How to deal with a best price car shopper

Most car buyers come into the dealership with the fear that they will be pressured into buying something that’s not really what they want. On today’s Saturday Morning Sales Meeting, David Lewis, President of David Lewis & Associates, talks about dealing with defensive car buyers.

To receive a complimentary copy of The Secrets of Inspirational Selling, contact David Lewis at dlewis@davidlewis.com.

Transcription:

David Lewis:
Today I want to talk to you about how to deal with a best price shopper. So many car salespeople think that car shoppers are only interested in getting the best price on the car that they want to buy. Now, of course, we all like to get the best price on everything, but getting the lowest price is not the priority that most car buyers have when they come to your dealership. The truth is, most car buyers are very defensive and what they bring with them is the fear that they’ll be pressured into buying something that is not really what they want. Because of that, they make statements and ask defensive questions that make you think price is the only thing that matters.

How do you deal with someone like that, someone who is telling you that price is the only thing that matters? What you do is you take the price out of the equation and focus on helping them find the car they love and on being the person they want to deal with in the process of buying a car. Most customers bring their defensiveness, their apprehensions, and their fear when they come to a dealership, looking for a car. It’s what you bring that will really make the difference. You need to bring the fun and excitement with you today that will make their car buying experience something they not only enjoy, but something that will make them enthusiastic about buying the car you’re going to show them and about buying it from you.

Buying a car is, for most people, the second largest investment they will make other than their home. So, it stands to reason that they will be a bit nervous about the process. It’s up to you to change that and make their experience about something other than how much it will cost them. The best way to do that is to help them fall in love with the car you are showing them and with you as the person they want to deal with in that process. The reality is that people will pay more to buy a car from someone they want to deal with. Most car shoppers are very defensive, but it’s hard to get defensive with someone you like. By making the car shopping process fun and exciting for the customer, you will take their focus away from price and turn their attention to the experience they’re having with you and in the vehicle you are showing them. Of course, they’d like to get the best price, just like you and I would every time we’re in the market to buy something, but it’s not the only priority and certainly not the main priority when it comes down to making the decision about what we are going to buy.

Here is what you need to do today. Car shoppers are buyers. If you overcome their fear of going to a car dealership to shop, they’re going to buy a car somewhere. In most cases, they will do that in the next few days. You can stop their shopping process and make it a buying experience they will think about and talk about for many days to come. Every time they get in the car they bought from you, they will think about how much fun it was and how glad they were they ran into you while they were looking for a new car.

If you are convinced that price is all that matters, well, guess what? You will focus your sales pitch on price and on convincing them that you can beat the other price that’s out there. That is the best way to send them shopping somewhere else to find out if that’s really true. So, forget about price and focus on selling them the vehicle you are showing them, on yourself as the person they’ll want to buy from, and on your dealership as the place where they can expect the great treatment they will receive during and after the car buying process is over. But don’t forget to bring the fun with you to the game. You’re never going to get them to forget about wanting to get the best price if they can get it, but put price out of the picture until the time comes for the negotiations. If you can get them excited about the car you are showing them and about buying the car from you and from your dealership, price will take a backseat in their list of priorities and will not be the main focus in their decision-making process.

Today is your next best opportunity to make some good money in this business. Make the best of it and sell cars the way you know how to sell them rather than selling the lowest price as the motivation of buying from you. If you can do that, today will be a great day for you, and it’ll be a fun day for both you and your customer. If you would like a complimentary copy of my book, The Secrets of Inspirational Selling, just send me an email at DLewis@DavidLewis.com with your contact information and I’ll be happy to ship you at one ASAP. Good luck everyone, and have a great Saturday.

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