How To Get The Best Deal

The average American buys a new car every six years. A new car salesman sells cars all day long, every day of his working life. As an ex car salesman I used to sell about forty to fifty cars a month. No guessing then who is the most experienced negotiator and as such most likely to get the better deal. It's what you might call a no brainer. However, read on and just maybe you can learn how to swing the odds a bit more in your favour the next time you go to buy a new car or sell your old one.

With some thirty five years of professional experience in the fields of marketing and sales, I have long been a proponent of what is called relationship marketing and selling. What this means is that you have to try to develop a relationship with the other party which is mutually beneficial to both of you.

First of all lets deal with what they call meeting and greeting. Now the thing you have to remember here is that the first thing you have to sell is you. People have to like you and to trust you long before they will make what is the second biggest purchase after buying a house.

And let me also point out that ninety percent of what people think about what sort of a person you are is based upon how you dress. So it makes sense to dress appropriately for the job of selling. That usually means a suit and tie, though I am sure some salesmen are so good at the job they can pull off dressing in a more casual manner.

The next thing you have to get right is your mode of address, in other words how you speak to people. In any type of sales job sales there is only one way to speak to prospective buyers, and that is politely, respectfully and truthfully. And of course your manner has to be friendly without being over familiar. Let's face it, nobody wants to deal with an unfriendly or miserable salesman. On the other hand, if you are over familiar then you might come across as insincere. You have to get the balance right. So far so good.

After the initial introduction I always used to try to get the customer to take a seat. Apart from the fact that nobody will ever buy a car standing up, sat down in a comfortable seat with a nice coffee is quite disarming. Now it's time to go fishing.

The first thing you need to do is get some basic information like the prospects name, their preference of address, ie Mr Smith or Joe, and what exactly the guy is looking for. At this point it is important to not over interrogate as this might be perceived as off-puttingly intrusive.

During the following conversation you should cover what cars you have in stock that might fit the bill or if not how long it will take you to source a car.

Do keep in mind that although many car buyers have a very clear idea of what they want, they may have a certain degree of flexibility. Joe may say it has to be bright red at the start, but a tempting price on a blue one may be enough for him to change his mind.

As a very successful car salesman in the past, one of my first objectives was to get the customer into the car in question for a no obligation test drive. Lots of people say they want a GTO just because of the look of it. A test drive will confirm if they are also happy with how it performs.

Ok, so let's cut to the chase and go straight to the closing of the deal. I have worked with some salesmen who could not close a barn door let alone a deal, and I have worked with some who will close you without you even realising that you have been played by a total and utter pro. Here are a few of the closing techniques I personally found to be the most effective.

1.) The If or Conditional Close.

This closing technique is one that is well practiced not only by professional salesmen but believe it or not also by children. Compare "If I do my homework early can I go out to play?" with "If I can reduce the price of the car by 500 dollars will you buy the car today?"

2.) The Silent Close.

This is when you lay your cards on the table and say something like "Ok Mr Smith, there's the best deal I can give you today." and then shut your mouth. The unwritten rule is that the first one to break the silence, the other one wins the deal. You'll need nerves of steel for this one. I have seen many a Mexican standoff with both players refusing to break the silence for what can be a very uncomfortable period of time.

3.) The Drop Close.

This one is exactly what it say it is, it is when you drop the price to close the deal."My final offer is fifty percent off, I can do no more, take it or leave it Mr Smith."

4.) The Alternative Close.

This is not unlike the following presumptive close and would go something like "Which model are you having them Mr Smith, the GTO or the GTi?"

5.) The Presumptive Close.

This is one of my all time favourite closes, but it needs lots of confidence to pull it off. It is when you jump straight to the presumption that the customer is going to buy the can and you ask him not "Are you going to buy the car?" but rather "Which colour should I order Mr Smith?"

One or two other things to keep in mind, as a buyer or seller, are as follows; try not to appear too eager to buy or sell, keep your poker face. Also, be prepared to walk away if you are not getting what you want. If you think the other person is being too pushy take the car away from them.

I well remember one day a customer I had sold a car to came back the next day to try to re-open negotiations and get a better deal by pushing me to include a CD player and a CD auto-changer, 500 sounds worth of extra kit.

I took the car back off him and told him I had three others ready to buy it for more than I had agreed with him (which as it happened was true). That was more than enough to bring him back into line with what was agreed the day before. I never, ever went back on a deal and I would not let others do it to me neither.