Set More Appointments in Automotive Sales

If you cannot get customers in your dealership, then you cannot sell them a vehicle. That’s just a fact. Unfortunately, many sales professionals fail to the get the appointment for a variety of reasons, such as objections, hesitancy and other issues. Yet, there’s no reason why these problems need to stand in the way of you setting an appointment. With the right tips and techniques, it’s possible to set an appointment on nearly every single call you make or take! In this blog, discover the 6 car sales phone tips you need to know to skyrocket your success at getting customers through your dealership’s doors.

Car Sales Phone Tip #1 – Start the Call the Right Way

The start of the call is not the time to delve into objections or handle issues. Instead, it’s the time to start things off on a positive note and begin to build some natural rapport. So, when you make or take a call, the first thing you should do is thank the buyer for what they’ve done and give them a compliment! Everyone likes a compliment, and this also shows the buyer that you’re knowledgeable on what they’re trying to do. For example:

“Thank you for going to (3rd-Party Lead Provider) and picking out that XYZ Vehicle! What a great choice!”

Car Sales Phone Tip #2 – Expand Your Inventory

Now, before you confirm or deny the availability of the vehicle the customer is interested in, expand your inventory! By offering additional options at this stage, you’re setting yourself up for success. In cases where you don’t have a vehicle, now you will have alternative vehicles to set the appointment on. Yet, even when you have the vehicle, an appointment is always stronger around the prospect of more than one option.

Attempting to expand your inventory after confirming that you don’t have a vehicle is what most sales professionals do. However, this is extremely problematic. After you tell the customer that you don’t have what they want, they no longer have a reason to stay on the phone with you. That is why it is so crucial to expand your inventory before this!

“I’ll check on that XYZ vehicle, and while I’m checking on that I can check on similar vehicles in that range.”

Then, open up your ability to expand with some questions:

“Are you just looking for SUVs or are you open to other vehicles as well?”

“Are you just looking for new vehicles or…?”

Car Sales Phone Tip #3 – Keep Objections Small

If an objection is no big deal to you, then it is usually no big deal to customers. Many times, buyers just toss out objections as a test. They aren’t serious, but responding to them as serious, will make them real. Yet, even if these objections are real, the phone is not the time to handle it. Your goal on the phone is to get the appointment set, not to handle objections. So, when you get hit with an objection over the phone, keep it small and let the customer know that they called the right place. Then, just simply move on!

Customer: “I need to get the best price.”

Sales Professional: “No problem. If you’re looking for the best price, then I’m sure you’re going to get it from us. When is the best time for you to come in?”

Car Sales Phone Tip #4 – Engage the Trade

Engaging the customer’s current vehicle is a highly-effective way to set an appointment. However, many sales professionals don’t do this. Oftentimes, the appointment can be purely set around getting the buyer a free appraisal. As such, this allows you to blow past hesitancy, pricing objections and other issues. When you switch from selling to the customer, to buying from them, it can make a huge difference in setting an appointment!

Customer: “I need to get the best price.”

Sales Professional:“No problem. If you’re looking for the best price, then I’m sure you’re going to get it from us. What are you driving now?”

Customer: “XYZ Vehicle.”

Sales Professional: “Wow! What a great vehicle! What are you planning on doing with it?”

Customer: “I was thinking to trade it in.”

Sales Professional: “You know, we need vehicles like that. Why don’t you come down so we can do a free appraisal of your vehicle? That way, you’ll at least have some numbers while you shop around.”

Car Sales Phone Tip #5 – Stay Goal-Oriented

In automotive sales, it is crucial to have intention behind every action you take. When you know exactly what comes next and you handle each situation with the goal of getting to that next step, it becomes easier to succeed! On the phone, your goal should almost always be to set the appointment. However, when that isn’t going to happen, your goal should be to gather information that will help you at getting the appointment set during the next follow up. Staying goal-oriented helps you achieve what you want.

Car Sales Phone Tip #6 – Always Ask for the Appointment

Regardless of what you think a customer feels about a deal, a sales professional needs to ask for the appointment 100% of the time. If you don’t ask, then there is a 100% chance that you won’t get the appointment. A lot of the time, even when it seems like a buyer doesn’t want to come into the dealership, they will if you ask. We cannot read minds, so making assumptions only hurts your ability to succeed in car sales. Always ask for the appointment and you will be surprised at just how often you get it!

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