Sales is a very challenging job responsibility. You must have knowledge of the product, enthusiasm about it, and a desire to serve your customers. You must have knowledge of your customer, enthusiasm about them, and think of them as a friend, not a foe. I see a lot of shop owners fall into the mindset of thinking the majority of their customers are a burden – they’re calling when they shouldn’t be calling, they’re adding undue pressure to the deadline, and they don’t understand the complexity or fallibility of the job they’ve asked you to do.

I’m afraid to tell you, that is no way to think about your customers.

In my experience selling to car enthusiasts, everything from a custom downpipe on a non-AMG Mercedes to a full custom wrap on a brand new Gladiator, there is a clearly identifiable spectrum of customer personalities. It’s fairly easy to group customers into a handful of behavior categories that will help you dictate how to sell to them and treat them before, during, and after working on their car.

Trusting and understanding

“Do what you need to do, keep it for as long as you need.”

Music to our ears. These customers are the easiest to work with, so you want to make sure you treat them right and keep them coming back. Don’t abuse the freedom they give you – their cars mustn’t get dusty in the corner while you work on more urgent jobs.

Give these customers lots of reasons to refer you. They trust you and like working with you, so they will likely talk about you to their friends and family.

First time explorers

“What do you think is the right thing to do? What time do you want me to drop it off?”

This customer might be new to the type of modifications you offer, or they may be starting a new project and unfamiliar with your shop. They love information. They’ll take every product recommendation, timeline, progress picture, and discussion about the details of your work and appreciate it all.

Don’t leave these customers hanging, or you’ll lose them. They want substantial information before the sale, regular updates, and will be extremely excited by the end result, if it’s delivered on time. These are customers you can turn into a trusting and understanding customer. If you aren’t careful, however, they can just as easily turn into your last type of customer.

Complainers and explainers

“I need you to redo that piece.”

This type of customer is a hard one to appreciate, but they can be some of the best in terms of marketing, if you handle them right.

They’ll likely start with negotiating on the price. Then they’ll micromanage the drop off. They’ll tell you not to slide into their seats and mess up the leather, or leave their door hanging open. They want photo proof of everything you did, want daily updates, and can’t stand it if the project gets delayed, no matter what the reason.

I bet you’re grimacing right now as you read this.

These customers also fit the category of leaving the most reviews online, and therefore can be a great asset for your marketing, if handled properly.

Give them every reason in the world to trust you and respect you. They are behaving the way they are because they’ve been taught that you can’t trust or respect auto shops. Whether they’ve been personally ripped off or it was their parents, some experience has them believing that you are not to be trusted.

Prove them wrong. Over deliver.

In return, you’ll get 5-star Yelp and Google reviews, which drives more customers of all types. Win-win for everyone.

In conclusion

Do your best to segment customers into appropriate categories and treat them accordingly. The theme across all customers – treat them with respect, earn their respect – and their business.