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Comment by Mark Tewart on December 26, 2012 at 7:30pm

Agreed

Comment by Marsh Buice on December 26, 2012 at 7:27pm

Mark I totally agree; when I try to go in, introduce myself and ask if it's ok to look at their trade. Upon coming back, I thank them and hand the keys back to them. Many dealership personnel looked at me crazy, but if we've done the right things leading up to the sale, we have nothing to fear; it's when we do the whoo-doo w customers do we need to hold keys. If we want leverage, focus on presenting a product that heals their transportation ailments. Thanks Mark for commenting.

Comment by Mark Tewart on December 26, 2012 at 11:04am

I tell a story in my management seminars about how years ago I asked a customer what he disliked about buying a car and he said "When the dealership holds my keys." Obviously, because of this I did not hold his keys. In the next management meeting I expressed that I wanted every salesperson to ask every customer what they did not like about buying a car and make sure to avoid that or pre position this up front. We also started giving the customers keys back and making a big deal of it. My used car managers was expressing angst over this and asked me what happens if we piss off a customer and they are leaving. If we have their keys they have to come back in. My answer was this, "So, let me get this right, we are focusing on what we should do after we piss of customers?" He and everyone else got the point. We went through every point of our process and began to change many outdated and ridiculous points of a sale. We found that we could just let them go because they no longer served us or our customers. We fall into traps of doing things because we have always done them. Critically examine everything on a constant basis. 

Comment by Marsh Buice on December 8, 2012 at 8:41am

Bobby, after seeing your video a yr it so ago, began to consistently return the keys after evaluating their trade. When I do that I introduce myself and let the cust know I am working their deal for them. I like to do that to put them at ease but also take their temperature to see how the atmosphere is. That determines the approach I take in the deal. When I first started returning the keys, the team looked at me like I was crazy. I told them, if we've done our job right, we won't have to hold their keys - they'll want to stay. Learned it from u brother. Thanks for commenting bro.