by Terry MacCauley - Posted 1 hour ago
There is a polite phrase that will kill more deals than any price haggle: “I will wait.” Over the last few months, that phrase has arrived at the showroom door with troubling frequency. Buyers are not pausing because they dislike the car. They are pausing because everything else around them feels fragile. There is talk of government shutdowns. Mortgage and consumer financing rates move on a rumor.
The stock market jumps and drops. Health care costs creep higher. Families brace for expensive holidays. Waiting feels safe. Buying feels risky.
That is the exact moment a good dealer turns caution into clarity. I remember a Saturday morning on a small lot where a customer named Jen kept circling a Highlander. She loved the vehicle, but she could not commit because she was unsure how a spouse's bonus and a medical bill would impact her finances. The floor manager, Mike, asked one simple question about monthly payments, offered a 72-hour hold, a one-month payment buffer, and the option to delay the first payment for up to 90 days to get through the holidays. Jen drove home that afternoon with the keys. Later, she told Mike that the delayed first payment gave her the breathing room she needed to move from fear to confidence.
Turning hesitation into a decision requires a mix of math, absolute value, and simple options that align with the buyer’s genuine fears and concerns. Ignoring these fears and concerns manifests itself in major objections and lost sales. Below are tactics your team can use now, along with a coaching plan that will help make them habitual.
When a buyer says, “I will wait,” do not interpret it as a soft “no.” Turn it into a tradeoff. Use an either-or question that forces a choice between two concrete outcomes. For example: “Most customers who wait end up paying more because supply tightens and rates move. If I could hold this at X per month for 72 hours, would you want that?” That moves the conversation from abstract worry to measurable options.
Big Time Tip: Follow the reframe with a binary question. It is harder to stall when a yes or no is required.
Do not invent fake deadlines. Give buyers time-limited value that protects them against the exact risks they fear. Successful options include a 72-hour payment hold, a one-week price test, a one-month payment buffer, and a delayed first payment of up to 90 days, allowing a buyer to get through the holidays. These are not gimmicks. They are risk-reduction offers that will enable the buyer to preserve cash while locking in terms.
Explain the logic out loud. Say: “We will hold this payment for 72 hours and delay your first payment up to 90 days so you can lock the price and manage holiday expenses.”
People buy the idea of a monthly check. Design your ads, landing pages, and conversations around payments first. Show weekly or monthly payments, the expected APR range, and the down payment needed. For buy-here, pay-here customers, lead with “No bank needed” and a clear, fast pre-qualification.
Phone script example: “If I can get your payment under $299 per month with $1,000 down, a 30-day payment buffer, and the option to delay the first payment up to 90 days, will you come see it this week, or is there another reason you would wait?”
National headlines cause paralysis. Local facts create decisions. Inform the buyer about the current state of your actual market. “We have two left at this price in our area,” or “We sold six of these locally last month,” will be more persuasive than any broad observation about the economy.
Big Time Tip: Add an automatic “Only X at this price” tag to inventory and remarketing creative. Real, absolute scarcity removes hypothetical fear.
When buyers worry about healthcare costs, holiday spending, or job risk, offer structures that lower the upfront strain. Deferred first payments of up to 90 days, split down payments, short-term buy-downs, or payment protection products make the purchase feel safer. These programs require clear guardrails. Consider a modest refundable deposit, a signed deferred payment agreement, minimal down payment rules, and a simple eligibility checklist. Limit the program to specific units and track flags in your DMS and CRM to ensure consistent execution.
A delayed first payment can be decisive. For many buyers, the ability to wait until February to make the first payment solves a holiday cash flow issue and turns a polite 'no' into a committed 'yes'. Manage the risk by setting a refundable deposit, a time-limited eligibility window, and clear, precise documentation.
Small guarantees produce Big Time results. A 48 to 72-hour guaranteed trade value or guaranteed price, paired with a small incentive such as a free maintenance visit or a payment credit, will convert more hesitation into signatures. When combined with a delayed first payment up to 90 days, the buyer gains both time and certainty. That two-part offer is powerful.
If the buyer says “I will wait,” follow with material that educates and helps. Send a short video from the salesperson explaining why this car fits. Send a market snapshot that shows price trends for similar vehicles. Offer a payment scenario that includes deferred first payment options and a clear deadline for payment. A seven-day follow-up sequence that mixes SMS, email, and a personal call will keep the buyer informed without being annoying.
