“I'm Just Looking for a Price”

Meeting 1: “I’m Just Looking for a Price”

Two teams compete to turn a price shopper into an appointment without giving away a single number. 7 minutes. No prep. You play the customer.

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How This Meeting Works

You’re the customer. You sit in a chair facing the room. You’re calling about a Tucson you found online. Two teams each send a salesperson to take the call. Room votes on who did it better. Then you tell them what the customer was REALLY thinking. That last part is what makes this work.

Seven minutes.

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Why You’re Running This One

Your phone rings. Internet lead. She saw the Tucson online. “What’s your best price?” Your salesperson gives her a number. She says “OK, thanks,” hangs up, and calls the next dealer.

She’s not calling for a price. She’s calling for a reason to come in. She has a trade she hasn’t mentioned. She’s ready to buy. But “what’s your best price” is the only question she knows how to ask. When your salesperson answers it, they removed the only reason she had to call back.

Three moves that save you the deal:

1. Flip. Answer her question with a question. “Great question. Are you looking at the total out-the-door number or the monthly payment?” Now SHE’S talking.
2. Discover. “What are you driving now?” That’s where the trade comes out. That’s where the real conversation starts.
3. Earn. Give her a specific reason to come in about HER situation. “Let me get a number on your trade and have everything ready so you’re not here all day. Does Saturday morning or afternoon work better?”

The average phone lead who walks in is worth $3,200 in front-end gross. The one who hangs up? You’ll never see her.

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Wake Up the Room (60 seconds)

Speed Round. Point at someone. “Worst opening line you’ve ever heard on a phone up. Go.” Around the room, 10 seconds each. Worst one gets a round of applause.

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Set It Up (60 seconds)

Read this out loud:

“Two teams. Picture this. Customer found a 2026 Hyundai Tucson SEL online, listed at $34,200. She’s calling on her lunch break. She’s got five minutes. Her first question is ‘what’s your best price on the Tucson?’

Huddle up. Thirty seconds. Pick your salesperson. Whoever keeps me on the phone longest without giving a number AND gets the appointment wins.”

Split the room. Each team picks one person. Pick up an imaginary phone. You’re the customer now.

Before they start: “Turn your back to your partner. You’re on the phone. They can’t see your face. They only have your voice.” This feels awkward. Good. That’s what a phone call is. No eye contact, no nodding, no body language to lean on. Just words and tone.

Your line when they’re ready: “Hi, I’m looking at the 2026 Tucson SEL you have listed online. What’s your best price?”

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Let Them Go (3 minutes)

Team A’s salesperson goes first. They talk to you. You respond like a real customer. Guarded but persuadable. Sixty seconds. Then Team B.

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

• You found the Tucson online last night. You’re calling on your lunch break at work. You sound rushed
• You have a 2019 Tucson with 68,000 miles you want to trade in. You’re NOT bringing that up first. You want to see if they ask
• You’ve already been emailed a quote of $33,500 from a dealer 40 minutes away. But the whole thing felt like a robot. No phone call, no conversation, just a number in your inbox. You didn’t like it. You’d rather buy from someone who actually talks to you. But you’re not telling them any of that unless they earn it
• You’re scared of wasting your Saturday at a dealership. Last time it took six hours. If they address this, you soften fast
• If they ask a question back instead of giving a number: Pause. You’re surprised. Nobody else asked. Start opening up. “I mean… I’m looking at the out-the-door number. I have a trade too, actually…”
• If they ask about your trade: You’re in. Your voice gets warmer. “Yeah, it’s a 2019 Tucson with about 68K on it. It’s in good shape.” Now it’s a real conversation
• If they just give you a number: Write it down. Say “OK, thanks” in a flat voice. You’re about to hang up and call the next dealer. This call is over
• If they dodge without asking a question back (“Well, pricing depends on a lot of factors…”): Get annoyed. “OK, but can you just give me a ballpark?” You’re about to hang up
• If they try to set the appointment without learning anything about you: Push back. “I’m not coming in until I know we’re in the right ballpark. I already have a quote from another dealer.” But if they ask about your situation first, you’ll soften
• If they ask what’s important to you besides price: Tell the truth. “Honestly, I just don’t want to waste my whole Saturday if the numbers aren’t going to work”

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

If it wraps early: “Give me a price question somebody heard on the phone this week. Exact words.” Use it. Both teams huddle. New round.

