Do emotions play a part in the process?

Car Buying and Emotions, Part I
Women shop and buy cars for a number of reasons, but regardless of the reason, emotions are involved in every step. The emotional range can start with excitement about the prospects of a new car, to apprehension when signing papers, to frustration when taking a car in for service.

Why Emotions Matter
During the buying process, your customers will experience a range of emotions. You know this. It is important to understand how these emotions ultimately end up reflecting on your dealership.

Women-Drivers.com has tracked the emotions reported by 3,105 women car buyers, and they are:

  1. Excited 55.7%
  2. Relaxed 34.4%
  3. Confident 30.7%
  4. Apprehensive 30.3%
  5. Nervous 25.8%
  6. Overwhelmed 20.1%
  7. Intimidated 11.4%
  8. Confused 8.6%
  9. Frustrated 8.6%

These percentages add up to more than 100% because respondents can submit multiple answers.

It’s key for your sales advisors to recognize and understand these emotions. They are a normal part of the buying process for any large-ticket item. What becomes important is the ability to discern if these emotions are helping or hurting the approach. Savvy advisors ask the right questions to see if the negative emotions can be minimized by assisting a female buyer to feel more comfortable with the decision being made.

For example, a buyer who is overwhelmed or confused can easily decide to stop the process before it is completed. Recognizing these emotions and taking steps to clarify any buyer’s questions can mean the difference between saving and losing a sale. A buyer’s frustrations can be mitigated by streamlining the sales and financing process to eliminate wasted time.

Emotions make up a large part of a shopper’s experience, and smart dealerships will learn to monitor and do what is necessary to keep the emotions on the positive side.

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Comment by Anne Fleming on October 30, 2016 at 4:32pm

Sally, Bravo! Could not have said it better. 

Comment by Sally Whitesell on October 28, 2016 at 7:58am

I love reading your articles as our messages are the same.  If we don't gain an understanding of how our female clients feel, then we will never take the needed steps to overcome all of the misconceptions about our industry.  Thanks for providing more great data! 

Comment by Anne Fleming on October 28, 2016 at 7:57am

Brian -- thanks so much for your feedback and insights. 

Comment by Brian Bennington on October 27, 2016 at 10:51am

Always great to read your posts, Anne!  Not too surprising, those emotions you listed are the exact same ones I've always felt when I was selling!  It's most refreshing to read something here centered on the real motivators in the sales process, as opposed to something as "secondary" as product knowledge or IT expertise.  Your input about asking the right questions and "staying ahead" with strong "emotions understanding" is what gets things delivered.  After all, anyone who has sold before has worked with that "new person" who has minimal product knowledge and can't type worth a damned, but jumps to the head of the class based on a singular skill....  They know how to sell!

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