Meeting 2: “I Already Have an Appointment at Another Dealer”

Two teams go head-to-head on the phone call that decides whether the customer ever walks through your door. 7 minutes. No prep. You play the customer.

How This Meeting Works

You’re the customer. You called in. You mention you’ve got an appointment at another dealer Saturday morning. Two teams each send a salesperson to the phone to get you in Friday afternoon instead. Room votes on who did it better. Then you tell them what you were REALLY thinking. That last part is what makes this work.

Seven minutes.

Why You’re Running This One

Internet lead calls in, already booked somewhere else. Your salesperson either says “great, let us know if it doesn’t work out” or pitches your price harder and louder. Both cost you a deal that was right there.

That customer is your WARMEST lead. They’ve already decided to buy. They wouldn’t be calling you if the other dealer had done their job. Your salesperson has fifteen seconds to prove you’re different.

Four moves that get the appointment moved:

Be specific. Name the car, name the color. “I see you were looking at the Equinox RS in Radiant Red.” You just proved you read their lead.
Ask one question. “What caught your eye about the RS?” Now you’re in a conversation, not a pitch. Whatever they say tells you how to sell the visit. If they say “I love the look,” you talk about seeing it in person. If they say “my buddy has one,” you talk about the test drive. One question. That’s the difference between a pitch they forget and a conversation they remember.
Create urgency. Give them a reason to come in BEFORE Saturday. “I’ve got that exact one on the lot right now. If you can swing by Friday afternoon, I’ll have it pulled up front and ready.”
Make it easy. Make the switch feel like nothing. “Just swing by on your way home. Quick look, no hassle. If you love it, great. If not, you’ve still got Saturday.”

That’s a deal worth $2,500 or more in gross that walks into your store instead of theirs because your salesperson said the right thing in the first fifteen seconds.

Wake Up the Room (60 seconds)

One-Word Story. Point at four people. You’re building a sentence one word at a time. Each person adds ONE word. The sentence has to be a customer complaint. Keep going around until someone ends it by saying “period.” Room tries not to laugh. If it gets a laugh, those four win. If it falls apart, pick four new people and go again. Move fast.

Set It Up (60 seconds)

Read this out loud:

“Two teams. Here’s the situation. Internet lead. They submitted on a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox RS. $33,800. They just called in. They mention they’ve got an appointment at another dealer Saturday morning. It’s Thursday. You’re trying to get them in Friday afternoon.

Huddle up. Thirty seconds. Pick your salesperson. This is a phone call, not a sit-down. Whoever gets the appointment wins.”

Split the room. Each team picks one person. Sit down in the chair. You’re on the phone now. You sound friendly but noncommittal.

Your line when they’re ready: “Hey, yeah, I submitted online about the Equinox. I’m actually going to check one out Saturday morning at [competitor name]. Just wanted to see what you guys had going on.”

Let Them Go (3 minutes)

Team A’s salesperson goes first. They talk to you on the phone. You respond like a real customer. Friendly but not sold. Sixty seconds. Then Team B.

How to play the customer (keep this in your head, don’t read it out loud):

You submitted an internet lead two days ago. The other dealer took 6 hours to respond with a generic email. No mention of the Equinox. No mention of color. Just “thanks for your interest, when can you come in?”
You actually want the Radiant Red RS. You’ve done your homework. You know the trim.
If they mention the specific vehicle, the color, or anything from your lead: Perk up. “Oh, you actually have the RS? The red one?” You’re interested now. They did what the other dealer didn’t.
If they ask what you like about the car or why you picked the RS: Open up. “Honestly, I love the look. And my buddy has one and says it’s great in the snow.” You just gave them something to work with. Nobody at the other dealer asked you anything.
If they give you a reason to come Friday instead of Saturday AND make it easy: “I mean… I could probably swing by after work. How late are you open?” You’re ready to move.
If they just say “we can match any price” or pitch payment without asking you anything: Go flat. “OK, I’ll keep that in mind. I’m still going to check out the other place Saturday.” They sound like everyone else.
If they try to trash the other dealer: Pull back. “I mean, they seemed fine. I just wanted to look around.” Nobody likes that.

Don’t coach during the huddle. Don’t hint. Let them work it out.

If it wraps early: “Give me the last phone call where somebody said they had another appointment. Exact words.” Use it. Both teams huddle. New round.

Who Won, and What the Customer Was Really Thinking (60 seconds)

“Who got the appointment? Hands up for Team A. Hands up for Team B.” Count. Announce the winner.

