The Deal We Almost Lost to 0.9% — and What It Taught Me About Intervention, Perception, and Today’s Buyer
The Moment That Changed the Deal
I wasn’t even supposed to be involved in the deal.
I was doing what GMs do on a Tuesday afternoon — walking the floor, checking inventory, prepping for our end-of-month push.
That’s when I saw it unfolding from the corner of my eye.
A sharp young couple at a desk with one of our newer salespeople.
Body language looked good. They were leaning in. Smiles. The car they were working? A pre-owned A6 we had just listed — clean unit, priced right, ready to go.
I felt good about it… until I didn’t.
The couple starts exchanging looks. The energy changes. I see the salesperson stiffen a bit, then leave the desk to walk back to the tower.
Something wasn’t landing.
The Moment That Changed the Deal
I walked into the sales tower just in time to hear the desk manager say,
“They asked if we have 0.9% like Lexus. I told him we don’t on that car, but we could knock $500 off.”
No one was doing anything wrong — not intentionally.
But I could see the deal slipping through our fingers.
So I walked over, introduced myself, and sat down with the couple. Not to “take over,” but to listen.
I asked a simple question:
“Can I ask what matters most about the 0.9% you mentioned?”
He said something I’ll never forget:
“I just want to know I’m not getting taken advantage of. Lexus made it feel simple. Straightforward. I didn’t have to guess.”
Boom.
It wasn’t about the rate.
It was about how it made him feel.
How We Turned It Around
I took a breath. No pressure. No pitch.
I said, “Look — I get it. Some brands are offering 0.9% on new cars to create urgency. We don’t have that rate on this unit, but let me show you something.”
I pulled out a payment calculator and walked them through a side-by-side comparison:
Lexus RX at 0.9%
Audi A6 at a slightly higher rate — but lower selling price
Same monthly payment within $12
Then I added what we could do:
First year of service included
Free home delivery
And the promise that if Audi drops rates within 7 days, we’d rewrite the deal
They looked at each other, smiled, and said:
“Nobody else explained it like that.”
They signed the deal 20 minutes later.
What I Took Away As a GM
We didn’t win that deal with numbers.
We won it with clarity, confidence, and presence.
And if I hadn’t stepped in — if I had assumed we were doing everything “right” — we would’ve lost a customer who genuinely wanted to buy.
Here’s what I’ve implemented since:
Desk training focused on perception, not just structure.
We don’t just pencil deals — we explain them. We tell the story of the payment, not just the math.Role-played conversations around subvented rates.
We prepare salespeople for that 0.9% question — because it’s not going away.Set a new standard: nobody leaves confused.
I’d rather take the time to walk someone through the numbers twice than risk a quiet “We’ll think about it” that turns into a lost lead.
Final Thought
As GMs, it’s easy to get stuck behind the numbers.
To focus on volume, aged units, gross, and turn. I get it — I live it.
But that day reminded me of something simple:
Sometimes, leadership is just stepping in at the right moment with the right message.
Because it’s not always about who offers the lowest rate.
It’s about who helps the customer feel like they’re making the smartest choice — and who makes it easiest to say yes.
And when you do that?
Deals close. Trust builds. And your people learn by example.
That’s what leadership looks like now.