Pre-Sale Follow-up
After you've left, the professional car salesperson will sit down and write you a letter thanking you for coming in, suggesting that he or she knows that you can get together on price, and that if you'd like, the salesperson will be happy to bring the car out to your office or house for another demo drive. The letter arrives the next day and you're impressed. Who wouldn't be? Here's someone who is really interested in earning your business. Expect a phone call as well.
Making The Deal
Eventually you return to the dealership and negotiate a deal. The good professional will always be just that-professional. He or she does not want to give away the store, but at the same time doesn't want to lose your business. When you finally come to an agreement, the sales¬person will put all the "give and take" of the negotiation behind and extend a hand congratulating you on your purchase.You'll give the dealer a deposit-but not the whole amount-to secure the deal, and the salesperson will arrange for a convenient time for you to come in and take delivery of the vehicle. The professional will ask that you allow forty-five minutes to an hour so that you can complete the paperwork, go over the owner's manual, service books, and guarantees, and review the operation of all the features on the car.
The Delivery
The professional will make the delivery of your vehicle a special event. When you arrive, your car, van, or pickup will be sitting in a special place out front for everyone to see. The interior and exterior will be spotless. When you enter the dealership, your salesperson will be waiting, and immediately you'll sense that he or she is just as excited paperwork. Really savvy professionals will even go so far as to clear the top of their desks of everything but those papers and booklets relating to your purchase. They want you to know that nothing is going to distract them from giving you their total attention.
Once the paperwork is done and you've handed over the check, the salesperson will take you back to the service department and introduce you to the service manager and, very possibly, to the service writer who will be assigned to you. In good dealerships these people will be genuinely happy to make your acquaintance and welcome you to their family of customers. Parenthetically, the author has been in dealerships where the service department is so much attuned to cus¬tomer needs that customers will continue to buy their cars from the dealership even if some other dealer beats their price. There's an old saying in the car business: "The first car is sold by the salespeople and the second by the service people." Very true.
Anyway, after you've met the service people, the professional will take you out to your new vehicle. Don't be surprised to find a small gift waiting for you. Some of the best professionals we've known always have a bouquet of flowers for their female customers. Key holders, document pouches, and the like are all very common for men.
During the delivery you'll be given a complete "walk-around" of the car. You'll be shown how to open the hood and check the oil and transmission dipsticks, windshield wiper reservoir, and where to find the fuse box.
Inside the car, the salesperson will review the seat adjustments, air conditioning, heater, radio, and all the other features. Depending on the car and the situation, the salesperson might offer to take you for another demo drive to be sure that you fully understand the vehicle's operation. One other nice touch that some dealerships and salespeople add to the delivery experience is to drive with you to the nearest gas station-or use the dealership pump, if they have one¬and buy you a full tank of fuel. The act of having someone buy your first fdl-up is one of the more powerful ways to cement a good cus¬tomer-salesperson relationship and lay the groundwork for referrals and future sales. In a good dealership the dealer or general manager will come out and thank you for your business and tell you that their door is always open if you have questions or concerns.
If the professional has done his or her job, you will feel very good about the entire experience. But there's more to come.
Post-Sale follow-up
Sometime within the next two days your salesperson will give you a call to ask if everything is okay and to inquire if you have questions.The smart professional will use this opportunity to set up an appointment for your first service.
Sometime during the first week a letter will arrive from the salesperson formally thanking you for your business and suggesting that if you were happy with the purchase experience and know of anyone in the market for a car, an introduction would be greatly appreciated. This is where the professional's approach begins to pay off. If he or she has really managed to lay the groundwork for a long-term relationship, your endorsement of that performance to friends will, on average, generate three additional customers for that salesperson.
When you arrive for your first service, your salesperson will be there to greet you and reintroduce you to your service writer. The professional will make it clear that he or she is always a phone call away if ever you have questions. On the anniversary of the purchase, you'll get an anniversary card from your salesperson.
la Cosclusion ...
The bottom line here is this: If you are fortunate enough to encounter the kind of professional salesperson described here, latch on. This person can become a valuable resource. You may even find that it's worth paying a little more just to assure that your salesperson and the dealership really are prepared to go the extra mile to guarantee your satisfaction.
