How to Sell Outside of the Box
How to Sell Outside of the Box
My car-buying experience has never been a good one. Maybe it’s because I’ve experienced it with my dad most of my life. He loves to bargain and he’s a tough cookie. I mean, to an extreme… almost illegally tough. By the time we sign the contract to purchase, the salesperson is usually exhausted and borderline ready to quit his job altogether. My dad puts them through the wringer and spits them out. His secret of getting the best deals? Be okay to walk away. Never get emotionally attached to anything. He doesn’t care what color interior it has, or that it’s the last one in stock, or the new leather smells just so so good. It doesn’t phase him one bit.
Me? I am all heart when I purchase anything. If I find something I love, I am like…”here, please…take my money” Want more? Sure! How much more? That’s it? Here, take more!” I am my dad’s worst nightmare.
Do you know who else is a tough cookie negotiator? Yup, you guessed it. I am married to one. How do you think she got me to marry her? Hahahah! That’s why, when I need to go car shopping, I take my her along with me. And I mentally prepare myself for a long battle. I try not to emotionally fall in love with the perfectly and seamlessly designed and engineered 20″ wheels…or the smell of the new leather. I just try to disconnect myself emotionally and just watch my negotiator do all the work to get the best deal for the best value. So exhausting for me.
But why is car buying so stressful? Why are car salespeople not trustworthy? Why and who created this system the way it is and why can’t we do something better? The answer? Yes, we can do something better, and Yes we have something better.
The new normal of car purchase is becoming the way many dealers are embracing the shift to online and in-house showroom type of seamless buying experience. No more haggling, no more confusion, no more untrustworthy sales team but something that puts high value on customer service and unique one-on-one experience. Here’s a real-life example.
We walked into a beautifully designed showroom where they had 2 models being displayed. A young, cool, hip, and friendly team member came over with a smile and asked if we had an appointment. I said no. “No worries she said, I have a slot open for you in 5 minutes with one of our best sales staff, grab a seat and he’ll be with you in a minute”. Quickly, their dedicated sales staff came over and asks us a few questions and see if we wanted to test drive. We said yes and the car pulled up to the front, he sat with us to go over all the controls and features of the car. He gave us the key and asked us to bring the car back in about 20 minutes or so and he went back inside.
After a nice 20-minute, private test drive with just me and my negotiator, we got back to the dealership where he welcomed us back. We sat in front of the computer with him, clicked over different options, and printed out the specs and the cost. He told us how many they had in stock and when we could have it if we wanted it. We said we’ll think about it and he said thanks for coming in and to reach out if we have any questions. Wait, what? He didn’t beg us to stay or make us wait so he could talk to his manager or ask us “Would you make this purchase today if we can lower our price down to (fill in the blank)?
They have single-handedly revolutionized the new way of purchasing a car.
I wanted to share this experience with you as we are in our “Sales” series to prove that thinking out of the box can not only solve a problem but propel your business into a whole new atmosphere of greatness. How are you selling your products? How is the customer’s experience? What are some of the ways that can help you revolutionize your own industry in selling?
Whatever it is, big or small, I would love to hear from you what your current challenges are and what your ideas are to change it. This is how we can stand out. This is how we can refocus our energy back on our customers, this is how we can usher our customers into their amazing buying experience. Sales can be everything for your business, so let’s start thinking out of the box.
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