Trade-in appraisal

An appraisal establishes what the store will allow for the vehicle a customer is trading. A real number depends on condition, mileage, history, tires, equipment and current market demand, which is why a firm figure requires seeing the vehicle.

Ranges given over the phone before an inspection are estimates, and customers frequently remember them as promises.

Why it matters for a sales manager

A trade question is one of the strongest buying signals on a call and one of the best reasons to invite someone in, since the appraisal genuinely cannot be finished remotely. Handled well it creates an appointment; handled with a guessed number it creates an argument at the desk.