You're navigating a car sale negotiation. How can you ease a buyer's uncertainty about the car's features?

What’s important to a client doesn’t always align with a salespersons product “pitch” Ask them what’s important to them? And what else? And what else? And what else? Until there are no more what else’s!

With many new technologies, buyers can be left to figure it out by themselves..it can be frustrating as many things change over the years and more things are added.

Tricky one but I love the intricacy of the question. I meet clients from all walks of life meaning every deal presents me with different needs and different clients. However, key thing: UNDERSTAND the client and their needs in order to determine their headspace and ease their uncertainties. Being an industry that places me as a fiduciary for customers in selecting the right vehicle on their behalf means I ought to be reliable. To be reliable means highly recommended. To be highly recommended means you need to be a likable human and this remains true and I recall reading this in the art of persuasion, that people generally want to work with a likable person. I’m summary; thoroughly the customer’s needs and secondly, be likeable.

I completely agree with this statement. One of the most important steps in the process is the Wants and needs analysis. You can tailor your vehicle presentation around hot points that were mentioned in the analysis. Explain the features in layman’s terms for easier understand on the clients part and it should walk right into a sale!

As new technologies make driving easier, the focus should now shift to ensuring these systems are foolproof. It's important to ensure that if a feature fails, it doesn't lead to accidents.

ACMA should enforce restrictions on the manufacturing of critical auto components, such as brake pads and steering parts, ensuring they meet specific standards. Similar to ISI, ACMA should establish its own branding or rating system for these components.

Nothing beats rea; life experience. Encourage the buyer to test the features during a comprehensive demonstration. If the car has a cutting-edge infotainment system, guide them through its operation—showcase how to connect their phone via Bluetooth, access navigation, or use voice commands. This hands-on approach lets the buyer see the features and understand their ease of use, fostering confidence in their operation and benefits.

Another interesting question posed because at CTI CAR GROUP we don’t keep inventory or demos in stock for the hands on experience. However, we use various methods to help the client get a feel of what they are buying pre-purchase. This could be requesting our branch in South Africa to conduct a live pre-inspection and stream it via zoom call with the customer in our office in Botswana, option 2 is requesting existing clients that we’ve delivered a similar unit showcase their vehicle to give the new prospect the vehicles we sell, condition and perhaps quality selection criteria. For bulk buys, I normally recommend asking the client or someone from their office travel with us to suppliers to be involved in the selection process. This worked.

Una demostración práctica permite al comprador experimentar directamente las características del automóvil. Esto no solo aclara cualquier duda que pueda tener sobre el funcionamiento del vehículo, sino que también les proporciona una experiencia tangible que puede aumentar su confianza en la compra. Al interactuar con el automóvil y ver sus características en acción, el comprador puede validar la información proporcionada y sentirse más seguro en su decisión. Esta estrategia es particularmente efectiva para aliviar la incertidumbre y resaltar las ventajas del automóvil de manera concreta.

I found that a demo drive is the #1 thing to create ownership. I think it’s also very important that sales consultants ride along on the demo drive for many reasons. Insurance liability, questions on the demo drive and trial close are just some of the few reasons. Demo drive is a must for great customer satisfaction and creating proper ownership.

Compare the car's features (USP) with those of similar models or competitors. Highlight what sets your car apart, and how it will be helpful in his everyday use of the vehicle. Also provide data, examples, testimonials to back up your points.

Point out the reliability of the car compared to others, as the features will be irrelevant, if the type of brand and model of car is not reliable?

IMO this works mostly with cutting edge, advertisable features. Whereas in common specs you can get trapped in redundant comparative analysis by other dealers. A good way might be to keep a "down-to-earth" attitude, which builds trust by avoiding the oversell cliché and focus on differentiation features only. Comparative analysis is one of the tools I'm using less each day because the market is flooded with similar products, often built on common platforms and hard to set apart. As a rebuttal, it increases the value of the sales person through relationship building. I think we might falling in the early 2000's phase where relationship was key, due to originality being more a marketing gimmick rather than true inovation.

Emphasize the warranty or guarantee coverage, including what it includes and for how long. This reassures the buyer that any potential issues with features will be covered. It is going to be beneficial to sell Value added services along with the vehicle itself.

Share information from current owners about their experiences with the car’s features and reliability . This can include reviews, testimonials, or personal anecdotes that highlight the practicality and benefits. Which will give a push to client to make a decision.