Understand the customer.

Guides

• Intent, commitments, next step: how to read any customer conversation

  Every conversation should leave the store knowing what the customer is trying to do, what each side promised, and what happens next with a date on it.

  Customers · 7 min read

• The eight objections on dealership calls and what a good answer sounds like

  Nearly every objection on a dealership call is one of eight, and every good answer has the same four parts and ends by returning to a specific time.

  Customers · 7 min read

• The twelve customer types every dealership salesperson should be able to handle

  Customer types are twelve different intents arriving in similar words, and each one has a next step that fits it and several that waste the conversation.

  Customers · 7 min read

• What "I need to talk to my spouse" actually means, and what to say next

  The spouse objection is almost never a no, and what you ask next decides whether the other person ever hears an accurate version of the deal.

  Customers · 7 min read

Vocabulary

• Buying signalSomething a customer says or does that indicates real purchase interest, such as asking about availability, payments, timing or a trade.
• Buying signal versus flagA signal is interest the customer showed. A flag is a problem in how the conversation was handled. They call for different responses.
• Commitment (in a sales conversation)Something a person agrees to do next, stated clearly enough that both sides would describe it the same way afterward.
• CPO (certified pre-owned)A used vehicle sold under a manufacturer program that adds an inspection and extended factory-backed coverage.
• Customer intentWhat a customer is actually trying to do, read from what they say and ask rather than from the source the lead came in on.
• DeskingStructuring a deal at the desk: building the numbers, terms and payment options presented to the customer.
• F&I (finance and insurance)The dealership office that arranges financing and presents protection products after the vehicle deal is agreed.
• Lease-end shopperA customer whose lease is ending, which puts a date on the decision and makes the options worth explaining.
• MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price)The price a manufacturer suggests for a new vehicle, shown on the federally required window sticker.
• Objection versus conditionAn objection is resistance you can work with. A condition is a fact that has to change before any deal is possible.
• Out-of-market buyerA shopper contacting you from far enough away that distance, logistics and delivery become part of the conversation.
• Out-the-door priceThe total a customer pays to drive away, including taxes, title, registration and dealer fees.

All 100 terms