Selling a car in 10 minutes and being thanked for it!!
I was conducting a Sales Training Workshop in a car dealership, Stewart Toyota in Miranda NSW, in the eighties when I was allied to the Auto industry.
One of the salesmen in the training asked me if I had ever sold a car. I replied "No", he followed by saying, "How could I teach them how to sell cars if I had never sold a car?
Fair comment, I then explained that selling and closing sales in common across the entire sale industry if you know what you are doing.
He followed by saying, "Put your money where your mouth is, I challenge you to come in and show us".
It is the first time I had been challenged, so I accepted. I told the Sales Manager that he would have to supply someone to do the paper work, he rapidly agreed.
The following Saturday morning I arrived at the Dealership and with the other sales personnel we waited for customers to arrive. Sure enough a short time later a couple arrived on the forecourt with two little girls in tow.
The sales personnel literally forced me out of the showroom to serve the couple, then they all sat back to watch the show and have a laugh at my expense!
Remember I can only work with the information that the customer/s presents to me
The following is the dialogue, almost verbatim. Follow the dialogue then we will analyse the Psychology behind my Sales Process and how I closed the sales in around ten minutes:
Dialogue: During the dialogue I apply, 'Minimal Encouragers', 'Lock-Downs', 'Ad-Ons',
'Assumptive Closing', 'I speak slowly with empathy' and I LISTEN to the customer without interrupting them!
Me: "Good morning, lovely day isn't it, by the way may name is Lou".
Customer: "I'm Steve and this is my wife Clair", (he then told me the name of his two girls)
Me: "How can I help you"?
Customer: "We are looking at a Corolla".
Me: (Nod and slowly) "Yea, nice cars, aren't they"?
Customer: "Yes, we like them"
Me: (slowly, with empathy) "Tell me, why a Corolla"?
He then commenced to tell me all the things he liked about the Corolla.
Me: "Have you had a test drive"?
Customer: "Yes, last week".
Me: (pause) "So your question is, how can you ensure that if you buy the car through Stewart's,
you are getting the best deal for your money, now that's your question, isn't it"?
Customer: "Absolutely"!
Me: "Will you trading in your current car"?
Customer: "Yes, as a deposit"!
Me: "OK, I'll call one of the guys over to take it for an evaluation, fair enough"?
Customer: "That's OK"
I then waved to the Showroom for one of the sales guys to over, and take the car for an evaluation
Me: "Tell me, how much could you comfortably afford to spend on a weekly basis on a brand new Corolla"?
Customer: (Clair answered) "We could afford around $20 a week"!
(remember that this was in the eighties, $20 a week was around $120 in today's terms)
Me: (slowly with a pause) "Right, but what could you really afford a week for a brand the new Corolla"?
Clair: "Well, I suppose we could afford $30 per week"!
Me: (slowly with a pause) "Clair, seriously, what could you really afford a week for a brand new, top of the line, Corolla, with air-conditioning, two tone paint, Mag wheels, everything"?
Clair: "If we really pushed it, we could squeeze say $40 a week, at that's really is our limit"!
Me: (Pause) "I can understand that, so $20 a week would be no problem, wouldn't it"?
Clair: "No, that would be great, thanks"!
Me: "Let's pop over to the Showroom and speak to finance, fair enough"?
We entered the Show room, and I proceeded to the lady who arranged finance
Me: I said, "This is Clair and Steve, they are buying a new Corolla and can afford $20 a week, can we arrange to do that for them"?
Finance Lady: "Sure"!
Me: "Clair, are you sure you can afford $20 a week"?
Clair: "Yes Lou"!
Me: "You will still be able to take the girls to McDonalds and have ice creams"?
Clair: "Lou, we can easily afford $20 a week"!
Me: "OK, I'll leave you can come back later, fair enough"!
The evaluation of their current trade in was not even an issue for them!
The deal was done in less than 10 minutes! Only the paper work was left to BE concluded.
Analysing the sales processes the Psychology applied:
1/. I welcomed them and introduced myself - we are now on first name basis and the resistance to buy has halved So many sales personnel never get to first name basis - it's VITAL that you do!
2/. I asked "How can I help you"? - Note the first word command, which was directed to their Subconscious Mind - so they answered positively, -"We are looking for a Corolla"!
3/. I answered with a 'Ad-On', aren't they?, positive statement, "Yea, we like them!" - this is giving them a positive psychological good stroke and getting them to re-enforce they like them!
NOTE - I did not start to show them a car - I wanted to know why a Corolla - so I simply asked , "Why a Corolla"?
4/. I then just LISTENED (no interruptions) and applied 'Minimal Encouragers', whilst Steve told me what he liked about the Corolla, two things were happening simultaneously, he was telling me what they liked about the Corolla, therefore reselling himself on the car, and giving ME all his buying criteria that I may need to close him!!
