The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-15
HOW TO SELL MOTOR CARS
TOLD BY MR.. FERGUSON

NY
in the bank. 1t is just as much 10
know where not to work. as to know
where to work. There are exceptional
cases. however. especially when man
owns a car that you sold him ana
who wants to buy new model from
you. Tack this up on your wall over
your office desk, "A certified check In
your bank book. ready for post, is
worth more than second hand car
( on the floor"
c. Appearance and Pleasure This
man is Influenced largely by the lines
OF the car and the anticipation of
the pleasure he is going to get out
Of 1t. He is usually in hurry to
buy. He belongs TO the rapid dis
/ appearing class that used to walk IN
and buy car N ten minutes 1t does
, not require q salesman to sell this
man, but wise, hard headed, shrewd
dealer, with view to hts permanent
success will analyze this mans re-
quirements and sell him ,se car hes
! fitted to his needs, so that the eaie
viii not act as a boomerang.
! ID. Social Prestige and Reputation
This is the man who usually buys
car to please his wife with social as
pirations. She knows absolutely moth
Ing about a car. but has received tine
impre ssion someway that to be any
body she must have name plate
with an artificial value rather tnan
car Of merit How have you been
handling this class of buyers?
t A thorough analysis of sales made
! by successful dealers proved that this
| prospect, II handled right, Is always
! easy to sell. The approach In his
! case is through the man Of the house
| who realizes that 5000 is per cent
! on 100000. and when shown, point
for point, that a car selling for So
! $50 will give as good or better SER
! vice, with accompa nying elegance, and
atmosphere Of refinement. he will not
waste two or three thousand dollars
on some fancy OF his household. No
matter how much money this man Is
worth, he is not willing to waste two
or three thousand dollars on a name
plate. You, as dealer. Will sell more
cars and make more money by Civ
Ing your customers real value.
f. Service and business. This man
represents the large majority of buy
ers today. He is motor educated; he
has probably owned a car before, or
else he has made very thorough
study of motor cars construction and
Is taking the advice of friends and
benefiting by their experiences. While
this man Is open to reason. he Is not
going to buy in a hurry. Before de-
Gliding he will get underneath the
paint and the hood. Your first move
is to as tactfully as possible ascertain
II influence is being brought to bear
upon him in favor OF a particular cal
by some neighbor or r.end; then you
Will know what cars you are In com
petition with and what bias and pre-
JUDGE you will have to overcome
before you can make the sale. Prob.
! ably the neighbor or friend of thi!
. prospective buyer owns car that II
not up-to-date, although it is appar
. entity giving good service, and righ
here Is where your salesmanship II
tested. Prove to this prospective buy
I err that the car you are selling, will
left side drive and center control, TO
example. is a year or more ahead o
, the other cars. AS consequence
( next year 1t will still be up-to-dat
0 and viii also demand a much highe
second hand value. taking 1t TO
@ granted, of course, that you are able
4 point for point, to show where you
e car will give as great or better ser
= vice than the car owned by tn
q neighbor OF friend Of your customer
Al buyers. The majority of buy
I ers are Influenced greatly by printers
. ink They have more or less definit
q opinions of various cars, formed b.
!, theref IRE, as q fundamental princi
2 Pile, you should not risk your tim
A nor money on an unknown car.
V car whose name Is a household wor
: Is naturally much easier to sell tina
n a car that the prospective buyer ha
q never heard of before. The well ad
vertised and tested car means quicke
O and more frequent sales. especially
v this true with ~ that has demon
O strated its superiority in public con
@ tests, such as races. Remember
r. quick sale is more profitable than
3 slow sale. The modern automobil
: dealer is the one who is equipped t
irE take care Of his customers, especial
T., II the buyer Intends to drive the ca
n himself A little service and assist
ance gives the owner the feeling {
Is confidence and good will toward bot
II you and the car. Service means sat
"a isfied customers. and satisfied Gus
q toners means a permanent profitabl
l. business for you. Service also cor
ia verts proba BILE knockers into positlT
o boosters. Ii your success Is to /
a lasting, every man to whom you sell
" car must one year or more from dat
n. OF sale be as enthusiastic as the da
IS on which he bought the car from yo'
n This is possible by. first giving rel
II value, and second, by taking care