Cold calling can be intimidating—especially in the car sales world. Competition is fierce, and attention spans are short. Plus, only 20% of people consistently answer calls today from unknown numbers.
But with the right car sales cold call scripts, you can make the most of a rare opportunity and turn an awkward interruption into a high-converting conversation.
In this post, we’ll break down three effective auto sales cold call scripts. These aren’t just templates—they’re practical tools you can customize and use right away to start booking appointments and closing deals.
A few dynamics make cold calling difficult in the auto world.
First, many car buyers are skeptical of salespeople. For better or for worse, we’re all familiar with the sleazy car salesman stereotype. Even though this doesn’t apply to the vast majority of sellers, it can still cause prospects to keep their guard up.
Second, car buyers today don’t like interacting with salespeople right off the bat. They want to do research upfront to understand their options.
Third, many people don’t answer calls from unfamiliar numbers (we’ll share a strategy later to help overcome this). The pressure is on when someone does answer a call.
All that being said, a well-structured car sales script helps you:
Instead of winging it, use these proven scripts as your launchpad. As you gain experience, you’ll internalize the language and speak more freely. You’ll also start making your own car dealer scripts and come up with new approaches that work well for your specific dealership.
This approach creates urgency by offering value right away—an insider’s look at high-demand vehicles.
Script:
Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from [Dealership Name]. I’ll be quick—just wanted to let you know we’ve got a few new vehicles in stock that are moving really fast, and I thought of you based on your past interest in [vehicle type or brand].
Would you like me to send over a quick list of what’s available before they’re gone?
If they say yes:
Great! What’s the best email or phone number to reach you at? I’ll include pricing, trade-in options and current incentives.
Why It Works:
If the prospect says “no,” ask if you can call back in 3 months to see if anything’s changed. You can also offer to email the updated vehicle list directly if they’d prefer.
Tap into curiosity about trade-in value to get the conversation rolling.
Script:
Hey [Name], it’s [Your Name] from [Dealership Name]. The market’s been crazy lately—trade-in values are higher than they’ve been in years.
Are you curious what your [Current Car Make/Model] might be worth today?
If yes:
Awesome. I can get you a free trade-in estimate in minutes—would you prefer I text or email the info?
Why It Works:
If the prospect says “no,” ask if you can follow up in 3 or 6 months.
Perfect for targeting new buyers or promoting time-limited deals.
Script:
Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from [Dealership Name]. I’m reaching out because we have a first-time buyer program with some pretty sweet incentives this month—think reduced down payments and low APR financing.
Is now a good time to consider upgrading or buying your first vehicle?
If they’re open to it:
Great! We can do most of the work remotely and even schedule a test drive at your convenience. What kind of vehicle are you thinking about?
Why It Works:
Again, if they say “no,” try to get the person to agree to a follow-up call in the future.
Here are some other things to keep in mind when making these cold calls.
A video message is a great way to “warm up” a cold lead. Even lukewarm is better than cold. There are two approaches here.
You can send a video message over email or social media before making your first call to a prospect. In the video message, let the recipient know that you are going to call them from an <XYZ> number. If they do watch the video message, they are now much more likely to answer your call because you primed them in advance.
You can also send a video message after your cold call if the prospect didn’t answer. In your video message, mention that you tried calling to discuss <insert something of value to them>. Let them know that you’ll try again in a few days or that they can reach you at <insert your contact information>.
The reason why a video message improves cold calling results is because it humanizes you. It helps your prospect realize that there is a real person trying to serve them in some way. And if you’re warm and smiling in your video message, your prospect will feel even more connected to you.
This significantly increases your chances of hearing back or getting them on the phone later. For more ideas on how to use video messaging in your auto sales process, check out this post.
And for email templates to go along with your cold call scripts, check out this post.
Cold calling isn’t dead—it just needs to be smart.
With these auto sales phone scripts, you’ll be ready to confidently engage prospects, book more test drives and move more vehicles off the lot. And if you combine cold calling with personalized video messaging, you’ll be even more successful.
For a deeper dive into how to generate leads as an auto salesperson, check out this post.
To give video messaging a try, start a free 14-day trial here.
You can also book a demo here for your entire team.
