Lube Shop Confidential
(Continued)

Controlling what the customer thinks is pretty simple: If they like what they are hearing, they will continue to listen. If they do not like what they are hearing, they will stop listening.

So, the formula is pretty simple: Say things that your customers like hearing. In this situation, he would like to hear what benefit he will receive for his $100. Simply tell him the reasons he wants the service: Longer transmission life, continued smooth operation and possibly even helping to maintain whatever warranty he may have left on the transmission.

That last line is far more important in successful presentations than most would imagine. It is a fair statement that if you do not at the very least complete your presentation to the customer, you are probably not going to have any level of success with it. So, following that reasoning, a priority is to finish every presentation.

If the customer is hearing things they don’t like — or at the very least, not hearing things they do like — they will become bored and indifferent with your presentation and stop paying attention. They will typically cut you off with some statement like, “Yeah, don’t worry about that, I’ll get that done at the 30,000 mile checkup.” The result is an unfinished presentation and an unsatisfactory no-sale situation for you.

Again, the priority is to at least finish the presentation. How do you exercise that customer control and get them to willingly let you finish your presentations, all the while actually listening to what you have to say? It’s very simple: Continually tell them things they like to hear, things that pique their interest. In a nutshell, customers will usually continue to listen to you if you always do one or both of the following: 1) make complimentary statements that reflect positively on them, their actions or their vehicle, and 2) clearly explain the benefits to them of everything you are doing or will do for them or their vehicle.

The chain of events that follows is predictable, consistent and has a positive outcome for you as well as your customer:

• You “control” your customers by subtly saying and doing things they like and want to hear.
• They continue to actively listen to you, allowing you to continue with your presentations.
• You are able to easily finish your presentation.
• The customer now makes an informed decision based on the complete information you provided.

This is where the ultimate necessity of having well-prepared presentations for all your products and services comes into play, for their decisions regarding your suggestions will be based largely on your presentation. Well-prepared and thought-out presentations work, and they work well. There is absolutely no doubt about that.

It stands to reason that if you are able to deliver complete and well-prepared presentations to every single customer, you will have a much-improved chance of success than if you are unprepared, or cannot at least finish the presentation. This leads right to one of the key factors that will enable any technician to dramatically improve their success ratio with presentations: Customers purchase extra services because the presentations are well thought out and planned, as long as they get to hear them!

Your goal should never be to “make the sale” — the quality of the presentation takes care of that. Your goal with regards to “making it happen” with your customers should be to do whatever it takes to deliver the complete presentation. You deliver it, and it does all the work.

Master your subtle “customer control” techniques, don’t look back and I’ll see you all next month.

KIT SULLIVAN is a partner in a multi-unit Florida-based quick lube company. A 16-year veteran of the industry, Sullivan has more than 25 years experience in sales and management training. He is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers. He can be reached via e-mail: quicklubekit@aol.com

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