How To Attract & Sell More Trade-In Leads (PART 10)

How To Attract & Sell More Trade-In Leads (PART 10)

TRANSCRIPT: There are also objections we’re going to get where we’re calling our owner database, our owner marketing, our equity mining, where we’re trying to buy someone else’s car. These objections I want you to understand, they’re buying signals. They’re not objections, but they’re a trap. Don’t fall for them. Treat these buying signals like objections, and go for the appointment. Don’t start answering these owner marketing traps that are out there.

I called Mr. Jones. I said, “Mr. Jones, I’ve got a buyer and immediate need for your vehicle.” He’s excited. He says, “Yeah, I love to sell my F150. What about my payments?” Well, here’s how I’m going to answer that. “Mr. Jones, when we’re in need of a customer’s vehicle, we are often able to keep them at or near the same payment in a brand new vehicle. Of course, we do have a buyer and immediate need for your vehicle, and we have 2 appraisal times open on F150s this afternoon. I’ve got a 2:45 and a 3:15. Which one works better for you?”

See, I didn’t get down in the weeds about his payment because what if he only has 6 payments left? I start talking about payments, and how Ford has 0% interest right now, and how we should be able to keep him close to his same payment on a 72-month term. Now, he starts thinking, “Wait, wait. I got 6 payments left, and then I own this thing outright, or I can go 6 more years.” He’s not going to come in for an appointment. You have one goal when you get someone on the phone. Say it with me, an appointment that shows. It’s my only goal, so I have him on the phone, he’s asked one of those trap questions, “What about my payments?” Treat it like an objection.

Here’s another one. Guy is really interested in selling. He says, “Hey, how much you’re going to give me?” Here’s how we respond, “Well, because we do have a buyer and an immediate need for your vehicle, we are often able to pay more than book value. Of course, only a trained appraiser knows what your vehicle is worth, and it would be irresponsible for a dealer to give you a price sight unseen. I do have 2 appraisal times open on F150s this afternoon. I’ve got a 2:45 and a 3:15. Which one works better for you?”

I got the question earlier, do I like giving a trade value on a form? I said, “Yes, I do today,” but this is different. If you tell that customer who you called, and you’re calling to buy their vehicle, these are equity mining calls or owner marketing calls, and you give them the ballpark, you give them the Black Book ballpark, you’re not going to sell them a car because they’re never going to come in.

This is where I’m going to avoid that, okay? I’m going to make sure they understand only a trained appraiser knows what their vehicle is worth. I’m going to give them a firm written offer, but I can’t give them a price sight unseen. Once you give them that ballpark, they’re done. They don’t need you anymore. They start to do the math in their head and they think, “You know what? This isn’t worthwhile.”

One of the best buying signals you’ll ever get is, “What am I supposed to drive home?” but this is a trap. When someone says, “What am I supposed to drive home?” you can’t dive in to Mr. Salesman, okay? You can’t become Steve Stauning Super Salesman. You can’t start saying, “Oh, you’re not going to believe the deals Ford has right now. My God! O% financing 72 months, where you’ll have a great new F150. You’ll love it.” No. Stop selling. You cannot sell the car on the phone. You cannot sell an empty seat. We have one goal, and it’s an appointment that shows.

The customer says, “What am I supposed to drive home?” Here’s how I’m going to respond. “Great question. You know Ford has some of the best deals I’ve seen in a long time going on right now, but we do have a buyer and an immediate need for your vehicle, and I have 2 appraisal times open on F150s this afternoon. I’ve got a 2:45 and a 3:15. Which one works better for you?”

See, he asked what’s he supposed to drive home. I answered it in what? 8 words? Don’t get in the weeds with these things. We have one goal, and it’s an appointment that shows. Once he gets there, we’ll be able to sell him a car.

Now, here’s a trap. I understand today’s Friday for those of you watching this live, but let’s say today is Monday. I just called this Mr. Jones, and I said I’ve got a buyer and immediate need for his Tundra here at Steve’s Toyota. I said, “Hey, Mr. Jones. It’s Steve Stauning from Steve’s Toyota. This may sound a little weird, but my general manager asked me to call you today. I’ve got a buyer and immediate need for your 2012 Tundra. Now, I don’t know if you consider selling or not, but we do have 2 appraisal times open on Tundras this afternoon. We’ve got a 2:45 and a 3:15. Which one works better for you?”

He says, “I’ve been thinking about selling my Tundra. That sounds great. I can be in on Saturday.” Now, I’ve just told him on Monday, “I’ve got a buyer and an immediate need for his vehicle.” Today is Monday. He wants to come in on Saturday. If I set that Saturday appointment on Monday, I can kiss it goodbye. I’m never going to sell this guy a car. I guarantee it. He’s going to drive past our dealership in a new vehicle, not a Tundra, and here’s the reason.

Today is Monday, here’s Saturday. If I just gave him new car fever on Monday, what’s he going to do between Monday and Saturday? He’s going to shop. Where is he not going to shop between Monday and Saturday? He’s not going to shop with me. Why is he not going to shop with me Monday through Saturday? Because he has an appointment for Saturday. There’s no reason to shop with me. He’s going to gather information. He’s going to go in every dealership like this, “Hey, I’m just looking. I’m going to buy on Saturday. I’m just trying to gather information.”

Somebody walks in to my dealership like that, first thing I do is I slap them a high five because they just bought a car, all right? He’s going to run into a salesman. I’m the reason that the other guy got the deal and not me because I scheduled a Saturday appointment on a stinking Monday. I called him and I said I have a buyer and immediate need for your vehicle.

Here’s how I’m going to respond to Mr. Jones, and you’ve got to be ready to do this, right? Mr. Jones says, “I can be in on Saturday.” I’m going to say, “Oh, that’s okay, Mr. Jones. I do have an immediate need, and I have 10 more Tundra owners on my list to call today. If I can’t get one of them to sell me their truck today or tomorrow, I’m going to give you a call on Friday and schedule that Saturday appointment. How’s that sound?” See, I’m calling his bluff. I’m going to tamp down his new car fever, okay? I’m going to keep him from going somewhere else Monday through Saturday.

Now, I can tell you what’s going to happen. He will say, “Oh, I can be in tomorrow.” I’m going to say, “Great. You just saved me 10 calls. I’m going to schedule the appointment for 9:15 tomorrow.” Let’s say he’s out of town, and truly can’t be in until Saturday? That’s okay. I’m going to set a reminder in the CRM to call him at 6:30 on Friday night. On 6:30 on Friday night, I’m going to call him and schedule that Saturday morning appointment.

There were 2 reasons, and I’ve got a couple of questions I’ll get to in just a second, there are 2 reasons why I don’t set that Saturday appointment on a Monday. One is that I just gave him new car fever. He’s going to buy a car between Monday and Saturday. 2, he’s going to get buyer’s remorse before he ever gets a chance to buy. He’s going to start thinking about buying a car, buying a car, buying a car, get the new truck, get the new truck, and he’s going to talk himself out of it before Saturday comes. Never set.

Now, I’m not talking about a traditional internet lead. I’m talking about I called this customer, and I said I’ve got a buyer and immediate need for your vehicle. I’m the one who instigated this. I’m not setting a Saturday appointment on a Monday.