For the past month or so, we have been making videos of various pre-owned cars in our inventory. The idea to video each car is a good one because (1) videos often catch angles or features that a still image cannot, and (2) it forces at least one salesmen to know what options are installed on cars we have just taken in. Both should be helpful in selling cars but the second will help especially during phone conversations. How many times have you asked a salesman about something and they had to get back with you about the details? I confess that I have to do that some times. I’m not worried about knowing the wheelbase on each car or the size of the fuel tank. But knowing the color, options, and miles is important when talking to customers.
I have filmed various salesmen and managers talking about the cars. But when it was my turn, what a difference! The man behind the camera suddenly felt tongue tied, ignorant, and self-conscious. How many times can you say “Umm…” before you lose the customer’s attention? In other words, it’s not as easy as you think. My first video was a bit rushed and having a camera on me made me a bit nervous. However, it was still a good thing to do and hopefully, the short video will help someone who is interested in the car. For my second video, I decided to hold the camera and just talk about the vehicle. That helped keep the car in focus instead of the salesman. It also made the audio easier to hear as my voice is nearer to the microphone.
As of yet, nobody has asked me to star in their next documentary about the automotive industry, but hopefully this will help us sell a few more cars.