Then tell them what was going on in your head:

“Here’s what I wasn’t telling you. I submitted that lead two days ago. The other dealer took six hours to get back to me. And when they did, it was a form email. ‘Thanks for your interest in our Chevrolet lineup.’ They didn’t mention the Equinox. Didn’t mention the RS. Didn’t mention the color. I wanted the Radiant Red and they didn’t even know that. I clicked the ‘schedule a visit’ link in that email because they were the only ones who responded. Picked Saturday morning. But I wasn’t excited about it. When I called you, I was looking for a reason to cancel. I WANTED someone to say ‘hey, I see you want the red RS, I’ve got one right here, come by Friday.’ That’s it. That’s all I needed. I wanted to feel like somebody was paying attention.”

What you’re looking for:

Did they mention the specific vehicle? The RS? The color? Anything that showed they read the lead?
Did they give a reason Friday is better than Saturday? Not just “we’d love to see you” but an actual reason?
Did they make it easy? “Swing by on your way home, quick look, no pressure”?
Did they ask the customer a question? Even one? “What caught your eye about the RS?” turns a pitch into a conversation. The customer who answers that question is already more invested than the one who just listened.
Did the customer feel like a person or a number?

All of that? That salesperson just moved a Saturday appointment to Friday. They got the customer in their store first. And first pencil wins more often than you think. Gave a generic pitch and said “let me know”? That customer went to the other dealer Saturday. That’s $4,200 in gross your store will never see. Because your salesperson couldn’t be bothered to say the name of the car.

What You Say After (30 seconds, read this out loud)

“When a customer says ‘I already have an appointment,’ your brain hears ‘I’m taken.’ It feels final. It’s not. If the other dealer had nailed it, that customer never calls you. They’re calling because something was missing. They’re still shopping. They just don’t want to admit it yet.

One more thing. Before you pitch Friday, ask one question. ‘What caught your eye about the RS?’ It takes five seconds. Whatever they say tells you how to sell the visit. And it makes you the only salesperson who asked instead of pitched. That’s what the other dealer didn’t do.

And when someone says ‘I’ll come see you AFTER my other appointment’? That’s actually gold. You’re the last stop. The one they remember. Say ‘Perfect. Ask for me when you get here. I’ll have it pulled up with the keys. Wait till you see it.’ Don’t fight it. Own it.

Tone matters more than words here. Casual, not desperate. You’re a friend who happens to have exactly what they want sitting on the lot. The second you sound like you’re chasing, you become the dealer they were trying to leave.”

Send Them to the Floor

“Next phone call where somebody says they’ve got an appointment somewhere else, what are the first words out of your mouth?”

One person answers. You’re listening for something specific about the vehicle. If they say “I’ve got a great deal for you,” that’s generic. If they say “I see you were looking at the RS in red, I’ve got one right here,” that’s it. That’s the move. If they say “let me check with my manager on price,” they missed the whole point. Get on the phones.

Why You Bring It Up Tomorrow

Open tomorrow’s meeting with:

“Who got a phone call yesterday from someone who had another appointment? What did you say first? Did you mention the car? Did you give them a reason to come today?”

If you run a great meeting and never bring it up again, it was seven fun minutes that changed nothing. When your team knows you’re going to ask tomorrow morning, in front of everybody, they actually try it. One meeting becomes a habit. That’s how you change a floor.

What good answers sound like: “Customer called, said they were going to see a Tahoe at the dealer on Route 9 Saturday. I said ‘I see you wanted the Z71 in black, come by at 4 and I’ll have it pulled up front.’ She came in at 4:15. Sold it.” THAT’S what you want to hear.

Make It Harder (For Your Experienced People)

The customer says they already put a deposit down at the other dealer. $500 on the card. Now your salesperson has to get them in knowing there’s real money on the line. The customer’s thinking “I already committed.” Your salesperson has to make coming to see your car feel like due diligence, not disloyalty. They have to acknowledge the deposit without dismissing it and give the customer a reason that checking your car first is smart, not disloyal. The vet only softens if the salesperson finds that angle on their own. That separates the pros from the people who give up the second they hear resistance.

