Don’t be so eager to please
[dropcap]I [/dropcap]was recently reading a column in a consumer motorcycle magazine, and came across one issue concerning people who want “your best price.” It was written, obviously, to advise consumers about shopping for the best deal, and giving the shop a break.
This column was couched in delicate terms, so as not to be rude to their readers.
I, however, do not have to be so polite!
When you are confronted by customers like this; the ones who want “your best deal,” I sure as (favorite expletive inserted here) hope you never give them one. Never. Ever.
I see it all the time; a well-meaning sales person afraid to say “no,” and trying to keep the client happy. They get the magic number, and you never see them again until they show up on that same bike, the one you quoted on, having purchased it elsewhere.
The sales person gets all bummed out; especially when the client says that the other shop “beat your price by a lot!”
Let’s now look at the scoreboard: you gave them a price that may or may not be your best price. But what did you really give him? Ammunition. Let’s say the price is your best one. You’re making $500 on an $8,000 bike. First of all, that’s not enough, and anyone who regularly does that would have problems selling a peanut to a squirrel. Second, there is always someone out there that’s buried in floorplan who sees a way out of that particular bike; or there’s too many of that model in stock, or they’re just weak. All he has to do is beat the price by $50, or even match it. I find that when presented with a price from another dealer, if I’m nice, and smart, I can get another $100 out of them.
But what you have done is send the customer out your door with ammunition. Here was someone who is perhaps ready to buy, and you sent him away.
Why? Why would anyone do that? Mostly, I hear that the salesperson involved is afraid to say no to that customer. Salespeople are genetically predisposed to please people; however, I make this challenge to every salesperson reading this column: Keep track of all those customers you give “your best price” to. How many come back? Let’s look at the deal from their perspective; they asked for your best price, and as far as they know, you did.
They go out into the wide world, and find two things; either someone can beat it by $50 or $100, or they can’t. If they can’t beat it, but are just worn out shopping, they will just make a deal at the last dealership they hit, because, if the salesperson is smart, they realize that, and as long as they can match the price given, or at least get within a few dollars, they will have a deal.
