Lookers turn into buyers when they meet a professional salesperson

More than once while standing on deck at a automobile dealership I heard different salespeople mention how a certain prospect went from dealership to dealership "just looking" until they bumped into a professional salesperson (presumably that salesperson) who sold them a car/truck. What do you think that means... "until they bumped into a professional salesperson" and what do you think that salesperson did that the previous salespeople at the other dealerships didn't? -Community Mailbox

the proffessional sales person listened to the prospective customer and gave a solution that met his needs , his ego and fancies. -temitope

Hello Everyone!
It is my belief that price....location....selection....and every other aspect of the sale MEAN NOTHING to your prospective buyer.......UNTIL......THEY......LIKE......YOU!! Having been in sales almost 10 of the almost 27 years of my life, I have learned that the greatest successes in my history have been on account of the person LIKING ME FIRST.....and loving what I sold afterwards.
The truth of the scenario presented shows to me that the "potential buyer" was not so much comparing price, dealership, and selection....rather than how they were TRULY SHOPPING FOR A SALESPERSON THEY SINCERELY LIKED, and most importantly....TRUSTED. But in truth, you would never trust a person you don't like first, right?
Which brings me to a personal point that "inner-developement" as a socially successful individual could bear more fruit than even the most "technically-savvy" competition. The entire sales-process is about conversation, and the more a person likes you....the more they will say.....and the more you can make of that sale!

"LIKE-ABILITY" is the "gatekeeper" to EVERY sale....master that, and the rest is easy.

Much thanks for the inquisitive post!
-David -DRIVEN82

David, I agree that likability is important in the selling process. I know many others disagree with you and me (I've seen it here in this forum), but I'm on your side on this. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is the "gatekeepr to every sale," however, as I think that is an oversimplification.

To address this thread's topic:

Shoppers are buyers who are dormant. They need someone to help them out their dormancy and when that happens, they become a customer. This is the essence of selling, in my opinion. -Skip Anderson

Thank you Skip for your reply,
You are completely correct in what you said, and I greatly appreciate how you thought critically about what I had said. You caught me in a moment of passion (as I often dobgwnk; ), and though such energy and enthusiasm can mean great success in sales (emotion sells)....it can also lead me too far into something I believe in.
To say that "like-ability" is the ultimate barrier to break through is oversimplifying to a certain degree, but I only failed to more concisely say that a person has to feel comfortable with both your verbal and your non-verbal signals in order to trust you enough with their investment....regardless of the caliber of the product.

-DRIVEN82

we are on the same thought. the customer will like the sales executive if he is the listening type compassionate towards the buyers need!!!!and does npt have any irritating habit. needless to say mostly buyers will sooner buy from the sales executive who they like and a friend to them. period. -temitope

That is a very complex question and it is easy to look in the wrong place for an answer.

What happens in that scenario does not start with what "the salesperson did." It starts in the head of the prospective buyer. When he/she finds that salesperson who MIRRORS the "shopper's" belief about what a salesperson should be doing, and how that salesperson should be behaving and responding (and serving), then the road is paved for a sale.

That said, the aforementioned "beliefs" will vary among shoppers. The attitude of that shopper towards the salesperson will be a reflection of his/her belief. The fact is that attitudes are always a reflection of beliefs. They form the Climate that remains present while buyer interacts with seller.

In the question that was posed as this topic, my answer is that the successful salesperson mirrored
the beliefs of the shopper which were a prerequisite for moving forward.

Inasmuch as beliefs are a reflection of Attitude, I believe the best of the best salespeople are able to identify prospects' attitude and act in a forehanded manner with an intent to serve. -Ace Coldiron

good afternoon every one,
i like that word like -ability. it is so apt. as much as i agree with everyone that abuyer will mostly buy from the sales executive whom he likes , that is true if the sales has the quality that makes him likeable , like a listnening ear, a compassionate heart and shares the same passion or enthusiasm with the prospective customer on the product he is about to sell. the sales man must be clean in his dressing as well. -temitope

Having worked with automobile salespeople in the past I have witnessed such a comment although I believe it was more along the lines of 'bumping into a real salesperson'.

In the discussion I witnessed the salesperson was essentially saying there are a lot of people who call themself a "salesperson" who don't know how to sell - meaning a 'real salesperson' would know how to engage the prospective buyer mentally and emotionally, ascertain where they were at in the process (buying decision and purchase decision) and get them home from there if a deal was possible. -Jeff Blackwell

I agree, and that adds a new dimension to the accepted Ready, Willing, and Able construct of Qualification, doesn't it? I view that other and vital dimension as Attitude of the prospect which a skilled salesperson can use to decipher the beliefs of the prospect (critical to both buying decision and purchase decision.)

In an article in Dartnell's Motivated to Sell a few years ago, titled Are You Managing Your Sales Career Or Is It Managing You, the author referred to "The Big A", and described how "the prospect's attitude is the single most important assessment you can make in every sales situation."

Radical, or right on? -Ace Coldiron

To add my thoughts in this discussion, the most important thing in a salesmen - customer relationship is trust.

If the customer trusts the salesman, it doesn't matter if they like the salesman or not they will buy their products.
Usually though trust and likability go hand in hand. If the customer like the salesman they usually trust them as well.

What probably happened in the case of the person buying a car. The salesman listened to the customer and found a solution that obviously fulfilled their wishes.
Then they made the customer trust their arguments and sold the customer the car. -LookingDaniel

I believe Ace answered this very nicely:

When he/she finds that salesperson who MIRRORS the "shopper's" belief about what a salesperson should be doing, and how that salesperson should be behaving and responding (and serving), then the road is paved for a sale.

The fact is that attitudes are always a reflection of beliefs. They form the Climate that remains present while buyer interacts with seller.

In the question that was posed as this topic, my answer is that the successful salesperson mirrored the beliefs of the shopper which were a prerequisite for moving forward.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I too have found that sales is about "being" as the cause and "doing" is the effect.

The doing by the sales rep infers a belief system that the prospect is looking for in hopes of finding a match.

While we think we are qualifying the prospect, they are qualifying us. The prospects lists of "shoulds" and "oughts" are their feelers for locating shared beliefs. When the sales rep resonates with the prospect, trust is generated as an immediate effect of these shared beliefs as their cause.

Also, another of many misdirected interpretations in this example, is believing that just because one out of several sales people made the sale, that he or she did something different. This entices people in sales to start discussing what "to do" with the next prospect rather than how to "be." -John Voris

John--you add insight, and threads like this flow productively. As Ace, my reference to Climate (attitude) above was in harmony with Gary Gagliardi's interpretation of Bing Fa, popularly called The Art of War. The specific interpretation from Gary was The Art of War The Art of Sales. I served as a seminar leader for Gary at one time. His works are priceless. -Gary A Boye