More than five years ago, and for a period of almost a year and a half, I worked as a car salesman in a dealership of a well-known Japanese brand. In that year and a half I discovered something that left me worried: as a car salesman I am a complete loser, a real useless person.
In all those months of effort I managed to sell a number of cars similar to what any of my “colleagues” managed to sell in a month. But from looking so much at the sales techniques used by my colleagues, I learned some really interesting things that may be useful to you when buying a car .
Car dealers are not car experts.
Good car salesmen are usually clueless about cars . They are sales technicians, and the fact that they sell cars is just a contingency. In the same way they could have ended up selling appliances, furniture or prefabricated pools. A couple of cleverly scattered technical questions during the talk will serve to distinguish the one who recites by heart the notions learned in the sales courses from the one who really knows the calico.
Do not trust the one who talks constantly and on any topic (furbol, work, weather, etc.) He just wants to take the lead to have the reins of the conversation. You have gone to buy him a car, and, even if he asks, he does not care where you plan to go with your new vacation car.
Where to go to buy a new car?
The two places where you can buy a new car are basically an official dealer and an official agency like Farago Motors. A dealer is a representative of the brand; an agent is a representative of a dealer. If you buy a car from an official agent, this in turn will have “bought” it from the dealer, and it will hardly be possible to give you a more discount than that one. And beware, most agents do their best to make you believe that they are a dealer when they are only an official workshop.
The normal thing is to go with a favorite model model in mind. But it is not convenient to limit yourself to visiting the store that catches us closest to home. It is worth spending a couple of days to approach other dealers of the same brand . Each one is a different company, and they do not usually get along with each other (after all, they are sharing the same cake). Everyone will do their best to be what sells you the car. Your attitude, therefore, will be to let yourself be loved. Don’t be afraid to show that you got a better price from another dealer . Let him do the numbers to see if he can offer you better terms.
The prices published in car magazines and on the Internet are the prices recommended by the brand headquarters. They include taxes, transport and registration fees. However, many dealerships insist on adding transportation and/or registration fees back on. As soon as you compare in two or three stores, you will see if there is one that wants to go too smart.
They will always try to sell you the model they have on display
If you already know the model, color and engine you like, stick with your decision . A good salesman (from the dealer’s point of view) will try to pin you one of the ones he has on display or in the field, especially if he’s been there for a long time. If you see that he is very insistent that you take one of the ones he “has in stock”, let him try to convince you with a good cash discount , no gifts.
I remember a middle-aged couple who entered the store with quite clear ideas: they wanted a specific model, a five-door version, a diesel engine and a white color. They were served by our “star” salesman, with more than 20 years of experience selling cars of all known brands. After an hour and a half of pleasant conversation, the couple left the exhibition satisfied. On the table of his “advisor”, they had left a purchase sign for a vehicle of the model they were looking for, but in a four-door version, gasoline engine and dark green. Coincidentally, one of these characteristics had been dying of laughter in the ship behind for several months.
Beware of advice from sellers
Salespeople (particularly car salespeople) are trained to use sales pitches in the way that works best for them . By this I mean that his interest is not in advising you, but in convincing you that his car is the one that most interests you. And sales pitches are like proverbs, there’s one for every occasion.
A classic example: which place is better for the spare wheel, inside the trunk or hooked under the trunk outside the bodywork? If the model you are looking for has it inside the trunk, it will tell you that it is better because it is protected from the elements and it will show you that it is very easy to remove it (with the trunk empty). If he takes it outside, he will tell you that it is better because it does not take up space in the trunk, and, flaunting his seer skills, he will assure you that if it were inside, the spirits will ally against you and force you to use it. in full summer trip with the trunk to bursting.