Car manufacturers and the iPhone generation

536 More

Earning the right to be successful

519 More

Knowledge is power

593 More

Selling cars – it’s all about timing

835 More

Truemag

  • Home
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Archives
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

The car buying experience: from pressurised and over bearing to being completely ignored

There is a difficult line to tread between being an overbearing salesperson and completely ignoring customers, and because we are all different it is quite a skill to communicate in a way that makes potential customers in the showroom feel at ease and not just a big fish that’s about to get landed.

The irony is that, after massive investment by manufacturers and dealers, the new look showrooms with state of the art facilities are in some cases putting buyers off simply because they find these kinds of environments intimidating.

Whilst I don’t expect anyone to feel sorry for a car sales exec it must be difficult in today’s customer centric world to provide customers with a fist class service, when their bosses and their brand are fighting a viscous battle for market share in a dwindling market.

If any sales person I know decided to let a potential customer just browse the display cars on the forecourt without being all over them like a rash there would be hell to pay. However some buyers would just like to take in the cars, maybe have some coffee and mooch around and there is no point having luxurious, comfortable surroundings if you don’t allow your customers to relax in them.

There are, and probably never will be, any right or wrong answers but according to all the recent surveys we are still getting it wrong and buyers feel ill at ease when confronted with a sales exec who seems far more interested in getting to the sale point than allowing customers to find out more about the products on offer and consider them properly before making a decision.

With the advancement in technology there should of course be more empowerment for the car buyer. Car reviews, as you will see by our own growing collection, are great ways of gathering information and opinions so that car buyers can have more knowledge about particular cars before entering the showroom environment.

The art of knowing just how much or how little engagement customers require cannot necessarily be learned because we are all so different, and what some might call being pushy others will call efficient service.

For every customer that says that the experience was pressured and overbearing another will say that they were ignored. So how do dealers change the perception and get more customers saying that the showroom experience was a positive one?

Tomorrow we reveal a cunning plan by one of our insiders that might just be the answer.

Aug 22, 2011In51der
  • Car Buying Crib Sheet
  • Experience counts
  • Buying cars online – it’s complicated
  • Buying a new car in the recession
  • Buying a car online – from virtual to reality
  • Experience pays
  • Compete against David Coulthard in a Virtual Versus Reality RaceA possible solution to the problem of the "intimidating" car showroom
    You Might Also Like
     
    New Logo For Vauxhall
     
    BMW global sales up 20% in November
    In51der

    Motor Trade Insider - Bridging the gap between the customer and the Motor Trade

    9 years ago Blog, Consumer, Manufacturers99
    Most viewed
    Top 100 UK Dealer Groups
    38,152 views
    The car sales process and the “9 point plan”
    10,542 views
    webuyanycar review – They will buy any car but beware of the asterisk
    5,324 views
    Most commented
    Car sales and the power of silence…
    25 Comments
    Car dealers still not prepared to play the “we buy any car” game
    23 Comments
    A Traders Tale – Part Four
    22 Comments
    Win a pre-loaded Ipod Shuffle!
    19 Comments
    Bargain of the Week – StreetKa 1.6i Luxury
    14 Comments
    Bridal Hair Berkshire
    Fox Body to 2018 Mustang Parts
    and Accessories
    About MTI

    Motor Trade Insider
    is written by people working actively in the motor trade for people on the inside and people on the outside.

    Our aims
    Build a bridge between consumers and the trade, create Interesting and informative content, break down barriers and create better understanding, expose bad practices and rip-offs and promote outstanding products and service.
    Have something to say?
    We are always looking for experienced writers who can write good original quality posts on motor-trade-insider.com. Please contact us if you would like us to consider you. Make sure you give us details of your own blog or a link to some articles you have written.
    2017 © Motor Trade Insider
    Truemag theme by StrictThemes