Seven-day follow-up example
Day 1: Confirmation and a short video with a JPG or PDF about payment options and deferred payment terms.
Day 3: Price and availability update.
Day 5: Payment first offer with a deadline and the delayed first payment option.
Day 7: Final Reminder and a Guaranteed Hold.
Most buyers who say “I will wait” are answering one of four questions in their head. Teach your team this framework and have them use this script verbatim until it is second nature.
“I have been working for [DEALERSHIP NAME] for [XX] years. When my customers tell me they are going to wait, it is usually one of four things. Is it me as a salesperson? Have I done something that makes you not want to purchase from me today?”
Pause for the answer. If they say no, continue.
“Okay then, is it something about our dealership that has you hesitant? Do we feel like a dealership you can trust and would want to do business with today?”
If they say no, continue.
“Was it the vehicle we selected from inventory and discussed? Was that not the right vehicle you would want to own today?”
Finally ask.
“Or is it really just the price and payments that are causing you to hesitate to do the paperwork right now?”
Most of the time, the buyer will say yes and then explain. When that happens, say: “Great. If it is that, let us go back and adjust the figures until this is in a place that you and your family can be excited to own today.”
This approach is consultative and honest. It removes emotion and provides the buyer with a clear path forward.
Scripting alone does not change results. Repetition does. Make training a verb. Training is often missing in most dealerships at a criminal level.
Daily micro-drills:
Begin each morning huddle with a five- to ten-minute micro-drill. One person plays the customer. One person plays the salesperson. Run the four-question script three times. Rotate players. Score for clarity and for tone. Let their peers do the scoring.
Roleplay variability
Create short role-plays that mirror current market fears, such as government headlines, mortgage rate spikes, healthcare bills, and holiday cash strain. Rehearse the deferred first payment and the 72-hour hold until the options are presented naturally in the conversation.
Call recording and feedback
Record calls (where legally allowed, review your own state laws) and review two each week in training. Highlight excellent questions. Celebrate great closes and correct weak language. Make feedback specific and actionable. Again, let their peers provide the input; it will blow you away how they know what to do and when it sounds bad on their own. Additionally, this empowers them to take control instead of being constantly managed.
Scorecards and accountability
Track conversions from “I will wait” to holds, appointments, and closed deals. Each salesperson comes in and adds a tally mark to the most significant reason their customer is waiting. Then set weekly targets and reward improvement. Use the data to shape coaching.
Finance alignment drills
Practice deferred payment paperwork with F and I staff until the process flows. The salesperson must be able to explain eligibility, the refundable deposit, and how the program protects margin without creating compliance risk.
Ride-alongs and live coaching
Do floor coaching or ride-alongs twice a week. Stop the conversation, coach in real time, and let the salesperson try again. This is where technique becomes muscle memory.
A delayed first payment up to 90 days is a powerful lever. Protect the business by implementing the following rules: limit the program to select units, require a refundable deposit, set a minimum down payment, require a signed deferred payment agreement, define clear eligibility criteria, track the flag in DMS and CRM, and coordinate with F and I to ensure compliance. Implement controls to prevent program abuse and ensure margin integrity.
Choose 8 to 12 quick-turn vehicles and add a 72-hour hold, a one-month payment buffer, or the option to delay the first payment up to 90 days.
Launch one payment first Facebook ad and a 14-day short-video awareness push that highlights deferred first payment as a holiday solution.
Train the floor on the four-question script and the deferred payment program.
Develop a seven-day follow-up sequence that incorporates SMS, email, and calls, including deferred payment messaging.
Add “Only X at this price” tags to live inventory and remarketing creative.
Coordinate with finance to set eligibility criteria, refundable deposit rules, and the signed documentation for deferred payments.
Promote payment protection and warranty options in all follow-ups.
Caution is rational in this market. Indecision is expensive. Teach your team to identify the underlying reason a buyer says, “I will wait.”
This and most sales issues are not just a script to be read once and shelved. It is a system that must be taught, practiced, and improved. Diagnose the buyer with the four-question framework, lead every conversation with payments and local facts, and offer absolute short-term risk reduction, such as a 72-hour hold, a one-month payment buffer, or the option to delay the first payment up to 90 days for holiday relief. Put operational guardrails in F and I so the program protects margin and stays compliant. Rehearse the conversations until they become automatic with daily micro drills, varied roleplay, and live coaching. Measure outcomes from “I will wait” to hold to appointment to sale, reward the behavior you want, and let your team own the next step by brainstorming other creative ways to solve waiting, including holiday bundles, service credits, employer partnerships, or any idea that reduces perceived risk for your buyer. Do the work, practice the language, and make the process routine. The payoff is simple and measurable: fewer lost opportunities, stronger margins, deeper customer trust, and more families driving home with confidence.
