Surviving the Sale Part 4

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Written by Dennis LeMire

Thursday, 12 May 2011 02:40

Surviving the Sale Part 4

Product Presentation/Demonstration

So far we have gotten to know our salesperson, explained our needs, and examined how we are going to pay for our purchase.  The next step in the presentation should be a Product Presentation/Demonstration.  The salesperson should have 2 or 3 products chosen that match the criteria you have discussed. 

A good presentation is going to take some time and require your participation.  Many times people feel like they should not give any feedback during this period in order to not appear “to eager” or make it look like you are “to interested” in the product being offered.  Doing this is counterproductive to your end goal, which is to get the best deal on the product that fits your needs.  Save yourself some time and effort at this step and play along with the presentation.  If something doesn’t appear to fit your needs, express it now and allow the salesperson to adjust.  You may need to look at something completely different than the initial offering, by deciding that right away you can save a lot of time. 

The presentation itself should be tailored to the needs and wants you shared with your salesperson in the last step.  If you said you have 4 kids and are interested in a minivan, yet find yourself looking at a 2 door convertible, you can safely assume there is some miscommunication somewhere along the way.   The presentation itself should be tailored to your needs as well.  If you are interested in safety features over performance, be sure you ask questions based on those needs. 

After the presentation has ended and you agree that the product fits both your needs and budget, it is time for the demonstration.  For autos this entails a test drive, but other products may also require a demonstration.  Play with the features that interest you most.  Push buttons and ask questions.  Be sure this is the product you want now because in the next step we are going to negotiate pricing. 

At the end of the Presentation/Demonstration stage, a good salesperson should do what is called a “trial close.”  A question like:  “Do you think this product fits your wants and needs” is a typical trial close.  Answering honestly will be in your best interest.  If you tell the salesperson that the product isn’t what you want, and it is, they have no incentive to make a deal in order to entice you to purchase.  This is another opportunity for the salesperson to adjust the product they presented once more to your needs if they haven’t done so already.  If the product doesn’t interest you at all, do not pretend that a great price would change your mind.  It’s better to save your time here for when negotiating on a product you actually want. 

If you have any questions about this step, past steps, or anything sale related in general, please post in the comment section below or go to our Facebook Fanpage and post away with those questions!  You can also email questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will post the answers in future articles.  

 

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Last Updated on Thursday, 12 May 2011 02:44