TSLA369.9651.805%
GM85.560-0.23%
F14.0000%
RIVN16.3000.13%
CYD37.215-0.505%
HMC31.4800.42%
TM192.4000.95%
CVNA73.655-1.0652%
PAG216.715-0.145%
LAD364.200-4.5%
AN207.310-1.99%
GPI281.240-0.36001%
ABG209.710-3.19999%
SAH75.700-0.3%
TSLA369.9651.805%
GM85.560-0.23%
F14.0000%
RIVN16.3000.13%
CYD37.215-0.505%
HMC31.4800.42%
TM192.4000.95%
CVNA73.655-1.0652%
PAG216.715-0.145%
LAD364.200-4.5%
AN207.310-1.99%
GPI281.240-0.36001%
ABG209.710-3.19999%
SAH75.700-0.3%
TSLA369.9651.805%
GM85.560-0.23%
F14.0000%
RIVN16.3000.13%
CYD37.215-0.505%
HMC31.4800.42%
TM192.4000.95%
CVNA73.655-1.0652%
PAG216.715-0.145%
LAD364.200-4.5%
AN207.310-1.99%
GPI281.240-0.36001%
ABG209.710-3.19999%
SAH75.700-0.3%


Getting the Customer to Like You to Close the Deal

You have a separate agenda from your potential buyers.  You want to sell a car right now. They, in the meantime, don’t even know if they can trust you.  So, David explains how to build rapport.

 

Video Transcription

Our Tip of the Day comes from David Lewis. Let me tell you what you can do. See here’s what you can do. And I think it’s really better than trust and rapport. You can get people to like you. Like is a big thing. And it’s easily attainable.

See when people like you, the sales process goes smoother and the negotiations go easier. And it’s easier to close the deal and create higher grosses. I’m not a combative person; I don’t like having a combative environment. I don’t want to go into negotiations that are combative, and they are usually combative if I haven’t built a point where the customer likes me.

Now how do you get people to like you? It’s simple: stop the pressure, stop the trial closes. Do what’s best for them. You do a great meet and greet. You stay away from questions that create lies. You show them all the different cars that you have. You let them pick the one they like. You ask them to take a test drive. You walk them through your service department. Don’t trial close them; sometimes people are negative when we trial close them. Stay away from all that. Find a car they love. Let them drive it for a period of time. Do a great demonstration. Do a great service walkthrough. And then sit down and close them.

And you’ll find that when people like you, the negotiations become much easier. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you are never going to get rapport and you are never going to get trust, but you can always get someone to like you.

And that is your CBT Tip of the Day. Remember you access all of our tips 24/7 right here on demand at CBTnews.com.  https://www.cbtnews.com/tag/tips-from-the-pros/


More from Tips & Training
How Seelye Auto Group built a culture around accountability, stability and continuous growth

How Seelye Auto Group built a culture around accountability, stability and continuous growth

- September 8, 2026
At Seelye Auto Group, President Mickey Seelye and Vice President of Operations and Partner Stan Qualls believe that building a stronger dealership group starts with the people behind it. With five...
The old-school habits that can hold your dealership back and how to fix them

The old-school habits that can hold your dealership back and how to fix them

- August 25, 2026
Old-school habits have carried plenty of dealers for decades. Leaning on new-car inventory, paid advertising, outdated sales floor standards, and business as usual all made sense when the model held...
How to implement a winning strategy without falling in love with your plan 

How to implement a winning strategy without falling in love with your plan 

- August 19, 2026
  A compelling vision sets the destination for an organization, but execution requires a concrete roadmap to reach the goal. In the latest episode of Lessons in Leadership, Leadership Expert and...
Negotiation expert reveals secrets to fighting less and winning more

Negotiation expert reveals secrets to fighting less and winning more

- August 18, 2026
Difficult conversations come up constantly in the car business. It could be a tense talk with a partner, a tough conversation with an employee, or a high-stakes negotiation with a...
CBT News
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.