Know Your Stuff Better Than Electric Car Sellers

There’s something going on with car sales in Europe. This September saw sales plummet. Down 30 percent in Germany. Down 20 percent across the UK.

All sorts of reasons conflate to make such an eye-watering drop.

Extensions or reluctance of the new-fangled (“PCP”) credit deals coupled with emissions regulatory changes causing supply bottlenecks and consumer confusion were quickly identified as culprits. Then the most glaring perhaps from our solution point of view, the baffling grasp of much higher price tags set against opaque total cost of ownership.

Yet one other irritating factor emerged.

Poor Sales service.

As so often happens in the good times, many industries get a tad complacent.

Just as you cannot find a worthy property agent in London, car showroom salespeople have not had to work hard for their money for a long time. And it shows in their behaviour.

I was privy to one conversation where astonishment turned to bitter frustration with the slightly growing (↑4pc YoY) electric vehicle sector.

When faced with a standard trio of simple concerns, it appears not a single rep could either respond confidently, nor did any feeling of accuracy come through.

These three questions surrounded;

range, battery life & warranty.

So here we have the top triplet of buyer needs. In one sense, objections to be overcome. And it appears that the industry experiences an #epicfail with them.

They would do well to read this good FT piece; Should I buy an electric car? Written just prior to (and possibly in anticipation of?) the September figures, it contains the damning line;

It may not have been intentional, but the motor industry has made understanding electric cars unnecessarily difficult.

How closely does this resemble your commercial street?

Sounds like a quick service could be worthwhile. Especially if you’re selling new wares, against an entrenched, established alternative. What are your three key areas causing potential prospect anxiety? And how are you calming their fears on them?