Let the selling Begin!

Preparing for the Negotiation
During the test drive you have an excellent opportunity to learn things about your prospects. Their occupation, where they live, what their interests are. The more you know about prospects, the better prepared you'll be for the negotiation. On the other hand, reveal little about yourself. The last thing a prospect should know is that you're short of cash, that you need to sell the car, or that you've got your eye on a new car and can hardly wait to unload the current car. Remember: Good negotiators know as much as possible about their opponents while revealing as little as possible about themselves.
Returning from the Test drive
Once you return, listen for buying signals. If the prospect starts talking about price or asks when you'll be ready to close a deal, you're on the way. If, however, he or she remains noncommittal, you might want to take their measure with questions like:

"How would you rate this car:?" or "How does it measure up to what you were expecting?" Notice that these are what we call open-ended questions. They cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. The reason you ask these questions is to find out:

1. If you have a hot prospect

2. If there is something about the car that the prospect didn't like that you can explain or that you should deal with before the next prospect comes along

If the prospect is accompanied by a spouse or friend, ask for their opinions as well. Remember, when the prospect brings others, you are probably going to have to sell everyone on the value and desirability of the car.

The Negotiation
Here are the keys to a good negotiation strategy: