Become a customer’s friend, and sales will follow
Editor’s note: This is the third article in a multi-part series about probing. In this installment, Steve Lemco explains why it’s important for a salesperson to become a customer’s friend.
I could go on and on about the importance of making a friend in the business with every customer, but I am sure you know that. Yes, you should talk about the bike and things like benefits and features, but I am pretty sure nobody ever called up their friends or their mother to tell them about how great someone was because they knew everything about a bike.
They will tell their friends and mom that the salesperson they talked to was really cool and spent time getting to know them and their wants, desires and interests. Hey, the salesperson even took time out to look at pictures of their children.
When I am doing sales seminars, I would say that I spend an hour or more just on that last paragraph. It is what selling is all about. Of course we would like everyone to buy from us, but that is never going to happen. What can always happen is our effort to get involved in a common ground conversation to reassure the customer that there is more to us than just being a salesperson trying to get their hard earned money.
I have said it before, and I will say it again. If you had a friend in the car business and you were looking for a car, where would you go to buy one? I bet you would go and see your friend.
A customer has several options of where to purchase a bike, but there is only one place where you are. If you become your customer’s friend in the business, you will get more bikes bought from you that day and double your be-back business, especially if you do follow-up calls.
If you and the customer talk about baseball, football, golf, racing, movies, music and the list goes on and on, then you have made a friend, and if you can’t get the sale today, then you have greatly increased your chances of getting it later. Also, by discussing such things, you will find it greatly benefits you when you do a follow-up call. Now you have many subjects to discuss with them besides just the bike.
One of many things I always suggest at my seminars is to watch the news, sports and weather every night, so you can be caught up in current events, giving you many things to talk about with your customers. Actually, if you are doing probing the right way, you would mention a topic, and if the customer was interested in it, then let the customer tell you all about it and personal feelings on the topic. You will learn many important helpful things about people if you keep them talking about their points of view.
Remember, the probing stage never ends. It is ongoing throughout the entire process. The best talker is also the best listener. How do you listen? Just put a what, where, how, which, when, or why in front of a comment made by your customer. If you do, it will not be long before they don’t think of you as a salesperson but rather as their friend in the business.
To read the first blog in the probing series, click here. To reach the second part, click here.
Steve Lemco is the youngest brother of the late Ed Lemco and has been doing sales training and hiring for motorcycle dealers since 1983. Steve has trained in every state in the U.S., as well as England, France, Australia and New Zealand. Steve incorporates motivational boards and games along with his training and hiring because he believes the best way to get the job done is to make it fun.
Contact: stevelemco@aol.com
Website: www.stevelemco.com
Phone: 253/826-6110