Switch It Up

Walk-in who’s leaving: Customer is in your showroom. They liked the car. But they’re walking out the door saying “I want to check out the one at [other dealer] before I decide.” Same energy, different setting. Your salesperson has to give them a reason to buy NOW without being pushy. “Totally understand. Before you go, let me get you the exact out-the-door number so you can compare apples to apples. That way when you’re over there, you know exactly what you’re working with.”
Text response: Lead submitted online. You’re responding by text, not phone. You’ve got 160 characters. No paragraphs. No links. Just: “Hey [name], I’ve got the Equinox RS in red you were looking at. It’s on the lot now. Want me to have it ready for you Friday afternoon?” That’s it. Make them feel seen in a text message.
Trade-in anchor: Customer mentions their trade. Now the conversation isn’t just about the new car. “What are you driving now? A 2021 Terrain? Those are in high demand right now. Bring it by Friday, I’ll get you a number on it while you look at the RS.” Trade value creates a second reason to visit. Two hooks beat one.
Saturday morning save: It’s Saturday at 9 AM. Customer calls and says “I’m headed to [competitor] right now.” You’ve got sixty seconds. You can’t do “swing by Friday.” It’s happening NOW. “They’re ten minutes away? We’re five. Stop here first. I’ll have the keys in my hand when you pull in.” Speed wins.

If Things Go Sideways

What’s Happening	What to Do
Room is dead	Swap the opener. “Worst voicemail you’ve ever left a customer. Go.” Gets people talking.
Short on time	Skip the opener. One round. Straight to the vote and the answer. Five minutes.
Small team (3-4)	Forget teams. Everyone takes a turn on the phone with you. Vote after each one.
Big team (12+)	Three teams. First delivers, other two vote. Rotate.
Nobody mentions the car	GOOD. That’s the whole point. “Both teams got on the phone and nobody said the word ‘Equinox.’ Nobody said ‘RS.’ Nobody said ‘red.’ The other dealer already didn’t do that. You just sounded exactly like them.”
Somebody trashes the other dealer	Don’t let it slide. “The second you talk bad about the competition, the customer defends them. You just made their appointment MORE important. Never trash. Just be better.”
Somebody nails it	Call it out. “Did you hear that? They said the name of the car in the first sentence. Gave a reason to come Friday. Made it easy. That’s the whole sequence. That’s how you steal the appointment.”

What You’ll Actually See in the Room

Both teams go generic. “We’d love to have you come in, we’ve got great deals going on.” No car name. No color. No reason to switch. That’s your opening: “Two teams and nobody said the word ‘Equinox.’ The customer told you what they wanted when they submitted the lead. Use it.”
Someone immediately pitches price. “We can beat whatever they’re quoting you.” Instinct, but wrong. The customer didn’t mention price. They mentioned a competing appointment. Price wasn’t the problem. Attention was. “You started negotiating and the customer never asked about price. They asked about the car. Talk about the car.”
Someone asks great questions but never asks for the appointment. They have a real conversation. Customer’s engaged. Then they say “well, let us know what you decide.” Dead. “You did everything right and then didn’t ask them to come in. That’s like driving to the one-yard line and punting.”
The huddle goes silent. Your team doesn’t have a playbook for this call. Good. That’s exactly why you’re running this meeting. “Nobody had a plan. Now you’ve got one. Name the car. Give a reason to come today. Make it easy to say yes.”
Someone tries to book them for Saturday too. “Well if you’re already out Saturday, come see us after.” That’s accepting defeat. You want Friday. First pencil advantage is real. “You just told the customer to go see the competition first. You want them here BEFORE they go anywhere else.”
Veteran says “this is too easy, they’d never switch.” Perfect. That’s your cue for Make It Harder. “OK, hot shot. You be the customer. And you’ve got a $500 deposit down at the other place. Let’s see someone move THAT appointment.”

What’s Really Going On (Your Eyes Only)

A customer who calls you when they already have an appointment has already chosen you. They just don’t know it yet. If the other dealer had nailed it, that customer would never have picked up the phone. They’d be happily waiting for Saturday. But they called. That means something was missing. Attention. Specificity. The feeling that someone actually read what they submitted and gave a damn.

The first fifteen seconds of that call decide everything. Not because there’s some magic script. Because the customer is doing a comparison whether they realize it or not. “Does this dealer sound like the other one?” If yes, Saturday wins. There’s no reason to change plans for more of the same. But if your salesperson says the name of the car, the trim, the color, the customer’s brain goes: “This one’s different. This one’s paying attention.”

That’s all this meeting really is. Show them you know what they want. Ask one question so they feel heard, not pitched. Give them a reason today is better. Make saying yes feel like nothing. A customer who hears that sequence in the first fifteen seconds doesn’t keep their Saturday appointment. They come see you Friday. And first pencil wins more than it loses.

Respond within one minute. Say the name of the car. Make it easy to say yes. That’s the meeting. That’s the money. Everything else is noise.

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“I Already Have an Appointment at Another Dealer”