Don't Skip the Test Drive
Dealers want their Customers to love the vehicle they just bought; otherwise it means poor CSI scores and neither referrals nor repeat business. Skipping the test drive probably won’t yield the love your Customers are looking for in a vehicle. A recent Maritz study indicates that over 11% of vehicle sales Customers didn’t test drive the vehicle before they purchase it. I found that surprising, but in January on a flight back to Florida, I sat next to a man who shared that he hadn’t driven his vehicle before he bought it. He’d driven a friend’s 2011 Camaro and liked it. He researched everything on-line and even made the deal on-line. He traded-in his Mustang and now he is the unhappy owner of a Camaro. He didn’t realize that certain options and powertrains can greatly affect the way the vehicle feels and drives. Numerous times I’ve listened to my brother complain about his new VW and the lack of tactile quality. He bought the vehicle because it was a diesel; now he regrets not investing more time in the test drive.
When I looked for a new vehicle many years ago, I had a mental checklist of what the vehicle must have, such as a tight-turning radius. But the decision came down to only one feature—the headlights must go off by themselves. I walked away from a beautiful vehicle because my foot hurt after using the brake pedal only a few times. Fortunately the vehicle I selected had many other qualities, but I didn’t realize them until I’d driven it for hundreds of miles. All of this got me thinking how to make the test drive more beneficial and even more lucrative for the Dealer. My favorite timesaver—a checklist! Imagine a checklist that narrowed down what is important to the driver, helped the driver “take mental ownership” of the vehicle and ensured that the Customer is happy with the purchase. Happier Customers make for more referrals and perhaps repeat Customers.
I’m a believer that a Dealership should have several pre-planned routes that allow the Customer to experience several different types of roads. If the Customer wants to test drive on a nearby highway, plan a couple of different exits so the Customer can decide how far to drive. For safety reasons, try to design the route with mostly right turns; left turns are the riskiest, especially when the driver may not be familiar with either the area or the vehicle.
Each Dealership handles the test drive procedure differently, but as a general rule, the test drive starts with the salesperson leaving the lot discussing some of the features and a predetermined area to change drivers. Once the Customer has taken over the steering wheel, to allow the Customer to concentrate, the Salesperson should remain quiet except to answer questions.
Right before the test drive would be a good time to present the “vehicle selection checklist.” Letting the Customer know you want them to choose the best vehicle for their needs will help build a relationship with the Customer. When a Customer is more confident in her vehicle selection, it is easier to sell the vehicle and easier to have a happy Customer.
I’ve created a quick checklist and am happy to send it to you in a MS Word document so it can be modified to meet your needs; call 877.316.7418 or email us at for your copy.
Sharing ideas and business-proven solutions is just one of the benefits of using the Profit Blueprints® System. Each month we talk with Dealers and their Managers to discuss their opportunities and provide them with Dealership-proven solutions. The solutions are designed so your Managers create personalized action plans for under-performing areas in their Departments. For information on how we can help you and your Managers reach your goals with our No Risk Guarantee, call 877.316.7418 or email us at .
