The Secret to Selling More

Whether a customer calls you or walks into your showroom floor, one thing is for certain! This buyer is likely not going to purchase the same vehicle they submitted on. In a majority of cases, customers haven’t submitted on their dream car, but instead a vehicle that they like and that fits their needs and budget. So, once they’re at the dealership, it’s hardly rare for customers to see something else that falls within that range. Yet, waiting for the customer to find something else on their own or allowing everything to hang on just one vehicle can be dangerous to the health of your deal.

So, in order to succeed and sell more vehicles, this one simple tip can be a game changer – expand your inventory! Knowing how to properly offer and engage customers with additional options sounds easy, but without the right timing, know-how, and technique, it can be something that escapes most deals. However, in return for expanding your inventory, you will be able to set more appointments and close more deals. In this blog, learn how to properly expand your inventory and increase your success in the automotive industry!

Expand the Inventory on the Phone

Why let a single vehicle stop you from setting the appointment with a customer? Especially since we already know that buyers will purchase a different vehicle when they come into the dealership. So, regardless of whether or not the vehicle the customer submitted or called in on is available, first expand your inventory! Odds are, the buyer will be interested in similar vehicles in similar price ranges, and maybe even a vehicle that’s nothing like what they originally inquired about. Customers might call in on something used, but are open to new vehicles as well, or will be open to completely different makes and models.

When a customer calls in on a vehicle, and it’s likely you don’t have it, expanding your inventory allows you to breathe new life into the deal with other vehicles. Yet, even in cases where you have the vehicle, an appointment set on multiple vehicles is always stronger than one set on one vehicle. So, before confirming or denying vehicle availability, first expand your inventory!

Word Tracks - Expand the Inventory on the Phone

To smoothly expand inventory over the phone, say something like this:

“Thank you for calling us on that (XYZ car). What a great choice! I can check on that for you, and it won’t take me long at all.”

“While I’m checking on the (XYZ car), I can also check on similar vehicles. Are you looking for just (XYZ car) or just something nice in that price range?”

By starting off with a compliment, you’re able to naturally build rapport and slow the deal down. Now, you can offer to check on what the customer wants as well as additional options. Here, you can begin to ask questions that help you figure out what else the customer might be interested in. Then, after a brief pause, you can come back with various vehicles that you are able to set the appointment on regardless of whether or not you have what the buyer originally inquired on!

Expand the Inventory on the Showroom Floor

It’s a salesperson's job to make buyers fall in love with the right vehicle. Yet, what the customer came to see likely isn’t their dream car or what they will purchase. So, be sure to set yourself up for success early on by preparing to expand the inventory. It’s not an uncommon situation for a customer to come into the dealership, but the vehicle they were interested in is no longer available or once they see it in person, they are no longer interested. That’s why it’s so important to expand the inventory. Remember, it’s an automotive sales professional’s job to play matchmaker until their customer falls in love and commits to buying a vehicle!

Expand the Inventory Early

When you want to expand the inventory, the best place to begin is while fact finding at the customer’s trade. Here, you can start to gather information on why they’re making the switch, find out what equipment and features they like, and discover plenty of other potentially valuable information. Proper fact-finding will give you the ability to expand inventory and land customers on the perfect vehicle every single time. By finding out their likes and dislikes, as well as other pertinent information, you will be able to suggest other vehicles to the customer that they will be extremely interested in. This will allow you to have multiple great vehicles to close on if needed and can even be a great way to control the negotiations later down the deal.