Learning from a car salesman
When we think of the car sales man, we think about forceful tactics and sneaky tricks, manipulation to buy etc. But I thought different until I met Michael Comer who changed the way I think about influencing customers. Here is the story.
I walked into Lexus dealer. A man in a black polo shirt greeted me and shook my hand while I stated the reason of my visit. He said, “I see the bright red Acura that you drove in. It looks like it’s in great condition. Why do you need a new car?” That was Michael Comer.
As we talked more, he asked me about my family’s needs, travel habits, and what I wanted from a vehicle. What he said at this point surprised me again. “For a great driver experience, BMWs are great. I love them,” he said. Then he proceeded to talk about something he knew I cared for: reliability and comfort. He didn’t belittle the competition. There was no pushy one-liners or pressuring me to buy right away because of a limited-time offer. He listened intently, sincerely concerned with answering my questions and understanding my needs. I eventually bought a Lexus RX350 SUV in a week after considering BMWs and Acuras.
Who showed up next day in my home driveway - Mr. Comer. “Any problems with the car?” he asked. Then he noticed that I had not setup my garage door opener. He placed a step ladder underneath the garage opener to sync with the car. “Wait, you have not setup your iPass on the windshield”…he proceeded to set it up. He showed my kids all the features in the car and then right before he was about to leave, he asked, “any issues with car at all?”. I blurted out, “all good, just a little rattle in the rear seat”. As if I had insulted him, his face sank. “Our cars don’t rattle,” he said emphatically. He called the dealership to have them bring a loaner car so the back seat could be tightened. All was good by next morning.
I met Michael every time I went in for a service. He always came over and educated me about cars and technology. Never asked for another sale. That did not deter me to send customers his way. I was a fan.
Michael Comer asked the important questions, listened, genuinely served my needs and changed the way I thought about connecting with customers. He was a great teacher.