Good Salespeople Don’t Sell, They Help Customers Buy

Nike had it right when it coined the slogan, “Just Do It.”

If salespeople today simply focused on just doing the best job possible, client loyalty would never be in question. It is like New England Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick said, “Just do your job well.” Yet every day, people don’t deliver. Why? While there are several barriers to success, the three most prevalent involve understanding of the job, fear and attitude.

What is the job of a dealership salesperson?

Although the title suggests otherwise, the job is not to sell. Rather, it is to help customers buy. This is a core truth of the profession. Help customers find the exact product or service that meets their needs, wants and desires. In doing so, make sure their experience is positive.

To do this, three things must happen every day, all day. Be ready to work with a single-minded focus for each customer. Ask the right questions, actively listen, learn and understand problems from the customers’ point-of-view. Help customers fall in love with a vehicle they are interested in.

Why be afraid?

Fear of failure keeps anyone from success. Usually, fear comes from a lack of empowerment. Yet, empowerment comes from the individual. It’s the process of enabling yourself to take action, control work and make decisions independently. Most, however, believe empowerment comes from someone else, usually a manager. Consequently, salespeople wait to be empowered, while managers wonder why they don’t just do what is best for clients.

Even within company processes or rules, everyone has the ability and opportunity to act empowered to help clients.

What’s your attitude?

Employees have the ability to adopt an attitude. In every instance, the attitude a person chooses becomes reality. In sales, a positive attitude drives the ability to do the best job possible. It drives willingness to make empowered choices. It drives the ability to help clients find the right product or service that specifically meets or exceeds their situation.

Positive people are irresistible. We remember them, not just for how they handle life, but for how they make others feel.

Attitude and the ability to positively influence the attitudes of others will affect not only sales, but every area of life. Nothing will pay more rewards than an ability to possess and maintain a great attitude.

Small successes and large achievements start the same way. Focusing on what you want helps make it happen for yourself and your customers.

That may not win every sale, but if you can honestly say you did everything possible to satisfy the customer, then you win in the long term.

Every day, say to yourself, “My job is to help my customers buy.”

Every day, embrace an empowered work style. Every day and in every situation –

from lousy traffic and slow service, to unexpected problems and disappointing news – choose whether it’s a good day. By making the right choices, work and life becomes easier and more rewarding.

Richard F. Libin is the author of the book, “Who Stopped the Sale?”(www.whostoppedthesale.com) and president of APB-Automotive Profit Builders, a firm that works with sales and service departments on customer satisfaction and maximizing gross profits through personnel development and technology. He can be reached at [email protected] or 508-626-9200 or www.apb.cc.