The Probe — Part 2

Once the salesperson has greeted the customer with a cheerful smile in a friendly mannerism, he or she is now in a position to develop a friendship and remove the skepticism that many customers have toward salespeople.

The best way to make friends out of complete strangers is to listen to what they have to say. This is done by asking questions about the customers’ interests, be it about their life or the motorcycle they are seeking.

Salespeople should be sure they are focused on the customer’s answers and look for the comments that will be easy to bring back up in order to make it easy for the customer to continue talking. Everyone loves to be listened to, and that is what friends do.

One great question salespeople should always ask the customer is, “What got you interested in your choice model?”

Most of the time you will get one of two answers — either they will say that someone they know has one, or they have been reading about it. A perfect follow up to that statement is, “What did your friend or article say about it?” Rest assured customers will say good things, or they would not be in your dealership looking at it. This will at times convert your customers to becoming their own salespeople. It is much better to have the customer tell the salesperson how great the bike is than the salesperson telling the customer.

A question I feel is of the upmost of importance for every salesperson to ask every customer is, “Would you be happier if you had one?

If customers say no, then they should have your permission to say, “Please don’t buy one.” But really, who would say no to that question?

Once salespeople have heard customers say that they would enjoy life more with a new motorcycle, then the salesperson should not be a salesperson trying to make a commission but a “help-you-to-be-happy person” trying to make a new friend happy.

Salespeople might ask the following questions while looking at the motorcycle with the customer. Maybe they will ask most of them early in the presentation. Maybe they should wait and ask them when the customer is sitting on the motorcycle, or maybe while they are at their desk. They just want to be sure that they ask the questions that will put the customer in tune with their desires. The customer is chalk full of information just for the asking. Some of the questions to the customer could be:

• What got you interested in riding?
• Do you have a motorcycle now?
• Do you have or have you ever had a motorcycle? If so, what have you owned?
• What is your favorite story about your bike?
• Are you married? If so, does your spouse ride?
• Will you be riding it to work?
• Where do you work?
• Will you be taking any long trips on the bike? If so, where are you going, and when do you plan on leaving?
• Will you be going with any of your friends? If so, who are they? What do they ride?
• Do you have any children? If so, do you have a picture of them?
• Would you be happier if you had a new motorcycle?
• Do you know anyone else who is in the market for a new motorcycle? If so, what’s their name and phone number?

These are just a few of the probing questions salespeople should ask. I am sure you and your salespeople can think of many more. Getting your customer to talk about themselves and their desires is the surest way to make friends out of complete strangers. Sure, we want the sale, but at the least customers should feel like they made a friend in the business. When the time is right for them to buy, they will think of your dealership, or I should say, they will think of your salesperson.

This is the 17th part in a series of blogs about hiring new salespeople. To read the previous blogs in this series, 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. He is the author of three sales books, the new “Training and Hiring New Salespeople,”  “Motorcycle Sales Made Easy” and “You Gotta-Wanna.” 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