Sales How-To: The Art of Qualifying

The sales process can be complicated and certainly would be difficult to do all in one video. It breaks down into a series of steps often called, “The Road to a Sale.” Stay on the road, or path so to speak, and you will gradually improve your skills as you follow the same path over and over. It’s that way for a salesperson, and it’s that way for a business. The sales process itself is defined. It’s the DNA of sales if you will. Companies build businesses on the basic sales process, inserting products, messaging, etc., but the structure is the same. Meet and greet, or introduction. Qualify. Selection. Demonstration, which includes a product demonstration and a test drive in the car business. Trial close, “Is this the right product?”. Close. Whether you’re selling apples or airplanes, if you drill down on it, it’s the same. The most important step? Without a doubt, qualifying. It winds itself through the entire sale. It’s what creates and builds the relationship. No relationship, no sale. It’s what results in the correct product selection. Wrong product selection, definitely no sale. It is the essence of the sales process.

There are some basic rules and elements associated with the art of qualifying. I learned a long time ago: if you want to get to know someone, or start a relationship with someone, ask questions. If you want to get them talking, ask questions about what they know. Want to really get them talking? Ask questions about what they are passionate about. That works in the bar, in the church, and in the showroom. There is also the reality that you need answers to very specific questions in order to achieve the correct product selection and close a deal. It’s not just about building a relationship; it’s also about moving toward a sale. In the end, it’s an art. How to build a relationship and get the answers you need to very specific questions. 

If you want to get to know someone, ask questions.

I need to know these items. I need to know what product the client wants or needs. This could be as simple as one question if the client already knows exactly the product they want, or a huge number of qualifying questions to establish needs, wants, and budget.

Two. If you’re trading in a vehicle. More and more these days, clients are sensitive about questions related to their trade. Aggressive questions about a client’s trade, or even if they have a trade can send the signal to a customer that you are trying to push them into a purchase.

Third. Is there someone else involved in the buying decision? Do they need permission to buy the car? The deal killer. You get all the way to the end of a near-perfect sales process, then the customer gets cold feet and it’s, “I have to talk to my spouse.” At that point you're toast. It’s too late. The customer is already leaving without buying, or you get them to buy anyway only to have them cancel the next day when their spouse loses their mind. Lose-lose. Besides, knowing who’s involved in the buying decision up front allows you to make sure that individual is part of the process before moving on to a close.

Knowing who’s involved in the buying decision allows you to make sure that individual is part of the qualifying process.

Four. If you are financing or paying up front. Pretty tough to present numbers if you don’t know how they are paying, and believe me, how they are paying is going to change the entire dynamic of establishing a budget and getting into a negotiation.

I also need to figure out a way to build a relationship, so how do I do that? First, you need to build rapport. Asking great questions is the way to build strong rapport. Questions the customer is comfortable with and knowledgeable about, that get you the information you need while still remaining a warm conversation.

Next you need to gain the trust of the client. You need to sell yourself and sell the company before you sell the product. Make sure you tell the customer about your experience, and the best qualities of the company you work for. “You know Mr. Smith, I’ve been selling cars for a few years now, and I’ve worked at a few car dealerships. The great thing about ABC Motors is the way we treat our customers. The reason I came here was because I wanted to find a place where I could build a career and keep customers for life. I promise I will do everything I can to earn and keep your business.”

You need to sell yourself and sell the company before you sell the product.

Finally, you need to find common ground. Where the client lives and works, the family, the hobbies, the passions all provide fertile ground for interactive conversations with a prospect. 

The real question is how you actually get the answers you need without coming off as just another pushy salesperson. That’s the tough part. Even though the customer knows he or she is speaking with a salesperson, they don’t want to constantly be reminded of that by direct and aggressive questions.

