Just ONE Thing
Two Simple Keys to Closing Sales in Auto Repair Shops
Episode 206
with Rick White, 180BIZ
Good morning, good afternoon, or good evening. My name is Rick White from Lynne Evis, and this is My Just ONE Thing.
First of all, I'm going to ask you to share this video. I think it's a really important one. The reason I'm suggesting you share this is because a lot of people are struggling with closing right now. And I don't mean closing your shop—I mean closing sales.
There's a lot of stinkin' thinkin' going on right now: the tariffs, the economy, “nobody wants to buy.” That is absolutely untrue. People are still buying repairs.
You know, it was funny—I was talking to someone last week, and they said, “I think my customers have got to stop watching the news.” I said, respectfully, “I think your staff—your advisors—have got to stop watching the news.” Because, man, it just fills you with doom and gloom.
I want to share with you what has worked really well for me—and still does—when it comes to closing sales.
Here’s the first thing I want you to think about. When I started in sales, it was all about what I could sell—what I could convince other people to buy. I realized a long time ago that closing comes from confidence. My ability to close well came from my confidence level.
But I want you to step back and think about this for a second. I truly believe confidence is critical for closing—not a killer, not a bad thing, but a great thing. But I also want you to understand where that confidence comes from.
Most people think—and it's been my experience—that confidence comes from making a lot of sales. And to a degree, that's true. But the real key is focus. That’s where my confidence comes from.
See, there are two different kinds of focus you can have. You can focus on fear, and you can focus on rejection. Fear often stems from rejection or from not making the sale—failing. That fear tends to bubble up before you make a call or talk to someone. It’s either fear of being rejected or fear of failing.
So here’s what I want you to ask yourself: when you feel fear, who are you focused on?
When you're afraid, who are you thinking about?
Think that through for a second—and feel free to put it in the comments.
Here’s what I want you to understand: the moment you take yourself out of the picture when it comes to closing, it changes the game.
Let me give you what I believe are the two core factors in being a great closer.
1. Caring
You’ve got to care about them. You’ve got to listen to them.
For you, it’s a car. For them, it’s their life. You don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes—but you can start to dig in a little if you're just willing to tilt your head and listen.
Because for me, caring equals confidence. When it’s not about me—it’s about you—that’s where confidence lives. Make sense?
2. Curiosity
Stop trying to show people you’re credible. Stop trying to prove you’re good enough. Instead—be curious.
Nobody cares how much you know. Nobody cares how much you talk. Nobody will listen to you until they feel listened to.
That’s something worth writing down: nobody will listen to you until they feel listened to.
And I’ll admit—it’s something I’m still working on. In my professional life, I’ve gotten pretty good at it. But in my personal life—in my inner circle—I’ve got to do better.
After you’ve presented all the good stuff—along with the investment opportunities and all the amazing value—your next step is to ask for the sale.
For me, that sounds like:
“Would you like me to help you?”
That’s how I frame asking for a sale.
See, when you're afraid—when you're fearing rejection or completely focused on making a sale (on the dollars)—the world stops at the end of your nose.
There’s a concept called perception of self-interest. When your perceived self-interest is high, resistance from others will be high. People can sense it.
That’s why one of the things I do in almost every conversation—regardless of who it's with—is I walk in expecting nothing.
Why? Because I’m caring and I’m curious.
I care about you, and I’m curious about you. I don’t even know if I can help you yet—so let’s find out.
Tell me what’s happening.
“Hey, my car’s having this problem…”
“Man, that sounds really tough. How is this impacting you?”
And you start to walk through this process.
I’m a big believer in relational selling.
A sale is a transaction—you make some money.
A relationship? You’ve made a fortune.
And I believe that to my very core.
So ask yourself: How are you showing up?
See, I never judge myself in sales based on whether I closed or not. That’s not my measure of success.
My ruler is: How caring and curious was I?
If I make a presentation and they say no, I don’t get mad—I step back and ask:
- How could I have been more caring?
- Was I expecting something I shouldn’t have?
- Was I curious enough?
- Did I ask the right questions?
- Did I really try to see the world through their eyes?
Because when you do that well, you’re no longer a salesperson.
You become an assistant buyer.
You become an advocate for your client—for the vehicle owner.
Especially when you’re dealing with someone new, this is where that difference really shines. So I hope this is all making sense to you.
How much time do I have left?
Less than a minute—so here’s the big takeaway:
Confidence doesn’t come from closing the sale.
Confidence comes from measuring how effective you were at caring and being curious.
That’s where real confidence comes from.
With that being said—thank you, everybody. Please share this video.
Also, don’t forget:
Shop Owners Round Table: Second Thursday of every month—next one is June 12 at 7 PM Eastern. Would love to have you there.
Pocket Business Genius Webinar Series: It’s awesome. Would love for you to join us.
If you’ve got questions, we’ve got links—feel free to reach out.
Let’s rock and roll, everybody. Have a great week—and go make some money. Take care. Bye-bye!
