You ever wonder why certain deals just happen to come together? You and your client got along perfectly. There was that instant rapport. You had some common ground and before you knew it the deal was done! You think, “Wow, that was quick! Man, I wish more of my deals were like that. Pretty lucky I guess." In the car biz the slang term used for a client like this is a “lay down". Most likely your co-workers have something to say about your latest sale! Chances are it will sound something like this…Oh, did you see Jimmy? He just walked into a “lay down". I can’t believe it! That was supposed to be my up! (“up"- a term used to refer to a customer walking on the lot or showroom. Based on a sales person being next “up") He’s so lucky. He gets all the lay downs. Hold on a second there. Stand up for yourself, give yourself some credit! It was all you! Seriously!



So why are some deals so much easier than others? Well, there are many variables that could ultimately determine whether or not you’ll close the deal. In the cases where it seems so smooth and seamless, it’s because you made all the right moves. First and foremost both, the client and salesperson feel the “deal" was fair and the car perfectly fits their needs. We’ve all heard and probably used the phrase “win, win". So, let’s keep the “win, win" top of mind. You constantly have to measure where you are in the sales process and ask “If I was the client in the same position, would things be “win, win" so far?

These day’s people are busy. They love to use the time card. You see them checking their watch. They seem a little distracted and you start to justify in your own mind why this man/women is not buying a car today. There is a pretty good chance that you haven’t allowed the client to make his or her own decisions of where to go in the process. Car salespeople have been “trained" to take each client through the sales process and close the deal. The trouble with this is that the salesperson is always telling the customer what’s next. The customer has the feeling of being dragged through a long convoluted process which isn’t very enjoyable because the salesperson is only interested in “closing" the deal.

So how can you ensure you are leaving a “win, win" impression? A simple “roadmap" statement is a great start. What’s that you ask? Well, it’s a statement that allows the customer to have an understanding of what will take place during their visit. Now, I know what you’re thinking. “I thought we weren’t supposed to drag our client through the process?" You’re not! That’s the thing. Once you have finished the statement you close with a “would that be okay?" Or “would that be agreeable?" You see once you make general statement of what the visit will entail and gain the agreement of the client, you are home free. You have allowed your client to make his or her own decision to accept your roadmap. If you have any resistance transitioning from let’s say the demonstration drive to price presentation, you can bring up the fact that they have agreed to “take a closer look at price once the demonstration drive is complete." People like to be congruent. If you haven’t gained their agreement early on then you can’t use it as ammo later when you have a little resistance.

One key similarity between all top sales performers in any industry is their ability to use a roadmap statement early on in the sale and gain agreement from the client to move through the entire process.

Try it out. You will be pleasantly surprised. Your client’s will thank you and so will your pocket!

Scott Wain