THE CLOSE

Closing

The Art

It was just one of those days. Nothing was coming together easy. Yes we were getting some cars sold, but it just seemed like we were fighting salesmen as much as the customer to make things work.

On one deal Eric, the sales manager, was frustrated when a salesperson already decided a customer was not going to buy today. Eric had to carry the license plate and keys out and make the salesperson take the customer for a demonstration drive. When they returned, still determined to prove the customer wasn not going to buy today, the salesperson left the customer outside while he came in the get the To Go package (Business Card).

Determined that the salesperson did not get to decide if this was a deal or not. Eric swung open the showroom door, looked at the customer and shouted.

"If you don't mind would you change all your stuff over from your old car to the new car before you come inside?"

AND THEY DID IT... CAR SOLD!

If Closing is an art - the Art starts with Attitude.

How many of you would have swung that door open?

In my career I have only personally known 8 or 9 great closers. I loved studying their personalities. They came from all walks of life, education levels, and economic circumstances. They excelled making great money working in the same store and out of the same inventory as other salespeople making much less. Some closers had a technique that lacked finesse, but they still managed to close. Attitude, determination and delivery trumped technique.

Attitude and delivery are everything for a great close. You can not close with the same empathy you had while doing the outside work generating a mental owner. This is probably your one best chance to sell. The customer leaves today without a new car and your chances drop dramatically of ever seeing them again. So, shift gears on your attitude and tell yourself twice Today is the Day - Now is the time - I am the Guy before presenting the numbers. This was my mental trigger to remind myself to shift gears and get paid. Remember you earned the right to ask for the business.

Technique

Vocabulary

I found in most cases the customer did not mind paying profit. They are mostly dealing with the perception of getting taken. To combat that perception the delivery of the numbers is very disciplined, and that means the vocabulary we use. You have to deliver the numbers as if there is no room for negotiation. As if 100 people come in today to buy this car - they are all Getting The Same Price.

• Start with "How do you want it titled - Your name or you and your wife's name."
  • The customer answers this question and you are good to keep going. So many of these small yeses equal the big yes.
  • They object - Stop and address the objection before you lay out the pricing. If they object here price probably is not going to sell the car.
• "The Price Is"
  • Never say Retail Price, Sticker Price*. Anything other than "The Price is" is synonymous with discount.
  • "No one pays retail."
  • "One would have to be stupid to pay Sticker Price."
• "We are Prepared to pay you" for your trade.
  • Replace "We are going to Give You "X" for your trade. I always thought this was too casual. Prepared to pay you sounds more formal and less like it is negotiable.
• "All I need is your OK right here"
  • Never say "Signature". It is synonymous with call your lawyer.
  • This write up is not a legal document - it is just a written confirmation of a verbal agreement. They can use their signature when they go to the business office.

Pointers

1. Do Not teach the customer to negotiate by stopping to look for a reaction. You keep going unless they stop you. You look for a reaction and you are going to train the customer to give you one!
2. When you ask for the "Ok" - lay the pen down and - Shut Up. You did your part, now it is up to them to respond. If the silence goes a while - Don't speak!. If the customer was going to say "NO" - they would have said it by now! You stay silent until they speak first.
3. NO = "Why did you say that?". Don't assume you know the objection. Make them lay it out EXACTLY and then, make them defend it. It always amazes me when a salesperson becomes a customer advocate and comes to the desk with a crazy - out of left field objection and they never challenged it with the customer. Many times, the customer is just popping off and waiting to see what happens.
4. Get the customer used to signing their name and obligating themselves to the car. That means after you address the objections (if there are any) get an OK on what they will do and get back to your manager while they are STILL SITTING DOWN!
5. T.O. - We used to say no one walks until the boss talks. This is a valuable tool - use it. Your dealer paid to get the customer here and has a cost involved in each and every customer. Your dealer does not want to be held hostage to whatever your attitude is today. It is the manager's right to speak to every customer before they leave. Many times, I have gone in on a T.O, repeated the exact same thing the salesperson just said and because I was a manager the customer said OK. This tool can make you money - USE IT!
6. Role Play - Role Play - Role Play... Find a floor buddy and practice. Get the attitude going and then lay it out. Your floor buddy is going to be more difficult than most customers and you can build confidence here that will make closing the customers seem easy.

Remember - We'll try however we don't sell them all. Some days you will leave the store beating on your chest, howling at the moon. You are master of the universe. While other days you can leave feeling you cannot close an open face steak sandwich. Whichever way it goes, come back tomorrow and let's go again.

Remember - Have Fun. This is a people job and you will meet all kinds in this job. Even on the bad days, I enjoyed meeting the people. So, have fun and remember to laugh. It goes a long way on rapport and keeping the customer relaxed.

This entire process is why I consider car sales the purest form of Sales. We have a short sales cycle of two and a half to three hours and we are not selling hats and t-shirts. We are selling $30,000, $100,000 in merchandise. You have to be a pro. I like to say that if you have A.D.D., this is a Great Job - win or lose goes quickly. I never had the patience for the long dance of B2B sales, and I never found anything else that gave me the same rush as a great day on the car lot.

Good Selling.