The Stone and The Kid - NEVER pre-judge
I was reminded of a very common mistake we make as car salespeople. What is the mistake, we prejudge our ups. During a round robin in the sales meeting, a friend of mine Todd shared a story about the two people he sold cars to yesterday. He admitted to prejudging both of them and both surprised him with their backgrounds and professions.
The stoner – this guy came in (I remember him because I saw Todd working with these folks) that looked like a midlife crisis stoner, maybe late thirties to early forties with long hair, jeans and a button up shirt. He was accompanied by his wife, maybe four years his junior, jeans and a tee shirt. Turns out that the gentleman held a PhD and he and his wife were looking for a small vehicle that she could use to run around town. They had a horrible experience across the street at another dealership and came here upset and apprehensive. Todd pre-judged him by his appearance, but helped him anyway. Gave them outstanding service which is typical of what Todd does and sold them the car.
The kid – a young couple walks onto the lot and looks at the most expensive well equipped car we have on the lot. Again, Todd admits to pre-judging him and his wife, thinking these kids couldn’t afford a car like this or any other vehicle on the lot for that matter. I did too, because I saw them looking at the same car! Big mistake! Todd got into a conversation with him and found out the he is in his mid-twenties, makes a few million a year because he took over the family business a few years back. He shared with Todd about the terrible experience he had at three other highline stores with Todd being the only person to take him seriously. Needless to say, Todd sold that one too.
What’s the moral of the story? Don’t pre-judge anyone. Give them outstanding service no matter what and they just might surprise you.
Happy Selling
Dan The Car Man
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brian Hill on -
Similar story... I have been in the car business since 1974. Started selling BMW's and this is a story that I have told several times since it happened in 1975.
I was working late at the store this particular night and a man somewhere in his late 40's drives in wearing coveralls covered in hay. His Cadillac was filled with the same product. Hay hay and more hay... His license plates were from out of state and I thought he was lost. I was up so that is what I asked him.."are you lost sir" Nope, he said, but I am looking for the new BMW 630 CSI. (that car was not even in the states yet) and was around 30,000 dollars back then. Well to make a long story short, he was a very successful farmer from Idaho and had heard about this new 2 door car called the 630 CSI. He was driving an Eldorado, so the 2 door made sense. Of course we had no 630's, and none coming for quite a while, but he wanted it so he ordered it. He did tell me about how he was treated at other stores because of his overalls. Laughed about it and drove back to Idaho with an order on one of the first BMW 630's sold. Never prejudge. Of course with what the car business was back then I got fired before he took delivery... BUMMER. After 37 years in this time vacuum of a business, I have to say I guess I am really a car guy.
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Permalink Reply by Mark Feazel on
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First month in the biz. I guy pulls up in a 3 year old F-250 covered in mud. He gets out wearing bib overalls and boots literally covered in sh&+.
All the "Pros" turned and ran. Since I didn't know any better, I waited on him. He bought a BRAND NEW F-250 PowerStroke for cash. He had just taken all his hogs to market!
Since then, every 3 years, he comes to see me and buys another brand new 3/4 ton. I have moved from Ford to Chevy and now Dodge (for the past 7 years) and he still comes to see me and buys what I recommend to him.
-Feaz
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Permalink Reply by Dan The Car Man on
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That's what it's all about! NEVER pre-judge! I used to work at a Ford store out in Tracy, CA. We saw those dirty bib overall farmers all the time! And yes, they bought brand new trucks cash... great job...
Dan The Car Man
Mark Feazel said:First month in the biz. I guy pulls up in a 3 year old F-250 covered in mud. He gets out wearing bib overalls and boots literally covered in sh&+.
All the "Pros" turned and ran. Since I didn't know any better, I waited on him. He bought a BRAND NEW F-250 PowerStroke for cash. He had just taken all his hogs to market!
Since then, every 3 years, he comes to see me and buys another brand new 3/4 ton. I have moved from Ford to Chevy and now Dodge (for the past 7 years) and he still comes to see me and buys what I recommend to him.
-Feaz
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That's a 16-YEAR relationship with this customer! Simply because I did what I am supposed to do.
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Funny how that works!
Mark Feazel said:That's a 16-YEAR relationship with this customer! Simply because I did what I am supposed to do.
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