Overcoming the "Your Product Sucks" Objection

Those of us who have been around the retail automobile industry will sooner or later find a customer that says your product, store or staff sucks. This usually happens when a salesperson is working the service area and runs into that customer. You know the one who can't wait to unload all his problems on you.

Oddly enough, this person is as good of a prospect as anyone else. Usually they have a need for better transportation. They are in your store and best of all they are in front of you.

So how do we turn this around?

First be patient. Wait for it... After a few seconds of allowing the customer to vent, step in and kindly ask "May I ask you a question". After the customer says yes. Ask Mr. Grumpy this.

"Mr. Customer, If you were the President of ABC Automotive and your company created a product that was not up to customer expectations. The product was not what it should have been, what would you have done"?

When he gives you some version of "I would have fixed it". You jump in and say "That's exactly what we did. Let me share with you why so many customers are very proud of our company and product today."

This will get you their attention. Be up beat and proud of your company. Beside if you are not, you shouldn't be working there.

Variation: Customer complains about a previous bad experience.

"Mr. Customer if you were the Dealer and you became aware that a customer of yours had a bad experience like the one you explained to me, what would you have done."

They will respond with some version of "I would have fired them" or "fixed it".

Whatever they say, is always the right answer for them and you simply respond. "That's exactly what we did. Here is why you are going to love us now...."!

I hope this help, now go close a deal!

By Chris Justice with No comments

Wow your Customers or I will by Chris Justice

Who cares about satisfied customer?

In this economy that is the standard, the minimum to be in business. If your customers are not being satisfied you won't be around long. There are too many business that will at least make sure the customer is treated well and satisfied.

However to compete and grow in a recession you have to do a lot more than be
"par for the course". Your goal is to have fanatical customers (loyal fans), when giving choices prefer to only do business with you.

I call this the "wow effect". We have all had them. You may remember someone doing something for you that was so nice or outstanding all you could say is wow!

As a consumer I am very selective with who I spend my money with. And I believe most people are (or will be) the same.

Here is an example of a wow moment I had recently.

I purchased a domain name from GoDaddy. As you know there are thousands of places to buy domains from. At check out my order was a little more than I expected... no big deal. The next morning a 9:30 Sharod called from GoDaddy. He was from customer service. He thanked me for my business and asked if a few minutes to go over my order.

"Oh God" I thought, here comes the up-sell.

And really I was in the middle of three different things. Two people in my office waiting and I didn't have time for a sales pitch.

I told Sharod I was very busy and asked how long will this take?

He politely responded in a friendly voice "Only a few minutes, If you have to go after we start I can call you back".

I said o.k. and the first thing he said to me was that he thinks I over paid. Within two minutes he had credited me back 60% of my money and I still received everything I wanted.

All I could say was wow!

They could have kept my money and I would not have known the difference.

Who do you prefer to do business with? Are you this kind of business? Do you do what's right when no one is looking?


Always strive to wow your customers.

By Chris Justice with No comments

What happened to Record Players and Emails by Chris Justice

What ever happened to record players? How about Beta tape players? Anyone remember pagers? Here's a good one,typewriters.

One thing is for sure nothing is forever. No matter how useful or advanced, it to will one day be obsolete.

Now in my mid 30's, I remember thinking how hip and cool my generation was. I can only smile as my kids today refer to my generation as "old school".

Today I would classify most Auto Dealers as "old school". Within about 10% - 15%, most Dealers operate the same way they have for the last 20 years.

Here's the proof. Do you or any of your people use terms like:bouge, lot up, phone up, used car appraisal, 4 square, if I could would you, if it was that cheap why didn't you buy it?

Still running Ads like;
Push pull or drag... any trade welcome
Double your rebate/down payment
low interest rates
No reasonable offer refused
Liquidation Sale
Inventory reduction sale
Used Car blow out

Any of this sounding familiar? I see the same combination of ads I saw 18 years ago. The culture of the stores are the same, even the vocabulary is the same.

In any other industry, you did what you were doing last month, you could be out of business.

In the mid 90's when the internet started becoming popular. Dealer would get emails from 15 year old kids asking about their high priced sports car. They hated it. Now guess what? The 15 year old kids are now in their 30's. These adults are now part of your market.

A lot of Auto Dealers thought the internet was a "fad". "This is a people's business. You can't BUY a car on the internet".

Well Ebay sells a car every 60 seconds.

You want to know which new technology will affect your business tomorrow? Look at what kids are into today. Think for a moment. Who started the YouTube movement, Facebook and Twitter?

Kids today consider email to be for old folks. They "instant message" each other. Statistics show that instant messaging will replace email in less than five years.

Are you connecting with your customers through iphones, videos, texting, share sites, blogs, surveys, rewards club, monthly contact, video follow up, pay per click, banner ads, referral marketing, instant messaging and web chat?

We live in the best times, in the best country ever given to man by God. Take advantage of all the resources available to you.

If your not everywhere online...your nowhere.

Become an expert in technology... or hire one.

What say you? Feel free to comment.

By Chris Justice with No comments

Stop Marketing like a Dinosaur and get with the Future. By Chris Justice

Do you remember the scene from Titanic where the band played as the ship sank?

Some Dealers continue to repeat the same mistakes in marketing and advertising over and over again, which haven't worked in years. Sales decline or stagnate yet they continue to play the music as their ship begins to take on water.

Let's look at traditional advertising and ask ourselves.
1. Do you use the yellow pages?
2. Do you read newspaper and magazine advertisements?
3. Do you listen to advertisements on the radio?
4. Do you watch television commercials?
5. Do you read "junk mail" advertisements?

Here's the numbers.
1. Fewer people are using yellow pages each year. According to Autobytel 90% of car buyers use to internet to shop for a vehicle.
2. News paper sales are declining according to newspaperdeathwatch.com.
3. Customers are not responding to radio causing revenue to decline. Source,reuters.com/article/idUSTRE4B287U20081203
4. According to the NYTimes.com September 28,2009 addition, people record top shows then skip commercials.
5. Did junk mail ever work?

Ok, so where are your potential customers?

Online.

70% of Americans are online daily, checking emails, facebook, google,etc. Google alone gets over 91 million searches daily. According to QVC.com, QVC expects that 50% of its sales will come from the internet by 2014. Facebook has over 320 million users.

Understand that 70% of Americans online includes 70% of your previous customer, 70% of your future or potential customers and 70% of your service customers. Also,your sales force, your family, everyone and this number is growing.

Go to where your customers are.

I see no downside to branding yourself online. It's cheaper than traditional advertising and it's 100% trackable. Marketing ideas can be implemented instantly, measured and changed with a click of the mouse.

What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment.

By Chris Justice with No comments

The Secret

Over the last sixteen years I have seen a lot in the car business. I have made some really good friends over the years as well.

When I first started as a salesman, I had no training at all. The Manager instructed me to grab a customer, take them on a demo ride and on the way back ask them "If all terms are agreeable can I earn your business today". Well after two weeks of not selling a single car I realized there was more to it than that.

Les Brown said "Whatever you are seeking is seeking you".

I became a student of the ideas, beliefs and practices of top producers in sales. Only about 10% in the automobile sales industry do things right. They are honest, they love their customers, they are professional, well groomed and their customers love them.

They seem to move from one transaction to another effortlessly while maintaining relationships with previous customers.

Seek first to make friends. Build relationships. When a connection is made, don't let people go. Stays in touch...build on it.

Do I ever screw up? Sure I do and when I do I work to make it right.

In this economy I sell more cars now than ever because of relationships.

Remember, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care".

By Chris Justice with No comments