needs and provide outstanding service throughout their ownership period. I'd like to find out about what you folks are looking for and share a little about our dealership and what makes us unique. Is this your first visit or have you spoken with someone here before?
Finding Common Ground
Most people buy cars, trucks and anything costing more than a few dollars from someone they like. This doesn't mean that it's likely that you and this customer will be sharing the 4 th of July picnic together. However, it does mean that you must establish some common ground and find some common interests if you are going to make this sale. In fact, I suggest you set aside cars for a few minutes and talk about their needs and look for opportunities to build rapport. Some areas to explore:
- Where they live and work.
- Family size, kids ages.
- Interests, hobbies. Especially those that involve the vehicle like boating or vacations.
We all like to be around people who show a sincere interest in us. We are more comfortable with people who are like us and share the same ideals and interests. Take a few minutes to show these customers that you are a real person, much like them, not simply a salesperson.
Building on This Foundation
Once you've greeted the customer properly and built some common ground, you have earned the right to move farther into the sales process. You'll find it's much easier to get people to tell you their wants and needs, how they will use the vehicle and what their Hot Buttons are after you've laid this critical foundation.
Now, grab a note pad and pen so you can write out your greeting and some of the key questions you will ask to start the sales process. Don't just “wing-it” and hope the right words come when you need them. In most cases they won't and you'll be like Homer Simpson saying “Doooooo".
If you want more information about this, drop me a line at jimmy.atkinson@assurant.com . Next time we'll talk about the next two critical steps” Discovering Wants and Needs and Vehicle Selection. Until then: “Good Selling”! |
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