You’ve found a customer, you’ve done your meet & greet, started building rapport, and now we’re getting into the thick of the sales process- and what is going to make you great at what you do. There are (typically) two types of customers you are going to run into - customers who can buy and customers who cannot buy. Which creates two ways to handle this subject depending on what type of customer you have in front of you, so lets jump in. FACT FINDING & HOT BUTTONS
Don't judge a book by its cover. Never pre-qualify your customer based on looks alone. There are people that will appear as though they can afford to drive any car off the lot that are broke and there will also be other customers that look like they couldn't afford to finance a walk around the block but can write a check for 50 grand. It is your due diligence to find these things out early on so that you can spend your time most efficiently- you are a commissioned sales person and your time is valuable. Let's look a few different customer examples so you know how to handle each one and coordinate your fact finding and hot buttons more effectively. Customer A - This customer can buy. They are already familiar with the vehicle they like, they've done a good amount of research and they can buy right now, today - but they want to make absolutely sure the vehicle has all the equipment before they buy, getting a good deal, and buying from a reputable dealer. Offer to grab the keys and open the vehicle up for them to get a closer look. Get the customer to follow you inside your store. Offer them something to drink - (coffee, water, soft drinks). Be courteous and point out the restroom (no one is enjoying selling or buying anything if they have to piss like a race horse). So, now how do we handle this customer? Before you grab the keys, you can conduct a quick customer interview and use this knowledge to your advantage on your demonstration & test drive.What equipment are must-haves?
What drew them to that particular vehicle?
What are they driving now?
Is there a trade involved?
Have they driven one yet?
What do they plan on using the vehicle for?
Etc.
THEY CAN BUY
Asking questions is a vital point in any sales process - customers might even offer you additional information that you can use to work your deal while you’re asking these questions such as if they plan on financing, if there is a co-buyer, what they plan on using the vehicle for, etc. All of this information can be used later to close the sale. It's also important to write this information down if you can - it shows the customer you care about what they have to say and it also helps you retain this information as a closing tool. Once you've got the answers to these questions, you have enough in your arsenal to conduct a demonstration/test drive and quickly build excitement within the sales process. 
THEy’RE CREDIT CHALLENGED
Customer B - This customer cannot buy. Not every customer is going to be straightforward about their credit worthiness. It is your job to ask questions and get a feel for what you're working with. In fact, some credit challenged customers might even try to lead you on and make you believe they can buy. There are a few ways to detect the flags of a credit challenged customer early on. What are they currently driving?
Where did they buy it?
Are they trading it in?
How much are they paying currently?
How long have they had their current vehicle?
Is there a payoff involved?
Asking these questions can give you the upper hand when it comes with working with credit challenged customers. Some of these types of customers will be stand off-ish and some will just be straight forward and want to fill out a credit app. In any case, if it is becoming increasingly clear to you as a sales person that the customer has credit obstacles to overcome, immediately move to a credit app and a trade appraisal (if applicable). This will help you figure out if they can buy, what car to put them on, and save you a load of time test driving vehicles that are way out of their budget.