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How do you get around giving up price over the phone?

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Mike Bielaszka

Green Pea
Nov 28, 2011
4
0
First Name
Mike
#1
So I was an internet manager for 6 years at a few different dealerships and then I took a job outside of the auto industry for the last 5 years. I have recently taken a position as BDC director and although my phone skills have gotten a little rusty, everything has been coming back kinda like riding a bike. I have no problems handling objections, getting appointments etc. Except the one call that has given me trouble is the shoppers who call in specifically asking what the price of a specific vehicle is. Most of our prices are online but about 30% are not.

My question is what are some ways you get around giving up price over the phone? Normally I would say something like "oh it looks like they havent priced this vehicle out yet Ill have to get that from my manager for you - by the way were you planning on trading anything in?" usually this works as they start talking about their vehicle and then never come back to price. But when that doesnt work I get the deer in the headlights look and feel like a rookie all over again. Im just looking for how others are handling this specific objection. Thanks in advance!
 
#2
Interesting.... when I started selling Honda's in 1996, this was the thing -- get them in without giving a price. I painstakingly practiced method after method... trained, sweated, sacrificed... APB selling baby! (I'm sure you can still find an Automotive Profit Builders manual somewhere). Even when the internet "arrived," it was, "C'mon in, and I'll give you a price!" I was pretty good at it...

And years later I'll NEVER forget closely watching a new-to-automotive but very experienced salesman come-in to the dealership and win a sales contest in his 3rd month on the job. He know NOTHING about APB or the automotive sales process; he knew EVERYTHING about taking care of the customer, and outsold people that had been there for over 20 years. He didn't have a base of customers or repeat business, didn't get a list of orphans... he got a few internet leads and answered the phone.

Know what he did when a customer on the phone asked for a price? Shockingly, he gave them a price.

Can you believe the nerve???

:banghead: :)
 
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Reactions: John W., ed.brooks, Zhendrix and 2 others
#3
What John said. Isn't this a big reason that dealers have a huge problem- the customer quite reasonably calls in to ask what the price or the best price on a certain vehicle and we go into a song, dance, and misdirection to avoid answering the question. Don't get me wrong, you still need a strategy and you need to ask for the appointment but in our experience giving the customer the information that they are seeking is a winning strategy.
Yes, there are people who call 14 different dealers within 200 miles of you to extricate the last nickel. But do you really think you will be successful by withholding the information? Give them a fair price and move on. If that is their strategy, then chances are that you don't want them for a customer anyways as they are also the most likely to not use you for service an give you a shitty CSI score. Although you may find yourself winning a lot of these by just being open, honest, and transparent on pricing. In our experience there are more customers just looking for a dealer to answer their questions and they will stop looking as soon as they find one.
As for an overall strategy, remember that over 50% of customers who ask about a specific model or even stock# will end up buying a different vehicle - different trim, different model, switch from new to used, switch from used to new. Accordingly, answer their question (including the price) on the specific vehicle they have inquired about and also provide them with a couple of other similar options. Most of your competitors won't bother to do that.
 
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