It can be tough to walk into a store or car dealership and have pushy sales staff around. While we do life in an internet age of shopping online, we still do need to have sales staff to close deals, not to mention answer any questions that we have. There a line between too nonchalant and pushy, at which one way or another can cause you to walk out the door. There are tactics that sales staff are trying on you to get comfortable and be able to open up the wallet to complete the purchase. While of course there are nice and competent sales staff, keep in mind they do work on commission, so your well-being should still be in question and it’s ok to keep your guard up.
Sip on the Free Coffee
You’re in a car dealership going over pricing for the new lease that you are in the market to get, and you are offered a cup of coffee. Sure, it’s free, so that’s one way to look at it, but at the same time by drinking the coffee and having a little caffeine into your system it gives you a little mental boost. With this little boost, you can now be more alert to talk business and maybe be persuaded to complete the purchase. A win-win on both sides, the sales person gets the sale, and you are excited to get the new car.
It’s the Last in Stock
Demand can cause a little frenzy if it exceeds the supply (remember the Tickle Me Elmo dolls where people would literally fight each other in order to get one). Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Frank started Festivus because he was fighting over a “doll for my son”. If you are in the market for a purchase and they tell you that there are only a few more in stock, or even worse, it’s the last one, you may be included to make the purchase then, instead of thinking about it any further, in hopes to not miss out.
Getting on a Personal Level
Sure, you should be nice to anyone you come across, unless there’s a reason not to be, but there’s a line between being nice and being fake. That is tough to tell in sales because they are trying to complete a sale, so you wonder if it’s an act or genuine. They may start to ask you personal questions to sort of get your mind of the purchase and think of them as a “real person” instead of a sales person. From there it’s up to you how detailed you want to get, but it’s still ok to keep it casual.
Price Negotiating
It used to be fighting for a price when looking for a car, going back and forth on what the price is versus what you pay. It seemed like it started with a price you thought it should be (which would be on the low end, of course), and then the high end of what they were charging, and then you would meet somewhere in the middle. The sales person can look like they’re on your side if they go back and fight for the price with their manager, which actually just means they are coming back at a lower price to try and meet your demand, but it looks like they fought for you.
Does Swearing Help?
While it may be inappropriate for some, others may actually appreciate their sales person keeping the language causal and even throwing in a few swear words. I guess it makes them look like a down to earth person but some actually feel more comfortable when their sales person lets the obscenities fly. It all depends on your comfort level, but the sales person will no doubt figure that out depending on the type of person that you are.
Fast Can Sound Intelligent
When I was a kid there used to be the Micro Machine man that talked super-fast and you could only pick out a few words here and there, but actually it’s been said that if you have an upbeat attitude and get through your words quickly, you can actually sound smart, and consumers may be more likely to purchase through this type of sales person above others. I have always heard that you can tell the type of person by the way they walk; if slow, they could be lazy, and fast, they hustle, so I guess the same thing can be said for the way you talk.
