So you want to buy a car.
Maybe today is the day. You have finally reached that point. Maybe it’s a problem with your current trip. Maybe there is a new addition (driver / member) to your family. Or maybe it’s just time for a change. Whatever your reason, you are about to venture into a process that most people liken to dental work or a colonoscopy! But does it really have to be that bad?
As a long-term member of America’s second most hated group of professionals, ranked behind attorneys in most informal surveys, the car salesman is perhaps the most despised and least trusted individual in America in the world! present! We are all longtime members of the Guild of Villains, Thieves, and Scoundrels, Local 3 (thanks to those of you who earned the Rocky & Bullwinkle referral). We would lie to our mothers about a sale, and nothing we say or do can be taken at face value. We will lie, cheat and steal to make a commission, so you better leave your wallet at home and prepare for war.
According to a recent study by Cox Automotive (by the way, they own Manheim, the auto auction where most dealers get their used cars from, as well as some of the more well-known consumer websites, including Dealer.com, Autotrader , Kelly Blue Book) 61% of consumers do not feel the shopping experience has improved! While many consumers begin their journey to purchase a vehicle online, most end up at a dealership to complete their purchase. To tell the truth, I have bought a car in my life completely online, and the experience, while it saved me time and money, turned out to be slower when the vehicle I bought (a convertible) showed up and malfunctioned (the top did not work) . It took me 3 months to settle an $ 800 repair bill and I swore I would never do it again.
So how can you improve your car buying experience?
Well first, don’t expect to commit Grand Theft Auto. No dealership is willing to lose money to earn their business, so if you expect them to, be prepared for disappointment. Dealers and managers spend hours researching the prices of their units and find that an unrealistic price will not attract attention. Dealers tend to advertise that their vehicles are the cheapest or lowest priced on the market. At my dealership, we typically have the lowest price for a unit within 200 miles, and in some cases, in the entire United States. Expecting to get thousands off an advertised price is unrealistic and sometimes downright insulting. We know the value of our inventory and bidding ridiculously low on a vehicle could make you insult the very person who bought it from the dealer in the first place!
Expect a dealer to make a profit on the goods and services. Regardless of what you do for a living, you wouldn’t if you couldn’t make money doing it. Keep in mind that a typical dealership has several people involved in the sale of your new vehicle, from the doorman who pulled it out of the truck, to the mechanic who serviced it, the detailer who cleaned it, to the sales representative who showed it to you, the sales manager who appropriately priced you, the business manager who completed the paperwork, the billing clerk, who processes the paperwork, the title clerk, who handles your registration and DMV work, and I’m sure I’ve forgotten someone on this list. So, you see, it is much more complicated than you think. This is why dealerships need to make a profit on a sale.
What about all those internet experts who “expose” the secret money-making schemes that merchants employ to “steal” you? Most are people who tried and failed to be successful in car sales, or any sale for that matter. When I once described sales as “the art of getting money out of another man’s pocket without resorting to violence,” I realized that selling is really about providing information and knowledge to people to gain their trust, respect, and confidence. , ultimately, your business. . My job is to provide you with information and options to help you make the best decision possible, and if I do my job correctly, you are my customer for life as well as my friend. Are there customers that I didn’t like but still sold them a vehicle? Absolutely! And what about those that I really got along with, but didn’t sell? I still hear from many of them over the years, and some have even followed me from dealer to dealer throughout my career.