Right now, in the U.S there are more first-time car buyers than ever before. Many people who never considered purchasing a vehicle in the past are now finding themselves at dealerships for any number of reasons.

In many areas of the country, public transportation is still operating at reduced capacity. In some cases, even if it’s still running at full capacity, it’s still unreliable—with longer wait times and reduced public transportation workers.

These first-time car buyers are opportunities for your dealership. They’re looking for safe, affordable options and they’re usually not picky about make, model or features. Making them the perfect up at your dealership to close effortlessly.

However, time and time again your salespeople botch these easy sales.

Why?

Here are some simple mistakes most salespeople make when it comes to helping first-time customers and ways you can train them to be better and close more customers.

1. They Are Not Focusing On The Customer Experience 

Buying a car and going to a dealership can be a scary experience, especially when doing it for the first time. Due to the media, and other misleading sources, people have a negative idea of dealerships and car salespeople in their heads. They believe dealerships are out to get them, take them for a ride and scam them out of their money.

This is doubled for someone who’s never visited a dealership or purchased a car before. That’s why it’s so important for your salespeople to work extra hard to be welcoming and give each customer a sense of security.

The more transparent and communicative your salespeople are, the more comfortable first-time customers will be with them. When your salespeople walk customers through every step of the process and treat them as fellow humans, they’re improving the overall customer experience. And in doing so they’ll help the customer feel confident enough to pull the trigger.

2. They Focus Too Much On The Features Of The Vehicle, Instead Of Its Benefits

During a pitch, many salespeople will focus on the vehicle’s features, like a sunroof, car mats, heated seats, etc. But these salespeople don’t realize most of these first-time buyers aren’t purchasing a vehicle for its features. No, they’re purchasing because they need a transportation solution that’s going to fit into their lifestyle.

That means features like a sunroof and heated seats might not matter to a customer who’s mainly looking for a car that’ll fit in their monthly budget.

Instead of focusing on the features, make sure your salespeople are getting to know the customer and their specific needs—so they’re able to highlight how any particular car will be the perfect fit for their life. For example, if the customer has a large family, make sure you’re showing them cars that’ll accommodate their family’s size. If the customer is on a tight budget, show them cars that are more fuel-efficient and talk about how those vehicles will save them money in the long run.

3. They Push The Sale

We understand that salespeople want to close. That’s what they’re there to do after all. But what many salespeople don’t realize is when they push customers, especially first-time buyers, the exact opposite can happen.

Instead of feeling comfortable enough to make a purchase, if pushed too aggressively, buyers will often pull away and take their business somewhere they feel more at ease.

Your salespeople’s primary role with first-time buyers is to make them feel like they’re making the right decision. Rarely, if ever, does this involve pushing them to buy. Instead, teach your salespeople to gently guide customers through the car-buying process. That means constantly checking in with the customer, asking the customer how they feel and always reading their body language. 

Train your salespeople to focus on a customer-first mentality, and they’ll close more sales, especially sales with first-time car buyers.

Looking for more tips and tricks to help your salespeople close more customers? Check out our free eBook A Quick And Simple Idea That Will Revolutionize Your Sales Team This Month—Guaranteed to help your salespeople sell more today.