WELCOME TO HENDRICK TOYOTA

EVERYONE I APPROACH AT THE DEALERSHIP HEARS THOSE WORDS AS I STRETCH OUT MY HAND TO SHAKE THEIRS. I INTRODUCE MYSELF AND POLITELY ASK THEIR NAME AND THOSE ACCOMPANING THEM.

THE MAJORITY WILL SHAKE MY HAND AND TELL ME THEIRS BUT THERE ARE THOSE THAT THINK BY NOT TELLING ME  ALLOWS THEM SOME SUPERIORITY OVER ME. JUST BECAUSE I'M SHORT AND MY WIFE DRESSES ME FUNNY THEY BELIEVE THEY HAVE ME FIGURED OUT. AS SOON AS THEY DECIDE TO DRIVE A CAR, I ASK FOR THEIR DRIVERS LICENSE, WHICH IS PROCEDURE, AND THE NAME IS A SECRET NO LONGER. I HOWEVER, APPRECIATE THEIR RELUCTANCE TO SHARE AND NOT BE HOUNDED BY NUMEROUS PHONE CALLS.

IF I APPROACH A CLIENT AND THEY DON'T SMILE AT SOMETHING I SAY IN THE FIRST FEW MINUTES, I REALIZE THAT THEY'RE EITHER HARD OF HEARING OR JUST PLAIN SENILE. DON'T THEY KNOW THAT IT'S MY ORDERS FROM THE ALMIGHTY THAT I HAVE TO MAKE PEOPLE SMILE AT LEAST ONCE A DAY.

DURING MY ALMOST ONE AND A HALF YEARS WITH THE COMPANY I'VE HONED MY APPROACH OF FORMING A RELATIONSHIP WITHOUT OFFENDING TOO MANY POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS.

THERE WAS ONE TIME HOWEVER THAT I DIDN'T EXTEND MY HAND FOR A GREETING. THIS HAPPENED IN OUR RESTROOM AS I WAS DOING MY THING AT THE MEN'S URINAL. THE GENTLEMAN NEXT TO ME SAW MY I.D. BADGE AND ASKED IF I WAS A SALESMAN, WHICH I ANSWERED WITH A BIG YES. SINCE WE WERE HANGING OUT TOGETHER, WHAT BETTER TIME TO ASK THE QUESTION, "CAN I HELP YOU FIND SOMETHING?"

LONG STORY, SHORT, I ASKED HIM IF HE WASHED HIS HANDS, AS HE APPROACHED MY DESK. THIS BROUGHT AN IMMEDIATE SMILE TO HIS FACE. (HE SAID HE DID) THE ICE WAS BROKEN, HE WAS IN THE MILITARY AND HE WANTED TO BUY A TRUCK, AND HE DID. I KEPT THINKING, WHAT IF THE URGE TO GO DIDN'T HAPPEN AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME.

I MUST HAVE MADE AN IMPRESSION ON HE AND HIS WIFE BECAUSE THEY SENT ME ANOTHER MILITARY COUPLE A FEW DAYS LATER WHO ALSO PURCHASED A VEHICLE FROM ME.

NO, I'M NOT KEEPING AN EYE ON THE RESTROOM FOR MORE POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS, PEOPLE WILL TALK.

ALMOST ALL OF THE PEOPLE WE APPROACH ON THE LOT SAY THE SAME THING, "WE'RE JUST LOOKING."  I KNOW THAT, I ONLY MEAN TO HELP, NO REASON TO GET NASTY AND HURT MY FEELINGS, AM I NOT A HUMAN BEING, DO I NOT FEEL, DO I NOT BLEED, NEVER MIND, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

ONE TIME I APPROACHED A COUPLE AND AFTER INTRODUCING MYSELF SAID "WE'RE HERE TO PURCHASE A CAR AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO STOP US."  MY KIND OF PEOPLE, A SENSE OF HUMOR AND PURPOSE. I FOUND OUT WHAT THEY WANTED, GOT THEM QUALIFIED AND THEY DROVE OFF IN A NEW HIGHLANDER, IN UNDER TWO HOURS TOTAL. HE DID DRIVE A HARD BARGAIN THOUGH, HE INSISTED ON A "RONNIE'S TEE SHIRT."

ALONG WITH THE NICE COMES THE NOT SO NICE. AFTER SPENDING OVER THREE HOURS WITH A CLIENT AND DRIVING FOUR DIFFERENT PRIUS', HE MADE THE DECISION ON THE ONE HE WANTED BUT WANTED TO TAKE IT HOME TO SHOW HIS WIFE. NO PROBLEM, I PUT A DEALERS TAG ON THE CAR AND OFF HE WENT. HE CALLED ME A FEW HOURS LATER AND TOLD ME HIS WIFE LOVED THE CAR AND THEY WANTED TO PUT $10,000.00 DOWN. HE SAID HE WOULD BE IN THE NEXT MORNING TO COMPLETE THE DEAL.

I ARRIVED AT 8:30 TO GET EVERYTHING READY AND HE WAS ALREADY IN THE MANAGERS OFFICE. THEY HAD CHANGED THEIR MIND AND DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTION (FIRST TIME I HEARD THAT ONE) AND THE ECONOMY BEING WHAT IT IS, THEY WANTED TO WAIT. I EXPLAINED THAT HE WOULD BE HELPING THE ECONOMY BY PURCHASING A CAR, HE DIDN'T SMILE AND LEFT. OH WELL, S_ IT HAPPENS, THANKFULLY NOT TOO MUCH.

I HAD A CLIENT COME IN LOOKING FOR A USED CERTIFIED TOYOTA. HE TOLD ME THE MAXIMUM THAT HE WOULD PAY AND WOULD TAKE ANY COLOR BUT TAN. IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT THE CAR THAT FIT HIS REQUIREMENTS TO A "T" WAS SANDY BEACH, A SORT OF GOLD, HE SAID IT WAS TAN. I TOLD HIM THAT IF HE WOULD BE A LITTLE COLOR BLIND AND TAKE THE GOLD ONE, I WOULD GIVE HIM A BETTER PRICE THAN HE SAID HE WOULD PAY. HE BOUGHT THE GOLD CAR BUT ASKED THAT I DO NOT CALL IT TAN WHEN HIS WIFE SHOWED UP, I DIDN'T AND SHE SAID THAT SHE LOVED THAT GOLD COLOR.

WHEN YOU IDENTIFY WHAT THE CUSTOMER IS LOOKING FOR AND CAN SHOW THEM THE KEY SELLING POINTS OF THAT VEHICLE, THE JOB OF SELLING A CAR IS MUCH EASIER. IF YOU TRY TO BULLSHIT YOUR WAY WITH THE CUSTOMER, THEY WON'T TRUST ANYTHING YOU SAY. TREAT THE CUSTOMER AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED, BE HONEST IN YOUR NEGOTIATIONS AND YOU'VE MADE A CUSTOMER FOR LIFE, ONE THAT WILL SEND YOU A LOT OF BUSINESS.

I HOPE EVERYONE WHO BOTHERS TO READ THIS IS IN GOOD HEALTH AND BE SURE TO VOTE.