Woman Swaps her Jeep for a Chevy Equinox EV during an oil change service.
In a world where electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular, the sales process remains crucial in securing a deal. At a Chevy dealership, a unique approach was taken to sell an Equinox EV to a customer named Ana R.
Most dealerships, including this one, employ an "up" system for their sales representatives. This means that the first person gets the first customer of the day, the second person gets the second customer, and so on. Once a sales process ends with a customer, the representative goes to the back of the line and waits until everyone else has had their turn before engaging with another customer.
However, the unknown salesperson at the dealership took a different approach with Ana R. She visited the dealership for an oil change, but left with a new white Chevy Equinox EV instead. The management encouraged the sales representative to introduce Ana R to the Equinox EV and let her test drive it.
Getting people to test drive is the emotional part of the sales process, while providing facts is the justification part. In the case of electric cars, the emotional response can be particularly strong due to their torque. Torque is what makes a car quick, not horsepower, which determines the car's top speed. In the Equinox EV, this instant acceleration can be more powerful in sealing the deal compared to conventional cars.
Ana R's experience serves as a prime example of the first principle of sales: "people buy on emotion and justify their decision later with facts." Many sales representatives initially showed reluctance towards electric cars due to the need for customer education. However, understanding what makes them worth the money, how to charge them, regenerative braking, and the driving range on a charge are all crucial aspects of this education.
The author suggests that dealers should focus on creating an emotional experience for customers when selling electric cars, rather than just discussing the cost savings. In fact, renting a local drag strip to allow customers to experience the power of electric cars could potentially increase demand.
The author's approach to selling electric cars emphasizes creating an emotional connection with the customer, as demonstrated by Ana R's experience. Federal EV incentives are set to disappear at the stroke of midnight on September 30, but they still apply if a sales contract is signed before the deadline and delivery is taken before December 31. Now might be the perfect time for dealers to follow the author's advice and capitalize on the emotional appeal of electric cars.