PLEASE read and re-read this until you fully understand what I did here and why!
5/. I then asked, "Have you had a test drive"- Steve replied, - "Yes" - this tells me they have had a test drive and weren't professionally closed! In other words someone had done all the work and I was about to close him and reap all the rewards!!
THEY DID NOT NEED TO BE FURTHR SOLD ON THE CAR!!!!
THEY NEEDED TO BE PROFESSIONALLY CLOSED!
SO I OBLIDGED!
6/. I said, "So your question is, how can you ensure that if you buy the car through Stewart's, you are getting the best deal for your money, now that's your question, isn't it"?
NOTE THIS IS NOT HIS QUESTION, IN FACT HE DID NOT ASK A QUESTION, IT WAS MY QUESTION, I SAID THIS SO I COULD ANSWER MY OWN QUESTION. HOWEVER, AS I DIRECTED THIS QUESTION TO STEVE'S SUBCONSCIOUS MIND, HE BELEIVED IT WAS HIS QUESTION - NOW I CAN ANSWER MY OWN QUESTION!!!
NOW WE ARE FOCUSING UPON MONEY - THE CAR IS NO LONGER AN ISSUE - ITS SOLD!!!
I AM GOING TO CLOSE THEM ON MONEY!!!
7/. I asked him if he was trading in his current car - he said ,"Yes", I had his car assessed, we are now deepening them into the sale and they feel more committed to buying
REMEMBER THEY DID NOT NEED TO BE FURTHER SOLD ON THE CAR, I NEVER EVEN ATTEMPTED
TO RE-SELL THEM, THIS WAS TOTALLY UNECESSARY - THEY NEEDED TO BE CLOSED!
SO I STARETED TO CLOSE THEM!!!!
8/. This is how I closed them on money, "Tell me, how much could you comfortably afford to spend on a weekly basis on the new Corolla"?
Note that I said 'comfortably afford to spend on weekly basis' - comfortably is softening word - on a weekly basis reduces the financial commitment to the least amount - rather than a monthly amount!
NOW I PLAY GOOD COP, BAD COP!
9/. The answer was $20 a week, I proceed with - BAD COP - Right, but what could you really afford a week for a brand the new Corolla? I continued with BAD COP - Clair, seriously, what could you really afford a week for a brand new, top of the line Corolla, with air-conditioning, two tone paint, Mag wheels in fact the works? - Pressure is on Clair - She replied with a little agitation, which is what I wanted - If we really pushed it, we could squeeze say $40 a week, at that's really is our limit!
10/. Now in comes the, 'GOOD COP' to release the pressure on Clair - "So $20 a week would be no problem, wouldn't it"?
(Clair) "No, that would be great, thanks"! I could see the profound look of relief on her face.
AFTER SHE HAD SAID SHE COULD AFFORD $40 A WEEK, SHE COULD NOT SAY NO TO $20 A WEEK!
AND SHE THANKED ME FOR IT!!!
11/. I now applied an 'Assumptive Close - Let's pop over to the Showroom and speak to finance, "fair enough"? Note the, 'fair enough' 'Lock-Down' at the end of my statement.
12/. I re-enforced the fact that $20 a week would be no problem, this is to remove any buyer's remorse after the sale, as Clair had insisted that they could comfortably afford $20 a week so strongly she could not later claim she could not afford it and believed that she closed the deal!
I later popped back to see the couple and they were ecstatic about their new purchase
NOTE THEY ARE DOING MOST OF THE TALKING DURING THE TRANSACTION, BECAUSE I WAS ASKING MOST OF THE QUESTIONS, HOWEVER, BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING MOST OF THE TALKING THEY FELT COMFORTABLE AND BELEIVED THAT THEY WERE IN CONTROL OF THE TRANSACTION - NO - I WAS!!!!
The entire process was done at a 'Subconscious Level' and the customers, had absolutely no idea what I was doing, other than taking the agony out of selling and making it an easy, comfortable and an enjoyable experience.
Note, there were NO sales gimmicks, NO misleading, No pressure, No nonsense, just pure Sales Professionalism!
Also note just how quick the transaction was, from beginning to end was around ten minutes!
Shortly after lunch time I left, I had sold four cars by applying simple Sales Psychology, which is a good weeks work for most car sales personnel - point proven!
Lou Pinder
Closing a sale in less than minute, when you know how!!!
I was waiting to see the Proprietor of the Electrical Department at Harvey Norman Store Mount Gravatt Queensland Australia.
He had a Rep with him so I stood in front of a row of washing machines awaiting my turn to see him.
Whist standing there a man approached me believing me to one of the sales personnel, so I said, "How can I help you"?
He said he was looking for washing machine for his daughter as hers had broke down the day before and she has children and needed a new machine.
