 Hi, I'm Jacqueline Elliott. In this video, we're gonna talk about how to lead your customers instead of them leading you. Today I'm gonna talk about how to lead your customers instead of them leading you. See, most of the time when people come in, since you do have a bad reputation, since you are a salesperson, a lot of people come in and they try to take control of the sale. So if you have a customer, they usually know what it is that they're looking for or they kinda look around and then you're stuck following them and that's not the way you do it. You're not an order taker, you're not a tour guide. You have to be a leader. And by being a leader, I mean just show up with the right attitude and you have to really take it like if they're on your turf, they're in your house. So when you have somebody come visit your house and say you have somebody that hasn't seen you for a while and you kinda give them a tour of your house, you have to really understand that they're gonna come in and you're gonna be like, okay, here is the kitchen, make yourself at home, the bathroom, whatever it is that you're doing, but you're leading them and they are following you. See, a lot of us make a big mistake and we conform to what other people are doing. So we have to have a leading attitude. We have to make sure that we don't conform to the way they are. So we have somebody that's gonna come in and they're gonna be kinda turned down because they're not gonna wanna be at the dealership. I mean, we have a bad reputation and a lot of people don't, I mean, they'd rather go to the dentist than actually deal with the salesman. I mean, that's what all the statistics show. So you really have to change that mold. You have to be a leader and lead with great attitude, but not only that, you have to really understand that this is your turf, this is a place that they're coming into, this is your home. So you have to treat it as that. So you have to basically lead them and show them that you care by asking them the right questions. You don't wanna be an order taker, you don't want to be a tour guide. You know, they're there for a reason, they're there because they need something from you that you can offer them and you can fulfill their needs. So a lot of times, you know, when I sold, I used the walking backwards type of thing. So when you're talking to your customers and you're asking them those qualifying questions when they come in, you wanna make sure as you're walking at the vehicle, don't have that dead silence where they're just following your back and you're just walking or where you're following them. That's like the worst mistake. So one of the things that you have to practice is walking backwards. As you're talking to your customer, you're kind of asking them questions and they're learning and you're walking and you're still looking at them but you're walking backwards. So I felt that that really helped me because you still had that connection with your buyers and you still got to see their faces as you're walking toward the vehicle that they're wanting to see or that you're trying to, you know, show them or in the vicinity of what they're asking and you're trying to discover their needs and wants and trying to fulfill because this is gonna be the fulfillment stage once you're walking to your vehicles. Learn to walk backwards and keep that constant communication with them because it makes a big, big difference. So you have to understand that you are in the lead. Do not follow your customers. If you do follow your customers, I guarantee you you're not gonna lead them into the sale. You're not gonna lead them into the next step and they wanna feel like they're dealing with a true professional. So that's one thing that you have to practice. Practice walking backwards. Practice leading your customers. Stay engaged. Don't leave awkward silence at all throughout the process because if you do, then that's the time that they're gonna doubt themselves. That's the time when all of the stuff is gonna come in, the objections and everything else. So try to be talkative. Try to keep asking them questions about their family and everything. Sometimes we do the meet and greet, fact find, qualify where we're getting on the discovery of the thing and then we kind of just stop right there and then we get keys and then we have them follow us and then we don't even turn back. Sometimes I see salesmen leaving their customers way far behind if they have kids. Make sure that we, you know, wait for the kids so that they're all together and we're talking to them in the meantime. If you see a kid's shoe untied, stop and tie the kid's shoe. I promise you that. It really, really helps. I mean, I'm just saying you have to care. You have to show them that you care, but also lead them. And you always have to make sure that you ask the right questions so that they're gonna basically open up your sales. So don't just ask bluff questions that are not gonna advance your sale or move it forward. Andy always talks about moving your sale forward. So everything that you ask is going to lead onto that. But don't leave that awkward silence. Don't follow your customers. Be a leader. Treat it as if it's your turf, it's your house and, you know, make them feel welcome. Overload them with, you know, that care in that, you know, welcome feeling that they come in overwhelm them with kindness. You know, they came to see you. They went to probably two or three other dealerships before. You have to be different. You have to be kind. You have to show them that you care and you have to walk with them and hold their hand during the process and part of that is not walking, giving them near back or you following them, trying to chase them because they're leading the sale. So one tip that I can give you today, hey, walk backwards, look at your customers, acknowledge them. This is your house. You're in the lead. Understand your job and be proud of it. There's a lot of people that are in sales and they're not proud of being in sales. If you are proud of being in sales, it'll show. I mean, that itself will sell because guess what? People want people that are real and you have to acknowledge your people. So don't walk way ahead of your people. Don't, you know, let them lead you. You lead them and that will show them that you care and that means so much more because you've wanted them to be welcome just like they were at your house. So quit looking at the dealership like it's the dealership. Look at it like it's your house. And a way that really helped me when I was in sales, sell more is that I looked at every single piece of metal or every car like, hey, these are mine. And I looked at them like I invested the money into them and I had to find a way to get my money back and sell them. So that's what they need to feel. Just like when you're at your home and you have your couch and everything that you purchase for your home, same exact way. Lead your customers into a place where it feels like it's your turf but hey, you know what? They feel welcome. They're excited. They're at the right place at the right time. You're not giving them your back and hey, you know, keep them close to you. That's one tip that I see a lot of people and it's very simple and it might not mean like much. It might not seem like much but it means a lot to have you feel like you're with your customer at the time. Don't leave them alone, okay? So that's just one little tip. Hey, stay close to your customers. Walk, guide them, lead them. Don't let them lead you because you're not gonna ever get that control back. Are you new to sales? And you hate feeling like you're new? Listen, send me a text at 918-210-0254. Just tell me I'm new and I'm gonna send you some tips on what mistakes not to make as a new salesman.