The Encyclopedia of Selling Cars
From A to Z
Most people love automobiles. Unfortunately they simultaneously hate shopping for them often due to the off-putting and highly stressful experience of dealing with salespeople. Even when consumers purchase their car or truck on-line however they still need to visit a showroom to take a test drive and accept delivery of their new vehicle. While some car salespeople legitimately rank pretty high on the untrustworthiness scale they are all uniquely positioned to add real value to the auto-buying process. The challenge is that many perhaps the vast majority truly do not know how to do it properly while others are simply uninterested in doing so.
That is where this excellent book comes in. The author proclaims “The [automobile] industry is full of undertrained under motivated and underachieving people with no formal knowledge of how to deal with others. The opportunities are endless.” He then goes on to describe the mindset and process necessary to become successful. Thankfully it is not through slimy or underhanded sales tactics but rather through truly understanding each customer’s unique desires and aligning them with a product that best fits their needs. The path outlined in The Encyclopedia of Selling Cars is a true win-win for everyone involved.
While the book is aimed at sales professionals it can offer important insight for consumers as well. It is far too succinct a mere 152 pages but well written easy to read and simple to understand. While the book lacks depth in certain key areas it has plenty of anecdotes and personal stories that truly drive the important points home.
The author does a good job of covering the entire sales cycle describing the greeting statement of intent discovery selection presentation demonstration trial close write-up presentation of figures/asking for the business closing and delivery in adequate detail. Each chapter is followed by a one-page bullet-point review. Do not be tempted to skip these summaries as they oftentimes introduce new information that is very relevant but was not actually described in the chapter itself.
One of the most valuable sections of the book is a quantitative self-examination that forces readers to take a long hard look at themselves to identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth. If answered thoughtfully and honestly it can be a very powerful tool for improved performance. Another excellent chapter offers an artful and innovative way of prospecting for new sales leads.
Erik Hoffer wrote “In times of change learners inherit the earth while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” While this book may be useful for anyone in the industry seasoned salespeople in particular will find some very real gems that can positively impact their careers. If all salespeople would take this mindset and process to heart the buying process would be much improved for consumers as well!
Reviewed by
Lawrence Kane
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
