Two Wolves

"I'm just looking, I won't be buying today." "I need to compare your vehicle with a competitors model and then shop around" .."I'm not an impulse shopper".."I just started looking."

Everyday sales people hear this exact quote from customers soon after the meet and greet.

What happens next is reminiscent of the old tale of two wolves.

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.

"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

The two wolves in this scenario are:

A)The bad sales wolf believes his customer is "just looking."He believes this customer is a waste of time. He thinks "I could be spending time with a buyer." He despises spending time with his customer, and it shows in his face.

He doesn't ask this buyer many questions or follow any steps. He knows they aren't buying and he's right, at least not from him. At best he puts forth a half hearted effort to sell. He thinks they probably want to buy elsewhere and that surely following up with these people would be an even bigger waste of time. This wolf is full of excuses, he blames everything including his customers for his lack of sales and income.

B)The good sales wolf understands "I'm just looking" actually means "I'm looking for a real salesman to build trust, value, and urgency and help me buy a new vehicle RIGHT NOW."
The good wolf listens between the lines. He takes every customer through the sales steps like his life depends on it. After building the trust, value and urgency he asked each customer to show them a proposal. He tells them "If my deal isn't good enough to earn your business that would be my fault not yours." He knows the average customer shops 1.2 dealerships and he smiles, asks questions and pace leads the sale because he knew this was a buyer from the get go. This wolf closes a high percentage and does a great job following up. The CRM is full of appointments, the board is full of "X's" and his pockets are full of money.

You are going to hear this exact objection from a customer TODAY. And everyday for the rest of your career. When it comes time which wolf are you going to feed? It's up to you and only you. Choose wisely.

Roger Williams
The AutomotiveCoach
Corporate Sales Manager
Fletcher Auto Group

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Comment by Roger Williams on March 6, 2015 at 1:48pm: Steven
I love that story! And it's so true. The human mind is so powerful.

Comment by steven chessin on March 6, 2015 at 12:56pm: Roger

Here's a different story of a similar nature.

2 shoe salesmen are sent to the jungle to look for business The 1st sends a message.No business here. Natives don't wear shoes. The 2nd sends a message. Amazing business here. Natives don't wear shoes.

Comment by Roger Williams on March 5, 2015 at 6:12pm: Steven
You go! That's the way to gold!

Comment by steven chessin on March 5, 2015 at 6:04pm: Roger - My bdc reps don't fear internet shoppers because they are paid well for every kept appointment.

Comment by Roger Williams on March 5, 2015 at 5:07pm: It's a cultural thing. If the dealer serves the GM and the GM serves the managers, and the managers serve the associates and the associates serve the customers rather than vice versa. Having a good wolf at the top is paramount.
A bad wolf as an owner, GM, or manager is a slow burning death ..

Comment by David Blassingame on March 5, 2015 at 5:00pm: Since I've been in the business.

We are blessed with some really positive guys on our team if we are lucky. The rest feed the wrong wolf and will be on another team in the future. Then another team, and so on.

Comment by Roger Williams on March 5, 2015 at 4:51pm: David
Hasn't it always been that way?

Comment by David Blassingame on March 5, 2015 at 4:49pm: We are the cause of our own suffering.

Comment by Roger Williams on March 5, 2015 at 4:24pm: Steven-

AMEN!

Comment by Roger Williams on March 5, 2015 at 4:23pm: David,

That is so true. In the dealerships I travel to it never changes, the "new" buyer is so different the "old" strategies won't work. However, when I get to the dealership the same phone, internet, and face to face techniques that have been working since Hitler was a Corporal magically work like a charm again.

Selling and setting appointments rather than cars over the phone and via email. Miraculously, when I show up appointments are set, then confirmed, a high percentage show, and deliver.

"FEAR" of the customer, the internet, the lions, and tigers, and bears, is as false now as it ever was. The basics of selling are whats really missing in dealerships. That doesn't sell to dealers and make constants money, but the truth is the truth. If sales people believe the customer is going to "gather information and leave" he is feeding the bad wolf. I am a firm believer in feeding the good wolf...