Bob, a 50+ salesperson at a Nissan dealership assured me several times within the span of our 2-hour negotiation for a Nissan Versa, that he’d get paid whether I bought a car or not. I guess he wanted me to know that ‘commission’ was not his motivation for closing a sale. As often happens in auto sales, Bob quoted me a price he assured me was firm then scurried off to clear it with a superior only to come back with a monthly lease price $10 higher refusing to honour the original ’firm’ price. Bob knew better but couldn’t help himself. I guess he thought I’d cave. He turned from an advisor and an ally into a traditional adversarial salesman. No doubt this style of selling is encouraged by his unenlightened employer. I walked out. He lost the sale.
Bob made some serious errors in judgement, but what’s worse is that his superiors believe that’s the way to sell.
Fast-forward a few days later to my visit to a Toyota dealership where I met Peter.
Peter, a 30+ salesperson for Toyota, listened to my needs, respectfully guided me back to reality when my request for options exceeded my stated budget, quoted me a price, honoured it and within 37 minutes had sold me a 2010 Matrix. Peter never, at any time, became a salesman. He was my advisor and I trusted him. Want to know where to find Peter? McPhillips Toyota 2425 McPhillips Street. Winnipeg, MB.