SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT CAR: HOW TO HELP A SALESPERSON WORK FOR YOU

Most of us approach the process (and boy can it be a process!) of car buying with the same level of enthusiasm we bring to having major surgery.  As stressful as this can sometimes be, it can quickly get even crazier if you ever decide to use it as a “quality” learning experience for your kid or any other first time car buyer who hasn’t yet had the pleasure of experiencing the mental and verbal gymnastics that have become so much a part of the car buying process for so many of us.

Folks, since this little exercise is all about getting the salesperson to work for you, here are some things to keep in mind that will make your next car buying expedition less stressful and more focused and effective for all concerned.  Let’s face it, you’re there in the first place because you’re looking for a car and any dealership worthy of the name would like to earn your business.

There’s a very good reason dealership sales people are frequently called “Sales Consultants”; the conscientious ones are product experts that will answer any questions you may have about their product line.  Not only that, but if they’ve been trained properly, during your initial meeting they will have some key questions for you (hence “Consultants”); this isn’t because they are nosey by nature – they are trying to gather enough information to be of some help to you in your quest for a new chariot.  SO DON’T BE STINGY WITH THE INFO!  The following is a sampling of the kind of information that an astute sales person will find useful in helping you pick out the right vehicle for your needs.  

1. Are you replacing a vehicle?

 

2. How will you be using the vehicle (commuting, business, etc.)? 

3. If commuting, is fuel efficiency or comfort most important to you?

 

4. How important is performance?

 

5. Do you prefer sedans or coupes?

 

6. Light colors or dark colors?

 

7. Is resale value important to you when considering a purchase?

 

8. If applicable, how often do you trade vehicles?

 

9. Once you’ve picked out a vehicle are you planning to finance it?  Does the safety rating of any vehicle you intend to purchase play a part in your decision making process?

 

10. What features would you like the vehicle you ultimately select to have?

The decision to tap into the skills and expertise of a trained professional who earns his or her living by how effectively they help to take the stress out of the car buying process and make it even a little bit fun and exciting ought to rank right next to remembering to buckle-up before heading out to work in the morning!

Notice that I haven’t even mentioned payments yet – why, because until you have picked out a vehicle that will satisfy your needs, pricing really has no need to come up. Any major purchase must certainly satisfy your needs as you have defined them before you even consider whether or not you can afford them. If you’ve made a partner of your sales consultant early in the process then there is less likelihood of a mismatch between “needs” and “wants” when it comes time to see what the new vehicle you’ve fallen in love with will cost.

Best to consider a good sales consultant your very own personal shopper for the time you are visiting the dealer.  Happy hunting!

Automotive Service to Sales...Seamlessness...Really

From time to time, we will have members of the DeliveryMaxx family share their experiences from the automotive industry with you.  We hope you enjoyed this read from Craig Rodenmayer, DeliveryMaxx’s Customer Service Professional.

 In the 16 years I worked in the automotive industry as a service writer, consultant, and assistant service manager on the dealership level, I faced many opportunities and challenges. However, the greatest of those challenges and opportunities continually focused on how to retain my client base and represent the dealership well to my customers in order to achieve and maintain a high level of CSI and repeat business. That was the crux of what I learned in those 16 years. 

 During my tenure, car dealerships began to develop a focus on “seamlessness” between the front end of the store and the back end, or fixed operations of the service and parts departments. There were, in essence, two franchises under one roof operating out of step, often in competition with one another. The disjointed nature of these two competing entities worked to the detriment of the dealerships client base because the customers of that dealership were becoming lost to the schizophrenic nature of the messages they received either at the point of purchase or at the point of service. There was a lack of dialogue or familiarity between the sales staff and service staff which created a lack of trust or loyalty with the customers on both ends resulting in a loss of repeat sales and returning service customers. Worst of all, this lack of trust was being expressed through the customer’s word of mouth and CSI reviews to the dealership. Disaster! 

 What I learned in my time writing service, and what I began to understand of human nature, is that people want a friend they can trust when it comes to their automobile purchase or service. They want experts who will lead them down the path with integrity and sincerity. They don’t want to be “sold” on something they don’t want, don’t need, nor can they afford. So, my approach to the concept of seamlessness became communication and knowledge of what the other half of the dealership was doing. Likewise, I developed relationships within the sales staff so that I could better serve my customers and the dealership as a whole. The better I understood the sales end of the car business, then the better I could assist my service customers in making wise decisions about a car they own that may be, for a lack of a better term, a “money pit” if they continue to dump money into it to fix it. I and my customers needed friends in the sales department.

 I never cared much for the notion of a “bird dog” fee for flipping a service customer to a specific sales person; to me that seemed more like a scheme. Of course I wanted to be well compensated for my efforts, but more than that I wanted to make sure my customer was being treated with the same level of integrity and honesty that I provided in my relationship with them. After all, a car purchase usually takes place within the confines of a day; a service customer however, is won over months and years! Therefore, it was imperative that any customer of mine was treated with the highest level of care by the sales staff. What is more, I didn’t want to develop a “racket” with just one sales person who would pay me to flip my customer. No, keep your bird dog fees and spread the love. My desire was to work as a team, seamlessly taking care of our most valuable asset, the customer. If we won the trust of our customer, we earned a customer for life. 

 And so now, with the ubiquitous internet and social media, it is even more imperative to take the concept of seamlessness to task within the automotive dealership. There should be absolutely no gap or perception of a void to the customer between the point of sale and the point of service. Furthermore, the client base of the dealership, both young and old, have become more sophisticated and educated in the process of car buying and automotive service. Dealerships owe it to themselves to cross train and educate both the sales staff and service staff in an effort to better enhance the dealership’s customer retention, online reputation, brand reputation, and CSI reviews. It is in our nature to want to trust and that is the key to winning customers for life; loyalty is the point of becoming truly seamless. Really. 

DeliveryMaxx was founded on the principles of creating a more efficient method for successfully completing the sale at the point of delivery.  We have developed a system that effectively increases the positive experience of buying a new vehicle, accurately tracks the process, and generates increased customer retention.  The net result to our dealer network is increased sales, residual profits, web domination through social media marketing, strong SEO value and Locals, Published Positive Reviews and a Customer Loyalty Program that assures “Keeping the Customer for Life.

Our founders have over 60 years of experience in Automotive Sales, Management, Fixed Operations, Corporate, Marketing, and Customer Support ensuring a complete understanding of the sales process and the knowledge to help you grow your customer base.  We understand how hard it is to win a customer, and DeliveryMaxx arms you with the tools necessary to build continuous, strong relationships with your customers and retain them for generations to come.