Appendix C — Worksheets & Templates
Reproducible, fill-in tools you can copy straight out of the book and use on the floor. Each one is laid out as a Markdown table or form you can paste into a notebook, a doc, or your CRM and fill in. They're keyed to the chapters that teach the underlying skill, and they assume the ethics that run through the whole book: every number visible, every product disclosed, nothing buried.
A note on use: these are templates, not contracts. Your store's actual paperwork, your DMS/CRM, and the law govern a live deal. Use these to think clearly and stay disciplined — and adapt them to your store.
Contents:
- Needs-analysis worksheet
- Trade-appraisal checklist
- Transparent four-square / deal-structure worksheet
- F&I menu template
- Follow-up cadence template (1 / 7 / 30 / 90 + unsold 5-day)
- 30/60/90-day plan template
- Daily activity tracker
- Prospecting / sphere-of-influence list template
- Delivery checklist
C.1 Needs-analysis worksheet
Walk the five doors — WHO, HOW, LOVE, WISH, BUDGET — with open questions, listening and writing between each. Budget last and gently. The sale is won here (Chapter 8).
NEEDS-ANALYSIS WORKSHEET Date: __________ Salesperson: __________
CUSTOMER ____________________________ Phone ________________ Email ________________
Decision-makers present? ___________ ⚑ Anyone else part of this decision? ____________
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
WHO is the vehicle for?
Main driver: ________________________ Others who ride regularly: ____________________
Family / passengers to fit: _________________________________________________________
HOW will it be used?
Typical week / where driven: ________________________________________________________
Commute (distance, roads): __________ Towing / hauling? ___________________________
Weather / terrain (snow, hills, dirt): ______________________________________________
Road trips vs. around town: _________________________________________________________
LOVE — about the current vehicle (the must-haves to carry forward):
What they love / would miss: ________________________________________________________
Values it reveals (safety / economy / power / image): _______________________________
WISH — what they wish were different (the problem the new car must solve):
Frustrations / "fix one thing": _____________________________________________________
What finally made it "time": ________________________________________________________ ← the engine of the sale
BUDGET (asked last, framed as protecting them):
Thinks in: ☐ total price (under $________) ☐ monthly payment (~$________/mo)
Down payment planned? ____________ Trade coming with us? ☐ Yes ☐ No (→ §C.2)
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
REFLECT BACK ("so the big thing is ___, is that fair?"): _______________________________
THE TWO VEHICLES I'LL SHOW (bullseye + one alternate):
1 (lead): _________________________________ Why it fits: ___________________________
2 (alt): _________________________________ Why it fits: ___________________________
FAB to lead with (from their LOVE/WISH — see §C, walk-around):
• _____________________ • _____________________ • _____________________
Tip: the most valuable line on this sheet is the "anyone else part of this decision?" check — asking it at minute ten prevents the "I have to talk to my spouse" stall at minute ninety. Log this into your CRM the same day.
C.2 Trade-appraisal checklist
A disciplined loop so you never miss a money item — in either direction. Inspect early (while they test drive); present the number after they've fallen for the new car (Chapter 11). Never trash the car to drive the number down; never invent history problems.
TRADE-APPRAISAL CHECKLIST Date: __________ Appraiser: __________
VEHICLE Year ____ Make ____________ Model ____________ Trim ____________
VIN ________________________ ODOMETER __________ # of keys/fobs ______
History report pulled? ☐ Carfax ☐ AutoCheck Title: ☐ Clean ☐ Branded (___________)
Accidents reported? ______ Service records? ______ Open recalls? ______
──────── EXTERIOR (walk a clockwise circle, eye each panel at an angle) ────────
☐ Panels/paint — dents, scratches, scuffs, mismatched paint (prior body work?) ______
☐ Glass — windshield chips/cracks ______
☐ Tires — tread depth & EVEN wear, all 4 + spare ($$ if needs tires) ______
☐ Wheels — curb rash ($$) ______ ☐ Lights/trim — cracked, foggy, missing ______
──────── INTERIOR (open every door) ────────
☐ Wear/cleanliness — seats, stains, rips ______ ⚑ ODOR (smoke/pet) — big $$ hit ______
☐ Electronics — screen, camera, climate, windows, power seats, sunroof all work? ______
☐ Warning lights (key to "on") — ⚑ CHECK-ENGINE = unbounded risk, biggest swing ______
☐ Missing pieces — 2nd key fob ($$), floor mats, cargo cover, charge cables ______
──────── UNDER HOOD / UNDERNEATH (quick scan) ────────
☐ Fluids/leaks ______ ☐ Signs of recent repair ______ ☐ Aftermarket mods (often hurts) ______
──────── VALUE (use the TRADE-IN line, not retail/private) ────────
KBB trade-in $________ J.D. Power $________ Black Book $________
Live auction comps $________ Current retail listings $________
→ ACV (real wholesale) $________ Recon estimate −$________
──────── PAYOFF & EQUITY ────────
Payoff (call lender — today's figure) $________
Allowance to show on worksheet $________ (over-allowance = allowance − ACV = $________)
EQUITY = allowance − payoff = $________ ☐ Positive (theirs) ☐ Negative (underwater by $______)
If negative: ☐ pay cash ☐ keep car ☐ roll in (DISCLOSE: "adding $___ to the new loan")
Money-item reminders (what moves the number most): tires, second key fob, smoke/pet odor, an illuminated check-engine light (unknown = unbounded risk), and any title brand (salvage/rebuilt/ flood can gut the value). Honest in, honest out — disclose what you know when you retail it next.
C.3 Transparent four-square / deal-structure worksheet
The four-square is a notorious manipulation device in the wrong hands — its abuse is hiding the four numbers from each other so margin hides in the seams. Used honestly, the structure is fine: show all four, lead with price, present the trade with its reasoning, and let the payment be the output of honest inputs (Chapter 12).
DEAL-STRUCTURE WORKSHEET (all four boxes visible) Date: ______ Customer: __________
┌───────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. SELLING PRICE │ 2. TRADE │
│ MSRP / sticker .... $__________ │ Allowance shown .... $__________ │
│ Selling price ..... $__________ ← │ ACV (real wholesale) $__________ │
│ (real, fair, explainable) │ Over-allowance ..... $__________ │
│ │ Payoff ............. $__________ │
│ │ EQUITY (allow−payoff) $_________ │
├───────────────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────┤
│ 3. DOWN PAYMENT │ 4. MONTHLY PAYMENT (the OUTPUT) │
│ Cash down ......... $__________ │ Amount financed ... $__________ │
│ + Net trade equity $__________ │ APR ............... ______% │
│ │ Term .............. ____ months │
│ │ Payment ........... $______/mo ← │
│ │ (shown LAST, with rate+term visible)│
└───────────────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
AMOUNT FINANCED = selling price − cash down − net trade equity + sales tax + fees
Selling price ........ $__________
− Cash down .......... $__________
− Net trade equity ... $__________
+ Sales tax (____% of $________) ... $__________ (trade-tax-credit? ☐ yes ☐ no — check state)
+ Fees: doc $______ + title/reg $______ = $__________
= AMOUNT FINANCED .... $__________
THE NET (the number that can't be gamed): selling price − net trade equity = $__________
OUT-THE-DOOR TOTAL (everything in): $__________
──────── HONESTY CHECKLIST (initial each) ────────
☐ All four boxes shown to the customer ☐ Led with price, not payment
☐ Every rebate disclosed & eligibility confirmed ☐ No "below cost" claims
☐ Trade presented with its reasoning (§C.2) ☐ Over-allowance not hiding a jacked price
☐ Negative equity (if any) disclosed out loud ☐ Desk trip is REAL; I'll deliver the number straight
The lesson built into the form: the allowance and the selling price are the same dollars in different boxes — over-allowance is a transparent tool to give the customer the trade win they crave at the same total, a scam only when the seesaw is hidden. Always be willing to show the net.
C.4 F&I menu template
Turn the screen. Every product, every price, every time — with a real "decline everything" column visually equal to the others. Match the product to the customer; recommend against the non-fits. Secure an informed yes (Chapter 24 §24.7).
F&I MENU — [Customer] Base payment from the floor: $______/mo
Products financed over ~____ months at the same loan rate (____%).
