How RV Dealerships Can Meet Modern Buyer Expectations

Shopping for an RV can be exciting and fun, but also stressful to customers, as they weigh the plusses and minuses of trading their hard-earned money for the joy that RVing or camping can bring.

However, in the last few years, customers are not only more in tune to what they expect from a dealership, but they are more vocal about sharing it. They’re also more assertive in sharing feedback in surveys or online comments.

Most salespeople have not adjusted to their customers’ changing needs and expectations and are still doing things the way they always have. Nowadays they expect more than just product knowledge.

So, what’s the answer? The following is a countdown of the top 10 (down to the No. 1) most important adjustments salespeople need to make to keep up with customer expectations.

No. 10: Nail the First Impression

We have all heard the long-standing saying “you only get one chance to make a great first impression.” Customers are more demanding of their salesperson than ever before, so they now tend to make immediate (subconscious) judgments about them. These perceptions tend to stay with them throughout the shopping process, and since buying decisions seem to be more emotional than logical now, it plays a role in helping them decide. Salespeople now need to be more aware of how they initially approach a customer, what they wear, how they walk, facial expressions and, of course, the first words they say.

No. 9: Do More Listening

Most salespeople try to make a good impression when first meeting a customer, and as a result, they tend to talk way too much. During this time, an anxious customer (which is most of them) needs to feel comfortable talking to their salesperson. This is the first big opportunity the salesperson has to help customers feel safe and develop some comfort. In those first few minutes, be sure to slow down the process, keep it simple, ask questions and listen.

No. 8: Respect the Budget

One of the biggest customer fears is that a salesperson will try to sell them something that is above their budget. They are no longer open to salespeople applying pressure to “upsell” them to a more expensive RV. Once their budget is established, be respectful of the price of what you show them. Once they realize RVs in that price range don’t have the features they need, they may increase their budget.

No. 7: Product Knowledge

Customers today expect you to not only know your product, but to master it, inside and out. Why? So you can prove why this product fits where they plan to go, how they’ll use it and how it can accommodate everyone sleeping in it. They also expect you to know your competitor’s product, so you can prove why yours provides more value.

No. 6: Demonstrate Benefits

Most great features on RVs today are obvious, but that’s not always enough. Being able to do an interactive demonstration that also illustrates how it can make RVing easier or more comfortable is what customers expect now. Features and options have gone up in price, so illustrating the benefits customers will enjoy from that feature is a step customers really appreciate.

No. 5: Focus on the Shopping

As soon as a customer walks in, most salespeople get an adrenaline rush about the opportunity for a sale and commission, and they want to get customers to say “yes” as fast as possible. BIG mistake. The customer wants you to enjoy the shopping process along with them. They don’t want to see your desperation for a sale. All too often, salespeople’s energy for a sale is obvious and it’s a major turn off for a customer. Have fun, allow your customer to enjoy you, the RV and shopping, and the rest will happen when the customer is ready.

No. 4: Do a Quick Recap

When customers look at multiple RVs (four or more), they all start to run together. After walking out of each RV (even if they hated it), stop for a minute and quickly recap what they liked, disliked and what questions they have, and then move on to the next. This prevents them from getting overwhelmed as they look at multiple RVs, and it also gives the salesperson new clues as to what to show them next.

No. 3: Close Respectfully

High-pressure selling is less acceptable to customers now, so if the salesperson can’t get them to say yes, bringing in a “closer” to pressure them is a major turn off. Pressure-buying in this economic environment just does not work. In addition, masking a bad deal with cheap throw-ins is a big reason for buyer remorse and cancelled deals.

No. 2: Honesty

Dealing with a bad salesperson is a main reason why customers put the next salesperson they work with through the ringer. Salespeople must be on the lookout for the cues of an anxious customer. Those signs are:

• Nervous, uncomfortable, edgy
• Won’t look directly at the salesperson
• Short answers to questions
• Uncomfortable body language

In this situation, you must win the customer first. Any discussion about what they want, why they want it, budget or anything else must wait. They need to like you, feel comfortable with you and trust you before you’ll get the honest information you need to put them on the right product.

No. 1: Build Rapport & Trust

Building comfort, rapport and (especially) trust is the secret sauce of selling. Not having trust in their salesperson is the No. 1 reason why a customer eventually says, “I want to go home and think about it,” even if the product is perfect for them, the price fits their budget and everything else appears to be fine.

Salespeople must take the time to build trust with the customer. When they rush the customer out in front of product, they pass on the opportunity to calm their customer’s anxiety and build trust to gain the “yes” to buying. So, let’s revise what you do and how you do it in those first few minutes with customers to make the adjustments that will result in most customers saying yes the next time you try to close them.