The following is the dialogue I used, almost verbatim.
Please read this in your normal reading pace and time it, you will find it took less than one minute to execute!
In that time we were on first name basis, I discovered what he wanted, when he wanted it, how much money he had to spend, who made the decisions and what his buying criteria was , in-fact everything I would need to close him, and ALL this was achieved in less than one minute!
Dialogue:
Me: "How can I help you, by the way my name is Lou"
Customer: "I'm Rod"!
Me: "Hi Rod"!
Rod: "Hi Lou"!
Me: "How can I help you"?
Rod: "I need a washing machine for my daughter she kids and her machine broke yesterday and she needs a new one".
Me: "Tell me Rod, what do you know about washing machines"?
Rod: "Nothing"!
Me: (Pause speak slowly) "That's OK, so to help me help you, may I ask you a few questions"?
Rod: "Yes, of course you can"!
Me: (Pause speak slowly) "Is it something you are looking for now or in the future"?
Rod: "No, now she needs one straight away"!
Me: (Pause speak slowly) "What kind of budget do you have in mind"?
Rod: "Around $1000"
Me: (Pause speak slowly) "And you are buying it for her"?
Rod: "Yes"!
Me: (Pause speak slowly) "OK, what kind of things are you looking for in a machine"?
He commenced to tell me what things he wanted in the machine
Me: (Pause speak slowly) "Let me show what we have"!
As I said that a Salesman appeared form behind the row of refrigerators
I beckoned him over to us and introduced him to Rod and gave the salesman all the information.
By this time the Proprietor was free to I thanked Rod and went to see the Proprietor.
What I have I achieved in less than a minute?
It took me around 40 seconds to gather all the information that I needed to close Rod, with Rod's TOTAL consent and complete cooperation - good, isn't it?
Please read this until you fully understand what I did and why I did it!!!
Analysis of the transaction and the Applied Sales Psychology
1/. I made the first move and introduced myself, giving my first name. Rod replied and gave me his first a name. We are now on first name basis and resistance to buying has halved.
2/. "How can I help you"? How, is a command word which evokes a direct response, Rod tells me what he is looking for.
3/. I listen and paused, then ask him, "What do you know about washing machines", he replied, "Nothing", which is precisely what I want him to say. Most people will either say, "Nothing", or, "Very little'. Even if he had said, "I design washing machines", I would have continued with the following sales process.
4/. Now I can ask, and this is VITAL, "That's OK, so to help me help you, may I ask you a few questions"? He answered, "Yes, of course you can". He has now given me permission to ask him anything I want to ask him. In other words I can now, with his total consent, gain all the information I need to close him.
Please read this until you thoroughly understand what I did and why I did it!
5/. There are four qualifying questions that need to be answered when selling anything, and in this order:
1/. What do you want
2/. When do you want it
3/. How much have to spend
4/. Who makes the decisions
When you gain this information the chances of closing a sales is almost guaranteed!
As you are using them against them - good isn't it?
When Rob arrived he told me what he wanted, so there was no need to ask the first question.
So after me saying, "That's OK, so to help me help you, may I ask you a few questions"?
I proceeded with the second question: When do you want it. I Asked this question this way:
"Is it something you are looking for now or in the future"? I wanted him to tell me when he wanted it, he is telling me, so it must be true for him, and there is NO sales pressure from me!
6/. I then asked the third question in this way: "What kind of budget do you have in mind"?
Note, I did not say. "How much do you have to spend"? Asking the question the way I asked it and using the word, Budget", is gentle and professional, as most people have a budget to work with and they are more inclined to answer you when this question is presented this way!
7/. I then proceeded with asking the fourth question, "Who makes the decisions', I asked it this way: "And you are buying it for her"?He answered, "Yes"!
8/. I continued with a 'Buying Criteria Question', and this is also a VITAL question:
"OK, what kind of things are you looking for in a machine"?
This question is designed to get a customer to tell YOU all THEIR buying criteria, so you can sell to that criteria, and hit the 'Bulls Eye', every time. YOU must stick to their criteria when selling them a product, NEVER ASSUME to know what the customer may want!
I now possess all the VITAL information that I need to close the sale
I stick to the customers buying criteria for the rest of the Sales Process, this makes you look very professional and gains customer trust:
AND IT ONLY TAKES MINUTES TO ACHIEVE!!!
This Sales Process is VERY PROFESSIONAL and very profitable to the thousands of Sales Personnel who are now applying it!
When I left the Proprietor's office, Rod had stayed behind and approached me, he said, "Lou, thanks for your help, sorry, I thought you were a sales person"! I replied, "Rod, that's OK, did you get what you wanted", he said , "Yes, and thanks for making the experience so easy, I was dreading being sold too by some high pressure sale person"!
Selling is easy when you know how!
Lou Pinder