I've been in the car industry for a while now, and there is one thing I can certainly say about the sales process: all new vehicles of a specific model are the same, what makes the real difference is the actual sale experience. And this is what leads people towards a particular dealership, a specific place or an "obvious deal." The experience is the defining factor when it comes to the difference, and I know tons of dealerships, car salesmen/women across North America, but there is a particular guy who is beating it up: Humberto Prieto from MiamiCarHub and more recently Energy Bill Trimmers, two times the #1 Seller at the "2014-2015-2016-2017 Chevy Dealer of the Year" Bomnin Chevrolet Dadeland in Miami, FL.
I had the luck to reach out to him and ask him a few questions. Number one Q: how did you do it?
"The Experience is What Makes All the Difference"
"A: Buying a car is not as buying a toy from the shelf of a Walmart. It is a thought process, that requires financial planning, long-term estimation and I won't say it is necessarily painful, but it is a weighty decision.
Imagine you go to the doctor and you sit in front of someone that you don't trust, someone you don't believe will sweat for you and will be together with you through the entire process. It is the same in any other process, not just in sales or medicine.
You want to buy a car from someone that listens, that answers questions, that customizes his available solutions, that explains, that writes, that has experience, that knows how a dealership works, that you can trust and that a friend recommended.
I basically help people understand what the numbers mean. I show them what it actually takes for us to make it to a fair point. I don't give away cars. Otherwise, dealers wouldn't exist. Dealerships have an electricity bill to pay, a lease of the land, staff, maintenance facilities, a vehicle stock... otherwise, people would have to go to, just to mention some examples:
- Arlington, TX where the Tahoe and the Suburban is manufactured or
- Detroit, MI for an Impala/Malibu or
- Roanoke, IN to get a Silverado and even to
- Ontario, Canada to get an Equinox (it is also built in the U.S., but most units come from the Canadian plant)
Would you take an international flight from Miami to get an Equinox SUV and then drive it all the way south to Miami? Me neither. So, how much are you saving by having a distributor a few miles away from home? It costs us a lot to operate and still, we cover these after delivering an X amount of vehicles, not by just selling you one unit.
So, having a dealership close to you is the #1 key experience factor, but many salespeople do not realize that. You need to explain it; people need to understand that having a 0 miles Equinox parked out there required a lot of money and it hasn't been sold yet. We are not talking about small products manufactured in China and shipped in containers to the U.S. We are talking about the vehicle where you will take your kids to school every day & where you need to feel safe. We are here to facilitate a way more expensive process and simplify it all for you. This experience is what makes all the difference, and it takes a lot of time and effort."
"The Client's Partner During the Sale Process"
"So, let's you come through the dealership door, you just landed because you need a car and come up to the reception and say - Hi! I'm looking for a new family SUV - what happens next? Well, this second step is crucial. You will meet a new car salesperson.
Salespeople are usually seen as evil, mean and scary, but it is a matter of communication and connection. I'm a person, just like any other, I have a family at home waiting every evening for me to get there for dinner, just like any other. Still, I'm here 10 - 12 hours a day, even if you come or not.
Meeting with a new client is the handshake of a relationship that will last days and hopefully years to come. It is the first moment of communication between two parties with a common objective: get to a fair agreement (a win-win). If at some point, you feel I'm ripping you off, I'm not transparent, or I don't seem clear, that's it. That's why it is essential to explain and connect.
The ideal salesperson needs to be a partner for the client and a clear defender of his/her interests while pursuing a win-win agreement as the Sale Process is long, as I said before. I will try to split it into the following eight steps easily:
- Meet & Greet: The client arrives at the dealership, and I receive her/him. We become partners in his goal.
- Vehicle Selection: Understanding the needs and aiming for their specific requirements while mentioning available gross incentives available.
- Vehicle Demo: It could start on the showroom or even on a selected model for test-driving.
- Test-Drive: It is the actual driving experience that provides the primary feedback to customers.
- Agreement: The agreement, as I said before, is my #1 negotiation point with the managers. Here I'm a negotiator for both parties and wear my client shoes whenever it is possible.
- Finance: Vehicle additional products, benefits, insurance, warranties... Even on used cars, these are very important too. I participate in as much as possible.
- Delivery: Sit with the client, customize the vehicle settings, help them drive out the right way.
- Follow Up: How are things going with the new vehicle, how pleased do you feel with the sale experience... it is not just delivered, and that's it. I also keep a record of all my clients and communicate any recall notice if needed.
During all this process, saving time and money is the most important thing for the client. You have to, and you need to, but it is not ultimately up to the client. It is up to me: "the sales guy." It is mainly on the hands of the person who is guiding the client through all the process, and that's where I put all my effort into.
"17,000 Off MSRP? It is a Matter of Negotiation with the Right Person"
Q: I've seen Instagram posts of you with 17K OFF MSRP. How do you sell Off MSRP?
"Well, salespeople are trained to negotiate, but most of them do it with the wrong person: the client. When you understand the numbers, understand your client needs and know how the dealership operates, you can fight for your client (in the nice way I mean).
Sales are about helping all parties to win while enabling a smooth communication among all of them. You need to know the incentives, the specials, the availability on the parking lot, the demos, the used car stock... you need to understand how all resources can converge into your client's needs.
Even with those 17,000 Off specific cases, the dealership is not losing money. It is applying some particular incentives to high-end trims of vehicles that are hard to sell but that occasionally are available, and we can make it to a net cost. You just need the right salesperson to go after it."
"What do I Earn?"
Q: Have you ever had a client asking you to cut your earnings? What do you do?
A: "For sure! And my direct response is straightforward - How much do you think I make on the car... $150? Would it be the same for you if I negotiate that with my manager? Because I need to put a plate on my table tonight.
I wouldn't personally go to a Starbucks coffee and ask for half my Moka to be paid by the person who is serving me or even asking an Internet Company Customer Service Person to pay half my bill even after knowing that they have more than 50% margin on their sales. I do less than 1% of a vehicle (assuming $150 for a $25,000 vehicle = 0.6%). If you want to save that extra 1%, ask me to negotiate it with my team, but not to cut it off from my kids.
My incentives are based on volume. The more vehicles I sell, the more I get benefited from. It is not the 80s anymore where it was a commission based pay plan, and 20% of profits were made on each car. It is 21st century: a moment where volume makes the difference and dealerships do not inflate deals anymore. That's why it is so easy to reach a midpoint when you actually aim towards getting the deal your clients need.
I'm just a dedicated person who loves helping people get into the right vehicle with a huge smile in the face.
And I think that if you do things with love and focus on helping others, your clients themselves will make you the #1 Chevy Sales Guy at the #1 Chevy Dealer in North America.
This is for them all :) "
Humberto at Bomnin Chevrolet Dadeland on October 2018.
