I think many car salespeople do have fins.  I watch the same scenario when I take my car in for service.  Luckily everyone at my dealership knows us since we have been buying Lincolns from them for over 20 years, but I feel sorry for the unsuspecting prey.

Ed,

I am delighted to report that I have not seen this scenario at our dealership.  Everyone is cool there.  We usually drop off our car and a loaner is waiting for us 3 minutes later.  Those times when we were there for a minor adjustment, we have wandered into the showroom or the lot.  No one accosted us.  We actually would have to ask someone to help us.  They are into pull marketing rather than push.  A

Good afternoon Ed,

Having been an auto salesperson for many years and grocery before that it was always take cake care of the customer and they would come back to you as well as get the easier road referral!

Make yourself an astonishing day.

Hi Ed - I actually feel sorry for good car salespeople.  They get such a rap.  Your comments are spot on.

Very well summarized, Ed.  Every commission sales industry has their "sharks". Unfortunately, then, the whole industry gets that reputation.  Car sales is the quintessential example.

Walk into a non-commission sales establishment and you may find it difficult to get ANY service.  It is up to the true professionals in each industry to find the middle road, where customer service IS the primary goal.  

Thanks for the post. 

Ed well written post. There is a huge difference between being a service provider and a sales person.  I was taught years & years ago that 'if' sales people  have "dollar signs" in their eyes when looking at clients that mindset will not build long term relationships but rather a quick fix. Listen to the clients, pay attention to what their wants and needs are and give the best service possible.

Hi Ed, You get your points across very well in this post.  I want to think that most consumers can spot that "shark" coming at them. I have been in sales my entire life so maybe I can just see them coming.  

I'm from a car dealership family....my husband worked for one for most of his life and all three of our children and I worked there too at one time or another. It's a whole world in of itself. I know the routine of the sales staff well...one of my jobs was to train them on customer satisfaction. 

Ed, I loved this post and I agree with you, I never like pushy sales people so I would not want to treat others any other way than I would like to be treated. One of the main reasons Tom Hopkins resonated with me in my earlier days of my career. Endre

People want to be shown, told about property, not sold or hustled. The agent or broker who says "I know just the perfect property for you" as they enter the lobby or call in, email without letting them share their gotta have, don't want list is like Herb Tarlek.

Hi Ed Silva 

I think most sales people have shark in them. Aggression can be ok when used in a positive manner

They can be!  I remember once stepping onto the car lot of a local auto dealership.  I looked up and immediately saw 3 salesmen headed my way from two different doors of the building.  They were so agressive with their spiel, that I finally put my hands in the air, like they were pointing guns at me and backed away!  

CONGRATULATIONS Ed, on having this blog FEATURED in the Old Farts Club group!    

I agree Ed Silva  even if I need the service I will walk away from a pushy sales  agent

LOVE LOVE LOVE Andrew Mooers sterling portrait of the consumate salesperson....

There is something in the blood that attracts them. We need sales-people repellent

I think the problem for some people is that they don't get paid for service - only for sales.

@Andrew shared a great photo for sure! I don't think anyone likes a pushy sales person in any industry. And sometimes you DO feel like prey...and I never want any prospect or client of mine to have that feeling!

Service is the way to go. People really don't like "Sales People". It is all about your focus. Them vs. Me

Well done Ed! All of us shy away from the aggressive shark who views us strictly as a sale or dollar amount. We have to take the sales out of the equation and think service

That's predatory sales indeed. I have no time for any of that in my life or in my business. Great article, Ed!

Exactly! We have to provide for the needs and wants of customers when they need to be served. Kathy Streib

Hi Ed  --- while I'm reading your post, the theme from "Jaws" keeps playing in my mind...You make some excellent points.  Unfortunately car sales people often receive a bad rap --- maybe they need a lobby or some better public relations representation.  

Ed Silva - it's the perception and we can change it! By providing them very good service. (This is the Chief Operating Officer hat.)

And then ask for referrals. (And this is the CEO hat.)

There are some very aggressive agents in our market. However, beware of the public image.

So True!!!

While many of us receive our leads from either referrals or directly through our marketing, it is still the nature of the response that we give them that starts the relationship and if we are too pushy and aggressive we can cause them to be apprehensive towards us or even look to back away,

Ed, great post! I am working with people that view most agents as sharks, thankfully they do not feel that way about me. 

Putting the dollar first is such a mistake IMHO. 

I have noticed lately a trend in the sales calls I am getting. I have had quite a few that actually hang up on me, no goodbye, nothing other than click, as I tell them I am not interested. 

Good morning Ed.  Some sales folks certainly can be compared to sharks.  Though, the best will allow their customers to make an informed decision without pressure.

Exactly. We provide a service. I don't consider myself a "sales" person.

