I test drove what will be my new car yesterday- it was made for me. 
I know it sounds so superficial to get so excited about a new car and since I haven’t bought one for 8 years, I think I’m allowed to indulge.
I know we still hold on to our image of the slimy car salesman and they’re not as slimy anymore, just missing something in the frontal lobe of their brain. When I got to the dealer, I was greeted by a concierge who brought out a team of 3 big guys dressed in cheap sportcoats to welcome me. Hmm… very tight fit in my sportscar if all these guys climb in, I thought. Maybe not, they assigned one of the guys to me.
When inside sales reps sell, they tend the ask the timeframe and budget question too early before they have established rapport, well my salesman decided to ask the lease versus buy question too early and just like my manicurist down the street who mumbles the same question when you walk in, ”what color?” is what he asked next.
Now sitting and driving in a car with a prospective buyer is about as intimate as sitting inside an inside salesperson’s cubicle listening to their calls. The subtle nuances, the buying signals, the potential objections all seem to swarm around. Instead my sales guy didn’t seem to have a plan nor take control of the situation. He just climbed into the car and sat there not saying much.
I really want this car and I’m actually going to buy this car- one problem, I don’t want to be sold. I want to bombard my my salesperson with tons of questions and want his answers to convince me I need to buy this vehicle. I’m pretty typical to Sales 2.0 customers these days because I want to be in control, I’ve done my homework and research and know what I want. I just want it validated and need a cheer leader in the process. While waiting to be sold yesterday, I asked some of these questions and wished for these answers:
“Does this car come loaded with all the features?”- I want to be sold on why all these features are so necessary.
“Why can’t I turn my right blinker off?”- I want to be sold on these cool high tech blinkers.
“Is this the first year this model is out?” -I want to be told that although it’s the first year, it’s got a track record in the European market.
“Why is the visibility so poor in this car?” -I want to hear the car is so small and compact that the visibility is all around you.
“How do you compete with others in this same price range?”- I want to be sold they are the best in their class.
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