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

“Who handled it better? 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 have a 2019 Tucson with 68,000 miles. That trade is worth about $14,000 and I hadn’t mentioned it. I’d already been quoted $33,500 by another dealer over email. But it was cold. No phone call, no conversation, just a number in my inbox. I didn’t like it. I wanted to buy from someone who actually TALKED to me. And I was terrified of wasting my Saturday because last time I bought a car it took six hours. Price wasn’t even my real concern. I needed someone to ask about my situation and give me a reason to come in that wasn’t ‘come in and we’ll work the numbers.’”

What you’re looking for:

• Did they flip the question? Ask a question instead of giving a number? That’s how you keep the call alive.
• Did they discover the trade? The 2019 Tucson? That’s $14,000 in equity sitting there that changes the whole deal.
• Did they find out she’s worried about wasting her Saturday? That’s the hidden objection. Address it and the appointment practically sets itself.
• Did they earn the appointment with something specific? “Let me get a number on your trade so you’re not here all day.” That beats “come on in and we’ll work the numbers” every time.

All of that? That salesperson books the appointment AND the customer shows up excited instead of guarded. Gave her a number without asking a single question? She hung up. She’s calling the next dealer right now. That’s $3,200 in gross your store won’t see.

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

“The order matters. The flip HAS to come first because the customer expects you to either give a number or dodge. When you ask a real question instead, it breaks the script in her head. She pauses. That pause is everything. She stops comparing and starts talking.

When you flip, go slower and quieter than you think you should. Fast feels like a sales trick. Slow feels like you’re actually listening.

And notice what happens when you find the trade BEFORE you talk numbers. She called thinking it was a $34,000 car. Once you know she’s got a 2019 with 68K miles, it’s a $20,000 conversation. The whole deal changes shape before you ever quote a price. Skip that step and you’re negotiating against a number that was never real.”

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Send Them to the Floor

“Next phone up who asks for your best price, what’s the first thing out of your mouth?”

One person answers. You’re listening for a question, not a number. Something like “Are you looking at the total or the monthly?” or “What are you driving now?” If they say a number, that’s your focus for tomorrow. If they say “it depends on a lot of factors,” they dodged instead of asking back. Dodging feels slimy. A question feels like a conversation.

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Why You Bring It Up Tomorrow

Open tomorrow’s meeting with:

“Who got a price question on the phone yesterday? What did you say? Did you ask them a question back? What did you find out?”

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 asking about the best price on a Rogue. Instead of giving her a number I asked if she was looking at the total or the monthly. She said the monthly. I asked what she was driving. Turns out she has a trade she hadn’t mentioned. Got her in for 2 o’clock. Held full gross.” THAT’S what you want to hear. That’s $3,200 that almost walked.

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Make It Harder (For Your Experienced People)

Your 20-year vet plays the customer instead of you. The vet doesn’t soften when you ask a question. They come right back: “I appreciate that, but I just want a number. Can you give me a number or not?” And when the salesperson asks another question, the vet pushes harder: “Listen, I’ve called three dealers already. Two of them gave me a number. Are you going to help me or not?” The salesperson has to hold the line. They can’t fold and give the number, and they can’t get flustered. They have to acknowledge the frustration and give the customer a reason to stay on the line. No bare number.

Second escalation: the vet already HAS your internet price. “I already have your internet price. Can you beat it or not?” This is where experienced salespeople get stuck because asking a question back feels pointless. The customer already has a number. The salesperson has to figure out how to change what the customer is comparing without dodging the question. The number they have is incomplete, and that’s true. But the salesperson has to find their own way to say it.

