PERCEPTION - Case Incident on J and J Automotive Sales

>>> Perception is the process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment. Individuals may look at the same thing, but perceive it differently. There are three factors influencing an individual’s perception. First is the perceiver or the individual himself. Second is the target or the object being perceived. And last is the situation or in the context which the perception is made.
In the Case Incident of J and J Automotive Sales, it is evident that the perception of a used-car dealer is seen in two different ways – positive and negative. For whatever reasons, used-car dealer is viewed with such a stigma. I personally hold nothing against used-car dealers but I view them as a stereotype salesman who just keeps on talking and talking and the only concern is to make a sale and get done with it. Then nothing else follows. Their objective is to just sell cars that may sometimes are not functional anymore. They tend to just sugar-coat their talk just to sell second rate cars. But in the case of J and J Automotive Sales, Joe Baum is a passionate used-car dealer. He loves what he is doing despite his family’s negative response to it. Joe Baum, enjoying being his own boss, is a total hands-on businessman. He buys the vehicles, fix up for selling, assists customers in financing and actually working with the customers. He believes that there are a lot of better businessmen out there but his advantage is building a meaningful relationship and endearing trust with his customers.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) refers to any application or initiative designed to help optimize interactions with customers, suppliers or prospects via one or more touchpoints for the purpose of customer retention or loyalty, customer acquisition that drives growth or increased margin and customer profitability offering the right products at the right time. CRM is about maintaining loyalty with the customers. It is also bridging a link between the salesperson and the customer. It is focused more on the after-sales rather than on the actual-sale. Joe Baum is a perfect sample of a salesman fully utilizing Customer Relationship Management.
I believe that loyalty and trust are two things a salesman is hard to earn from their customers. Despite the stigma of a typical used-car businessman, Joe Baum holds to his conviction that building a relationship is the best tool for any business. Used-car business runs in the blood of Joe. He knows anything and everything about his business. Joe Baum definitely knows how to treat each customer’s perception on used-car business.