The "We need to pray about it" close.

[MadMez]

I'm in car sales. Used, mostly.

In training we are shown many ways of overcoming objections as to why anyone would not want to buy a car. One of these is the above mentioned, the "we need to pray about it" close.

I have yet to use this one, although today I witnessed it. A colleague of mine, although one really doesn't have any colleagues in the car business, was told that - before the customers would sign the buyers order - they'd need to pray. He instantly replied that he did exactly the same thing before any big decisions, and asked them to follow him. He took them to an office and closed the door, and they could all be seen, heads bowed, asking for "guidance". After about 15 mins they re-appeared and went back to his desk.

After they drove off the lot in a lovely (one little old lady owner) Jeep Cherokee, I asked him how he played it. Oh, just told them I was getting a real deep feeling that this was the right thing to do, he said.

I'm personally not sure how I feel about the whole thing, but I suppose I'd be able to pray up a car sale in a pinch.

[Jakanapes]

Wow, that's probably the slimiest thing I've ever heard...



still, if that's what you base your buying decisions on, I guess you deserve it! :Cheeky:

[lafemmedesfemmes]

i'm sorry, but--

ewww! :-( is that what your training actually tells salespeople to do? unbelievable!

i guess that's why i'll never be a good salesperson.

christina in marietta, ga

[Stout Drinker]

I find that kind of funny...

Honest people never make good sales people.

But then again I work as an accountant and accountants and sales people have a natural hatred for each other...

Accountats view sales people as full of shit, sales people view accountants as anal pricks

Both of us are right..


:wave:

[animus]

I work at a dealership, too, although I'm on the Service end as opposed to the Sales end (and I get to see many Jeeps). Being in that environment on a daily basis, the OP doesn't surprise me in the least. It's sickening how low some people will go just to sell a car.

Animus

[getconfzd]

Good OP. I see myself using this type of situation to my advantage the next time I'm in the market for a car. :Cheeky: During the negotiations, I'll look to my wife and tell her that we should pray about it. We'll tell the salesperson - during the prayer or afterwards - that God is telling us that we shouldn't buy this car unless the price comes down to [insert desired price here]. God has also burdened our hearts to have that complimentary option upgrade. The Lord just won't let me walk out of here with the keys otherwise.

[Stacey Melissa]

Good OP. I see myself using this type of situation to my advantage the next time I'm in the market for a car. :Cheeky: During the negotiations, I'll look to my wife and tell her that we should pray about it. We'll tell the salesperson - during the prayer or afterwards - that God is telling us that we shouldn't buy this car unless the price comes down to [insert desired price here]. God has also burdened our hearts to have that complimentary option upgrade. The Lord just won't let me walk out of here with the keys otherwise.
Instead of praying to God, pray to Satan. The reaction would be priceless.

Edit to add: Unless you're buying a Mazda, in which case you should pray to Ahura-Mazda; or pray to Saturn for a Saturn.

[Unaffiliated]

This is the guy who came up with that one Grant Cardone (http://www.grantcardone.com/)

I sell cars too, Porsche and Audi. If I EVER tried that kind of crap on one of my customers I would be out the door so fast it would make my head spin. When I used to sell honda they sent me to Cardone training, The guy is a complete scumbag, there isn't one thing I heard from him I would ever use.

[EverLastingGodStopper]

I've been in sales, and I would do anything to make the sale. So yes, if the customers were hesitating and I had to pretend I was invoking an invisible being for "guidance" in order to close the sale, damn skippy, I might bow my head until they opened their checkbook.

Luckily for everyone, I'm "retired." No sales for me.

[MadMez]

This is the guy who came up with that one Grant Cardone (http://www.grantcardone.com/)

I sell cars too, Porsche and Audi. If I EVER tried that kind of crap on one of my customers I would be out the door so fast it would make my head spin. When I used to sell honda they sent me to Cardone training, The guy is a complete scumbag, there isn't one thing I heard from him I would ever use.

That's the guy, and yes he is! To me, he comes across as the worst kind of TV evengelist.

[Unaffiliated]

He's a scientologist too.

[Eldarion Lathria]

He's a scientologist too.
Tell him scientology was started by L. Ron Hubbard on a bet. It's true.

Eldarion Lathria

[intjudo]

I'm an Agnostic, and a Real Estate Broker. I've had the "We need to pray about it" response a few times, and I've always said that's a prudent thing to do and I'd follow up in a day or two. In some cases they went ahead and in others they decided on a different home...but in all cases I've kept the client, which is the most important thing.

Any other response is basically a high-pressure tactic, and that's becoming less and less relevant/effective these days IMO.

Usually I already know what their "real" concern is (price, condition, location, situation etc.) but bottom line is people need to feel comfortable before making a decision...if you let a client act on something they're not comfortable with then you're wasting everyone's time and asking for a troublesome transaction and a wasted relationship.

BTW IMO this is the appropriate approach whether or not the salesperson shares the client's religious beliefs. I think that using your beliefs to wiggle your way into a slice of business demeans your beliefs, compromises you morally and is just plain skeevy.

I have experienced a definate "cooling" of the relationship when a Christian client learns I'm not a Christian, and I've experienced the same thing when a client discovers I have no children despite my 37 years (I'm childfree by choice). I've never lost an established client over this but I think I've lost some *potential* relationships over it.

Sorry if I've strayed too far from the OP...

[Stacey Melissa]

I have experienced a definate "cooling" of the relationship when a Christian client learns I'm not a Christian, and I've experienced the same thing when a client discovers I have no children despite my 37 years (I'm childfree by choice). I've never lost an established client over this but I think I've lost some *potential* relationships over it.
One of my clients is a mortgage company, and they work with lots of real estate agents. I see the list of agents and their professional profiles as part of my work, and it is rather striking how many of them feel the need to state they are church members. Half of them don't even say what church they are a member of, though. Just as many agents have blurbs about their family.

[jayh]

Wow, that's probably the slimiest thing I've ever heard...



still, if that's what you base your buying decisions on, I guess you deserve it! :Cheeky:

Indeed it would be slimy for an atheist to use it, and probably even more slimy for a Christian to use it. To an atheist it's a psychological handle (unethical), but to a Christian, who supposedly believes that prayer is a sacred communication, using it to sell a car is a profound slap to his beloved god.

bad news all around.