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Switch It Up

• Walk-in version: Customer walks onto the lot. Points at the Tucson. “How much?” Same technique. Don’t answer with a number. Ask a question back. “Great taste. What are you driving now?” The walk-in version is actually easier because you have body language and eye contact working for you.
• Used cars: Customer calls about a used 2022 Tucson SEL with 34K miles. “Is that your best price or is there room?” The flip works the same way: “Are you looking at the out-the-door number or the monthly? And are you trading anything in?” Used car callers are even more price-focused because they’ve been checking AutoTrader. But they also know used car prices are negotiable. Your question gives them a reason to keep talking instead of comparing websites.
• BDC text inbound: Customer texts you one word: “price?” That’s it. No greeting, no name, no punctuation. You can’t ask a question with the right tone of voice. You can’t build rapport with a pause. You have maybe two texts before they ghost. The move: “Happy to get you the best number! Quick q, are you looking at the total or the monthly, and do you have a trade?” One message. Two questions. If they answer either one, you’re in a conversation. If you text back “$34,200” you’ll never hear from them again.

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If Things Go Sideways

What’s Happening	What to Do
Room is dead	Swap the opener. “First person to tell me the MSRP on the most expensive car on our lot wins. No phones.” Gets the energy up.
Short on time	Skip the opener. One round. Straight to the vote and the answer. Five minutes.
Small team (3-4)	Forget teams. Everyone gives a response to you directly. Vote after each one.
Big team (12+)	Three teams. First delivers, other two vote. Rotate.
Everybody gives the number	GOOD. That’s the whole point. “Both teams, the salesperson gave a number in the first ten seconds. That’s what’s happening on our phones right now. Nobody asked a question back. One question changes the whole call.”
Somebody dodges instead of flipping	”You didn’t give a number, which is good. But you went vague instead of asking a question. ‘It depends on a lot of factors’ isn’t flipping the question. That’s a dodge. The customer can tell the difference. Ask something specific.”
Somebody nails it	Call it out. “Did you hear that? They flipped the question, found the trade, addressed the Saturday concern, and earned the appointment. Never gave a number. That’s Flip. Discover. Earn. That’s $3,200 in gross your store gets to keep.”

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What You’ll Actually See in the Room

1. Both teams give the number within 10 seconds. It’s reflex. The customer asks, they answer. That’s your opening: “Two teams and nobody asked the customer a single question. Both gave a number. That’s what’s happening on our phones every day.”
2. Someone says “well, pricing depends on a lot of factors” and goes quiet. Classic dodge. “You didn’t give a number, which is good. But you went vague instead of asking a question. Vague feels like you’re hiding something. A question feels like you’re paying attention.”
3. Someone flips the question and the customer opens up about the trade. When this happens, the room notices. The conversation sounds completely different. “That’s the sound of a call that ends in an appointment instead of a hangup.”
4. The customer gets pushy and the salesperson panics. They fold and give the number because the pressure feels real. “That pressure is real on the phone too. But once you give the number, the call is over. Hold the line. Ask the question. The frustration lasts five seconds. Then they answer.”
5. Someone tries to set the appointment without learning anything. “Come on in and we’ll work the numbers.” The customer pushes back. “You tried to skip to the appointment without earning it. The customer doesn’t trust you yet. Ask a question first. Find out something about their situation. Then earn the appointment.”
6. Nobody finds out about the trade or the Saturday concern. Most common outcome the first time you run this. That’s fine. When you tell the room she had a $14,000 trade and was ready to buy, the light bulbs go on. “Nobody asked what she was driving. One question and you would have found $14,000 in equity and a customer who WANTED to come in.”

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What’s Really Going On (Your Eyes Only)

Here’s something worth remembering: a customer who calls and asks for a price is a customer who wants to buy. She found the car. She picked up the phone. She dialed your number. That’s not tire-kicking. That’s a buyer looking for a reason to come in. When your salesperson gives her a number, they just removed the only reason she had to call back. She got what she called for. Now she’s comparing your number to three other dealers and buying from whoever’s lowest. You turned a relationship sale into a spreadsheet.

Asking a question back is the step everybody skips. It feels wrong. Your salesperson hears “what’s your best price” and their instinct is to answer it. But when they say “great question, are you looking at the total or the monthly?” the whole dynamic changes. The customer stops shopping. She starts talking. And a customer who’s talking tells you things. The trade. The timeline. The fear of wasting her Saturday. Every piece of information is a reason the appointment makes sense for HER, not just for you.

This meeting gives your team the words and the sequence. They get to practice in a room where screwing up costs nothing. Tomorrow a real customer is on the other end of the phone with $3,200 of your gross on the line.