What a Skilled Car Salesperson Can Teach Mental Performance Coaches about Sales

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “car salesperson”? 

The stereotype, right? Slimy. Pushy. Annoying. Insincere. 

My husband has been wanting to buy a new car for a really long time. I, however, have been dragging my feet on even entertaining the idea. When it comes to money mindsets - I’m a saver, not a spender. Since both of our cars have been paid off for years, the thought of a several-hundred-dollar car payment isn’t exactly on my list. 

Anyway, I was finally convinced to have the conversation. Then I was convinced to go to a dealership and talk to, you know, the dreaded car salesperson. The one thing I told my husband before we went was: we are definitely not buying a car today - we are just exploring. 

We bought a car that day. There are many reasons why, but one of the biggest? The car salesperson. 

I would say I’m pickier than most people when they go car shopping, because my dad has been in the car industry for over 30 years. What surprised me most was how many things this car salesperson did right. And how much we, as mental performance coaches and entrepreneurs, could learn from Greg. 

My dad always talked about the salespeople who were go-getters - the ones who were at the front door opening it for you right as you were walking in, with a smile on their face, ready to help. As we walk up, here comes Greg. Okay, Greg, I see you! He immediately came off as friendly, yet casual. We walked over to his desk, and I couldn’t help but notice the plaques - Employee of the Year for three years in a row. I think the high-achiever in me relaxed a bit, I’ll admit. 

He asked us questions to get to know us, our expectations for coming in, and what we were looking for. He wanted to know why this was an important purchase for us, and why now. He soon realized we had already cherry-picked a car my husband had researched online. Then he looked up the car in their system and said, “let’s go!” He grabbed the keys to that car and another that was similar, for us to compare. Throughout the hour or more we looked at the cars and did a test drive, Greg was patient. Knowledgeable. Responsive. Thorough. Laid back. Genuine. And actually quite funny. 

He could probably tell that we were really interested in buying, despite my initial objection. And yet, his question for us once we got back into the dealership was: “What would you like for me to do next?” I respected his approach as a guide, rather than being more forceful and direct. Over the next few hours, his patience persisted, and he let us “drive” every step of the way. He knew the dealership’s process well, and tagged in his management and finance resources when needed. And when something happened outside of his control, he stayed calm and went out of his way to ensure we still had a great experience. Not to mention, we still have two free tanks of gas on him whenever we’re in the neighborhood. 

Selling an expensive product, like a car, is not all that different from selling a service, like mental performance coaching. You might find that your potential clients need or want to work with you, but might be a bit apprehensive to say “yes” - for many reasons. After our experience, I realized - there’s a lot we can learn from Greg. 

1. Be “at the door,” ready to greet your next prospect. Greg was clearly observing the lot, and saw us getting ready to walk in. He greeted us with gentle enthusiasm and guided us to his desk to start a conversation. We never had to ask for help or who to talk to or where to go because Greg was there. 

What we can learn: Be observant, and be responsive. When you get an inquiry from your website, a voicemail, or an email from a prospect, follow up as quickly as possible. Most of the time, I’m on the phone within 24 hours. Here’s how I see it - it likely took courage for that person to contact you, and one of the best things we can do is respond in a timely fashion to begin the conversation. This shows that we care, and we’re ready. 

2. Build trust before you discuss next steps. Greg asked us a lot of thoughtful, open-ended questions before we ever saw a vehicle. He showed genuine curiosity in getting to know us and what we were looking for. Later, as he responded to our questions, he leveraged what he had learned - helping us to imagine how our lives would be better if we had a new car with more space and kid-friendly features.

What we can learn: Listen and be curious first. When we are first talking to an athlete, a parent, or a coach - let’s focus on getting to know them and understanding their perspective. Let’s normalize their experience and validate their emotions. Acknowledge what they are already doing well. Seek to understand what they want or need, and why they’ve reached out now. Then, we’ll be better equipped to answer their questions in context and offer next steps, because we focused on building trust first.

3. Be knowledgeable. It was like Greg knew the soul of the car we were looking at. He knew the basic features to the extra bells and whistles and everything in between. He helped us get a sense of how it would feel different from what we were currently driving. Back at the dealership, he knew what order we needed to do everything and guided us through each part with ease. We trusted his experience. 

What we can learn: Have a clearly defined process for services you’re offering, from the first conversation to the closing evaluation. Anticipate questions you’ll be asked, and have a helpful response to them. Find ways to appropriately share your knowledge and experience after better understanding what a person is looking for. And, a knowledgeable salesperson also knows when not to sell. If you discover that what they need is out of your scope of practice, or they would be better supported by another professional, that’s great! Be ready to guide them through the referral process. Being knowledgeable and prepared builds trust and credibility, and often determines a potential client’s first impression of you. 

4. Make it an experience, not a transaction. Greg made us feel welcomed and important. He made us a priority, even though he could have worked with other customers who came through the door that afternoon. He seemed to genuinely care about why this car would make a difference in our lives. We never felt rushed or pushed into a quick decision. Afterward, he called to follow up and make sure everything was still going smoothly with the car, and answered a few additional questions we had. We never felt like a number. 

What we can learn: People might forget what we discussed during that first call, but they won’t forget how they were treated and how we made them feel. When we give people our time, undivided attention, and empathy, even if we don’t end up being a good fit - it goes a long way. A client’s memory of working with us is shaped by the professional relationship we build and the overall experience we create - which begins with the “sale.” 

Bottom line - sales is really about building relationships. It’s about getting to know a potential new client and determining if it could be a good fit to work together - and then knowing what to do next. 

In the end, we made the right decision. We love our new car. More importantly, we feel a lot of comfort knowing that if something were to go wrong… you know who we can call? Greg.