┌──────────────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬────────────┬────────────┐
│ PRODUCT │ COMPLETE │ PLUS │ ESSENTIAL │ DECLINE │
├──────────────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┤
│ Service contract │ $______ │ $______ │ $______ │ — │
│ GAP │ $______ │ $______ │ — │ — │
│ Tire & wheel │ $______ │ — │ — │ — │
│ Appearance │ $______ │ — │ — │ — │
│ Key / theft │ $______ │ — │ — │ — │
├──────────────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┤
│ Total added │ $______ │ $______ │ $______ │ $0 │
│ Added to payment │ +$____/mo │ +$____/mo │ +$____/mo │ +$0/mo │
│ TOTAL PAYMENT │ $____/mo │ $____/mo │ $____/mo │ $____/mo │
└──────────────────────┴────────────┴────────────┴────────────┴────────────┘
PER-PRODUCT EXPLAINER CARD (fill one per product):
Product: ________________ Retail $______ (price is negotiable; can shop elsewhere)
What it covers: _____________________________ One thing it does NOT cover: __________
Genuinely for: __________________________ Should skip if: ___________________________
Cancelable later for prorated refund? ☐ yes ☐ no
INFORMED-YES SELF-CHECK (the bright lines):
☐ Every price visible (never packed) ☐ Coverage described accurately (never oversold)
☐ Stated "optional" (only documented requirements called required)
☐ Recommended AGAINST products that don't fit this customer
☐ Gut-check: could they hear my thoughts AND read every line back to me, and I'm fine?
Reference margins (the canonical Okafor numbers, stated honestly): ESC $2,200 retail / $800 cost / $1,400 gross; GAP $900 retail / $300 cost / $600 gross. The margin is real, funds the store, is negotiable, and the customer can often buy comparable coverage from a credit union — saying all of that out loud is what makes you trustworthy.
C.5 Follow-up cadence template
Follow-up is the business. Two cadences, one CRM rule: log every customer the same day, with a scheduled next-action date. Every touch gives or asks something — never a bare "just checking in" (Chapter 16).
Sold-customer cadence (the long-life sequence)
SOLD-CUSTOMER CADENCE — [Customer] — Delivered: __________
☐ Day 1 (night of delivery) Handwritten note (short, specific, personal — §C.9)
☐ Day 1–2 Call/text: "How's the car? Questions on anything we set up?"
☐ Day 7 CALL — real satisfaction check, BEFORE the CSI survey (fix any issue)
☐ Day 30 Call/text: "A month in — all great? First service is around [____]."
☐ Day 90 Call/text: re-check; plant referral seed gently; confirm service tie
☐ Birthday Card/text — personal, NO sales pitch
☐ Sale anniversary Call/card: "One year ago today!" + light referral/equity mention
☐ Service reminders Tie them to the store; you're their person for everything
☐ EQUITY-MINING trigger Call when they can trade up (positive equity / lease maturity / lower rates)
Equity check (the most profitable call): value $______ − payoff $______ = equity $______
→ trade toward newer for similar payment? notes: __________________________________
Unsold-prospect cadence (the urgent ~5-day sequence)
UNSOLD-PROSPECT CADENCE — [Prospect] — First contact: __________ Source: __________
☐ Same day (within hours) Text/email: warm, name a specific detail, pre-commit a reason to follow up
☐ Day 1 (next morning) CALL — answer the open question; give a reason to return
☐ Day 2–3 Text/email VALUE: spec sheet, similar unit, price update, walk-around video
☐ Day 4–5 CALL — "Where are you in the process? What can I do to earn your business?"
☐ Day 7+ Move to long-term nurture (monthly) — they may be a 60-day buyer
Rule: every touch GIVES or ASKS something. Status: ☐ New ☐ Attempted ☐ Working ☐ Appt set
☐ Shown ☐ Sold ☐ Lost (why? ______________) ← keep the CRM status honest & current
Tip: the no-pitch help calls (7/30/90, birthday) are not filler — they're the trust deposits you spend on the equity-mining call. Skip the deposits and the withdrawal bounces. For new salespeople: ask your manager for a batch of orphan owners (past customers whose salesperson left) and run the sold-customer cadence + equity-mine on each — a warm base handed to you. (Never poach a current coworker's active customers.)
C.6 30/60/90-day plan template
The new-salesperson ramp, assembled from the whole portfolio. This is the spine of the Ch 39 plan — goals, the activity math behind them, and the habits that produce them (Chapter 39).
