Secrets to Success Deborah Cole Micek and John-Paul Micek

---

Make sure to ask the right questions

SHOPPING for a new car is rarely an experience people look forward to. But my recent purchase of a BMW X5 was a refreshing change and a lesson for anyone who wants to be more successful in selling.

On a Saturday in late June, my wife and I stopped into BMW of Honolulu. It was an unintended visit. We'd been looking for a new car, but we didn't need one. For both of these reasons I was in no mood to be "sold."

Our BMW salesperson, Marcus Schain, was different right from the start. His sales approach was consultative, based on questions and dialogue. That consultative approach focused on five critical areas for successful sales.

» Confirm interest and focus. Instead of jumping right in trying to push a vehicle on us, Marcus began by asking a few simple questions.

"Is the X5 the only car you're looking at? Is it for you or your wife? Are you interested in the high-performance model?"

» Determine the purchase timeline. Next, Marcus looked to determine what our buying timeline was. He did it by asking questions and continuing a conversation that made us feel more comfortable.

"Is this something you need right away, or can it wait?"

» Relieve the pressure. Even though Marcus knew we had been looking for a new vehicle for a while, he didn't see it as an opportunity to pressure a deal. Instead, he made us feel more comfortable by saying that if we didn't like something that was on the lot, he could search the West Coast to bring in the exact vehicle we were looking for.

» Reinforce buying triggers. Having asked all the right questions at the beginning, Marcus was able to reinforce my buying triggers. He pointed out the 350 horsepower motor, the 22-inch three-piece racing rims and the Tiptronic transmission.

» Make the deal irresistible. To make the deal irresistible, Marcus shared the fact that BMW was running a special financing offer. Normally, I like to pay cash when I buy a personal vehicle. But in this case, the interest rate was so low that it allowed me to invest the $75,000 in real estate where it will gain equity and pay for the monthly car payment too. Then, Marcus put the icing on the cake by offering to get me a discount on a Dinan performance package.

Making money by buying a car -- and get more horsepower! How could I resist? With a little negotiation, the deal was closed.

By asking all the right questions, Marcus learned what I wanted and then delivered it on a silver platter.

Whether you're a business owner or sales professional, sales are your livelihood. If you're not asking the right questions, you're not meeting the customer's needs.