I walked in a buyers' shoes this weekend, and came home with some lessons learned as well as a new car from Adams Jeep of Maryland.
A personal referral is the best possible introduction.- If a buyer walks through the door, he/she probably wants to buy - not just try.
- Listen to the buyer's wants and needs.
- Know your inventory well, so you can promptly present buyers with something that matches their wants and needs.
- Know the financing options well, so you can quickly calculate the required cash up front and monthly payment.
- Buyers want EASY, so don't drown them in details unless they ask (or the information is a required disclosure).
- Don't insult the buyers by talking down to them.
- Buyers are not automatically raving fans.
- Thank buyers for their business.
- Follow-up after the sale may determine if buyers will be raving fans.
For the past year, my hairdresser has been a "raving fan" for the car dealership where he purchased his vehicle. That's why my husband and I drove 75 minutes to find out what made that dealer so extraordinary. We didn't drive all that way, passing many other car dealerships en route, to window-shop. We wanted to buy a car from someone who would value our business and provide great service during and after the sale. (1 and 2)
The sales person to whom we were referred listened to what we said, pulled out the paperwork on a car that fit our wants and needs, and worked out two financing options for us on that car - one with their rebate, and another with 0% interest. (3, 4 and 5)
Satisfied that a purchase was doable within our parameters, we were ready to go for a test drive in the car the salesperson had identified - he was right, it did satisfy our wants and needs. We didn't feel compelled to look at any other vehicles or financing, even though they had a parking lot full of cars and probably a whole menu of financing options and lenders. (6)
We were having one of those "raving fans" experiences ourselves until they sat us down at a table to watch a video about taking care of your new car and warranty options. About 2 minutes into it, I moved beyond restless to annoyed and then started to feel insulted. Really, at that point, I was ready to walk without buying. We did buy, but those few minutes undid the warm fuzzy feelings we both had about this experience, and that mis-step could cost this dealership our repeat or referral business. (7 and 8)
When everyone in the dealership said "Congratulations" as we left, it seemed a little misguided. Instead, I felt they should have been saying Thank you for your business and saving their "high-fives" for themselves after we were out of sight. I didn't feel the slightest bit appreciated for driving 75 minutes to their dealership and being an "easy sale" for them in this buyer's market. (9)
Can they redeem themselves? They were going great until Items 9 and 10, so I guess good follow-up is their best hope for restoring our positive feelings about doing business with this individual or company. I wonder... will there be a hand-written note from the salesperson and/or manager in our mailbox on Monday? Will their Service Department be worth the drive past all those other Jeep dealers, including the one we've used for the past 12 years? (10)
One thing is certain, we came home with more than a new car... By the time we got back to Crofton, I already had pages of notes about what I learned from walking in the shoes of a buyer. At the top of my list: Pull Raving Fans off my bookshelf and re-read it this weekend. In 2009, I'm going to tweak how I do business to make sure MY clients have a "raving fan" experience from start to finish and beyond - without any of the pauses my husband and I experienced at Adams Jeep of Maryland in Aberdeen.
8 out of 10 is not a "bad" score - in fact, it's pretty good - but I know I can do better than that!
Bottom line: "Satisfied customers and clients" are good to have, but I prefer to earn "raving fans." Walking in a buyer's shoes provided me a fresh perspective to evaluate whether my business practices are on target for that.
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