That seems like an odd question doesn’t it. But in reality it’s actually a very good idea. To be a successful car salesperson, you need to be able to follow a set formula that works for you in order to present yourself as a professional that knows how to sell cars. Thinks about the steps you take to make a car sale: you greet the customer; you build up a rapport with them to make them relax; you investigate their particular needs through conversation; your present the vehicle to them with a brief rundown of feature; you demonstrate the vehicle to them with a more detailed run down and take it for a ride; you overcome any objections they may have with truthful statements and logic; and you close the sale. Phew, that’s a lot of stuff!

Script or no script that is the question

Your personal sales script will allow you to tackle the basic steps outlined above in an effort to gain the trust and confidence of your customers. You will be able to avoid awkward moments in the process and maintain your professionalism, especially as you learn to deal with things such as objections from your customers. You can present yourself as someone who is knowledgeable about the product they sell and not like you are fresh out of the car sales academy.

What goes in the script?

What you put in your script will depend on your particular style of selling. Obviously the first thing should be your greeting and you are actually going to get a better result from your potential customer by introducing yourself with your name right off the bat than just saying, ‘Can I help you?’. If you say, ‘Hi, welcome to Everyday Motors, I’m Eric and you would be’ you’ll get their name immediately with an introduction to whoever else is with your customer.

Building a rapport is a matter of engaging in a little bit of small talk. You can use some common sense here. If the customer has kids, ask them what they like to do. Kids tend to be a bit shy, but they are great ice breakers can help you broach a topic with mom and dad. For example, you ask little Timmy is he likes sports you can say you like football and root for the Pittsburgh Steelers. You’ll find out that mom and dad are either fans or hate the team, and some good natured conversation or ribbing can then ensure before you move on to actually finding out what they need and setting them in with a new car.

Finally, remember to remain professional and polite through your interaction with your customer. Being courteous and upbeat during the process will leave an impression on them and they will be willing to finalize the sale.