It’s easy to get into a sales slump when the economy’s down. It’s even easier to lose hope and assume that you’re just going to be stuck in this slump until the economy picks up. You’ve fired as many people as you’ve had to, cut costs, and discounted inventory as much as possible. It’s just time to hunker down and wait for the bad times to blow over, right? Wrong.

This is the time for you and your sales team to reevaluate and re-commit to excellent sales and customer service. You have to be on top of your game right now. If you are, you’ll notice that you aren’t just breaking even anymore; you’re actually turning a serious profit. Keep these three tips in mind for better sales and service. They’re all very simple. They should be no-brainers, but it’s sometimes easy to forget the very things that will keep you going.

1. Get Them in a Car Quickly

While you don’t want your customers to feel like you’re rushing them, you do want to make sure that they don’t spend all day looking and no time driving. Spend just a brief amount of time chatting with them when they walk in the door of the showroom. In this time, as you’re exchanging pleasantries, you should steer the conversation so that you get the information you need to point them at the vehicle they need.

For example, if a family of three walks in the door, you already know you’re most likely not looking at a sports coupe. Ask them about how often they travel, if their child plays sports, etc. If they’re planning on having more children and/or they take a lot of family road trips, it’s probably time to get them into a minivan. If they’re on a tight budget and looking for something fuel efficient but roomy enough for the three of them, they’re probably looking for an economy sedan.

2. Create a Sense of Urgency

If they’re “just looking”, be sure to slip a few things in about how popular this model is, what a great deal this particular car is, etc. You can even say, “I just had a family looking at this one this morning.” The hint that this car won’t be here forever will motivate them to close.

3. Seal the Deal

Don’t wait for them to say, “We’ll take it!” People want to buy cars. If they’re shopping, they want to buy. They just need a little bit of help and coaxing when it comes to committing to spending that kind of money. If they liked the car when they took it out for the test drive, go ahead and say something like, “Well, let’s get into F&I and see what kind of deal we can get you.” Actively close the deal.