Fuel consumption wasnt the reason we bought our Volkswagen Jetta five years ago. Although, the investment has paid off handsomely considering the price of gasoline today. I remember our car search like it was yesterday. We went from car dealer to car dealer looking for the right vehicle. My wife was interested in the paint color, upholstery and head room of the vehicle. Her claustrophobia mandates a roomy car with headroom. My agenda was different. I was searching for a car with folding side mirrors. After crunching half a dozen side mirrors while backing out of the driveway, we wanted a car that was designed for the narrow and unforgiving driveway. Oddly enough, there wasnt a car salesperson who asked us any questions regarding our quest for the right car. We would have been happy to share our primary purchase criteria. No one asked! During our car search my wife would sit inside the car testing the headroom and comfort level while I looked at the side mirrors for flexibility and position. We werent crazy; we simply had a long narrow driveway which unfortunately had plumbing clean out traps on the side of the house at the same height as car mirrors. Because we werent going to change houses, our car had to be narrow enough and feature side mirrors that bent both forward and backwards. Asking good questions helps narrow the field Questions are the fastest way to help customers define their reasons for purchase. The Volkswagen salesperson was the only one who asked what we were looking for in a new car. Once the salesperson understood our criteria he introduced us to our car. That was then, our once narrow driveway is history and we can invite an endless list of cars into our garage today. If we go looking for cars again, Im working with the first salesperson that asks good questions and narrows my search. Because, If you dont ask, I wont tell and you lose a sale. |
