Win Over the Customer First

There is one scenario at RV dealerships that might be at the heart of losing more deals than any I have seen recently, and one that is also overlooked in salesperson training. That’s how to deal with customer anxiety.

There is one question that comes to mind in trying to determine a solution to this problem: Is buying logical or emotional?

Buying an RV involves spending money, so some might feel that it’s logical. However, that only makes sense if you assume that customers think with their head and not their heart when it comes to spending.

For the highly analytical customer, buying is a logical, fact-based decision. However, that’s only a small portion of RV buyers today. Most customers buy with their eyes and with their heart, which is driven by emotion.

RVs aren’t cheap these days, and parting ways with thousands of dollars of hard-earned money is difficult for many people to justify. When you add high interest rates for finance buyers during the last few years, it can raise the tension level for most customers when buying something that is a luxury and not a necessity.

In addition, at some point most customers have worked with at least one aggressive, pushy salesperson, who is highly motivated for a sale and is willing to do almost anything to get one, including falsely answering questions or giving inaccurate information. When customers finally sit down with a salesperson who is desperate to prove they’re knowledgeable and competent, they will have to tolerate them talking way more then they listen, which turns the customer off even more.

What does this cause? What’s the result of all this? The typical customer will walk into your dealership with a great deal of anxiety, nervousness, tension and apprehension. Many are actually scared to work with a salesperson (even though they know they need one) and will use creative tactics to avoid working with one. When approached by a salesperson to ask if they need assistance, we have all heard the typical response “I’m just looking.”

The real issue here is that very few salespeople have had any training to identify a nervous, anxious customer and even less on how to handle it when they are faced with one. So their typical response is to rush them out in the lot to look at product, thinking that will calm their nerves and make everything all better. In the short term, that can help — but there is one big thing missing: winning the customer first by calming tension, achieving comfort and laying the groundwork to build trust.

I can’t tell you how many times I have seen a salesperson seemingly do everything right in matching the product with a customer’s wants, needs and budget, only to fail in trying to close the sale. Customers tend to quickly utter their famous last words: “I want to go home and think about it.” And off they go with no RV. This is an instinctive response, and often customers have no idea what they want to go home and think about. They’re just not comfortable.

What many salespeople miss is that when a customer walks in with high anxiety from all the things mentioned above, it must be recognized and addressed or that negative mindset will linger throughout the entire process, making it impossible for them to say “yes” when the salesperson tries to close the sale.

Yet, time and time again, the typical salesperson believes that diverting their customers’ attention by getting them into a beautiful RV will make everything go away and they will feel fine again. So how can salespeople avoid this reaction? Every salesperson must win the customer first, before moving on to any second step, and here’s a few steps to help do that.

Slow Down the Early Process

Don’t be in a hurry right after the initial greeting. Slow things down in those first few minutes to allow the anxious customer to catch their breath and develop an initial impression of you. They also need to be convinced that you are listening to them, which is a high priority for any customer. Listen to what the customer is really saying but also how they’re saying it, which will give you time to read the nonverbal cues they are giving you to confirm what you’re hearing verbally. You also need to read between the lines to confirm that there is no discomfort or anxiety before moving onto the next step. Your gut feeling needs to confirm what you’re hearing.

Address Discomfort Directly but Softly

If a customer appears nervous or uneasy, ask them about it in a caring, curious, nonthreatening manner. You can do so simply by asking “Are you OK?” In most cases, they will want to tell you about a horrible experience with another salesperson, just to get it off their chest. When they do, listen carefully, because they will tell you exactly what they don’t want you to do when working with them.

Get Permission for Each Next Step

A nervous, anxious customer will have an imaginary fear that you might try to “pull something on them.” They will likely fear this because of what a previous salesperson has tried to get past them.

Let the customer know what you plan to do next, and why, and confirm their agreement by “sound good?” Then move on to the next step.

Get the Information You Need

You can ask what they want, why they want it, how they plan to use it and pay for it, only after you’re convinced they have relaxed and tension has eased. If you ask for this too soon, you will not get an honest portrayal of what they want and why they want it, wasting time showing them things that don’t fit them — a surefire deal killer.

Don’t Rush To Look at RVs

The nervous, anxious customer will want to rush right out and look at product. This is a diversion tactic designed to focus on product and avoid you, even if you did nothing wrong (it’s likely because of a bad experience at another dealership). If you take this bait and get them into product before they feel comfort and trust with you, you have removed the opportunity to earn that trust. Pushing back in a nonthreatening way to slow them down a bit is what I call the “30 seconds of discomfort,” where you need to be assertive to slow them down enough to allow time to get to know, trust and feel safe with you.

Be a Dove With Steel Talons

The moment mentioned above is where most salespeople lose control of their customer, because the customer is allowed to dictate activities, tempo and what you do next. Politely push back and explain why you to need more information before you go look at product. If they appear stressed, ask about it openly, with a concerned, caring approach by saying something like “I’m sensing that you’re a bit anxious or uncomfortable, and I’m here to help you relax and enjoy your time with me today. Before we look at the RV that’s perfect for you, let’s talk about how I can help you be more comfortable. Sound good?”

When they answer, be sure to take notes. But first, let them know what you’re writing and why — so you can remember everything that was important to them and handle yourself accordingly.

Ask for Permission First

For each following step, announce what you would like to do first, and ask for permission (and continue to do so). This eliminates any fear of you surprising them. Once you do this three or four times, they will trust you are there to help them.

The cumulative effect of these steps will help to relax their anxiety and will lay the groundwork for the trust they must have to make the emotion-based decision to buy.