There are a few basic rules about asking qualifying questions. First, avoid being direct. It’s a conversation, not an interrogation. If you want to know where someone lives, you don't say, "Where do you live?" you say, "Do you live close by?" or, "How far did you have to come to see us?" You will get the same answer, but you don't come off as though you're collecting information. If you want to know if someone is married, you don't ask "Are you married?" like you’re asking them for a date. Instead you ask “Are you looking for a vehicle for yourself or for your family?" Again, you will get the answers you are looking for even if you have to beat around the bush a little to get them.

Avoid being direct—it’s a conversation, not an interrogation.

Second, it’s not all about selling something. If you’re in sales, and dealing with people all day, make the most of it. One of the great things about the job is the opportunity to meet new and interesting people. If you take the time to show genuine interest in getting to know someone, and letting them get to know you, that will be your strongest attribute when closing deals. Relationships equal commitment. A sale is a commitment.

I’m just going to share with you my top five questions that lead to a veritable treasure trove of information. The best questions always lead to great conversation that lead to even more questions. That’s when qualifying becomes conversation. Easy.

One: “What brings you to the dealership today?” This question leads to some really great follow up questions, like “Are you here for our sale?” If they say no, then you tell them all about it. If they say yes, then you probably have a buyer. Either way you get to use the urgency of a sale to close the deal later. “Is there a specific vehicle you’re looking for?” Let’s face it, the simplest path to vehicle selection is to ask. “Have you ever been to our dealership before?” First of all, you want to make sure they are not someone else’s customer, or at least know who the heck you are skating. Beyond that it opens the door for you to tell the client all the great things about the store.

Insights about the customer's experiences at other stores could potentially be the most valuable insights you get.

Two: “How long have you been looking for a vehicle?” This is such a great question that leads to so many other questions, like “Where else have you shopped? How was your experience? What vehicle did you look at? Why didn’t you buy it? Is it still a consideration?” Insights gained through conversations about the customer's experiences at other stores could potentially be the most valuable insights you get. Knowing what some other salesperson did to either impress or piss off the customer is very useful knowledge. Knowing what their trade was appraised for, also pretty valuable. Not to mention the simple fact that the client has been to one or more stores seeking a vehicle speaks to the seriousness of the buyer.

Three: “Will you be the only one using the vehicle? Is there someone else involved in the buying decision? Do you have a spouse or children that will be using the vehicle?” This question really opens the door to relationship building. Not only do you find out if there is a spouse out there you will need to drag into the equation before closing a deal, but there is a great opportunity to talk about really personal things, like family. Common ground.

Four: “Are you looking to finance or pay up front for the vehicle?” Which leads to questions like “Do you have a budget you are trying to stay within? Monthly or total?” Let’s face it, dealerships make greater profits off clients that finance than clients that don’t. And it’s not about a bank reserve. It’s usually a different client. A cash buyer is focused on price. That’s it. A finance buyer thinks they are focused on price, but what is really important is budget.

If you ask your client what they drive, you can get all the trade information you need.

Five: “What are you driving now?” The number one rule of getting a conversation going is to ask questions that the individual will know a lot about. Believe me, the customer knows a great deal about what they are driving now and will talk about it in detail whether they are trading it or not. These days you run into a ton of clients who won’t admit they are trading a vehicle up front, but if you're only asking what they drive, you can get all the trade information you need, without getting them to say right away if they’re even trading it. 

Questions like: “What do you like or dislike about your current vehicle? How long have you owned your current vehicle? Are you considering trading it in? Are you still making payments? How much? Is there a lien on the vehicle? Which bank or finance company are you currently with?” What could be more relevant to a conversation about a potential vehicle purchase than all the elements surrounding the customer's current vehicle?

Here’s the thing, qualifying is much more than getting the information you need from the prospect to sell a car. Qualifying, the real art of qualifying, is the ability to do all that, while making a friend, making their experience a positive one and at the same time making your profession one that you can truly enjoy while making a good living. Steve Jobs once said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” If you can figure out how to enjoy your experiences with the people you meet and make new friends, even if only for the moment, and combine that with the burning desire to close deals and make money, you will have discovered the art of qualifying and the secret to closing a ton of deals. Good luck and good selling.