This weekend I had a great experience that I haven’t had in
over 10 years, I BOUGHT A NEW CAR! No I didn’t get a super luxury car or a
sports car, I didn’t get a classic muscle car or and antique. I bought a basic
car just for running around town training or selling.
Before I went out driving from dealer to dealer I did what
so many of our customers do today, I let my fingers do the walking over the
keyboard of my computer. Because I haven’t been in the car market for so long I
had no idea what I was going to need to spend to get a car with A/C and automatic
transmission that gets GREAT gas mileage.
I started with all the manufacturers that I perceived to be
inexpensive. I went from website to website looking at the least expensive models
they had to offer. The assortment was astonishing, I saw models that I had
never heard of before or have ever seen.
As you can guess the price on almost every low end vehicle
started within a few hundred dollars of each other. After looking at several
models I had narrowed it down to 3 that I wanted to look at and drive. Off my
wife and I went to “LOOK” at cars.
Our first stop was the least expensive of all the cars. It
didn’t take long for a salesperson to walk up and introduce herself to me. I
told her what I was looking for and she looked at me like I was crazy. She very
nicely said, “The MSRP of the model does start at the price you saw online,
however we NEVER get cars like that in. All our cars have add on’s either from
the factory or one’s we put on after they are delivered. Basically you can
expect $1700 to $3000 added to the price you saw online.”
I stood there speechless. (Something that doesn’t happen to
me very often) The add on’s as she was explaining were 10% to 25% of the price
of the cars. I recognized very quickly that my budget had just been blown out
of the water.
I asked about what these add on’s were, and she was very
happy to show me a few window stickers and what was on them. I can honestly
tell you that not one of the items listed made a hill of beans difference about
how the car drove, handled or the mileage it got. Everything was protective this
and coating that, a light here and a switch there. Nothing that made any
difference.
After hearing the same thing from the next 2 dealers I went
to I started thinking how this could be an advantage to me. The only thing I
could come up with is it gives me a great posting here on the Training Buffet,
Help Yourself.
What I noticed most about all these add on’s wasn’t what
they were as much as how the sales people just acted like it was the most
normal thing in the world to add 25% to the price of a car and offered no apology
for doing it. I thought about sales reps that I have worked with over the years
and how many apologize time and time again for a 5% shipping charge.
As I looked at other models of cars I saw that this add on practice
was done to EVERY car! From the basic starter car to the top of the line
models, thousands of dollars were added to the MSRP sticker price. (In most
cases the dealer had an additional sticker they applied to the window showing
the add on’s added after delivery)
The end of the story is I now have a car with power door
locks, power windows, AM/FM/CD with USB and AUX inputs, and Bluetooth for my
phone, along with a few other un-needed options.
Most of you reading this post have add on’s that you can
offer your customers. I am betting that most of you are a little shy about
doing it thinking the customer will not want the add on’s. Do what car dealers
do, bundle them with the product from the start of the sale. Don’t make it
optional, tell the customer about the add on’s up front and don’t apologize for
them. Sure some customers will not want them and unlike the car dealers you can
always remove them from the package, but if you ask you will be amazed how many
times your customers will say YES!
Did I mention I also have carpeted color coordinated floor
mats for the car?
Lorin
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