What Sales Can Say to Customers Who "Want to Think About It"

Quality salespeople will tell you they'll take "no" over "let me think on it" any day. A “no” is a bit easier to work with. Perhaps, this person was an unqualified prospect or someone to call in six months. Somebody who wants to think about it, on the other hand, can require some gymnastics to get to the real objection. It's nothing you can't handle. Remember to maintain an empathetic and positive attitude while selling around the objections.

Building Up to Objections

An objection is just part of the sales process. And, every once in a while, somebody might give you a yes all the way through—a welcomed reprieve. It just isn't something to count on every time. Objections are the pinnacle of the sales process. Everything prior is leading up to that moment when it's all on the line. That means what happens before you ask for the sale is critical at every stage. Building rapport, asking qualifying questions, and identifying dominant buying motives all come before you can begin isolating objections. Then, when someone tells you they want to think about it, you can use what you've learned thus far to decipher what's on their mind and how you can keep the process moving. 

Building Rapport

If you're a salesperson, you're probably a natural at this part. Get to know your customer on a personal level that isn't necessarily related to the car. Share a little information about yourself to help the customer connect with you as a human, rather than the sales guy (or gal). Ask about the person's family, pets, quality of their day, or where they're from. Stay in a bit of a safe zone and avoid making assumptions that could turn someone off before you have a chance to win them over. Maybe someone tells you they've had a long week at work because of staffing issues, then later objects with "let me think about it." You can use what you've learned to maneuver around that by saying something like, "That's understandable. It sounds like you've had a mentally taxing week, and sometimes making another decision is tiring. Let me grab you something to drink with some popcorn and let you relax while you look over this." 

Qualifying Questions

The right questions will help you learn your customer's needs. Sometimes a customer will come in with a general idea of what they want, and other times they're confident of precisely what they've come for. Qualifying questions are essential for both. Good qualifying questions in car sales will help you uncover the customer's budget, their wants, actual needs—if anyone else is involved in the decision-making process, and what accessories would benefit them or make them happy. If you learn that your customer is adhering to a strict budget during the qualifying stage, you'll understand when they say they need to think about it. You can respond by saying, "I can understand that. I know you want to shop around for the best price since you're very disciplined with your budget. I think I can help. Let's take a look at a lower trim level and accessory options so you can get what you need before it's gone. This inventory shortage has been crazy!"

Dominant Buying Motives

You know a bit about your customer as a person and what they're willing or able to do. The next step is to identify their dominant buying motive. This will be extremely helpful leverage later on when you get hit with "I just want to think about it." The dominant buying motive is the main reason they're looking at a car. It could be because they're rewarding themselves with an upgrade, fell in love with something that just rolled out, or simply because the family car died—any number of reasons could bring them to the store. Make sure you circle back to their motive, so you can remind them of it when they begin to waver. You might tell a relatable story to keep the conversation moving. "Sure, I hear you. You want to think it over to make sure it's the right decision since this is a big reward for your hard work. I had a customer last week who'd finally gotten the promotion she'd been after, for two years, and came in to buy herself a car to celebrate. I was so happy to be part of that big moment, and I got a video of her. Here, I'll let you watch this while I grab you a coffee, and then we can talk about what we need to do to make sure your long-awaited purchase is perfect."

Isolating Objections

Objections come in many forms, so let's take the dreaded "let me think about it" as an example. Isolating the objection means separating it from the fluff so you can get down to the heart of the matter. You might consider asking, "What is it you want to think about?" Hopefully, the customer will respond with their true objection, be it pricing, overwhelm, or a slew of other things. It's impossible to overcome an objection without being crystal clear on what it is. Once you've got the objection in front of you, you can respond accordingly. For example, if the objection is price, you can reply, "I understand you're mulling over the price. If I can get this car to fit into your budget, are you ready to move forward?" If the answer is no, you didn't get the real objection yet. 

How Accessories Can Help 

Ultimately, objections are opportunities for you to get closer to the sale. When a customer tells you they want to think about it, you know you're about to get a yes or no. Accessories are often a great resource to help you close the deal. Personalizing a vehicle helps the customer connect with it by visualizing that car fitting into their life. It's no secret to the salesperson or the buyer that the car buying process can be long and tiring. When you run into "let me think about it," you can honor that request without abandoning the sale. Please make sure the customer is comfortable, and present your digital accessory catalog. Show them how they can very simply add accessories to the vehicle they're considering to make it exactly what they want. Then, leave the customer for a short time so you can get them something to eat or drink and give them some space.

Insignia Group Can Help Remove Sales Objections

Insignia Group is the leading provider of digital accessory catalogs in dealerships across the nation. Our sleek and user-friendly platform allows your customer to peruse a variety of accessories, along with dealer-specific packages. Easily present personalization without memorizing everything available for every car, or worrying about misquoting parts and labor pricing. Our system allows you to see the monthly cost of an accessory once it's rolled in with F&I, capture all your customer's information, and enable smooth cross-departmental communication after the fact. 

Contact us today to see how our digital accessory selling system can boost your sales process.