When economic conditions change, dealers need strategies that reflect the way real customers live and buy today. To separate yourself from the competition, show customers you understand their financial reality and present them with choices that actually work for them.

Your desk can be a powerful tool, but only if it’s used with intention. The more it reflects how people think, plan and buy, the better results you’ll see – on the profit and loss and in long-term loyalty.

Here are tips for making your desk work harder for you and your customers.

1. Make It a Conversation, Not a Script

Great desking starts with asking the right questions, not assumptions. What’s their plan for this car? How long do they want to keep it? Are they trying to lower monthly costs or get out of negative equity sooner?

You’re not just selling a vehicle – you’re helping someone solve a problem. Offer a few paths forward. Show how each option impacts their total cost. Let them steer the buying process.

One rule we live by: Your sales team should be on the lot asking qualifying questions and listening to the customer 80% of the time, not behind the desk. Too many dealers have that flipped, and it’s costing them deals.

2. Train the Desk to Do More Than Run Numbers

Most desk managers can calculate payments. But can they walk a customer through loan structures, know which lenders fit unique credit profiles or explain why a particular term adds long-term value?

That knowledge doesn’t come from a single training session. It comes from ongoing coaching and real-world reps. The best-performing dealerships we know make training a daily habit.

3. Use Digital Tools to Speed Things Up

No one likes waiting – especially not today’s buyers. They’ve researched online, they’ve built a payment plan in their head, and they want to make a decision without jumping through hoops.

Fast-tracking the desking process with digital tools, real-time payment breakdowns and electronic paperwork makes a difference. It shows respect for the customer’s time and builds confidence.

And yes, it leads to more closed deals.

4. Cut the Corporate Speak – Keep It Real

Your customers don’t care about “solutions” or “journeys.” They care about whether they can afford the car, how quickly they can get through F&I and whether they’re getting a fair deal.

Speak their language. Focus on real benefits. Show what your desking approach does, not just what it promises.

5. Offer Bi-Weekly Payments – And Explain the Why

Too often, desking just means showing the monthly number. But what if you offered a payment schedule that aligned with the dates they are paid?

Bi-weekly payments do exactly that: align with paychecks, help reduce interest and build equity faster. We worked with a dealership recently that couldn’t get customers to move past payment shock. Just switching to bi-weekly options helped close more deals and got buyers into a stronger equity position for their next trade. It’s a simple shift that gives your customer more control – and keeps them in your ecosystem longer.

Now’s the time to rethink the desking process by offering the customer more options when it comes to payment structure. Offering the customer payment options that facilitate accelerated equity, shorten the term of the loan and simplify their payment structure is a best practice. 

In short, use your desk to help customers get the car they want and the deal they can live with – and they’ll keep coming back.

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