Selling is Like Golf

There are moments when car sales can seem daunting and even impossible.  Kind of like taking tricky golf shots where in front of you are a multitude of obstacles.  Asking complete strangers to fork out several thousand dollars is not even easy.  Neither is trying to hit this island green from 176 yards out in the pouring rain at Eastmoreland.  On occasion there is a Zen Moment where your only focus is the goal, that waving flag.  The stars align, the sun peaks through and you are playing like a seasoned vet, even after a short year in the biz.


Sales is a numbers game and 95% mental.  I will talk to four or five customers on a busy Saturday and get five "No's" in a matter of a few hours (not to mention the "No's" I receive on follow up calls).  The no's are like slogging through the rain on a wet October day, hitting duff after slice after hook into the trees/water/sandtrap/goosepile.  But you keep going through the motions that you know work and try to stay positive.  Commanding yourself to stay positive.


Chance often favors the prepared mind.  So, when the call is sent out on the sales floor over the intercom, "available sales pick up line one," I instinctively grab the phone and positively set an appointment for that shiny new Lincoln.  Then brush up on product knowledge beforehand, greet the customer full of steam and look toward the glorious end of the perfect sales transaction (me making some money, and the customer extremely happy).  


Like that perfect eye of the downpour that decided to come out when I was in the midst of frustration.  Teeing up, I shook the memories of those errant shots off like dust in the wind, zero in on the pin and illuminated by a clear goal (the sun actually helps in this one).  Confidently I take a practice stroke, then knowingly commit in the backswing.  I let that four-iron rip, playing the fade....  Safely on the green, and that's just the beginning.  Ahh...

There are transcendent moments in life where we can step away from ourselves and see what is happening while we are experiencing that moment.  Visualizing the end result as positive while at the same time consciously identifying every blade of grass your ball is going to pass over before it sinks in the hole.  Visualizing the signing of the deal while knowing every word you are going to say in response to every question or every objection.  


And you sink that birdie and you sink that sale.  And you are validated.  Healthy, happy and thrilled that your skill is enough to pay the bills.

Thinking Outside the Box

In sales sometimes you have to go where the people are.


So that's what I did!  This idea had been mulling around in my head for some time now.  


Check it out.  Every First Thursday from Spring until Fall in downtown Portland there is an Art Walk.  So in the firm belief that the 2012 Ford Focus is a piece of art, I cleaned and drove a fully loaded one downtown and parked it right between where people drink and go to the festival.  "Ladies and Gentleman, the 2012 Ford Focus!"  "Have you drivin' a Ford lately?" And any other slogan I could muster up to grab the attention of folks in a 30 second sound bite.  This opportunity was a good chance for me to be creative and utilize my skills learned in Theater and Stand-up comedy.  Sometimes I felt like the MicroMachine guy!


First off, I got this really great parking spot.

Perfectly placed for some guerrilla marketing, eh?  "American made! SOLD in 28 different countries, PACKED with technology, BOLD styling and, TONS of safety features.  Talk to me! cuz with Jason Bee, it's a guarantee!"  OK so I felt a little like Sam Beauregarde from the first Willy Wonka, but I was having fun.  Some odd looks I was getting, "Yes ma'am I bet you never expected to be sold a car in the Pearl District folks, but most definitely, it's happening!"  


I actually elicited a good response from a wide array of people.  There were some truly in the market who had never seen a 2012 Focus up close and were climbing in and around the vehicle.  Saw some old friends I met during my concierge days came up to me, "Hey Jason, you actually LOOK like a car salesman!"  Good, because that's exactly what I was doing!  "I admire your enthusiasm," someone said to me.  As I was a soldier of capitalism on the front lines. Truly I almost lost my voice, but never faltered in my delivery, and always put on my best face.


Next to me there was actually a talented little 10 year old boy who was playing a piano and belting out some popular songs!  He sounded good!  This kept the ambiance nice and always kept a crowd around that I could try and sell to when they left.


And then a little competition came up, a new Fiat 500 pulled up and parked in the space ahead of me!  So I had two cars that were turning heads (of course mine was the one with the lights flashing to get attention).

So people would stop and look at the Fiat, and I'd gingerly let them know, "Folks, It's a Fee-Ocus!" Then sell the styling, the technology, and of course: hand out some business cards.


So when you believe in the product like I do, thinking outside the box is a whole heck of a lot easier.  And truly go...Where no car salesman has Prospected before...


Til next time, happy driving.


Jason

Information you Want, Information you Get!

Car salesmen have a reputation to live up to.  (Down to?)  I mean we come from a long line of classic characters in Film and Theater.  From Cadillac Man to The Goods to Used Cars, the car salesman image has been portrayed as sleazeballs and crooks.  Public perception of salespeople has been shaped and sometimes tainted by such films as: Traveling Man, The Closer, The Hot Spot, Diamond Men, some scenes in American Beauty, Wall Street, Boiler Room, Glengarry Glen Ross, Death of A Salesman, Prime Gig, The New Age, Tucker, Billionaire Boys Club, Barbarians at the Gate, even Jerry Maguire!


So there's this negative image thing I have to try and overcome each and every day.  Not to mention years of personal abuse customers have felt through the years from pushy salesmen.  Strange they feel compelled to take this pent-up aggression out on me during the part where I politely ask for the business!  Mark McCormack, founder for International Management Group wrote that, "Anger can be an effective negotiating tool, but only as a calculated act, never as a reaction." 


There are times where I feel as though I am caught in a crossfire, for good reason I suppose.  We are talking about YOUR money.  So how does an easygoing, non-threatening person like me get by in this dog-eat-dog business?  Kill em with kindness...among other things...

• Use your strengths!  Emphasize the presentation process and fully demonstrate the products to build value. Then (ideally) the close won't be so hard!
• Reinforce the desire within yourself to provide customers with all the information they need to make an informed decision, no matter what the attitude or objection.
• Never let fear of losing a sale get in your way of smiling and having fun!  Sales is a transfer of emotion from one person to the next, so why not enjoy yourself?

"Arggh I just came here to look and nobody is being very helpful!"  Sir, madam, let's Slow down and get you that information.

Car buyers are more informed than they have ever been.  The values of vehicles are all out in the open for what trades are worth, what other cars are on the market, what incentives are, etc.  So when you come up to me with a problem I want to be the guy that solves it!  The problem may be that you are in a car you don't like, or it doesn't work right or it doesn't do the job you want it to.  So, how can I give you the information and help push you to make the best decision?  

• 
  
• First, be truthful.  "If you always tell the truth you never have to remember what you say" -Zig Ziglar.  
• Second, be attentive. "We have two ears and one tongue so that we would listen more and talk less," -Diogenes.  
• Third, think creatively to offer the best solution.  "Every problem has in it the seeds of its own solution. If you don’t have any problems, you don’t get any seeds." -Norman Vincent Peale

The reason I enjoy sales so much (and car sales in particular) is the opportunity to not only work hard to earn what I'm worth (instead of the hourly/salary jobs I've grown accustomed to), but also how I can use my creativity to make something out of virtually nothing.

And that's information you can take to the bank.