Setting an Appointment Without a Vehicle

An appointment doesn’t need to rely upon having a vehicle to get set. If you get in touch with a customer who submitted on a specific vehicle, and you think you don’t have it, there’s no need to panic. It’s important to remember that it’s unlikely a customer is calling in on their dream car. Instead, they most likely submitted a lead or called you because they found a vehicle that they liked and fit their budget.

So, even without the vehicle, it’s more than possible to set the appointment. How you handle these types of calls and what you engage customers on will allow you to refresh the deal and keep things moving along. With the right techniques and insights, you will be able to set the appointment regardless of if you have that vehicle or not. In this blog, learn how to set the appointment even without the vehicle!

No Vehicle: Start the Call the Right Way

When you don’t have a vehicle, it’s important to choose your starting words carefully. Many sales professionals when faced with this situation will immediately admit they don’t have the vehicle and then attempt to set the appointment in another way. However, handling a call in this style can easily kill your deal. This response makes it far too easy for the customer to end the call at any time. Once a customer knows you don’t have the vehicle, there’s no need for them to stay on the call. In automotive sales, we need to stay honest to our customers, but if they don’t ask if they vehicle is on the lot, there’s no need to turn the deal sour by starting in this manner. Before you let a buyer know that you don’t have a vehicle, it’s important to first engage them on something else.

No Vehicle: Expand Your Inventory

Additional inventory is a fantastic way to get a customer engaged elsewhere. So, expand your inventory before letting the customer know that you don’t have the vehicle. This way, you’ll have more vehicles to set the appointment on and keep the customer engaged. It might look something like this:

“Thank you for calling us about XYZ car. What a great choice! I’ll check on that now, and while I’m checking on that, I can also check on similar vehicles like it. Were you looking for XYZ model or just something great in that price range?”

"Oh, you're calling on XYZ car? What a great choice! I can check on that for you. It won't take me long! While I'm checking on that, let me see what else we have that's in that price range. Now, the reason why you're looking for XYZ car is...?"

Ask questions that let you open up the deal. Since it’s unlikely that a buyer is calling in on their dream car, the deal is likely more flexible than you might anticipate. Customers might have submitted on a new car, but are open to buying a used vehicle. Additionally, they could have called about a specific vehicle make and model, yet would consider buying something else. With this information, it will be much easier to set the appointment without the original vehicle!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dElbsl7hmHM&t=3s

No Vehicle: The Prospect of Getting the Vehicle

If the customer isn’t very open to alternate vehicles, another great option is to offer to get them what they want. If a customer is extremely set on a vehicle, then it’s likely that they will be open to a custom build or a dealer locate. So, ask them to set an appointment to come down to set everything up. Then, once they’re in the dealership, try to re-expand your inventory. Typically, customers become more flexible when they can see and test drive different vehicles in person. Yet, if they’re truly set on getting that vehicle, there’s nothing stopping you from helping them find it.

No Vehicle: The Trade In

Selling a vehicle is not the only way to set an appointment with a customer. In fact, a lot of times, the appointment can be set just on the customer’s trade alone. So, when you’re faced with a situation where you don’t have a vehicle, switch from selling to buying. Engaging a customer on their trade is a fantastic way to keep your deal on track to setting the appointment!

"What are you driving now?"

"What year is that? How many miles?"

"We need a vehicle like that! Would you consider selling it?"

"Fantastic. When can you come down for a free appraisal?”