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I am sure it varies from dealer to dealer I visit a lot of dealers in my travels especially MS, AL, LA. It is rare that I have encountered an aggressive sales person, most visits a salesman will come up and ask if they can help, which they should IMHO but after telling them I am not interested at all in buying just in to look around they usually are good with that and tell me if I have any questions they will be glad to assist me.
Being in Cardiovascular Sales (pacemakers/defibs/stents) for 25+ years I have encountered all types of reps some are aggressive and pushy and to be honest in the South that does not work out to well for them. So bottom line I am sure some dealers may push reps to be aggressive and pushy but overall I think it varies from person to person
We all be different... over the yrs in here I've read post like yours about feeling pressured and I've read just as many about some saying they felt ignored because no one asked them anything during a visit . Anytime I fell pressured I always just tell the salesman that I'd like to have some time to just browse myself.. and if I feel ignored and want a question answered I'll look someone up and ASK....
Its really pretty simple if we just communicate a little with the salesman....
I pretty much do the same thing. Although I don't feel pressured at my local dealer, sometimes I just have to remind them that I just want to look around and they leave me alone.
I've not experienced anything i'd consider overly aggressive at any of the dozen or so dealers I've visited in the past few years. Most have been friendly, a couple of the places they just ignored me. I really wouldn't be too surprised if sales people tried to sell, that's their job after all. I've experienced way more pushy sales at car dealers than at any bike dealer.
OTH, the commissioned sales people attend daily sales seminars and pep talks to push, push, push and not take no for an answer. Can't blame them for being pushy, they are just doing what they are told to do by the fat ***, dictator sales manager.
Lotaluck there is a right answer and it's quite simple. I have been in auto and RV big ticket sales and worked the service counter for over 4 decades. I have been through many sales seminars and customer satisfaction seminars. These experts have answers, but not "the answer"
I am currently at a high line RV dealership and was hired in sales, after working that for several months the dealer owner needed help in his service dept and recruited me to help him. It was turned around with in the first year.
The owner called me into his office and stated to me and the other dept managers that I had "something special" and the other employees need to learn what I do and how I do it.
He (they ) did not ask me what that is, but I volunteered to share what works, front or back.
I explained to them something very simple;
When in contact with a customer, through out the complete transaction, if you see that customer as a dollar sign from the get go, you will be no better then the next salesperson. If you approach the customer to help him/her through the transaction, the customer/coworker will sense it from your first words. I promise you will be more successful and you will get repeat business and build long term relationship with the customers. This "style" is easy and effective and can actual be fun. Yes it is that easy. It works on 1/2 million dollar motorhome sale or a $50 service counter repair sale..
My current employer knows I have been ready to retire for a couple years, he has given several green reasons to stay. He wants my example for coworkers and managers to mirror.
If you practice this with your coworkers, they will sense you are sincere. They will do anything for you. It is not hard to be kind to a customer or a coworker.
Last edited by checkers; Apr 21, 2017 at 01:56 PM.
You can always tell a new sales person as im browsing looking at new and used bikes. Usually running to you asking if you wanna test ride or telling me how good off look on it or how comfortable my wife would be on it. When i tell them i have one in the garage im still paying for the next thing that comes out of thier mouth is where do you work? Im assuming this is to get an idea of how much money i make. Good sales person asks how im doing, talks about the weather just shoots the **** with ya. And that's how most of my upgrades and mods to my bike have been sold to me because we got to talking about someone he or i knew and what they have done to thier bikes.
Being is sales, you know the routine. I think most Harley dealers are aggressive right now because it's Spring and that's when most bikes are sold. Plus, they inevitably have leftover 2016 inventory.
It's not like that here with the dealers that I visit. Maybe I don't look like someone who can afford a new Harley or maybe as my wife says "I look like a grouchy a$$ old man" and they don't want to deal with me.
Either way it works for me
I think this is it for me. Not really old but still. Never bought a new bike but I'm the guy that goes to a car dealer and knows what I want. I don't need a sales pitch, I don't trust their info anyway.
It's a competitive world I don't care what you are selling.
The guy that does the best job wins. I like to feel welcome everywhere I shop.
Here in NC there are 15 dealerships that I can think of off the top of my head. I can be to 8 of them within an hour tops. Good for me and they have to work hard to earn my business.
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