Sales Tricks Car Dealerships Play
by admin on Dec.04, 2008, under Car Tips
Sales Tricks Car Dealerships Play
When you walk into a car dealer, you should realize that you have a big dollar sign painted on your forehead. That’s exactly how you’re being considered by everyone who works there. Every sale they make either helps them meet their monthly quota or adds a little boost to their bonus. You’re there to help them do that (at least, from their perspective). And they’ll unleash a number of sales tactics to accomplish their goal. Today, I’ll share with you a few tricks that dealerships play on the road to selling you a vehicle.
The Good Guy
The essence of good salesmanship is being likable. The friendly grin, firm handshake, the shoulder grip… all of these are part of a salesperson’s training. Dealerships know that people are more likely to do business with someone they like. To that end, they spend time and effort to ensure the people they hire are properly trained to leverage that tendency.
Watch The Emotions
Even though most of us are loathe to admit it, we make a lot of our decisions – even financial ones – emotionally. When you’re buying a car, that can end up costing you a lot of money. Dealers are very savvy about the power of emotion on a person’s tendency to buy. That’s why some salespeople will even suggest that you take a vehicle home with you for the evening. They’re not being nice. They know that once you spend the night with it parked in front of your house, you’ll form an emotional attachment to it. At that point, giving it back to the salesperson is much more difficult.
Playing To Interests
Everyone looks at buying a new vehicle differently. Guys are different than ladies. Young married couples are different than older married couples. The salespeople at car dealers modify their approach based upon profiling. If they see a young couple with a newborn, they’ll emphasize rebates and safety concerns. A 25-year-old male is told about a car’s ability to attract women. Father-daughter teams receive another pitch: safety issues for the dad and the “fun” element for the daughter.
Knowing What To Expect
As long as sales quotas exist and compensation is tied to sales, the tactics described above will always be used by car dealers. The key is knowing that in advance so you don’t let your guard down. Most experts agree that you’ll pay less for your vehicle if you approach the negotiations analytically rather than allowing your emotions to influence your buying decision. Do your homework ahead of time. Set your budget, determine your driving needs, and be willing to walk away from a “deal.”