9 Steps to Successfully Selling a Car

No matter if you sell new or used, foreign or domestic cars, the basics stay the same. The manner in which you perform them may vary, but all the steps must be done to make a sale. The following are the steps to a sale:

1. Meet and Greet
2. Establish Rapport
3. Qualify
4. Vehicle Walk Around
5. Test Drive
6. Service Walk & Dealership Tour
7. Ask for the Sale
8. Offer Write-up & Negotiation
9. Vehicle Delivery

Meet and Greet -- I know you've heard it before but you only get one chance to make a first impression. An appropriate greeting starts with a smile, a handshake and "Hi or hello, my name is Don Brooks, welcome to Joe's motors." If the customer does not give his or her name, Ask for it.
Remember it and use it when asking questions.

Establishing Rapport consists of light questions and comments. Where are you folks coming from today? Did you have any trouble finding us? Spend time getting to know your potential car buyers. Take control by asking questions and learning about them. At some point you will or should know to move to the next step.

Qualifying Here your questions turn more specific. You need to find out the following things. What are they driving now? How do they like it? Are they trading it? Is it payed off and if not how much do they owe? Who is the main driver of the new vehicle they are considering purchasing? What kind of driving do they do? Do they travel, pull a trailer or boat? As you can see there are lots of things to learn and we haven't really talked price yet? (Most dealers want you to wait till they're in the building anyway to talk money) Still you should ask if they have a payment in mind or a price. The thing to understand here on this most important step is ask questions, ask questions and then ask some more questions. You need to get enough information to allow you to take them to a car or truck or SUV that meets their needs. (The ones you learned about when asking questions, remember.)

The Walk Around OK, you've found out they have a 99 Buick, it's payed off and they liked it, but it got old and has too many miles on it. Since you listened to them you learned they wanted more economy, but still a good ride and room for 5. They take weekend trips but don't tow a boat. The husband is the main driver and he commutes 30 minutes each way five days a week. So you've brought them to a line of medium sized sedans and asked their opinion on color and options.

Now with a car chosen you get keys to the vehicle, pull it out of line and open it up for them. This is crucial; you want to show the car by itself never in line with 50 others, to the customer they will all look the same. Here your goal is to highlight all the things you learned they wanted when you qualified them. Do this from front to back in some repeatable fashion so you can spend time where you need to, connecting the feature (automatic power locks) with the benefit (not fooling with keys in the rain & better security in the mall parking lot).

Engine Compartment, trunk, wheels and tires, windows, doors, seats, cup holders, radio, climate control and various other features should be mentioned with the important ones to your customer explained and demonstrated thoroughly. When this has been done to the customer's satisfaction you want to seat the main driver in the front passenger seat, the mate in the rear and you get in the Drivers seat. I know you think this is hard, but it's not, just do it. Because this leads to the next step.

The Test Drive With you in the driver's seat you can show all the controls on the steering wheel, dash, consol, the shifter (whether automatic or clutch) and allow the customer to familiarize themselves with the vehicle without the pressure of driving. (Usually in a strange neighborhood or area) Have several routes for test drives, I used short, medium and long routes according to what the customer needed to find out about the car. Make sure your test drive routes have highway and side streets in them. A good short route would be a 10 minute drive and a good long one might be 30 minutes. As you leave the lot and drive; demonstrate handling, power, braking, noise reduction, smooth ride and other qualities on your portion of the drive. Make it long enough to get your points made, but short enough to not frustrate your customer. It's time to get them behind the wheel. Have a spot for stopping and changing places. Use this as a time to stand back and look at the vehicle. "How's this car look to you Mr. Holt?" At this point you want to start asking questions, trial closing questions.

You may have heard the acronym ABC, always be closing. Well you needed to get some info first, but now put ABC into gear.

The customer is behind the wheel and away you go. Give simple directions; let the customer make their own judgments about the car. Sit back, be quiet, and allow the husband and wife to see how they feel in this vehicle. Listen, Listen, Listen. They will give you signs if they are starting to take mental ownership of the car.
As you get near the dealership ask the customer or spouse if they can see themselves driving this car for the next few years, or how did if feel to you, is it the kind of vehicle you were looking for" Remember you want to uncover objections now, out it the parking lot. Find out if they want to attempt to buy or if they have reservations. ALL RESERVATIONS & OBJECTIONS NEED TO BE ANSWERED NOW!
That being said of course price, payments, warranties, specials, rebates and the like are something to do at your desk. According to the type of dealership you are employed with, you may turn your customer over to a manager or closer. Some modern computerized dealers have all the dollar details done right at the salesman's desk, though most old school dealers use a finance man for final payment and price.

Right now you want the driver to pull up in front of the Dealership and park. Even if they say they hate the car, do not let them put it back in line. If you do you will have to start all over again to have a chance at a sale, because they are in essence giving the car back to you. Your goal is the opposite; you want to encourage mental ownership.
Now if they answered in the affirmative when you asked "Could you see yourself in this car", your next goal and step is....

The Service Walk & Dealership Tour -- If your dealership has a Service Department you want your customers to know it. Bring them up to the service doors, show them the hours, especially if you have Saturday service. Introduce them to the Service Manager or the service advisor. Highlight the qualities and special features of your service department. Loaners, shuttles, waiting room, coffee machines etc. You will go from the Service Dept to the rest of the Dealership you want them to see. Treat them as if they were guests visiting your home for the first time. Show them the where the Restrooms, Water fountains, offices, and showrooms are. The very last place you stop is at your desk.

Ask for the Sale, That's right at some point, either out in the lot when you say, "Wanna go inside and let's see what we can do?" or at your desk when you ask "OK, you like the car; let's get the paperwork started. You must in some fashion ASK FOR THE SALE! Assume they're ready to buy, if they're not they'll tell you.

Offer Write Up and Negotiation This will vary the most of all the steps due the difference in Dealership financial and employment practices. I will give you an example with which I am familiar. With the customers seated across from you at your desk, ask for their driver's license and insurance info. You'll need copies of these for your paperwork. You'll be filling out a dealership form either by hand or on a computer.

If there is a trade involved you will need info on this vehicle and the keys for your used car manager. He is usually the one who will appraise the customer's trade-in.

According to Dealership policy and procedure you will advance through paperwork and negotiations till one of two things happens. The customer will say OK we have a deal or they will leave the dealership. If they buy the car you will stay with them till they go to finance and then see that the car is made ready to deliver. This is the last and most important step!

New or Used Vehicle Delivery The car requires plates, (temporary or switched from the trade-in). Extra keys and remotes, an owner's manual, fuel, and what other materials the dealership supplies to their buyers. (Coupon books, floor mats, custom accessories, etc.) YOU provide (in dealerships without dedicated delivery personnel) a thorough and complete explanation and demonstration of EVERYTHING!
From wipers to windows, brakes to bumpers: go over the vehicle and familiarize the buyer with their new car. If it's night, make sure they know where all the lighting controls are, yes even how to dim the dash lights! Show them how to open the locking gas cap, how to adjust the seats and steering wheel. I'm not kidding here, the better delivery you do the better chance you that you'll have a satisfied customer. One satisfied enough to recommend you to their friends and associates. This is how you build your reputation and sales. Never shortchange this step, even if you have to get the customer back in another day to complete the demonstrations and explanations of features, controls and equipment.

OK you got the basics; remember you learn more from listening than talking. Good Car Salesmen talk less and listen more. This allows them to know their customers, their needs and their budget. Use your personality, have fun, don't take yourself too seriously in this endeavor and you'll be alright. As a long time Salesman once told me "There's a Butt for every seat and a Seat for every butt." Happy Selling!