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Are you quoting price over phone and email?

YES!.......They already want the vehicle or they wouldn't be calling. What they are looking for is insurance that the place is right and the person is right. Selling your dealership and yourself is what should be done at this point. Generating excitement about the vehicle in a low pressure non salesman manor.
I don't hire order takers.....
 
While agree with answering the question directly (see first part of my post above) I think the idea of getting a discount on a used car just because you asked for a better price is kindof silly. I try to justify my prices (yes.. even over the Internet) and figure out other things to talk about. If your store doesn't price cars aggressively then that's another story. The script example may be cheesy, but most customers understand that you're trying to make money and if they like the car and they will persue it. Competition? An easy way to get yourself out of the running when customers ask for best price is to be higher than the other dealers they asked or to be dead firm on your price. If you open up communication and "get em in" you may still get the money. They certainly won't pay more unless you give them a good reason (the car, you, the dealership, etc). Those reasons are easier to convey in person. I'm a relative newbie, but I have sold a few hundred cars over the internet in the current market. I love the idea of digital retailing, but I don't think we are there yet. Always be honest and take care of your customers no matter which way you decide to respond.

Final note... my first couple of managers always hated me because I couldn't do the old school car guy stuff the way they wanted. They eventually pounded some of it in and maybe this is just a regurgitation of that. I really don't disagree with trying to start conversation or set an appointment (without giving a price) on the first response, but there are ALWAYS dynamics in sales and you have to calculate the risks. Answering the question is always a safe bet. Today I responded to a lead where another sales guy had been asked for a "best price" on a new car numerous times and never gave one. I shot the guy a 5 line response with an aggressive offer and 2 hours later he came in and signed paperwork on an $80,000+ car. I didn't do anything special here. Sometimes you just need to get out of the way? Understanding the dynamics of car buying... excellent service.... that's how we make our money IN MY OPINION!
 
This is what I did, and it worked incredibly well because it was honest:

Customer: "Hi, can you please give me your best price on a 2015 X-and-such with x,y,z options?"

Me: "I can. Are you using the bigger rebate for the special financing?"

Customer: (Assuming they know which incentive they're going to use) "I want the special financing."

Me: "Truly brilliant, Mr. Customer. Are you a member of the military? A recent college grad? A current (same brand) owner? A (competitive model owner?)

Customer: "No. Yes. No. No."

(The customer knows I'm looking for rebates, so my questions are therefore pertinent. They're also now getting accustomed to answering my pertinent questions)

Me: "Excellent, Mr. Customer. You're genuinely a member of the Coalition of the Ascendant. What trade in do you have, if any?"

Customer: "What does that have to do with it?"

Me: "Everything." (We all know this is true. I just had the audacity to say it...the customer doesn't know what to say to this)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Different paths

Customer: "I have a (year)(make)(model)."

Me: "Here's your price" (low-balled because I'll pinch)

or

Customer: "I'm not going to discuss whether I have a trade in at this time."

Me: "Great. Here's your price. (low-balled because I'll pinch from the trade...and yes, if a customer won't discuss a potential trade when asked, 9 out of 10 times, there's a trade. Customers who don't have a trade typically consider it safe to say so and just want price, like the internet tells them to do...those who do have a trade are often times told by the internet to not tell the dealer they have a trade. I've can't remember a time when a customer didn't have a trade and wouldn't say so)

or

Customer: "I don't have a trade in"

Me: "Lucky you. Here's your price" (price in the soup, that I'll honor if they come in)
 
This is what I did, and it worked incredibly well because it was honest:

Customer: "Hi, can you please give me your best price on a 2015 X-and-such with x,y,z options?"

Me: "I can. Are you using the bigger rebate for the special financing?"

Customer: (Assuming they know which incentive they're going to use) "I want the special financing."

Me: "Truly brilliant, Mr. Customer. Are you a member of the military? A recent college grad? A current (same brand) owner? A (competitive model owner?)

Customer: "No. Yes. No. No."

(The customer knows I'm looking for rebates, so my questions are therefore pertinent. They're also now getting accustomed to answering my pertinent questions)

Me: "Excellent, Mr. Customer. You're genuinely a member of the Coalition of the Ascendant. What trade in do you have, if any?"

Customer: "What does that have to do with it?"

Me: "Everything." (We all know this is true. I just had the audacity to say it...the customer doesn't know what to say to this)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Different paths

Customer: "I have a (year)(make)(model)."


Me: "Here's your price" (low-balled because I'll pinch)

or

Customer: "I'm not going to discuss whether I have a trade in at this time."

Me: "Great. Here's your price. (low-balled because I'll pinch from the trade...and yes, if a customer won't discuss a potential trade when asked, 9 out of 10 times, there's a trade. Customers who don't have a trade typically consider it safe to say so and just want price, like the internet tells them to do...those who do have a trade are often times told by the internet to not tell the dealer they have a trade. I've can't remember a time when a customer didn't have a trade and wouldn't say so)

or

Customer: "I don't have a trade in"

Me: "Lucky you. Here's your price" (price in the soup, that I'll honor if they come in)
The problem with script is inexperienced salesmen tend to "flub" it.
Example: (I take this directly from your "honest answer" above)

Me: "I can. Are you using the bigger rebate for the special financing?"

Didn't you mean to say "OR" the special financing. The way you say it they are getting bigger rebates that will enable(for) them special financing as well.