It’s not your salespeople’s fault that customers don’t like them. Honestly. Customers are pre-dispositioned to hate salespeople.

Their heads are filled with images of slimy salespeople from the media, friends’ stories and their own past experiences. It doesn’t help that no one seems to have a good word to say about salespeople in general.

Because of this, people visit your dealership already hating your salespeople and prepared  to fight.

See between every customer and every purchase stands a barrier.

Sometimes, this barrier is as small as an anthill. Other times, it’s as large as Everest. But in each interaction between a customer and a salesperson this barrier exists.

It exists because of the lack of trust customers have in salespeople. It exists because of all the past experiences and horror stories and warnings the customer has heard leading up until now.

And it exists because of the worry, doubt and anxiety that comes with handing over hard-earned cash for a product or service—because what if the value given isn’t worth the value received?

For this reason, as the price of a transaction climbs, so does the size of the wall.

And because it’s also built on preconceived notions, the size of the wall continues to soar as you pile on negative stereotypes, hearsay and hours and hours of research.

Soon, the wall is seemingly an insurmountable obstacle standing between your salespeople and your customers blocking the sale.

But there’s good news…

This wall can be torn down!

The best way for your salespeople to tear down this Mighty Wall Of Mistrust is to build a real relationship with their customers

The only way your salespeople can tear down this wall is to do the work to build trust and a real relationship early in the process. If they don’t do this valuable work upfront, they’ll only run back into the wall later in the sale.

Here are some ways your salespeople can start breaking down the wall and building a relationship with their customers.

#1 Use The Customer’s Name— Most people are inherently bad at remembering other people’s names. But here’s the thing, people love hearing their own name.

That’s why your salespeople should ask, remember and continue to use their customer’s name throughout the interaction. Not only will it build trust, but it will make the customer feel more comfortable.

#2 Start With A Smile—It’s surprisingly simple, but a friendly smile can go a long way. It creates warmth and connection between your salespeople and the customer. You’d be surprised how many salespeople don’t bother with a friendly smile when they greet a customer.

Plus, because we are hard-wired to respond to people in the same way they approach us, chances are the customer will smile at your salespeople in return, creating a friendly and light-hearted atmosphere.

#3 Don’t Sacrifice Effectiveness To Stroke Egos—The more ego-driven your salespeople’s interactions with customers are, the less effective they will be.

By ego-driven, we mean that they are only focused on themselves, their needs and how the interaction will benefit them. Tell your salespeople to put aside their own agenda and focus on the customer.

They need to be fully focused on what the customer needs and how they can help them get it.

#4 Break Down Barriers With Personal Insights—Finding common ground is one of the fastest and easiest ways to build rapport. And it’s easy!

Have your sales team use current events from their own life. This can diffuse awkwardness and lighten the mood. It will also help your customers see your salespeople as fellow human beings.

Instead of the big, bad car salesman, they become someone just like them.

The opportunities to create a personal connection are endless but here’s a quick example: “I had bacon for breakfast this morning, so I’m great! You know what they say, bacon really gets things shakin’.”

But remember to keep it short and then refocus the conversation on the customer.

#5 Don’t Push The Sale—We know it sounds counterintuitive, but too many sales teams are held back by a culture of negativity and the idea of pushing for the sale. This type of pushy sales culture only drives a wedge further between your salespeople and customers.

When your salespeople become experts at building relationships with your customers instead of always pushing towards a sale, you will find that you not only sell more cars but that customers who do purchase will leave your lot happier.

Looking for more ideas on how your salespeople can continue to break down the Mighty Wall of Mistrust and connect with more customers? Download our eBook, A Quick And Simple Idea That Will Revolutionize Your Sales Team.