This is a Google Review from one of our FLOW dealer clients, Oakville Chrysler. Among dozens of major and minor changes in our FLOW sales process, we show our clients how to counter your competition that still use the old “4 Square Close”. In 2010 I was trying to close a customer at our used car lot, had just penned some numbers, turned my 4 Square to the client, who abruptly pushed back from the desk and asked me “Is that a 4 Square? I just saw that on YouTube and it’s called the customer f-ck machine!” That was the last 4 Square I used, and have since developed a better, friendlier, faster version we use in FLOW Selling.
My main point is this: if you don’t think your customer is on to you, you’re wrong. 80 year old sales trainers that never update their photos or materials, staying off price, slowing them down, the back and forth, 4 Squares, the manager that suddenly appears when they are leaving without buying, the hokey sales language…I could go on and on….If one person knows and writes all this on Google reviews, how many others are aware but silent and not buying from you or just warning their friends not to go in at all? Managers, it’s time to break free from old habits and update your skill set.
Read this review:
“I spent a few years in the industry back in late 90’s. Did not care for the sales tactic of what car industry called “4 Square Sales”. It’s a process in which the salesman runs back and forth to the manager changing numbers usually confusing the xxxx out of the customer making them THINK they got a good deal. In reality, in the end, the customer either overpaid for the car or got underpaid for the trade in. Just Google 4 Square Sales and you will see how slimy it is. My family was to buy our first new vehicle in years and needed the space of a 2016 Dodge Caravan. Knowing what I knew about the old sales tactic I said to my wife we will walk out of any dealership that tries their version of the 4 Square on us. We went to 4 dealerships in Toronto over the course of a month. At each dealership the first thing I said was if you try to 4 Square us we will walk out. Each of the 4 sales reps swore they had no idea what I was talking about then proceeded with the standard what are you looking for? After wasting our time each and every one of the sales reps and managers tried to 4 Square us. Running back and forth moving the same numbers around. Trade in changes but so does the price of the vehicle and then the incentives change blah blah blah …WE WALKED OUT OF ALL 4 DEALERSHIPS LIVID. Even after we told each one NOT to 4 Square it they proceeded to do it. Now in the old days the sales used to literally divide a piece of paper into 4 Squares for these numbers….now they just jumble them together but the principle and outcome is the same…make the sucker think he got a deal! We were so angry we thought about actually pursuing complaints with whatever governing body would listen and Chrysler marketing teams. Finally one Saturday being out in the Oakville area we decided one last try. We spoke to Brennan. Told him not to 4 Square us. He laughed and said don’t worry we won’t do that here! Our manager hates that stuff! WHAT???….A sales rep that didn’t try to deny the sales technique? Didn’t try to say he didn’t know what we were talking about? We told him of our story and he called over his manager and told him what we had gone through. The manager shook his head and assured us the sales practice disgusted him and he would not tolerate it. Long story short and needless to say Brennan got us the best trade in value (more than we had estimated we wanted) and the best value on the new car (which after some research that night was the best deal in all of Ontario at that time!) We then spoke to Jaksa in financing whom got an amazing finance rate on the purchase. These guys have some connections! Walked in on Saturday and picked up the car Monday. No hassles. No haggling. No 4 Square! The team in Oakville have know idea how much we appreciated the no bull approach. We will always contact Oakville Chrysler first for all of our future personal and business needs. Honestly anyone thinking of a new car needs to go there first!! Don’t waste your time at any other Chrysler dealer in the GTA. I hope this review helps someone.