Since the beginning of time it seems most consumers assume that a Salesperson is only in it for the money and it results in Buyer Beware!

I can understand this mentality and I have experienced it firsthand! I've also had a very pleasurable buying experience, more than once.

Right now is a perfect time to fully understand what a ""salesperson" truly means to us and our economy. The bottom line is this. Our economy is in shambles and no one really knows what to do about it! The government is trying to stimulate it by injecting billions of dollars. They figure if the consumer isn't going to spend then someone else has to. I believe everyone knows that in order to get out of this mess and we simply need to start spending again. But no one is willing to take that first step. So how do we conquer this fear called a recession that is strangling our pocketbooks?

We have built within our society the solution! So there it is right in front of you and it is called a "salesperson." Salespeople are a strange breed, or are they? They like working with people, and often are the life of the party when surrounded by a number of people. So what is it that makes these people do the things they do?

For most it is having the ability to make an income without a ceiling. Some salespeople fall into the top 5% in our country! But a lot of them don't and have to work hard for every dollar they make. All salespeople fall into what is called the 80/20 rule or "Villfredo Pareto Principal." What this says is the 80% of the sales come from 20% of the salespeople. So that leaves 80% that can hardly make it in this business of selling. Also the same principal says that 80% of our results come from 20% of our actions! It isn't all the things we do, but 20% of what we do that brings us the best results. So when working with a customer they have to do the result producing things or "20%" very well.

This creates the conflict that I am referring to. A salesperson that is on top of his or her game is most successful when they master the art of asking questions. There are certain things a salesperson needs to know in order to help a customer make a decision on a purchase. Most consumers are reluctant to make a decision and will ultimately put the decision off as long as possible. That doesn't mean that they (consumer) don't need or want the product, they just don't want to make an error in judgment and society has trained them to stall or go home and "think about it."

Salespeople can help a customer logically think their way through this process and make an intelligent decision. But the customer feels threatened when the salesperson begins to ask questions. It is the questions and answers that allow a salesperson to paint the picture for the customer. This process needs to happen if the customer is ever going to make this decision.

Let's think about this for a moment. The customer comes on the lot where salespeople work. The customer, let's call him "Joe" for simplicity. Joe has a need for a new car or RV. His old one has seen better days and he definitely uses it and enjoys owning it. But what happens is this. The first contact from a salesperson, and let's call her "Sally," is that she approaches and welcomes Joe to the dealership. There is some small talk and it eventually leads to Joe telling Sally that he is only there to look. Joe knows he wants a new one, but is reluctant to give Sally any information because he doesn't want to end up making a decision that he is afraid to make! This whole process is insane! If you think about it, it happens even with the smallest of purchases. When we go to the mall shopping for a belt, and are approached by a salesperson, we tense up. When they say, "can I help you?" You say, nope, I am just looking. it is so stupid, we are NOT just looking, we need a belt! But that feeling overcomes us and causes us to answer it that way.

So what do we do? If somehow we could just create a level of "trust” that is what's lacking in most cases. A customer or Joe doesn't trust Sally. Sally has learned that in order to get Joe to trust her, she has to build rapport with Joe. When Joe gets the point of trusting Sally, then he will finally give in and start to answer her questions. It is so funny to see a customer like Joe make that transition. When he finally gives himself permission to open up, he can actually enjoy the ride!

Here is another side of what happens. Remember that 80% of salespeople fall into this category! It is hard to get a customer to trust them. They have to work extra hard at it. When they begin working extra hard the customer pushes farther away. Some customers go into a dealership; in fact most go in with their guards up. They fully expect a salesperson to approach them and start this game of asking questions. So they use a tactic that all of their friends and relatives have taught them. They "lie" or hold back on information. They have been told that if they hold back on information, it gives them the upper hand. This action causes the salesperson to work even harder. Like I said earlier, when they work harder, the distance increases!

Let me ask everyone something. Can we all agree that if a customer shows up to a dealer’s lot that they have some interest in purchasing what they are looking for? I would assume that most will answer yes. If that is the case then why can't the customer cooperate?

I am excited to hear what everyone has to say about this subject

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