Why Advisors Need to Sell, Not Just Serve: And What Salespeople and Managers Can Learn From It

This Is Bigger Than the Service Lane

Why Advisors Need to Sell, Not Just Serve: And What Salespeople and Managers Can Learn From It

By Automotive Risk

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In late 2019, I watched a $1,475 service opportunity die quietly in the drive.

A customer declined a brake job, a battery, and a cabin filter. The advisor entered a few notes, thanked her, and closed the RO. No second attempt. No layered close. No urgency.

The technician had flagged the repairs with a clean MPI. The parts were in stock. The customer was sitting 30 feet away with a fresh coffee.

But nothing happened.

It wasn’t a pricing objection.
It wasn’t a lack of need.
It was a lack of belief.

And that’s when it hit me:

This isn’t just about fixed ops. It’s about the entire dealership.

Every department sales, service, F&I is either earning trust or forfeiting it. And right now, service drives are bleeding opportunity because we still train advisors to inform, not influence.

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This Is Bigger Than the Service Lane

Salespeople close deals every day. But guess what?

• The average service advisor interacts with more customers per day than a salesperson does in a week.

• And those customers are already loyal. They already trust the brand. They already own the product.

The failure isn’t in the opportunity. It’s in the execution.

But here’s the twist: what’s breaking in the service drive is the same thing breaking in the showroom.

And it all comes down to this:

If your people aren’t trained to lead the customer through a decision, they’ll default to avoiding conflict and hoping the customer convinces themselves.

Hope isn’t a strategy in service or in sales.

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The Numbers Don’t Lie

Let’s connect the dots:

• Fixed ops departments close just 35–40% of recommended maintenance work on average.

• Top performers? They hit 65% or better.

• Every 10% improvement in MPI close rate can mean $250,000–$400,000 in added gross annually for a midsize store.

Now flip to the showroom:

• Desk managers approve discounts, throw out payments, and assume silence is consent.

• Salespeople avoid asking for the close, then say, “They just need to think about it.”

Different departments.
Same root problem.

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The Rise of the Closer—In Every Lane

Let’s be clear: being a “closer” isn’t about pressure or gimmicks. It’s about presence. Confidence. Belief.

Whether you're writing an RO or penciling a deal, the most successful people on the floor:

• Understand customer psychology

• Know how to frame value

• Aren’t afraid to ask for commitment

The difference is training.

Salespeople get closing drills. Managers role-play TOs.
But how many service advisors have ever been trained to isolate an objection or trial close?

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How Managers Need to Step Up

If you manage a desk, a service lane, or a store this part is for you.

You can’t lead what you haven’t taught.

Ask yourself:

• When’s the last time you sat with an advisor and coached their presentation?

• Do your sales managers walk the drive to support big-dollar repairs?

• Are your teams aligned on how value is communicated—from the first phone call to the final signature?

The future belongs to operators who teach their teams to influence across every touchpoint.

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Real-World Examples: What It Looks Like in Action

In Service:

An advisor sees a customer with a $1,400 estimate. They don’t assume “it’s too much.”

Instead, they ask:

“If we could split this into interest-free payments, would you feel better getting it done today?”

Or:

“If your tech says this battery may not survive another cold morning, would you want to risk getting stranded?”

They don’t just explain. They guide.

In Sales:

A rep stops assuming the customer will “circle back.”

Instead, they ask:

“If we can make the numbers make sense, is there anything else that would keep you from moving forward today?”

Or:

“Seems like this might be the right car. What’s the one thing giving you pause right now?”

Same psychology. Same skill. Different uniform.

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Final Thought: The Close Is a Service

That woman back in 2019?
She returned two weeks later after her battery died in a Target parking lot.
She paid more. She waited longer.
And she left a 2-star review for a dealership that actually tried to help her.

Why?

Because we didn’t lead her the first time.

In 2025, this industry is being rewritten.

Margins are tighter. Traffic is inconsistent.
The only thing that consistently drives growth is how well your people can influence with confidence and care.

So whether you're in service, sales, or the desk...

Don’t train people to just present.
Train them to close with integrity, urgency, and belief.

That’s where the next million dollars is hiding.
Not in more traffic.
In better conversations.

You should really FILL my tank. You could use this information. Below this line is the closer’s checklist you cant afford not to use. It includes Service advisors, Sales People, Managers and GM’s.. Give it a try.