30 / 60 / 90-DAY BUSINESS PLAN Name: __________ Start date: __________
INCOME TARGET (year 1): $__________
÷ 12 = $________/mo ÷ all-in $______/car = ______ cars/mo
÷ closing ratio ______% = ______ opportunities/mo ÷ ____ days = ______ opportunities/DAY ←
──────── FIRST 30 DAYS — LEARN & ACTIVATE ────────
Goals: Units: ______ Daily opportunities: ______ CSI: ______
Product knowledge: ☐ cheat sheets for ____ vehicles ☐ know inventory cold
Process: ☐ greeting/rapport track ☐ needs-analysis set ☐ 3 walk-arounds (FAB)
Pipeline: ☐ CRM logging discipline set ☐ orphan-owner batch requested ☐ SOI list built (§C.8)
Pay plan: ☐ decoded (rate/mini/pack/tiers/back-end/CSI/draw/chargebacks)
Key habits I commit to: ______________________________________________________________
──────── DAYS 31–60 — BUILD MOMENTUM ────────
Goals: Units: ______ Daily opportunities: ______ CSI: ______
☐ objection top-10 ☐ closing/trial-close toolkit ☐ delivery checklist + note ritual
☐ follow-up cadences running (sold + unsold) ☐ first referrals/reviews asked for
☐ prospecting plan active (SOI, social, service drive, be-backs)
What's working / not: ________________________________________________________________
──────── DAYS 61–90 — SYSTEMATIZE ────────
Goals: Units: ______ Daily opportunities: ______ CSI: ______
☐ F&I explainers + transparent menu ☐ financing/lease honesty scripts
☐ equity-mining pass on early customers ☐ Google reviews building (target: ____)
☐ recompute my own pay from the plan (audit it)
90-day review — units total: ______ referrals generated: ______ reviews: ______
Adjust for next quarter: _____________________________________________________________
The whole technique: convert the income goal into a daily opportunity target. You can't control income today; you can control whether you create 3–4 real opportunities today.
C.7 Daily activity tracker
You get paid for the specific inputs your plan rewards — and slumps are usually activity drops in disguise. Track the controllables daily (Chapter 5, Chapter 6).
DAILY ACTIVITY TRACKER — Week of __________ Daily opp. target: ______
┌──────────────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬─────┬────────┐
│ ACTIVITY │ Mon │ Tue │ Wed │ Thu │ Fri │ Sat │ Sun │ TOTAL │
├──────────────┼─────┼─────┼─────┼─────┼─────┼─────┼─────┼────────┤
│ Greets (ups) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Demos/drives │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Write-ups │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Sold (units) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Outbound calls│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Follow-up touches│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Appts set │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Appts shown │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Referrals asked│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ Reviews asked│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
│ CRM logged same-day? (✓)│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
└──────────────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴─────┴────────┘
WEEK RATIOS: Greets→write-ups ____% Write-ups→sold ____% Appts set→shown ____%
SLUMP CHECK: if sales are down, is ACTIVITY down? ______ Fix the input, not the mood.
Tip: the bottom rows (referrals asked, reviews asked, CRM logged) are the highest-leverage habits and the first ones to quietly disappear when you get busy. What gets tracked gets done.
C.8 Prospecting / sphere-of-influence list template
Follow-up tends the base you have; prospecting plants new seeds so you never depend on the lot. Start with your sphere of influence (SOI) — everyone who already knows you (Chapter 17).
SPHERE-OF-INFLUENCE LIST Salesperson: __________
Brain-dump everyone who knows you, by category. Goal: 100+ names. (You're not "selling" them —
you're letting the people in your life know what you do, so YOU are the car person they think of.)
CATEGORY NAMES (name · phone/contact · best channel · notes/timing)
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Family _______________________________________________________________________
Friends _______________________________________________________________________
Former coworkers _______________________________________________________________________
Neighbors _______________________________________________________________________
Service providers _______________________________________________________________________
(barber, gym, mechanic, etc.)
Community/clubs/ _______________________________________________________________________
church/teams/PTA
Vendors & local biz _______________________________________________________________________
Social media _______________________________________________________________________
connections
PROSPECTING CHANNELS (plan one action per week in each you'll work):
☐ SOI announcement ("here's what I do now") ☐ Social media / video (be a face, not a logo)
☐ Google reviews (ask every happy customer) ☐ Community presence (be THE car person)
☐ Be-backs (warm walk-aways who'll return) ☐ Service-drive conquest (equity in the lane)
☐ Orphan owners (ask manager for a batch) ☐ Referrals from sold customers (§C.5)
WEEKLY PROSPECTING GOAL: ____ new SOI contacts · ____ social posts · ____ review asks · ____ be-back touches
Tip: the SOI list is not a one-time task — add to it constantly, and work it (a warm "here's what I do now" note, then keep them updated). Combined with the follow-up system, prospecting is what ends your dependence on floor traffic.
