Hoosier Daddy wrote:K-Rock wrote:I test drove the Sport model and really liked it. And I guess the sales guy thought I was sold right then and there, because most of the time, people are once they drive.
Just for the record, what you described is part of "How To Sell A Car 101", a required class for anyone in the new or used car business. They
want you to drive the new vehicle....
Yeah....I can't remember the exact figure, but it's something like the odds of a customer buying the car at some point go up to three out of four once he or she has driven it. Getting the customer in the car and driving it is, yes, statistically speaking, the single best thing a salesperson can do.
It's all part of the sales pitch....It's nothing but a show....your salesman (always the good guy, always likeable, and always on your side in this scripted performance) takes the agreed-upon figures to his boss, ready to "go to the mat for you" and get you this incredible deal of a lifetime. Heck, he'll probably be fired for trying to sell a car for such a low price, but you're worth it, so he's going to do it anyway!
While there's a certain amount of sameness to the whole process no matter where you go, K-Rock is probably seeing something a little different at a Toyota dealer, though.
I know (or used to know; it's been a couple of years) a Toyota sales manager, and we've talked the business a little bit. He said he almost prefers car business rookies when he hires salespeople because they don't have the usual habits; but, if he hires people with experience, there are two variations on the "80/20" rule that are the reverse of the usual that he has to absolutely drill into their heads -- the usual games, gimmicks, and tactics are never going to work on 80% of the Toyota customers, and 80% of Toyota customers are going to come in knowing as much or more about the vehicle than the salesperson typically would (just like a pop-quiz in school, he regularly tests his salespeople on all the vehicles at their meetings).
As soon as the salesperson identifies the customer as being a "typical" Toyota customer, he or she is trained to cut about 98% of the BS, establish the relationship and get the database information (the bulk preferably from the driver's license as the customer is sent out in the car), ask if there's "anything the customer's research didn't answer" about the vehicle (definitely use the word "research"), move the conversation to the dealer level by sharing the dealer's commitment to 100% customer satisfaction and unbelievably convenient service, make a half-joking attempt to sign the customer at sticker, and then go ahead and get really real about the price.
"From the start, Lexus-buyers have always been like graduate-level Toyota-buyers of the time, but what's changed for us is that Toyota-buyers are now like junior Lexus-buyers," he told me. "They don't have the same money, but they're about as sharp."
The trick is to see the game for what it is before you enter the door. KNOW what your old car is worth. KNOW what you can afford (they always price your new vehicle within $100 higher a month of what you're paying now or were paying - forcing you to upsize your loan from your last car payment agreement). HAVE your own financing in place to use unless they offer an really incredible deal from some other lender.
Yes....to that, I would add, though, "always be negotiating
the price,
never the payment." If and when the salesperson starts talking about payment, say something like, "the payment, if there's going to be one, isn't really relevant at this point; right now, we're talking about the marketplace value of the car, aren't we?" If asked what your current payment is, give a dirty look and say, "if I even have one, it has absolutely no relevance to the value of
this car." If he says the relevance is that it might affect the payment on this car, refer back to the other.
And ALWAYS be prepared to walk away, even if it's just for a day or so to think things over. NEVER be in a hurry to buy a car.
Yes....a couple of ways to play this.
Method 1: Make your first visit on a Tuesday or Wednesday early in a month. Float back in every 5-10 days and take things a step further without ever letting the salesperson close. As the end of the month approaches, try to be encouraging the dealer to have what you want on the lot but don't commit to buying yet. With just a day or two left in the month (especially if the month ends early or mid-week), go for it. At that point, the salesperson's motivation (desperation) is at its highest, and the manager is probably bugging him about this guy on his list who's darn near hanging out around the place but never getting sold!
Method 2: If the dealer is relatively unimportant to you, use the internet to locate a dealer with the exact car you want in stock. Show up out of the blue around 1 or 2 on the Saturday afternoon at the end of the month, acting like you just dropped in on a whim or saw something that caught your eye while driving by. "Take a liking" to the car you want but claim it's missing something you "almost need" or, even better, has something (an "extravagance") you don't care about or don't want and is, as a result, priced too high. Use that and the "on a whim" arguments as levers as you pretty much let yourself be sold. Try to take your browsing, test drive, and negotiation up close to the store's closing time...you'll have "cost" the salesperson, his manager, and his finance guy the whole last Saturday afternoon of the month, and they'll definitely want to get you done. This method is a little bit tough if you're bringing your own financing, though...your story suddently gets awful fishy. If you're going to whip that check or letter on them, make sure you have every last thing already negotiated, on the contract, and signed by them.
Tip:
Surrender no information until you're serious! If dealing with multiple dealers, decide who's going to get which phone number (cell, home, spouse's cell, etc...only one number to each dealer) and give first name only! Don't give up your license until absolutely necessary and, when you do, insist on making the copy yourself, completely "redacting" everything but name and (maybe) address with a black marker you "happen to" carry in your pocket. Using anything you give them, they're going to run your credit and probably get the upper hand.
