by John Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur

I was in a serious buying situation at a used car dealership several months ago.  One thing above all else killed the deal:  The salesman kept telling me I was wrong.  He may have read, Winning by Intimidation.  However, to the best of my knowledge, there is no book titled, Selling by Intimidation.

I went in with a fair amount of research under my belt and a strong desire to get a fair, win/win deal.  I wanted to have a dialog, a negotiating discussion.  However, the salesman, who seemed intent on impressing me with his knowledge, didn’t discuss or negotiate, but simply kept telling me where I was wrong every time I opened up my mouth.  It got really old really fast.

When I said, “The car is nice, but I’m a bit concerned about the high mileage,” he never acknowledged my concerns, but instead came back at me with: “For today’s cars?  No, the mileage is not too high at all.” 

When I said that the price was rather high for a car with that many miles,” he told me, ”You obviously have not looked online at comparable cars.” 

When I asked about a trade-in, he flat-out insulted the car:  “These cars may have been getting top dollar in the past, but I’d be lucky to unload it today for what I’m offering you.  Nobody wants them.”  (I sold it a few weeks later for 40% above what he was willing to take it off my hands.)

When I asked if he could come down a bit on the price, he said, “We price our cars to sell, and there is no wiggle room.”  (Later on, when I finally had enough of being treated like the Moron of the Year and stood to leave, he knocked off $500.  By that time, I wouldn’t have done business with him if he had wanted to give me the car.)

Whether you are selling a product or a service, never forget that you never win a sale by winning an argument.  No, maybe the customer is not always right … but, well, the customer is nonetheless always right. 

If you want to prove you’re smart, play Scrabble or join a debate club.  But if you want to close a sale, work with the prospect and NEVER, NEVER attempt to make that person feel stupid or uninformed.

What he should have done:  Acknowledge my concerns/questions/objections and then guide me to where he wanted me to be.  Example:  “Now, that’s a good point, and I would normally agree with you.  However, let’s take a look at the special features that make this car just a bit special and worth every dime we’re asking for it.”

Or:  “Now, that trade-in is a fine car, one of the best in its class.  My problem is that, with gas prices at an all-time high, I’m having a hard time selling these big old beauties these days.  You might want to consider selling it yourself, cutting out the middleman.  Or, I tell you what – It is in good shape for its age.  I can go up another $200.  It may not seem like much, but, well, selling it online yourself might be more trouble than you want to invest.  If you can take the additional $200, we have a deal … and you don’t have to worry about the hassle of advertising it, dealing with no-shows and strangers coming out for test drives, worrying if the check will clear, that sort of thing.  Deal?

The bottom line: Be tactful and respectful … always.  Address or ignore prospects’ objections as the situation requires.  However, never get into an argument with them.

Work hard. Make money.  Have fun.  And play nice … always.  – JRI 

The Freestyle Entrepreneur – winner of the 2010 Top 35 Entrepreneur Blog awards from OnLine MBA.

John Ingrisano

The Freestyle Entrepreneur    

209  Church Street

Algoma, WI 54201

(920) 559-3722

www.TheFreestyleEntreprenuer.com

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