Car shopping, something that is extremely fun when done to fulfill a want, not so fun when it’s done to fulfill a need.
About two weeks ago, my husband and I totaled our vehicle in a battle with a deer. It’s still debatable whether the deer or the car won, given they are both no longer with us… Either way, I’m glad we walked away with nothing more than a bit of whiplash.
As you might have guessed, this whole mess has left us in and out of car dealerships searching for the perfect replacement.
Car dealerships are somewhere on my top ten list of places I really hate spending my time. Luckily, I have an amazing husband who thrives in these situations, allowing me to sit back and determine who the end benefactor will be…customer or dealer?
It wasn’t until we were sitting in one of the little glass rooms with the salesman on one side of the table and us on the other, pretending to negotiate, that I started making the connections between car salesmen and coaches.
Both car salesmen and coaches have an end goal in mind. Something they will try to lead you to believe is the best fit for you. Something they will ensure you has a positive impact on your life. It may not be something you are aware of, but by the end of the session you will be considering options you hadn’t thought about before.
Given the similarities between coaches and car salesmen, you may be asking yourself why are we still car shopping nearly three weeks later?
The car salesman started out strong. Attempting to connect with us on a personal level. Finding out what we were looking for and why.
As he started narrowing in on the end goal, his active listening was coming on thick. Not going to lie, I was rather impressed…for the first few minutes. However, it was his rephrasing that broke the deal. Good coaches know that rephrasing is used to demonstrate you’re listening and clarify that you are on the same page…not for you to rephrase what you “wanted to hear.” How quickly the conversation shifted from a focus on what we wanted, to what he wanted. As the buyer, we want to feel like you are working for us, not the other way around.
The car salesman who is willing to take off his consulting hat (telling us what to do), and keep on his coaching hat (keeping the focus on us) just might be able to shift our thinking enough to close the deal.
But for now, the search continues…