This is such a good point, Ed. Congratulations on the feature. I just spoke yesterday with someone who was referred to me to buy a home here in Charlotte. They are moving from Alabama and she made the "mistake" of leaving her contact information on a few agents' websites and was now being hounded for listing appointments. At the end of the day, I put her in touch with two top agents to interview who would not hard sell her or hound her.

Good morning Ed Silva,

Congratulations on your featured post..well deserved. Unfortunately there are those salespeople who are like a shark circling their prey!It's such a turnoff..no one likes to boxed in a corner and pressured to buy!

Love this post and the scenario. Like the idea of letting clients know we are here to service thier needs rather than eat them up.

I hate shopping for a car just becuase of this Ed Silva. The only thing worse is trying to browse in a store and being followed by one  

Hi Ed Silva , I'm afraid that to many people, we sales people are all sharks looking for their prey. It pays, for me to get to know the clients first, before putting them on the spot, unless they contact me first.

Ed, great post and glad it was featured, congratulations. I'm a service provider!

Ed Silva - Congratulations on an excellent featured story! I enjoyed reading what you wrote and the lively conversation that followed via comments. I can't think of anyone who plans to swim with the sharks but that's what it feels like when I walk into a car dealership or most any store. You made excellent observations that will serve you well in your own business, and I learned a lot too! 

Hello Ed

Wonderful post, congrats on the gold star from the AR Gods and featured to the group:

EXPRESS WITH WORDS AT ACTIVERAIN

Hi Ed, I think they certainly can be like sharks. But, these kind of people rarely get steady business. If people are too hungry, it is clear that they are in it for themselves instead of for the end consumer and I believe they become very transparent.

Ed, I like the concept of being a service provider. We really do, but I see a lot of sharks circling their prey in this business. 

Ed, I agree that there is a difference between sales people and service providers. I've always seen myself ... not as a sales person ... but as a consultant and service provider.  Clients are my treasure ... they are more than a paycheck. 

Congratulations on the Feature!

I think it is a shame that both in real estate sales and in lending even good salespeople occasionally act like sharks. Sometimes it's because other sharks are circling. in the end, relationships and being a counselor, not a salesperson, will always win out.

Oh yes, this is so true.  This is also why I prefer inbound marketing.  When the customer/client finds and wants you, you are in a much better position and the relationship is stronger.

Congratulations on a great post with an excellent analogy.  I truly think part of the approach of many agents is they see the buyer/seller as a paycheck.  If the house payment is due, they turn up the heat.  I have seen agents lie about a seller scenario to get a buyer to write a contract (seller lost his job and was transferred when that was NOT the case).  We need to keep our integrity and credibility.

Being hounded by a salesperson is never pleasant.  I do wonder if the high attrition rate in real estate is due to poor technique (such as you talked about) or because the market just can't sustain so many agents.  

Sad but true!!!

Pushy action can do just the opposite and push that potential client further away or even towards another agent.

I make it a point to no be that pushy salesperson as it s huge turnoff for me. I think some do this as it's what they think this business should be or they are living from paycheck to paycheck. Huge turnoff.

Boy, it just brings back bad experiences from being at a car dealer! They literally jump on people coming in.

Well said Ed...there seem to be many sharks in my Bay.

       You feel that way when you walk onto the lot of a car dealership, or step into a shoe store at the mall. 

      But in real estate, Buyers and Sellers should NOT feel like they are being circled by sharks!

Once, a few years back, my seller and I agreed to let her listing expire in order to complete a much needed repair.  The day after it expired, agents started blowing up her phone.  Now this client wasn't know for tact and diplomacy and those agents got quite an earful from her.  She asked each and every one of them what day they had shown her house during the 2 months it was listed.  Not one. 

It's definitely a fine line to show the client that a sales person wants their business and being just a paycheck.  Obviously, those whom treat the client as a paycheck, don't typically stay in business for long.

Unfortunately, RE sales people are just like sharks...they will say or do whatever they need to in order to snag the consumer.

Eve

There are those who think that high pressure sales is what it takes.

The consumers I work with would not agree. They have their pace and when they are ready they will look to the one who will provide personal service.

Our job is to be top of mind in a positive way so they remember to contact us when they are ready.

A very good point.  I've watched those car salesmen and their approach to people walking into the dealership.  It's a very competitive environment and can be intimidating to most people!  If we do our job right and are informative versus sales-minded, it's a win win for everybody. 

Most times than not agents who are desperate for business do that.  Those who have plenty business create their own demand and have a waiting list

Many sales people are most certainly like sharks, forcing the potential clients to swim away. 

I think we've all seen this type of behavior at the car dealership. You can't drive onto the lot without sales people chasing you down. I hope Realtors are not perceived that way.