Question

You are a car salesman at a new car dealership. A customer is gathering information before making the final decision on her new car. You have suggested the car that seems to be the best choice based on what she has stated when you questioned her. After taking a test drive, the customer decided to continue to look at the other car options. What is your best response to her?

Option 1: Encourage her to explore other options and ask about specific features she's looking for.
Option 2: Convince her that the initial suggestion is the best choice despite test-driving other cars.
Option 3: Disregard her decision and insist on the recommended car.
Option 4: Tell her she's wasting time looking at other cars and should make a decision now.

Answer 1

The best response for a car salesman when a customer wants to look at other options is to encourage exploration and inquire about desired features. This builds trust and can lead to customer satisfaction and positive word of mouth, which is more beneficial in the long term than immediate aggressive sales tactics.

Step-by-step explanation:

As a car salesman, the best response to a customer who decides to continue looking at other car options after a test drive would be Option 1: Encourage her to explore other options and ask about specific features she's looking for. This approach is professional and customer-centric, showing respect for her decision-making process and exhibiting a willingness to help her find the best fit for her needs. It also opens the door to further conversations and the possibility of addressing any reservations she may have about the cars she's considering.

Incentives for choosing this course of action include building a trustworthy relationship and potentially securing a satisfied customer who might recommend the dealership to others. If the incentives were different, such as a focus on immediate sales rather than customer satisfaction, one might be tempted to pursue a more aggressive sales tactic, but this could risk alienating the customer and damaging the dealership's reputation in the long term.

Understanding the dynamics of imperfect information in the marketplace, as discussed in relation to Marvin's predicament with used car pricing, it's crucial for a salesman to acknowledge that trust and transparency can lead to better customer relationships and ultimately benefit the business more than short-term gains from pushy sales techniques.