Car Sales Stories – The Turn

In my first Car Sales Stories blog post, Learning The Lingo, I explained many of the terms used in the automobile business, including the Turn. As I explained then, there are times when a customer and salesperson just cannot connect for whatever reason, so the salesperson will “turn” them to another salesperson and they split the commission if a sale is made.

An example of this was a woman who came onto the lot one day, and from the moment I greeted her, everything about her body language and her reactions to me was negative. She wouldn’t shake my hand, wouldn’t even tell me her name, or answer my questions about what she wanted. I was never pushy, and I knew that while some customers appreciate a salesman who is right there at their side ready to point out the features of the different cars on the lot, other customers need more space. In that case, I would step back, remaining available if they needed me, but not too close. Sooner or later the customer will usually turn to ask a question or indicate that they need more information.

But not this lady. At one point, she was trying to fold down the rear seats in a hatchback car, and when I offered to show her how, she just said “no thanks” and turned her back on me to look at the car parked next to that one.

It was obvious that we just were not connecting so I turned her to Jennifer, one of my coworkers. Within five minutes, they were laughing and having a great time, and Jennifer sold her a car. When it was all said and done, and Jennifer was walking her out to her new ride, thanking her for her business and saying her goodbyes, she asked the customer if I had done something to offend her, because her whole attitude changed as soon as I walked away. The woman replied, “No, he didn’t do anything wrong. He seems nice enough. But my ex-husband is a short, fat, bald guy with a beard, and he reminded me of him.”

Fair enough, You just never know how anybody is going to react in any situation and to any given person. Either way, Jennifer and I split the commission, and I hope the woman had many happy and safe driving miles in her new car.

And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.

Be sure to enter our latest Free Drawing. This week’s prize is an audiobook of Watching Over Me: A Psychological Thriller, the first book in the heart-racing Crime After Crime series by M K Farrar and M.A. Comley. Trust me, this British crime writing duo know how to keep readers on the edge of their seats from the first page to the last! To enter, click on this Free Drawing link or the tab at the top of this page and enter your name (first and last) in the comments section at the bottom of that page (not this one). Only one entry per person per drawing please, and you must enter with your real name. To prevent spam or multiple entries, the names of cartoon or movie characters are not allowed. The winner will be drawn Sunday evening. Note: Due to the high shipping cost of printed books and Amazon restrictions on e-books to foreign countries, only entries with US addresses and e-mail addresses are allowed.

Thought For The Day – I choked on a carrot yesterday, and all I could think of was, “I bet a donut wouldn’t have done this to me.”