C.9 Delivery checklist
Run it every time, in writing, especially when busy — a busy day strips an unwritten delivery down to "here are the keys." Delivery is the start of the relationship and lands at the peak of buyer's remorse (Chapter 15).
DELIVERY CHECKLIST — [Customer] — [Vehicle/stock] — Date: __________
──────── PREP (before they arrive) ────────
☐ Detailed (not just rinsed) — glass, vacuum, no sticker residue, tires dressed
☐ Full tank / full charge (never hand over an EV at 40%)
☐ Paperwork staged & ready (no waiting while you hunt for a form)
☐ Temp tag / plates on ☐ Owner's manual, 2nd key, purchased accessories IN the car
→ If it's not ready, it's not delivery time.
──────── THE MOMENT ────────
☐ Bring them to the clean car; congratulate the DECISION (anchor the peak, kill early remorse)
──────── MAKE IT THEIRS ────────
☐ Pair their phone (do this EARLY — the #1 daily feature; instant payoff)
☐ Set up driver profile / seat & mirror memory (both drivers if a family)
☐ Set HOME address in navigation (the small magic trick)
☐ Adjust mirrors, seat, steering wheel (a SAFETY item) + show headlight/wiper controls
──────── TEACH THE CAR (prioritized to their needs analysis) ────────
☐ Walk the features they'll use daily/weekly THOROUGHLY; mention the rest exists
☐ "Don't try to memorize it all today — manual, app videos, and call/text me any time"
──────── BRIEF & PROTECT ────────
☐ Maintenance schedule (when, what, rough cost, how to book — ties them to service)
☐ Warranty (bumper-to-bumper vs. powertrain) + roadside (how to call)
☐ Warning lights: which mean PULL OVER NOW (oil/temp) vs. BOOK SERVICE SOON
──────── CONNECT & CELEBRATE ────────
☐ Introduce them to a service advisor BY NAME (highest-leverage handoff)
(fallback: hand the advisor's card, write your name on back, tell the advisor about them)
☐ Take the photo (ASK first; on THEIR phone; ask separately before posting/tagging)
☐ The goodbye: promise the 24-hour call + open door ("call me before anyone else")
☐ Honest CSI explanation (set the expectation; never beg/coach/bribe — §B.14)
──────── THAT NIGHT ────────
☐ Handwritten thank-you note (short, specific, personal — never templatized)
──────── FOLLOW-UP STARTS NOW (→ §C.5) ────────
☐ 24-hour call scheduled ☐ 7-day, 30-day, 90-day touches set ☐ logged in CRM same-day
Thank-you-note template (the highest return-on-effort act in the business)
The note works because it's inefficient — effort is what reads as caring, so never make it efficient (printed, templated, mass-mailed). Five sentences, by hand, that night:
THANK-YOU NOTE — skeleton (personalize every slot)
Dear [their name(s)],
[1 — Thanks for trusting me with a big decision.]
[2 — One SPECIFIC real detail from your time together (the kids, the dog, the road trip, the job).]
[3 — Reference a delivery moment ("the home address is already in the nav").]
[4 — The open-door promise ("call or text me any time with one question, big or small — I'm your
person for this car").]
[5 — Personal sign-off + congratulations + "drive safe."]
— [your name]
Worked example (the canonical Nguyen delivery):
Dear Anh and Minh, Thank you so much for trusting me with such a big decision for your family. It was a real joy meeting the kids today — I hope they love the new car as much as their parents do! Remember, the home address is already in the nav, and you can call or text me any time with a single question, big or small. I'm your person for this car. Congratulations again — drive safe. — Carmen
C.10 How these templates connect (the portfolio)
These nine tools aren't separate forms — they're one connected process, the Sales Professional Portfolio the book builds chapter by chapter:
Read the customer → GREET (§B.1) → NEEDS ANALYSIS (§C.1) → present the right car (FAB, §B.4)
→ appraise the TRADE (§C.2) → structure the deal transparently (§C.3) → handle objections (§B.10)
→ close (§B.11) → DELIVER (§C.9) → FOLLOW UP (§C.5) → PROSPECT (§C.8)
...all aimed at the income math in your 30/60/90 plan (§C.6), measured on your daily tracker (§C.7).
Copy the ones you'll use, put them where you'll actually reach them, and fill them in for real this week. A template you don't use is just paper; a template you run on every deal is the difference between a job you survive and a business that compounds.