Master the Four Pillars of Success with Customers!
Give your F&I Customer training program a shot in the arm by focusing on four key areas that can always use improvement.
Listening is the most important skill in every professional relationship. When a F&I customer feels they are being heard, on a much deeper level, they feel you care about them and their situation.
1. Listen Early and Never Stop Listening.
When we encounter a lack of customer service in any purchase, it normally involves an individual who is too busy talking — or waiting to talk — to listen to us. A conversation in which the “salesperson” is doing the majority of the talking is not communication, just a presentation. And customers are tired of our presentations and talking points. They wait for someone to listen to them and focus on their wants and needs, and until they find it they will refuse to buy.
Great success awaits the one that can listen with empathy. Great frustration awaits the one that can’t hardly wait to talk!
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
2. Help Customers.
Selling isn’t about helping yourself; it’s all about helping the customer. The competitive advantage any business has is the F&I customer experience. When they get what they want, you get what you want. What they want is someone who will help them make good decisions and provide them with helpful information without any pressure to buy.
I can hear the screaming as some read this: “You have to sell your product!” I agree. I simply disagree with what the product is. Most customers research their purchases online and arrive to buy with a high level of information. They are hoping they encounter someone that can provide helpful insights into the product and is focused on providing additional information that may not be available online.
Today’s F&I customer is focused on finding a helpful person to facilitate the buying process and someone who will make their ownership experience a more enjoyable one.
3. Tell a Great Story.
Customer reviews have become the place of choice for customers when researching products online. They want to hear another customer’s story. We should be prepared to share a story of how other customers have benefited from our product and have tangible support of what we are saying.
Sharing a copy of a repair order to show the customer their share of the cost can help build urgency for a service contract. It also allows you to say, “A customer sitting in the same chair as you, was faced with the same decision we are talking about. And when they received a bill for $2,365 for a repair, they had the peace of mind of knowing someone else would be paying that bill!”
Real stories about real customers create an emotional attachment to the benefit of the product. And all buying decisions are emotional ones. The facts about the product should be used to move the customer to action concerning the product you have built the emotional connection to. Moving from product selling to story telling will move more to buy!
4. Be Passionate About Your Product.
Customers feed off the level of belief that you have in your product. You don’t have to bounce off the walls with enthusiasm; however, your words, body language, and tone all tell the customer if this is something that you really believe in or are you just trying to sell them something.
Do you buy the product you are selling for yourself? Passion is deepened as you learn more about a product and most importantly, when you experience the benefits of the product yourself. My car was stolen two years ago. When I discovered it was gone, I didn’t panic. I had a product on the car that would enable the police to find it in a couple of hours. I will never forget the peace of mind of knowing my car would be found, and quickly.
I am passionate about that product and I could convince a high percentage of others to buy it as well. My passion shows! Does yours?
The main products we sell are a great customer experience, ourselves and the belief in the products we offer. The products we offer may change as the market demands change. However, these are constant: Sell them often and sell them well!
I look forward to seeing you on my next post. Also feel free to contact me. Exchanging ideas that get results is my passion!
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This blog article was also published on Agent Entrepreneur.