Technology is wonderful and able to help people accomplish many tasks. With all AI’s processing power, though, AI does not truly listen.
Consumers have numerous online tools to select features and floorplans. The tools, however, do not understand how a consumer really travels or camps.
Top sales performers listen first, understand what the customer really needs and deliver their presentation in a customized way. Anyone can do a generic walk-around, but can they present what actually matters to an individual customer?
Most feature presentations I see around the country are uninspiring and sound either uneducated or as if the salesperson is reading from a brochure. Manufacturers’ websites and YouTube videos already provide this information. When consumers reach out to a sales professional, they do not need the same presentation.
For instance, a salesperson might start by highlighting how great the Bluetooth speakers are—to a customer who does not listen to music. The customer would agree the speakers have value, just not for them. Because of the presentation, the customer looks at the RV and decides it is not worth the price.
Some salespeople understand that a presentation reflecting real life scenarios is a stronger presentation. This is true, but people often miss the point.
For example, a salesperson might notice a customer who drinks coffee during the product selection step and uses this detail in their presentation. They show the designated counter space and outlet where their coffee maker would go. This might seem relevant, but many customers use a French press, percolator, pour over, cold brew or even instant coffee when camping to avoid using power and counter space and to save on cleanup time. The customer would roll their eyes behind the salesperson’s back because they do not see the value presented.
To solve this presentation problem, we need to understand two points.
First, the customer is not always right.
Second, we must understand how the customer will spend their time when camping.
About 10 years ago, everyone was excited about outdoor kitchens. Customers shopping for RVs said they just had to have one!
When I go camping, I have two responsibilities: fire and food. I build and tend the fire, and I have all the fun grills, griddles and even cast-iron pieces. Since I spend my time outside cooking, an outdoor kitchen would be great. Or so I thought until I used one.
Our big dishes would not fit in the slide-out sink. The utensil drawer lacked enough space to store all my grilling tools. The stovetop sounded great until I thought about how I would have to wipe it down every night or I would be sliding a food-covered stovetop under my daughter’s bunk.
The customer is not always right!
What I thought I wanted was off base. Instead, we must understand how I would spend my time cooking. If you asked me what and how I cook, you would learn I make skirt steak tacos every Fourth of July.
My process starts by buying meat the same size as my flat top over the stove. The meat marinates for days, and when I put it on the stove top, the meat splatters all over. When I flip the meat, it splatters again. Then the meat is pulled off the stovetop and moved to the cast iron over the fire to finish it off with a little crispness.
Next, I sauté the onions and peppers in the meat’s leftover juices and move them to the fire to finish, making another mess. The stove top is greasy and dirty from the one meal, let alone the bacon splattering, eggs cracking and pancake batter seeping during breakfast.
When I get home from camping, I hose off the stove top in the driveway and let it dry upside down. An attached stove top cannot hang upside down.
What do I really need to enjoy camping? A propane connection and hose to connect to my flat top, so I do not have to worry about running out of propane in the middle of cooking the perfect pancake. I need a spray port with hot water to clean the griddle, flat top and cast iron.
I need a large storage door for the bin containing my cooking tools.
Flesh out this example fully for your next customer. Rather than asking about the one meal they cook, ask them to walk you through a camping day. They will share their camping details, providing the information you need to select the RV fitting their use. Now you can give a presentation that makes sense to them. As an added benefit, the more a customer discusses their time camping, the more excited they are to go camping.
I know I am excited to make the next skirt steak taco round!
The customer will do enough research to reach out to a sales professional. The sales professional’s job is to listen and understand customers’ plans to match them with the features and options that make sense for each.
Knowing your customized presentation will increase the customer’s engagement and will make your walk around much more fun and productive for all.
Jered Sobel serves as president of Sobel University, a company providing training for management, salespeople and consumers across North America. He is best known for designing the industry-standard onboarding sales training manual and co-authoring the consumer guide to purchasing an RV. Among his previous work experiences are roles as a dealership salesperson, a general sales manager and hiring dealer staff.
