A couple months ago I bought my first brand-new motorcycle. In the process, I visited five different dealerships and had five vastly different experiences. The reason I bought from the fifth? The salesperson got me.

My first interaction with Bryce was through a quote request form on the dealership’s website. He responded quickly, giving me an out-the-door price down to the penny, and he asked where I’d be coming from to check out the bike he had on the floor. I told him I’d be coming from my office over lunch, and he was enthusiastic with a reply of “That would be awesome! I’ll see ya then.”

I walked in and immediately saw the bike I had inquired about, and soon I heard, “Liz?” Not only was Bryce nearby, ready to help any customer, but he was ready to help me, remembering my name and which bike I was coming in to look at.

He didn’t have all the answers – like when I asked the difference between the 2017 model and a pre-owned 2015 I was considering at another dealership – but he had the right answers, and he understood what I was looking for and what I needed as a newer rider. He assisted me in ordering my lowering kit; he helped me navigate financing. He was patient with me when I changed my mind after leaving the dealership and decided to go with the ABS model versus the non-ABS that we had spent most of our time talking about. He wasn’t judgmental that I was a new rider, a female, or a millennial.

Bryce took the time to learn about what I wanted and why, and he didn’t sit around rattling off features and benefits that were unimportant to me.

When we as customers are looking to make a significant purchase – a motorcycle, a boat, a house, anything that requires a decent investment – we want to trust that the person who is selling the product has our best interests in mind.

Are you making those connections with your customers? Do you “get” them? That’s the type of experience they’re looking for when they walk in your door.