25 Kinds of Closes You Can Use to Make More Money and Sell More Cars

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There have been moments where I could have closed many clients and got the deal, but I was unable to because I didn't say the right thing at the right time. And it's frustrating because you know you almost had them and they almost signed, but there was something you said (or could have said) that made them say "we'll think about it." You can see their apprehension. A car is expensive and you can see that fear when faced with the decision of signing. All they needed was a little nudge to your side of the fence.

1-2-3 Close

Give them three reasons why your vehicle is better. When you list out the benefits in threes, customers are more compelled to agree to those reasons. You can use this at any time when you're selling the car.

Affordable Close

If your customer has an objection when you're selling a car, more often than not, it's price. The affordable close takes a bit of info digging, like finding out what their budget is, and finding a vehicle that they can afford, thereby increasing the chances of a deal. You can also use this to reframe lifetime costs of ownership.

Ask-the-Manager Close

A favourite in the car sales business. It starts with you telling your customer that you only have the authority to discount a certain amount. Any more than that you have to ask the manager. Leave the table and say you are going to see if you are able to get the discount they are asking for. Go to your manager and make sure that in fact, it is ok. Don't come back right away. Play it up a bit and make it look like you're actually trying to persuade your manager.

Assumptive Close

Assume that this is the vehicle, assume the price is perfect and assume that's what your customer wants. And do it confidently. It puts pressure on them to say no. And after agreeing with your assumptions, saying no is more difficult.

Balance-sheet Close

This one is the pro-con close. Write down on a sheet all the pros and all the cons with their purchase. Obviously, make sure the pro's list is longer. Doing this in front of them makes it better than your customers doing it for themselves at home. It creates trust and you are able to answer any objections on the spot.

Best-time Close

There's no better time to buy than right now! As a salesperson selling cars, do you really want them to leave the dealership to think about things? Emphasize how there is no better time to buy than right now. Use whatever you can to create urgency.

Bonus Close

This is where you give them something they want. You've shown them the car and shown them the price. But they're humming and hawing about something. This is where you can include something that you know they would like in the hopes that they'll sign the deal.

Bracket Close

The bracket close is a close where you give your customer options, with one of them being your target option, and building the other two either just out of their budget or stripped down that they won't consider it. What you want to do is have them choose the middle option, your option.

Companion Close

The dreaded lot lawyer. He's the one that tags along with your customer and makes sure she doesn't get ripped off. Unless, of course, you get them on your side. Selling to them, and then having them agree with you, makes the sale go a whole lot smoother.

Concession Close

I think this is the most used closing technique salespeople in the auto industry use. The concession close is giving something to your customer only if they sign today. Getting something by giving something.

Conditional Close

If your customer raises an objection, you can still try to close the deal by adding a "subject to…" I like this one because it still gets you a deal; you just have to do one or two things to get rid of the stipulations.

Daily Cost Close

This one is simple enough. Just reduce the cost to a daily amount. It works especially well if your customer is financing and the payment is over their budget by a few bucks.

Emotion Close

If there's one thing that is true, buying a car is an emotional thing. For some, they treat it as an extension of their egos. Nothing made me happier than seeing someone excited to be buying the car I was showing.

Give-Take Close

The give-take close takes a bit of guts. You give a little, then when you take it away, watch them work harder to get it back. One customer takes a car for a test drive, and when they come back, another salesman approaches them and asks them for the keys to the car because another couple wants to drive that exact car.

Handover Close

Many dealerships do this one a lot. They have a dedicated "closer" that finishes the deal. If I needed help, I asked my sales manager. But sometimes, for some reason, there were people that either I didn't get along with or didn't know how to close. So I turned them over to another salesperson.

These are just some of the 25 closes you can use to sell more cars. The key is to practice them, adapt them to your style, and use the right one at the right moment. Every customer is different, and the more tools you have in your closing toolkit, the better equipped you'll be to handle any situation.