Reaching holiday time, I am always reminded of some great stories. Some good, and some bad but all memorable. It always seems that things that stick with you revolve around these emotionally charged times, like Christmas dinner. Hopefully my Brother will forgive me for telling this one.
The first one that comes to mind is from about 20 years ago Christmas. I grew up spending Holidays in a very large Sicilian family, 30 of us having dinner in a two bedroom apartment in the Bronx. The close proximity takes the stress of being with dozens of family to a whole new level.
My brothers are twins, and 9 years younger than I am. So on top of being saddled with taking care of them, walking them to school, and just generally looking out for them, I in addition shared a room with the little animals (I can say that, they are my animals). You can imagine how much they got on my nerves, and there was no escape.
So back to Christmas, my brother would not stop irritating me. He was thirteen, so puberty made him a ball of hormones and just a complete pest. I gave him a warning, and then finally enough was enough, I stripped him naked and dumped him on the sofa in the living room (the couch was of course covered in plastic). To this day it is an event my brother hasn’t forgotten!
Why bring this up? What does it have to do with selling cars? The story! It is all about the story, and the better question is what story will your client be telling about you?
Years and experiences come and go but stories stay. Year to year, even generation to generation. Want to knock it out of the park, hit the top of the leader board, have people asking for you on a daily basis? Before, during, and after every client interaction ask yourself, what story will my client tell here?
Is it the story of how the Finance Manager took forever to see me? The story of how the car was dirty when I went to pick it up? The story of how the Sales Person was a stereotypical stone age guy only talking to the guy and ignoring the wife?
I think this is the “Gold Standard”. Get your client to tell the great story. The time the Sales Consultant brought the car to my house, and let me buy it at my kitchen table. The time “My Guy” at the store found me the exact car I wanted that just came in, before anyone else got to see it.
This is how whole families, and neighborhoods start doing business with you. One great story, that just keep on getting told.
What story is the client going to say about you? If you have a great story about something you bought share here.