A reader writes: “I have a customer that does not like me and will not tell me why. How do I approach this person and win them over?”

I really cannot cover such a broad subject in a brief article so I will touch on a few key points. When I sold cars (yes, I was one of those guys), I learned early on to “tag team” with one or more other salespeople to either help them or ask for their assistance when we encountered a customer that, for whatever reason, did not like their first contact at the dealership. It was more important that we were able to satisfy the customer and close the sale than allow a customer to leave the dealership without making a purchase that met their needs.

We stayed away from gender/politics/race and focused on personalities and temperament. We learned to watch for cues that indicated the prospective buyer was not on the same “wave length” as the sales rep. I remember working with one person who dominated the conversation with anecdotes about how great they were in the romance department and did not give the prospect an opportunity to identify what they wanted to buy.

Rather than worry about the customer’s reasons for not liking you, I suggest you change your attitude towards them and tag team with another staffer who may better relate for reasons that are not obvious and may not even be important. It might not hurt to get feedback from other staffers or your significant other for pointers where you may need to improve your approach and demeanor. You might also use a mirror or videos to determine if you have facial expressions or mannerisms that turn some people off.

Can you change if you know what to change? Yes. The key is being genuine while making the customer comfortable. This is not always possible. Your comments and feedback are always appreciated. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean...

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.


posted on 8/18/2017