Hey Joe,
I heard you on a webinar about how to set appointments and have been using the techniques, but had a question about the trade appraisal appointment. We currently invite people in for a “professional appraisal”, but you said you don’t like that phrase. What was the word track you recommended using again instead? Thanks!
Gena
Internet Manager
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Hello Gena,

First off, thanks so much for putting into action some of our core philosophies at DealerKnows. Hope you don’t mind if I added in a link to my blog that discusses that topic in your question. Regarding your email, you’re correct. I don’t like inviting people in for a “professional appraisal”. (And hey, I did this too… for years). What I’ve realized, though, is that today’s customers believe Kelley Blue Book is a “professional appraisal”. They think the same about AutoTrader Trade-in Marketplace, TradePending, eAutoAppraise and every other valuation tool online. Yet those trade appraisal tools stop short of setting the appointment for you.

As opposed to saying a “professional appraisal”, I like inviting people in for an “in-store appraisal” or an “in-person vehicle condition check”. Make them realize where it takes place in the language you use. For instance, I’d recommend saying something similar to…
“I’m sure you’ve had the opportunity to look up the estimated value of your vehicle online, right? Great. We too use those as guides when determining the full value of the vehicle, along with several other sources. Have you had the chance of having your vehicle appraised in-person at a dealership? Let’s schedule an in-store appraisal so we can perform a final condition check and you can get a locked-in value for your car. What time works best, today or tomorrow?“

While today’s digital tools let a customer do a lot from the comfort of their couch, I imagine as an Internet Sales Manager, you are happier when the shopper is in the showroom. When it comes to a trade appraisal, while those tools are invaluable, the customer’s presence is imperative so you can perform a silent walk-around and more. For that reason, inviting people in for the right reasons with the right language goes a long way toward setting more appointments.

Really hope that helps and keep up the great work!

Joe Webb