Many times I would estimate a set of four struts, and recoil in the amount of money it would cost. I would either neglect to mention it to the customer and go for the easy sale of items that would make the car either stop or go. If I was confident, I might have written the estimate on the customers bill in hopes they might come back.

Leave your empathy, assumptions and personal budget at the door and tell the customer what new shocks and struts can do for them. You should never feel like a criminal when you recommend new shocks and struts. There are no fancy sales mind games when you just present the customers with the facts.

Never give up. It’s been estimated that 50% of ride control sales occur on the second visit. This means that a large percentage of first-time sales pitches for ride control are followed by, “Sorry, no thank you.” But, the customer comes back eventually.

Hearing “no” for anything builds up a subliminal roadblock that makes the person hesitant to sell shocks and struts. Soon, the ride control recommendation becomes more of a “feeler” question rather than a real sales proposal. The most destructive beh...