Buying a car wasn't on my bingo card last week

But when your transmission is toast, you’ve gotta adjust your plans. Fast.

I spent one day securing financing. Another day test-driving cars. Then an entire day mustering the courage to walk into a dealership.

Because if you’ve ever bought a car, you know it’s like dipping your bloody foot into shark-infested waters.

Even though I’ve worked in sales my whole life, car sales is usually the worst. Not because I hate being sold to — it’s how they do it.

It reeks of desperation.
It feels pushy.
And worst of all, you feel like you don’t know the rules of the game.

You’re just waiting for the shoe to drop — the hidden fee, the “extra bump” you weren’t expecting.

But last Wednesday, something wild happened.

I walked into the dealership already knowing the make, model, and color I wanted. Used, but with low mileage. Under 15K miles.

The sales guy walks up and says something I’ve never heard before:

I said yes.

And just like that, he did three things that made me trust him:

1. He handed me the power to choose whether to move forward or not.

2. He built trust through transparency instead of hiding the truth.

3. He guided me instead of forcing me.

Good sales is always a dance.
And good salespeople know their job is to lead gently — not shove you across the floor.

I drove off the lot in our new ride that day.

Of course, knowing I couldn’t negotiate the price didn’t stop me from getting a better deal. I just asked them to improve the offer on our trade-in instead.

(Still a negotiator at heart.)

So what’s the point of this story?

Sometimes saying the scary thing is exactly what makes someone want to buy.

The thing that might make them say “no”?
That’s often the thing that builds enough trust for them to say yes.

Most people hide the truth because they’re afraid. But your prospects aren’t stupid — they know when you’re hiding something. And that’s what kills trust.

So just say it.

Transparency doesn’t hurt sales. It helps sales.

Because trust is a two-way street.
And someone has to go first.

Talk soon,
Jason