Overview

In taking the time to assess a potential client's demeanor and needs, and being willing to go to any lengths to make them more comfortable, to work with them, being willing to self-depricate, the results will favorable to all parties concerned, and a FAR better Customer satisfaction, equals far better sales and Customer Service.

Summary

I have found, over the years that the FASTEST, EASIEST (and with almost a 100% success rate!) way to work with a difficult, cold and indifferent client, is to share, with not a LITTLE self- deprecation, something extremely personal, almost IMMEDIATELY after summing up, and confirming this personality type. It can be almost ANYTHING personal, BUT- IT CANNOT COME ACROSS AS A PLEA FOR PITY OR MERCY!!!! A HUMONGOUS dose of HUMOR, ALSO goes a LONG WAY!! My all time FAVORITE, self-deprecating subject, is my ALMOST non-existent MEMORY and AGE,,, ( the SECOND of which, by the way, IS EXISTENT!!) coupled with the PERSONAL angle, of, perhaps ........my Sleep-Apnea. Case in point: An older woman came into the Dealership that I was selling for. her arms were FIRMLY crossed across her Chest. Her mouth was turned down in what SEEMED to be a HABITUAL frown. When ANY member of our Sales Staff attempted to catch her eye, she would JERK her head into the opposite direction, with her shoulders following. My Manager, Bruce, walked up to her, extending his hand in greeting; she looked him HARD in the eye...... "Hello! Welcome to....", he began. She not only cut him off verbally, but REFUSED, flat out REFUSED to shake his hand. She walked past him, looking at a Vehicle on the Show Room Floor. Bruce looked at me helplessly-he wiped his eyes- "Becky, THIS ONE'S for YOU!!" he hissed. I didn't mind-THIS was MY area of expertise.....to melt the Icy demeanor of the cold, indifferent Customer. "HI!!", I said, as if she were my long-lost Mother. " Welcome to Bob...........". "I am SO glad that you are HERE"' I said, beaming. She slowly looked up at me, "I was SO afraid that I would be the ONLY Female HERE today! (slight giggle), " I'm Becky Bayless, and you are.......?" NO answer, but she DID smile, and it looked as if she didn't have the opportunity to do it very much, if at ALL. "You are standing in front of my FAVORITE vehicle that is on this ENTIRE LOT!!! Isn't it GORGEOUS?!?" We were, in fact, standing in front of a brand new, top of the line, Yukon Denali, XL. She seemed all alone in this world, and I DOUBTED by the way she looked, acted and dressed, that she would be able to, A. DRIVE it, B. WANT It, C. have any use for it, and (and I KNOW better than this one) D. Afford it. "How much is it? " she asked, and " does it come with a pin-stripe, by any chance?" she continued, still seeming doubtful that I could be trusted to know ANYTHING about the SUV,... Surprised that A., she 'd said ANYTHING at ALL, and B., that she'd asked a pertinent question about THAT vehicle, I said, not knowing the answer at ALL, "of COURSE!!!". "Well, I want to drive it home TODAY.. What did you say your name was again?". "Becky Bayless,", I said, fumbling over my last name. "Are you SURE?"she asked? "NO-I am NOT at all sure!!"I said. "I SWEAR....it's my AGE!!" I said, "If I could remember how old I WAS, maybe I would feel better about my......oh yes....MEMORY", completely feigning. My memory loss. All of the sudden, she BURST out laughing, and completely relaxed. Very head in the room snapped towards her-it was SO unexpected! "Well, I know what you mean", she said. "I have a HORRID memory myself!", she continued......"I'll bet it's worse than yours", she challenged. "I don't know", I said doubtfully....."I have Sleep Apnea", I continued, "only it's not the kind where you snore and your throat gets blocked, it's the OTHER kind". There's ANOTHER kind?" she asked, really interested...." SURE! " I said, " there is a kind where you just......FORGET to BREATHE!" She just DIED laughing!!! "I don't know if that's a true thing or not", she said, wiping the tears from her eyes, "But I DO know ONE THING for CERTAIN", she said emphatically,"what's THAT?" I asked....." YOU WIN!!!!! " she just about yelled, " that's THE worst memory that I have EVER heard of!!! Forgetting to BREATHE!! HAHAHAHA!!!!" . It took her a few seconds to regain control..."If you can get pin stripes on this, and the DVD REALLY, REALLY works, I'll TAKE it!!" I was aghast..." Do you want to make an offer?? DO you have a Trade?" I sake...."No, no Trade, and I don't want to argue with a Manager-I don't want to even meet him. I want YOU to just........take care of everything....just DO it!", she insisted. I actually had no IDEA how to handle this-she REALLY needed to test drive it, and talk to Finance, Bruce, etc......"Young Lady", she said, "You made me enjoy something that I had TOTALLY been dreading....ever since Walter died, it's taken the fun out of getting a new Vehicle, out of....well....just about everything". She had lost her husband. I ALSO learned another big lesson that day, that has helped me to be a FAR better Salesperson; Every client has a story. Every PERSON. SOMETIMES, they just need someone to listen to and have listen to THEM! They just may need a REASON to laugh!

Results

The result? An 11,000.00 Commission, by the time she had finished with all of the add ons. Since that day, I have used this Strategy on ANYONE who seems in the slightest , to be uncomfortable, disgruntled, sad, angry, you name it! It has worked EVERY SINGLE TIME! BUT-it DOES have to come from the HEART!