A salesman encountered a couple who just wanted to test drive a couple of Nissans. He says the personal connection they ended up building matters more than closing a deal.

TikTok creator Aleks (@alekswiththeaccent) recently posted a video about the customer interaction. “Yesterday I had a couple come by and the first thing they told me: ‘We’re not buying today; we are just researching,’” he says to start the video.

That opening might turn off some salespeople, but Aleks isn’t one of them. “So we went on a test drive and we test drove the newer model,” he says. “Instead of talking about payments, price, or anything like that, we just started talking about life.”

What Happened During The Test Drive?

During the test drive, Aleks learned that the husband owns a pre-workout company. “You guys know me, I like to work out,” he says. “So we just start talking about the gym. So we park and they decide they want to test drive another vehicle.”

That was fine with Aleks, who took them on their second test drive in a Murano. “Next thing you know, we’re talking gym, life, and everything but the cars once again,” Aleks says. “As soon as we get back to the dealership, he opens the door and he just leaves the car. Next thing you know, he has a box of his pre-workout.”

Not only did the man want Aleks to have the box of pre-workout, but he wanted to get his opinion on it. “They told me they weren’t buying today, but even then we still built a strong connection to where he trusted me with his product,” Aleks says.

He concludes, “It’s not about the sale, but it’s about creating that relationship with your customer. What matters more? The price of the vehicle or working with someone you trust?”

Is It OK To Test Drive If You’re Not Buying?

While it may seem counterintuitive, it’s actually a good idea to test drive at multiple dealerships when car shopping. That way, you can really take your time to think out all the pros and cons of each vehicle and each deal before committing to anything.

Of course, there’s a difference between doing research and window shopping. In the thread of a post on Reddit’s r/askcarsales, commenters generally agree that it’s fine to visit a dealership for research purposes only, but you should tell the salesperson up front, as the couple in the TikTok video did. That way, the salesman can determine whether the interaction is worth their time.

“The only time I feel like I’m wasting my time is if the buyer comes in without any research or you’re months and months away from buying,” one salesman wrote.

A second commenter said, “Be up front. Go on a weekday when it’s slow. Let them know you’re considering vehicles X, Y, and Z and want to drive them all before you decide on purchasing anything.”

There are also several mentions of CarMax in the thread. Commenters suggested using that service to browse multiple vehicles without troubling a dealership salesperson.