Put Your Customer First And The Sale Will Follow
Shoppers in today's struggling economy are becoming increasingly more discerning. Not only are they conducting extensive research before they even enter your dealership, but they may feel uncomfortable and at times, or even suspicious of traditional vehicle sales tactics.
If you want to make the sale, you need to offer your customers more than just a product. You need to make the buying process as easy and comfortable for your customers as possible. Let them know that you are on their side and you will have a customer for life.
You might be wondering just how to do this. There are three simple ways that you can show your customers that you value them.
Prequalify – By helping your customers decide early on how much car they are approved to purchase, you can save both yourself and your customer time by staying within your customer's price range. Prequalifying helps temper your customer's expectations if they do not qualify for as much as they were hoping for and gives you an opportunity to discuss a larger down payment if they are interested in something that is out of their range. It also helps you to identify when a customer has the ability to be shopping a higher-class car than he originally was looking for. Companies like NCC Direct, Inc. offer credit reports for auto dealers.
Get Personal – Take the time to get to know your customer. Not only will this help you to determine what time of vehicle may be the best fit for him, but it will also help him to feel more comfortable going through with the purchase with you and your dealership.
Be A Gracious Host – When a person walks into your dealership, he is much more than just a potential customer. He should be treated as you would treat an honored guest in your home. Offer a cool beverage when you return from perusing the lot on a hot summer day, provide a comfortable place to rest while you are working on the paperwork, or keep some crayons and coloring pages to help keep their children busy. These are small gestures that go a long way to letting your customer know that you value them, not just their business.
It is never easy for a person to part with their hard-earned dollars. But when you take the time to show your customers that you care about them, not just about making a sale, you make it just a little bit easier for them to trust you to help them make their purchase.