Tire Kickers
Mar. 4th, 2021 12:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerIn Sales we talk occasionally about tire kickers, specifically whether a given customer or prospect is a "tire kicker". But what does that mean? The term may not make sense to people who've learned English as a second or third language, and even some native speakers may not understand how it's relevant to all selling.
I'll start with a solid, basic definition:
So, basically, a tire kicker is a time-waster. But why do we call them tire-kickers? What if the stuff being bought and sold has nothing to do with tires?
The term "tire kicker" comes from automobile sales. It literally refers to the act of kicking a car's tires— a test buyers would use many decades ago to determine if a car was in good mechanical shape.
From there the term was broadened as a derisive metaphor for customers who'd visit a car dealership and waste a sales person's time. Tire kickers would ask to be shown different cars, have their questions answered, be taken for test drives, and even haggle for price concessions, all with no intention of buying.
Today, even though kicking a car's tires to determine if it's in good shape is a thing of the past, the term tire kicker persists because the problem it refers to is timeless. And as you can see upon thinking about it for even a moment, it's not specific to car sales. Everybody in sales needs to keep an eye for which customers are serious prospective buyers worth investing time and effort in selling to, and which are just tire kickers who'll waste their time.
I'll start with a solid, basic definition:
A tire kicker is a person who appears interested in making a purchase, but never makes a buying decision. Tire kickers frequently engage with sales teams by asking questions and raising objections, consuming staff time and resources without ever committing to a deal.
So, basically, a tire kicker is a time-waster. But why do we call them tire-kickers? What if the stuff being bought and sold has nothing to do with tires?
Etymology of the Tire Kicker
The term "tire kicker" comes from automobile sales. It literally refers to the act of kicking a car's tires— a test buyers would use many decades ago to determine if a car was in good mechanical shape. From there the term was broadened as a derisive metaphor for customers who'd visit a car dealership and waste a sales person's time. Tire kickers would ask to be shown different cars, have their questions answered, be taken for test drives, and even haggle for price concessions, all with no intention of buying.
Today, even though kicking a car's tires to determine if it's in good shape is a thing of the past, the term tire kicker persists because the problem it refers to is timeless. And as you can see upon thinking about it for even a moment, it's not specific to car sales. Everybody in sales needs to keep an eye for which customers are serious prospective buyers worth investing time and effort in selling to, and which are just tire kickers who'll waste their time.
