In our recent Executive Spotlight interview, we called out a habit that is costing dealers thousands of deals every month: The “Price Dodge.”
It’s the oldest trick in the car sales playbook. A customer calls and asks, “What’s your best price on that Suburban?” and the salesperson immediately goes into evasive maneuvers.
- “I can’t give you that over the phone.”
- “You have to come in to get the best deal.”
- “We don’t discuss pricing until you drive the car.”
Ten years ago, that worked. In 2025, it’s a death sentence for the deal.
As Michael Renaud, President of Proactive Training Solutions, explained in the interview, this evasion is exactly why customers ghost you:
“The problem is we talk customers out of coming in. We dodge price, we dodge trade… and we let the rep run the call instead of taking control.“
If you are dodging the price, you aren’t “controlling the call.” You are just annoying the customer. Here is how to fix the price conversation using modern internet auto sales training.
The Psychology of the “Price Shopper”
When a customer asks for the price, they aren’t always looking for the lowest number. They are looking for transparency.
They know the data exists. They can see prices on CarGurus, TrueCar, and your competitor’s website. When you refuse to give them information, you signal that you are hiding something. You look like the stereotypical “shady dealer.”
The Dodge destroys trust. And without trust, there is no appointment.
The Pivot: Give Context, Not Just Numbers
So, do you just blurt out your bottom-line price? No. That’s called “clerking the call,” and it’s just as bad as dodging.
Effective internet auto sales training teaches your BDC and sales reps to Validate and Pivot.
Instead of saying “No,” say this:
“I completely understand that price is the priority. That Suburban is priced aggressively online at $62,000 to rank on page one, but that includes all the incentives. To give you an accurate ‘out-the-door’ number, I just need to verify two quick things about your taxes and trade…”
Why this works:
- You gave a number: You acknowledged the online price (which they already know).
- You validated them: You didn’t fight the request.
- You kept control: You immediately pivoted back to the information you need to move the deal forward.
Stop Talking Them Out of the Visit
The goal of the inbound call is never to sell the car—it is to sell the appointment.
When you dodge the price question, you turn the call into a debate. When you answer it with context and confidence, you turn it into a consultation.
“Most stores can sell when people show up.“
Your team can close. But they can’t close a customer who hangs up in frustration because your phone script belongs in 1995.
Watch the Full Breakdown
We broke down exactly how to handle these “deal-killer” moments in our latest Executive Spotlight interview. If your team is struggling to convert price shoppers into showroom traffic, this is the video you need to watch.
Master the Modern Call.
Stop losing deals to transparent competitors. Equip your team with the Internet Auto Sales Training strategies that build trust and fill your appointment board.
