Car Salesman with a Heart
I harken back to my days in automotive/truck sales when I would do my best to keep closing sentences and questions to 6 words or less. Answered short questions with short questions. Usually, they would sign. (:-)) I had a helluva closing ration (sales per customers served), not quite 2 of every 3…but close. I was dogged, determined, and nice. Always did my follow-up and asked for referrals. Sometimes I could make a lot on a deal; but, most of the time, they were just average deals; but, even if they were "cheap deals", those customers were not down the street or around the corner looking at some other vehicle.
It is quite costly to get customers on the lot, and they are certainly not all buyers. Some are, but many are merely ‘lookers’, perhaps with a future purchase in mind. Some of those can be ‘pressed’ into action with a good sales platform. In any case, they all required attention, information, courtesy. Many salesmen relied on 3 or 4 key questions to ‘qualify’ them as buyers or lookers. Many salesmen, once they determined a person was not interested in buying immediately, would hand a customer a card and beg off, probably leaving them wanting a little more. Did the prospect keep that card? Probably not. Some of us, however, relied on personality, willingness to answer questions and common courtesy. The Golden Rule brought back many would be buyers when they were ready.
Information needs vary greatly, but the car makers cannot be faulted. They provide all the information a person could need to make a purchase decision. Wrong. A person must ferret out information, from recommendations from owners to interior specifications and cargo capacity. These days, all that is available on line; but you have to take the time to go look for it and read it and retain enough to make valid comparisons and decisions. Wow! That’s a lot to do with some information. Still today, not everyone has spent hours of research on their car/truck decisions. A good salesman knows his products AND the strongest competing products as well. That is more difficult these days, since owner brand loyalty is not as great as it once was. The competition is much broader now. People used to be much more brand loyal. A sales person is supposed to fill in the informational ‘gaps’ for the customer, respond with credible information to the questions important to the customer. But answering the questions and just those questions can be very important. A salesperson can provide too much information, muddling the customer’s thinking and delaying the buying action. I’ve seen that hollow look suddenly cross their eyes… that look that says, “I must know more before I buy.” That’s tough to overcome, but it can be done.
For a few customers with very specific, thought-out equipment or size needs I would often recommend an “order car”. This was a vehicle whose options were quite specific to the customer. We would sit down and build the vehicle on paper, then order it….after we agreed on a price AND the customer left a deposit on the order. Six to eight weeks later… voila! The customer got exactly what they said they wanted. This is no longer an option for customers. Dealers rely on locators and vehicles are sold as ‘packages’ for the most part. Some things can be added at the dealership, but some things require upgrading the model selected. The days of custom orders are past.
One day in mid ‘77, Tommy Ferguson, the owner of Ferguson Pontiac-GMC, came to my little office and closed the door. He was gnawing on his cigar. I rarely saw him light one; but, if seriously concerned or stressed about something, he would gnaw the hell out of them. He sat down and said, “Buzz, you have the lowest gross profit average in the dealership. That concerns me.” ”I have the highest closing ration…right?” “Yes, but…” I interrupted and asked, “Tommy, can we agree that it is pretty easy to sell a Trans Am these days and make a real good gross on it?” “Well, yes; but…” I interrupted again. “Tommy, if you take all the Trans Ams out of every salesperson’s gross profit average, then where do I stand?” “What do you mean?” he asked. “Tommy, I don’t sell Trans Ams. I try to sell most folks anything else first. If they won’t be switched, I give them to Bob Rapp. I take the back half of the commission, but he gets the mark and credit for the gross. I haven’t sold a Trans Am in 11 months. Young couples come in here with stars in their eyes and want something they really cannot afford. They have money problems stemming from payments, insurance issues, and probable tickets. They fight. They get divorced. The kids don’t have a Dad and the car gets repoed. There are 4 against the back fence today from GMAC. Two are Bob Rapp repoes of my customers. I decided a year ago that I did not want to be part of that scenario anymore, so I don’t sell Trans Ams.” “But why do you give them all to Bob Rapp?” “Because if they refused to listen to reason from a sincere person who actually cares, then they deserve the smoothest, highest grossing salesman in the building to bend them over…no kiss….no condom.” He openly smiled. Still gnawing, but slower now, he stood up and said, “I’ll look into that.”
Three days later, he came into my little office and said in an almost off-hend way, “You have the 3th highest gross average over the last 11 months without the Trans Ams in the formula. That was a good answer." He gave me a pat on the back and smiled, shifted his cigar to the other side of his mouth and left.
Some of us had heart....and conscience too.
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