Simple 2-step sales technique from the world's best car salesman

The person you see in the picture is Joe Girard. Between 1963 and 1978, he sold 13,001 cars at a Chevrolet dealership.He was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the person who sold the most cars in a single year. In a late-life interview, he revealed the secret to his sales success.

Joe Girard's successful sales formula is surprisingly simple. In fact, the solution to all marketing and sales problems is straightforward. You might even say, 'Is that all?' when you first hear it. However, without knowing the solution, you may struggle for years until someone comes along and presents you with a simple solution.

Girard offered people only two things: a reasonable price and someone they would want to buy from—their loved one. 'That's all there is to it,' he said in the interview.

A reasonable price is not difficult to provide. At least all companies claim that their products have a reasonable price. As an entrepreneur, this is something you need to solve. Let's say we've solved this problem; what remains is for your customers to like you. What's the benefit of that? Psychology professor R. B. Cialdini, in his book 'Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion,' mentions four main reasons why people like us. These are:

1. Physical Attractiveness

2. Similarity

3. Compliments

4. Familiarity

Let's learn how to make people like us using these reasons.

1. Physical Attractiveness: 

The social advantages of physical attractiveness are a well-known fact. Simply put, it is easier to influence half of the people in the world.

Research has actually shown that physical attractiveness has a much greater effect. Physical attractiveness creates a halo effect, allowing us to attribute characteristics such as talent, kindness, intelligence and resourcefulness to that person.

What can we do:

There isn't much you can do about this; maybe you can get plastic surgery, hahaha. Just kidding. You can at least dress more elegantly; a quality suit will do the job.

2. Similarity: 

We like and trust people who resemble us.

This similarity can be in any aspect: race, country, the sports team you support, religion, age, interests, etc. In a comprehensive study on 421 million potential romantic matches, the most predictable factor in the compatibility of partners was found to be similarity.

What can we do:

Try to find common ground with your customer.

• What's their name?

• How old are they?

• Are they married?

• Do they have children?

• Where did they go to school?

• Where do they live?

• What are their hobbies?

• What books do they read?

• What movies do they watch?

• Which political party do they vote for?

Ask hundreds of questions like these to get to know them and ask questions to find a common ground. Then start a nice conversation about that common ground; you can see that real estate agents and car salespeople often do this.

3. Compliments: 

The successful salesman Joe Girard sent a card saying "I love you" to each of his 13,000 customers every month. Imagine that, to 13 thousand people. It's crazy, isn't it?

If this compliment, which is obviously intended to sell a car that is far from special, works, think about what you can do with a real compliment from your heart. In his book How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnige explains very well how important compliments are and what you can achieve by just giving compliments. I definitely recommend you read it.

What can we do:

Give compliments. That's it.

4. Familiarity: 

Often, our attitude towards something is related to how many times we have been exposed to it. In an online advertising study, participants were asked to read an article. The article contained a camera advertisement, which was shown 5 times to some participants and 20 times to others.

The results showed that the more frequently the ad was shown, the more participants liked that camera. This is already a known thing in advertising. Advertisers always say that an ad needs to be shown at least 6 times to be effective.

What can we do:

Try to meet with your customers frequently without bothering them. Call them, follow them on social media, ask about their well-being. You can also send a card every month like Joe Girard, of course.

By using the power of these 4 factors, you can make people like you, convince them, and make sales. But remember, love should be mutual; otherwise, one day your lie will be revealed, and all your reputation will go down the drain.

Also, keep in mind that, as simple as these 4 factors may seem, applying them is not easy. It takes time for someone to like and trust you; so, focus on building long-term relationships. Try to be the kind of person that people would genuinely like.