What is Your Goal Today?

I was in a car dealership last Friday when I overheard a salesperson ask a customer, “Tell me what your goal is today.” No doubt he had learned this question at a sales training seminar somewhere.

The customer responded by saying, “Oh, well, I…I’m really just trying to get some ideas as to what’s out there.” To which the salesperson responded, “No problem. I promise not to pressure you into buying anything today.”

Sounds like a nice, friendly exchange, right? Sounds like we will all get along quite nicely. Sounds like a respect-based relationship is up and running.

Except for one thing: the customer was lying!

In all likelihood, the customer’s original knee-jerk comment was nothing more than a protective response against the salesperson’s difficult question. And it was, in fact, a difficult question, attempting to pin the customer down without earning the respect in advance. The customer knew inherently that to answer this question – especially early in the process – was to give the salesperson the upper hand. Lying is way easier.

For his part, I suspect that the salesperson was waiting for the customer to respond, “Well, we need a car and I’m hoping to purchase one in the next 30 minutes, if you’re not too busy.” (Let me know how that works out for you.)

I know for a fact that I am flying directly against those trainers who teach the line, “What are you hoping to accomplish today?” I don’t happen to agree with the approach. I think it puts pressure on the customer to make a decision for the outcome of the encounter – and this is the critical factor – before they have seen the home and community, and before the emotion has been established.

Here’s my (albeit controversial) position: when the customer walks through the door they owe me absolutely nothing. Asking for their goal in the opening conversation it to back them into a corner and force some version of the “I’m just looking” response.

But deeper than that, why is the salesperson asking the question in the first place? Isn’t the customer’s very presence the truest indicator of their goal????

Here’s the mentality: “You’re hear because something is not right in your current situation. My job is to discover that pain, and to demonstrate to you that my solution is better than anyone else’s. If it is not, I can live with that. But I am NOT going to make you do my job for me!”

What say you, good salespeople? Do I judge too harshly???