The Secret To Increasing Revenue While Lowering Resistance

The Secret To Increasing Revenue While Lowering Resistance

By

Eric M. Twiggs

“When presenting estimates, don’t factor in your estimation of what the customer can afford”

“Mark,” a service manager of a Baltimore area shop, has an interesting customer service habit.  When his customers arrive to the shop, he goes out to the vehicle with them and they visit the car together.

Since the shop records all incoming and outgoing calls, I was curious to hear how this behavior impacted his conversations with the customers when he called them back to present the estimate. On one call, a customer named “Rick” made it clear that he didn’t want to invest in his Dodge Nitro.

Mark began the call by highlighting the positive conditions of the courtesy check findings and by complimenting Rick on how well he had maintained the vehicle. Next, Mark mentioned the movement found in the ball joint.

Rick interrupted him mid-sentence by stating: “I’m getting rid of the car, I just want to pass inspection.” Mark proceeded to present the need for new wheel bearings due to the noise coming from his current component.

Rick replied: “I’m getting rid of the car, I just want to pass inspection!” Despite this resistance, Mark continued by making the customer aware of the fact that his battery hold down was missing. Rick’s response may surprise you: “I’m getting rid of the car, I just want to pass inspection!”

To my surprise, Mark dared to make the following statement: “Your total investment including parts, labor and taxes is $993, and we can have this done for you today.” And then there was a moment of silence! The next person to talk was Rick, and here’s what he said: “Oh OK. Go ahead and do it!”

How was Mark able to overcome the resistance that Rick was communicating and get approval for the sale? Stay with me to learn the secret to increasing revenues while lowering resistance.

Visit The Car

Are you a travel agent or a tour guide?  To answer this question, think about the last major vacation trip you took.  The travel agent gave you the information about your journey, handed you the brochures, presented the facts, and ended the conversation by saying: “it’s great to meet you, enjoy your trip.”

The tour guide was different.  When you arrived at your designated tour, she handed you the brochures and presented the facts.  But here’s where she differed from the travel agent.  She said, “It’s great to meet you, now get in and let’s go!”   Which of the two was more believable?

You probably chose the tour guide since the two of you experienced the same things at the same time.  The travel agent just told you about the white-water river, but the tour guide was in the raft with you experiencing the waves! 

You could question the facts with the travel agent, but your argument “wouldn’t hold water” with the tour guide! 

If you fail to visit the car with the customer, you are like the travel agent.   Your customers are just hearing the facts in an impersonal way. 

When you visit the car with the customer, you both are experiencing the same things at the same time. For example, you can stand at the counter like a travel agent, and tell me about replacing my tires, but if we are both at the car and see the steel coming out in the tread, your gain instant credibility.   

Since Mark was a tour guide, he had credibility with Rick and could overcome his resistance.

Speak Their Language

In his audio book “The Power of Ambition”, Jim Rhon sums up what it takes to increase your revenue while lowering resistance, when he says: “You should always start with where people are before you try to take them to where you want them to go.”  

Here’s the Twiggs translation: Speak your customer’s language.  The language they speak, depends on their buying personality. 

At ATI, we teach the following five buying personalities: Performance, Fear, Simple & Easy, Basic Transportation, and Quality.   Visiting the car like a tour guide, gives you more of an opportunity to determine what language they speak.  It’s harder for a travel agent to learn the native language of a place he hasn’t been!

For example, a customer who has the basic transportation personality, will say: “I just want to get from A to B and avoid another car payment!”

When presenting the estimate to someone with this personality, you could say “Investing in this service will help you get from A to B and avoid another car payment!” 

People are more resistant to what you say, than what they say.  You won’t know what they say until you go out to the car and learn their language. 

Summary

Mark could overcome Rick’s resistance because he visited the car, and spoke his language.  When Rick came to the shop, Mark went out to the car with him and established a rapport. 

When Mark, presented the findings to Rick he used many of the same words that Rick told him when they were at the vehicle.   If you commit to these steps, you can increase your revenues while lowering resistance.

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS:  Don’t know what to do when you go out to the car with the customer?  Email etwiggs@autotraining.net and I will send you a “visit to the car video” that demonstrates the process.