|
If you've done your homework, negotiating a good deal should
be easy. Before you negotiate, you should know which car you
want, what the dealers cost is and how much you want to pay,
what your trade-in is worth and how much equity you have in
it.
The most important part is to not buy anything until
you have done your homework. At a minimum, use our
free Quote Service
to find you target price, incentives and rebates.
Car salespeople often use all kinds of pressure and tactics
to try and get a customer to 'buy it now.' The reason for
this is that once you leave, the salesperson's chances of
selling you a car plummet. That's a fact. Car salespeople
and their managers also are under tremendous pressure to move
cars off their lot. If they don't sell them, they don't get
paid! That's also a fact. Keep those two facts in mind and
now you can be the one to apply pressure.
Try this attitude on for size: I'm an informed customer who
is ready to buy today, and this is the price that will get
the job done. If you can do it, I'm an owner, if you can't
I'm out of here.
That attitude (or maybe even those words) will put pressure
on them to deal. Dealers are very likely to drop their price
or make a concession if they think a serious buyer is about
to leave. Don't be afraid to stand up and tell them you're
going to go shop. In some cases, leaving may even be necessary.
We know you have better things to do than play games with
a salesperson. But, shopping around or simply being patient
while they drop their price may save you a thousand dollars
or more. That may be worth it to you.
Your salesperson will play hardball
They are counting on one thing: that your emotional desires
to own the car override your logic and willpower. It is in
this area that they have an important advantage. Buying a
car is an emotional experience. We love the color, the style,
the shine and the newness. We feel pride behind the wheel,
with that new car smell, modern interior and an odometer that
has three miles on it.
Once we fall in love with a car, we take mental ownership
of it and we fear losing it to someone else. A good salesperson
is keenly aware of these emotions and plays on them to his
or her advantage.
Nothing that you read here can stop that, but
try to keep these tips in mind as you negotiate.
First, try to put some time between test driving
the car and negotiating
Remember when the dealer is most likely to make a concession
if he thinks you are about to leave. Well, you are most likely
to make a concession right after spending time in or around
the car. Go to lunch, walk the lot, use the bathroom, anything.
Just don't jump out of the new car and into the negotiation.
Second, try not to show your 'hot buttons'
Hot buttons are the things that excite or concern you most
about the purchase. If the salesperson knows that you love
blue, hate the vinyl interior of your old car and worry about
it not having air bags, do you think they will use that to
play on your emotions? You bet they will! They can't push
your hot buttons if they don't know what they are.
Third, try to put a dollar value on your emotions
This may sound silly, but try. For instance, you've finally
found the red convertible with leather interior and CD player
that you've been searching for and dreaming about for over
a year now. It's the last one in the country, and you are
$100 off your target price. You may want to take it. But if
you're $1500 off, perhaps some patience will pay off.
Lastly, remember, there will always be another car, another
sale and another love affair. Sometimes you are better off
to pass on the deal.
|
