I asked a group of salespeople in a recent sales training I was conducting if they ever ask the question, “What do you like or not like about your current product?” To which most all in the room looked at me blankly. It reminded me of an experience a few years before when I was purchasing a new vehicle.
I was behind the wheel of a shiny new SUV on a dealership lot, trying to picture myself driving it every day. The salesman stood a few feet away, clipboard in hand, rattling off specs: horsepower, towing capacity, seat warmers, sound system. He talked like a walking brochure, all confidence and buzzwords, but not once did he ask me what I actually cared about.
He pointed out the panoramic sunroof. I nodded politely, though I couldn’t remember the last time I looked up while driving. He kept mentioning the Bluetooth compatibility like it was a rare feature, even though I’ve had it in my last two cars. Then he launched into financing options—fast, like he was afraid I’d walk off the lot if he didn’t get to the numbers quick enough.
After about 15 minutes, I realized I was exhausted. Not physically, but mentally. I didn’t feel like I was being helped—I felt like I was being sold. There’s a big difference.
He never asked me what mattered to me in a car. Never asked me how I use my vehicle, what I’ve loved about past ones, what’s driven me nuts. He just assumed. And it showed.
What I wanted—really wanted—was simple. A vehicle that made road trips with my family more comfortable. Good gas mileage. Easy access to the third row. A quiet cabin so I didn’t have to crank the radio to drown out highway noise. Little things. Real things. My things.
But he never asked.
What I wish he had said, more than anything, was: “What do you like or dislike about the vehicles you’ve owned?”
That question would’ve opened the door to everything. I would’ve told him that I loved how my last car handled but hated how loud the road noise was, or that the trunk space never fit all of our stuff on family road trips. That every car I’ve regretted buying had one thing in common — I felt rushed into choosing it.
If he’d just asked that question, we could’ve skipped the script and had a real conversation. He would’ve known what mattered. And I might’ve actually bought a car that day.
Instead, I walked off the lot and went somewhere else a few days later. That salesperson, a woman whose name I can’t remember, shook my hand and said, “Before we look at anything, tell me what you’ve driven in the past. What did you like? What drove you crazy?”
I laughed, surprised. “I’ve been waiting for someone to ask me that.”
It wasn’t a perfect car-buying experience, but it was mine. She made it feel that way. And that made all the difference.
As I shared this story with this group of salespeople, they began to understand the importance of what I call the platinum rule in sales, “sell to people the way they want buy.”
In all my years teaching salespeople, I make sure they focus on what’s important to their customer, and to forget about what is important to them. Every C2 training puts the client first.
Chris Coltran is the author of multiple books including Selling to your Grandmother and the Grandmother Philosophy — the philosophy of “treating people like you would treat your own grandmother.” He has conducted workshops and seminars for over 20,000 participants. Chris’ latest book, Exspeaktations – What you Say is what you Get and the accompanying 21-step I AM Intention Tracker focuses on mindset and the power that your words and thoughts have over your outcomes. Thoughts become your words, words produce your actions and actions determine your future. The I AM Intention Tracker is already being used in coaching and training sessions for professionals. Learn more about Chris by visiting www.c2unlimited.com
