In sales, especially in vehicle sales, it’s critical to understand that the buyer’s perception is everything. Our cars, trucks and vans are not just modes of transportation. They are status symbols. They tell the world who we are and what we care about.
Some care most about fuel efficiency and small environmental footprints. Others are more concerned about safety. Some people want their vehicles to be second homes and are primarily concerned with how many people and how much stuff they can haul with them. Still others care more about style. Different people choose a vehicle for very different reasons. The salesperson's job is to learn what their reasons are, then help them find a good fit.
Many of today’s buyers are being drawn to vehicles with highly technological advancements. They want driving their cars to be as convenient and comfortable as using their smartphones. While manufacturers are intelligent to follow this trend, the majority of buyers with technological experience are likely to have certain fears about that technology.
We’ve all experienced situations where technology failed us. Perhaps our mobile phone service cuts out in certain parts of the country. Maybe we’ve had our computers lock up or even crash. Software challenges may have decreased our efficiency or even cause us to miss a promised deadline. Even more common are situations where the user simply doesn’t quite use the technology correctly. This is known as user or operator error. That type of challenge can be the most frustrating because it can be hard to admit you did something wrong or that you simply don’t understand something that you thought you did.
So the excitement for the technological advancements in vehicles is tempered by a certain level of doubt about its reliability. Because of the volume of information available online, and not just what’s posted by the manufacturer’s marketing department, potential buyers may approach you with information from blogs or friends about the challenges they’ve had with your vehicles.
They’re actually walking in the door with a handful of objections and practically daring you to tell them they’re wrong. Many salespeople cower internally (and some do it externally) when faced with buyers who say they’re interested in a vehicle you know has had some bad press. But that’s not the way to handle it.
When you know there is or has been a challenge with any aspect of your product, it’s your job to know how it is or has been resolved. Knowledge is power when properly applied. The application of this knowledge is not to be reserved until after you have presented the benefits of the vehicle. It’s during the presentation. Don’t anxiously await the buyer’s objection about the challenge. Bring it up yourself.
This may seem counterintuitive but it works quite well. By bringing up and bragging about a known objection before the client does, you are proactively dealing with an objection that could stall the sale later. You, in effect, take away the objection.
Let’s say that the vehicles you sell have touch screens and that there have been some challenges with those screens not working as well as anticipated. It doesn’t matter if the challenge was technological or operator error, the challenge is out there and your buyer has possibly read reviews about it. Don’t ask if they have read about it because that will likely take you and the buyer off on what could be a lengthy side discourse on the challenge. You just want to bring it up, brag about how the manufacturer is handling it or did handle it, and get back on track with the forward movement of the sale.
It might sound something like this:
“Mike and Sara, I see how interested you are in the touch screen navigation. It’s a great feature of this vehicle. As with much new technology, there were some issues with it in the beginning. I’m sure you’re familiar with upgrades and fixes with your computers and phones. Manufacturers have handled vehicle technology issues the same way. They are constantly working to make the technological aspects of their vehicles more user-friendly and more reliable. If you’ve heard some negative press about our touch screen navigation system, don’t let it keep you from enjoying all the benefits of this vehicle. The manufacturer has already made great improvements based on consumer feedback and will continue to do so.”
See how nice that is? You haven’t committed to anything specific. But you addressed an objection they may have been waiting to spring on you when they feel motivated to make the purchase. They may be thinking it’ll be a negotiating point to help lower the investment for the vehicle. Not anymore. You’re one step ahead of them and have just eliminated what could have been a powerful reason for them to say no to the purchase. You’ve bragged about the objection, handled it, and are now prepared to keep the sale moving forward.
