Back to the basics: 7 new and timeless sales tips from seasoned dealers
Published in Car Dealership Guy on July 5, 2026
Initial impressions are arriving before the customer does.
First impressions used to happen with a handshake in the showroom.
Now, Sansone reminded us, they often go down over the internets.
“Your first impression is your first text, your first email," Sansone said. "It's how you handle that [that matters].”
He said some customers still feel "very leery" about car salesmen, so putting them in a friendly state of mind "so you can properly negotiate or properly present your product vs. other dealers," makes a difference.
Part of taking care of customers means acknowledging we live in an impatient world.
That’s why, industry veteran Brett Sutherlin told us, speed matters.
“We’re measuring our response times in increments of under 90 seconds,” Sutherlin said. “The sooner you respond to the lead, your chances just go dramatically up.”
More speed notes from Sutherlin:
His team noticed that responding to a lead in under 60 seconds can compress the average 26-day buying timeline to under seven days.
Keep it moving: "If the customer runs 15 minutes later picking their kid up at a carpool line, they're not engaged in the process anymore," Sutherlin said. "The chances of getting the customer on the phone drops by like 90%."
And, some dealers are still promising 24-hour response windows, which he says isn’t quick enough.
"If you do that, you're an afterthought," Sutherlin said.
He also reminded that in-house sales have a need for speed, too, because the days of customers tolerating a two-hour wait are over.
"You really have to have evolved and can get a customer in and out in under an hour, or you're probably going to lose the deal," Sutherlin said.
Customers want unique interactions, he said, not templated or AI responses.
So, be yourself.
Just don’t share too much.
Shh: Morse shared one more secret sales tip… Don’t tell.
Referencing auto racer Ricky Rudd's oft-publicized regrets for sharing the pedal work behind his road course racing success, Morse says when you find the best methods, keep ‘em to yourself.
(Unless it’s us asking, please and thank you).
