Professionalism

If a customer is in a car showroom or forecourt then they intend to, or are certainly open to, buying a car. Why else would they be there?

The salesperson is there to sell a car to anyone showing even the slightest interest in their stock. That’s why they are there. You are taught to never let anyone walk.

The customer should trust the salesperson’s knowledge and experience of the car market. They should explain at length what they are looking for, what they need and what they think they want. They should then take the professional advice given, within reason.

As part of their duty of care, the salesperson should establish the customer’s needs and desires. They should probe their comments and get them to expand on what they think they know. They should then sell what is required, desired and affordable.

Why then does the whole process often fall down? Why is there such poor dialogue in either direction? There is so much regulation and information out there, it should be clear-cut. But perhaps that’s why there is also so much misunderstanding.

With all the laws and regulations, maybe nobody is taking responsibility for the decisions and choices being made. Then, of course, there is all the

‘The customer should trust the salesperson’s market knowledge’

advice the customer could ever need on the internet, which is taken as gospel but often wrong.

Certainly, I know many dealers who are complaining that they’re no longer selling, they’re just form-filling. The customer simply won’t listen. They know it all and believe a salesperson is lying when they tell them otherwise.

Well, if a customer truly believes this, they should write down their needs and requirements when they first engage the salesperson. It is then documented for both parties. At the end of the sales process, if the deal doesn’t conform to what they wanted, then that bit of paper will work wonders in front of the judge. Ask me how I know…