How to Sell Cars Ethically at a Used Vehicle Dealership
Do you want to help your sales team maximize their potential for income by selling more cars? Have you noticed that your current sales process has some glaring holes? If so, then you need to learn all about how to sell cars the right way.
Doing so can benefit you in many ways. Your team will learn how to build meaningful business relationships, prioritize the customer experience, and use real-time reports to their advantage. All of which will lead to higher sales conversions for your brand.
See below for an in-depth guide on how to sell cars the right way at a used vehicle dealership.
1. Focus on the Relationship
Just as the wise Zig Ziglar once stated, “You don’t build a business, you build people and then those people build the business.” That’s the mindset you should have with your used vehicle dealership.
This business isn’t about selling cars; it’s about nurturing your relationship with customers. Those relationships can propel your business for the foreseeable future.
The car dealerships that only focus on metrics get lost in the dust. Jeffrey Gitomer puts it this way, “Value the relationship more than making quota.” A strong relationship with a client can turn into multiple car sales, not just the one they’re focusing on right now.
When your used car salespeople nurture customers, they’ll be able to find the biggest pain points of that client. Why are they looking for a used car? What features do they need? What are the non-negotiables of the next car they purchase? What are the driving factors in their purchase?
After answering those questions, your salespeople will be able to line that customer up with the perfect car. As long as they know your used car inventory well, it will be as easy for them to close sales.
Here at ATN, we can help you with dealership sales process management. We’ll create a tried-and-true sales process that will lead to higher conversions for your team.
2. Have Perspective
Tunnel vision is a salesperson’s kryptonite. It’s the easiest way for a salesman to miss out on maximizing the relationship between them and their clients.
As we mentioned earlier, one client isn’t maxed out at one car sale. Even if they aren’t looking to purchase more than one vehicle at that time, they could be looking for a used car for their wife a few months down the line. Maybe their child turns 16 in a few years and, if the relationship is strong enough, comes back to you for help.
Your sales staff must maintain the right perspective. They need to keep an open mind to every customer that walks in the door.
Every prospect is a walking network of potential sales. If your salespeople treat them right, they’ll build strong loyalty with your dealership. Customers don’t enjoy hopping from car lot to car lot; they want to find one they can trust.
Treat every customer as the valuable connection that they are. Doing so can help you increase your sales conversions in no time.
3. Be Transparent
It’s no secret that car salespeople have developed a stereotype. There’s a misconception that, if a customer visits a car lot, they’ll be forced to go to war with a pushy salesman to get a great deal.
Fair or not, this is a misconception your team has to overcome. Your salesmen and saleswomen have to prove themselves to win a customer’s trust.
The best way to do that is by being transparent. If a customer is looking at a car that you don’t feel is the right fit, show them a few other options. After listening to the customer’s pain points, provide some bullet points on why those vehicles are a great fit for them.
Answer all objections honestly. Don’t tell the customer what you think they want to hear; give them honest feedback and insight. Your honesty won’t go unnoticed!
4. Listen, Then Answer
In this digital age, a customer can look up virtually any bit of information that they need on a car. If they come in looking for a specific model or trim, it’s safe to say they’ve done some research.
Encourage your sales team to maintain open ears. Let the customer ask the questions, then give them the best professional insight possible.
Simply listing off information is pointless. It wastes precious time and causes clients to turn their ears off. In most cases, customers can talk themselves into a purchase based on the answers you’ve given them, not the information you’ve listed.
5. Value-Focused Mindset
As a used car dealership, your inventory has one distinct advantage over a new car dealership’s inventory: your vehicles can offer more value!
Customers these days are smarter than ever. They understand how quickly new cars depreciate; it could be the primary reason they’ve visited your dealership in the first place.
Don’t focus on meeting quotas or selling them the highest-priced car possible. Simply focus on creating the most value for customers and the sales numbers will take care of themselves. We’ll help you gather real-time reports to track the progress of all your salespeople as they drive more value for your clientele.
How to Sell Cars: Establish a Strong Sales Process
Now that you have seen an in-depth guide on how to sell cars ethically for your used vehicle dealership, it’s time to establish a strong sales process for your team to follow.
Take the time to read this article on how to create a sales strategy for your automotive dealership to capitalize on. To get started, be sure to give us a call at 480-999-5055 and we will be happy to assist you further.
