The Secret to Gross and Volume in the Automotive Industry

Can you really have it all — strong gross and strong volume? Absolutely. But only if your dealership follows a sales process that builds value, removes assumptions, and empowers your team to sell properly from the start.

Too many sales teams fall into the trap of believing that they have to choose between volume and profit. That mindset creates a dangerous habit: discounting too soon, relying on past pricing, and undervaluing what they sell. The result? Missed opportunities, eroded margins, and a loss of customer confidence.

Let’s be clear: holding gross and hitting volume targets doesn’t happen by accident. It’s a deliberate outcome of disciplined sales behaviours, reinforced training, and systems that make it easy to stay on track.

The Real Cost of Cutting Corners

If your team is offering discounts before the customer has even had a proper presentation or test drive, you're not selling, you're negotiating too early, and that’s where margins start to shrink.

Customers don’t walk in expecting to pay full price, but they also don’t walk in expecting a discount. It’s up to the salesperson to guide the customer journey, present the vehicle confidently, and build value before the price is even brought up.

When salespeople skip steps, the customer doesn’t get the full experience, and that’s when resistance builds.

The Proven Formula to Protect Gross and Volume

Here’s how high-performing teams keep gross and volume strong and why it works:

✅ Follow the full process

The Road To The Sale is there for a reason. Skipping steps short-circuits the sale and weakens your close. By following each stage, from the welcome, through to the delivery, you’re not only providing a better customer experience, you’re also increasing the customer’s perception of value.

This structure boosts time spent with the customer, builds trust, and dramatically improves closing ratios. If you’re not using a process like this, you’re leaving both gross and volume on the table.

✅ Stop assuming customers expect a discount

One of the most damaging habits in automotive retail is leading with a discount. Price-focused selling says to the customer: "This car isn’t worth what we’re asking."

Back yourself. Start at full retail and present confidently. If your team is equipped with the right language and product knowledge, they can hold their price and their professionalism - every time.

Training your team to resist the urge to undercut early is essential. They need to be reminded that the real value is in the experience, not just the price tag.

✅ Don’t sell backwards

Far too often, salespeople bring last month’s deals into this month’s conversations. They reference discounts they used previously and end up anchoring themselves to lower gross before the customer even asks.

Every customer is a fresh opportunity. New deal. New trade. New approach. Selling backwards trains you to devalue your stock and customers will pick up on it immediately.

Want to protect margin? Train your team to forget yesterday’s deal and treat each opportunity as a new one.

✅ Get the basics right

There’s no shortcut for mastering the fundamentals. High gross and high volume start with strong habits:

• Proper qualifying — Ask the right questions early to identify needs and build rapport.

• Confident test drives — Let the car do the selling; build desire through experience.

• Detailed trade-in walkarounds — Build trust by involving the guest and being transparent.

• Thorough write-ups — Present clear numbers and hold value with calm confidence.

If your team is skipping any of these steps, your closing ratios and margins will suffer.

Consistency Creates Confidence

One of the biggest reasons salespeople default to discounts is inconsistency. They haven’t built enough confidence through repetition. With proper coaching, support, and accountability, that changes.

Whether it's through regular training, monitored phone calls, or real-time feedback, the more consistent your team is in applying these practices, the more confident (and profitable) they’ll become.

Systems like StreamSpeak allow managers to listen back, coach effectively, and monitor sales performance in real-time. It’s not about micromanagement — it’s about reinforcing good habits and stopping bad ones before they set in.

Training Drives Results

Want to hold more gross? Train your team to hold value.

Want more volume? Train your team to follow the full process, every time.

TSS provides comprehensive training across sales, service, and management teams — from one-on-one coaching to monthly onsite sessions and tailored online learning. We help automotive teams at every level sharpen their skills, master the fundamentals, and adopt systems that create consistent, measurable growth.

Holding gross and hitting volume is possible — but only if you refuse to take shortcuts.When your team follows a strong sales process, sticks to the fundamentals, and backs their value from the start, the results speak for themselves.

Every sale is an opportunity to build trust, deliver value, and protect your bottom line.