-by Terry MacCauley, Founder & CEO
Google changed the rules, and those changes matter. As of today, November 12, 2025, Google has ended its free Vehicle Listings on Google program. Dealers will no longer appear organically in the "Cars for Sale" or "Vehicle Listings" section of Google Search and Business Profiles. In the future, only paid Vehicle Ads delivered through Google Ads and Merchant Center will display inventory in Google results. That means do it yourselfers who relied on free feeds must migrate to paid Vehicle Ads, verify that their Merchant Center feed is active and linked to Google Ads and the Business Profile, and ensure the feed contains complete and exact data fields such as VIN, year, make, model, trim, mileage, condition, a vehicle image, availability, price, and a landing page that exactly matches those details.
At the same time, Google implemented a global transparency policy effective October 28, 2025, that changes how prices must be shown in ads. Any advertisement that displays a price must accurately reflect the amount the customer will actually pay. Fine print and vague disclaimers that hide mandatory fees are no longer acceptable. Conditional pricing must be clearly and prominently displayed. Google will disapprove ads that display misleading pricing or require undisclosed fees, and industry sources anticipate a shift toward out-the-door pricing as the norm by December 2025. This means proving that the ad price and landing page price are identical, including any required dealer fees, and avoiding headline claims that cannot be supported by the inventory on the landing page.
Google Ads Policy Update — Unacceptable Phone Numbers
Google is also updating its Destination Requirements Policy to include unacceptable phone numbers, effective December 10, 2025. Google will begin enforcing this over an eight-week rollout period. The change means Google will cross-check the phone number used in an ad with the number on the landing page and the number listed in the Business Profile. Any phone number linked to fraudulent activity, inconsistent with verified business information, or unable to be verified as belonging to the same business entity may result in disapproval.
This policy affects call tracking setups that utilize recycled or shared numbers, or numbers that are not listed on the website or in the Business Profile. If a tracking number is not listed on the landing page, is not present in the Business Profile, or was previously associated with a flagged account, Google may mark it as unacceptable. Call tracking is still allowed, but only if the tracking number can be verified as a legitimate business line and matches across Ads, the landing page, and the Business Profile.
How to stay compliant with the phone number policy
Use a dedicated tracking number that is owned or controlled by your business.
Ensure that the same number appears on both the landing page and your Google Business Profile.
Avoid recycled, shared, or previously flagged tracking numbers.
Coordinate with your call tracking vendor to provide numbers that can be verified and that are unique to your business.
Audit your ads and landing pages to ensure the phone number in the ad matches exactly what is displayed on the page and in the Business Profile.
Practical next steps are simple and urgent. Audit every live ad, every inventory feed, and every phone number used in your campaigns. Update your exact selling price in the feed and on the site. Link Merchant Center to Google Ads and your Business Profile. Budget for paid Vehicle Ads, as organic exposure is no longer available. Replace any call tracking numbers that cannot be verified with dedicated business numbers and document your compliance steps. Educate your team and use these changes as an opportunity to build trust by moving to clearer, out-the-door pricing and fully verifiable contact information now, rather than waiting for enforcement. These are operational tasks, but they also serve as competitive advantages for dealers who act quickly and pair a compliant Google presence with the conversational and rehearsal work described in this article.
October 28, 2025
Google's global transparency policy became effective. Any ad that displays a price must reflect the actual amount the customer will pay. Conditional pricing must be clearly and prominently displayed. Ads with misleading prices or undisclosed mandatory fees will face disapproval.
November 12, 2025
Google sunsets free Vehicle Listings on Google today. Free, organic vehicle listings will no longer appear in the Cars for Sale or Vehicle Listings sections. Only paid Vehicle Ads running through Google Ads and Merchant Center will display vehicles in Google results. Dealers must migrate to paid Vehicle Ads and maintain fully compliant inventory feeds.
December 2025
Industry movement toward out-the-door pricing is expected to accelerate. Google and regulators are leaning toward requiring prices that include mandatory fees. Dealers should adopt out-the-door pricing practices now to reduce risk and build customer trust.
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