people want to test drive the car that has the equipment that they want in the color that they want. not all, but many that i dealt with wanted to do that. i have no problem buying a car with miles on it like that, if it saves me money! but some people will have a fit if the car has more than 8 miles on it... for pete's sake!
well, me personally, i wouldn't have a problem taking a test drive in a vehicle like the one i was going to purchase (I-4, V-6), but i know better than to buy a vehicle i haven't driven.
"people want to test drive the car that has the equipment that they want in the color that they want."
I want to test drive THE car I am potentially buying, before I negotiate. Last year, when shopping for a car, I was at a dealer, and found the exact model we wanted (down to the color).
During the test drive, the car was making a lot of unusual noises (sounded suspension related), and this was a brand new vehicle. Even the salesman heard it, and knew something was amiss. The only other vehicle they had on their lot with the same options was a hideous color, and didn't make the same, unusual noises the other vehicle did.
In this case, I am glad we drove the exact car we were interested in buying before entering in to negotiations.
Usually, we use a demo vehicle for the initial test drive. Once a specific car is agreed to and price is agreed to, the customer should drive it before signing papers.
"Usually, we use a demo vehicle for the initial test drive. Once a specific car is agreed to and price is agreed to, the customer should drive it before signing papers"
I can see that on a high end vehicle, but in my case, this was a Honda, and I sure am glad I drove the exact vehicle before I wasted time haggling on a car that was unacceptable.
Looks like your going be doing some test driving in the Midwest...
Some comments from some forums reguarding the free $15...
Thanks FordFreak! I am also the owner of 3 Fords. We are looking to purchase a new vehicle, and really dont know if we want to buy anotherFord. This is a good reason to, at least, try something new. Great post, and Repped
I'll check it out
15$ ??? Come on now , i don't think it's even worth to waste your time for that kind of money.
mazda is great when it comes to this stuff. They seem to be one of the few makers out there doing these offers on a regular basis. Though, sadly, $15 is a little lower than normal for them. Hopefully it isn't the way it's going to be from here on out. But $15 for free still ROCKS! Thanks Mazda & OP
I guess it depends on how close you are to a Mazda dealership. I drive by one on my way home from work. Last time a deal like this came up, I stopped in, explained I just wanted to get them to sign it (ie, didn't want to drive a car), and asked for a business card for when I'm in the market for a vehicle. Done and done. I was back in my car in under 10 minutes. Not too shabby for $25 (last deal). $15 is still worth my time. Now $5 might not be.
Don't expect to show up in the showroom and get $15 easily within 30mins.
why's this? I've done it many times with numerous different makes/dealers and am out within 10-15 minutes about 80-90% of the time. Only once did the salesperson require that I drive the car.
I tried this at my local central FL dealer and it was a no go. The sales guys knew nothing of it and even called someone who told them it was midwest only. Too bad.
AGREED! What happened to the $50.00 gift cards? The only reason it is on the front page is because the gift card is for Best Buy, and this place is too tech heavy on their deals. I got the Toyota $50.00 and the Honda one last year...both $50. For the work I had to put into it, they almost weren't worth it either. It took a good hour at each place and ruined my Saturday, twice!
How do you guys feel about promotions like these? Are they a waste of your time?
Just got a call from one of my friends at another dealership.
Guy walks into the his dealership and asks the salesman if he can test drive a loaded Maxima. Salesman says sure and brings up a manager's demo. The "customer" pulls a gun out of his jacket, sticks it to the salesman's head and says he's taking the car.
The salesman says, "Go for it".
"Customer" drives off and 4 minutes later the entire dealership is crawling with cops. They still haven't found this guy.
salespeople are taught that a test drive is necessary to proceed to the close. Usually, the first question the desk asks the salesperson is "Has he/she driven the car?" This is usually less of an issue at a highline store. If the salesperson thinks you are a real prospect, doubtless they will want to get you in the car.
these types of promotions are a joke. They aren't meant to sell cars, but drive "traffic" into the showroom. Motor Companies love them because they can say to the dealer body, "We sent you all this traffic, why didn't you close them?"
There is generally a reason WHY someone is driving a 10 yr old Honda. Yes, some well dressed people can't afford to pay attention, let alone buy a car. But, the odds say that more of them car buy a luxury car than the guys driving 10 yr old Accords. You just have to qualify everyone.
i wager the guy or gal driving the 10yr old accord is in the better position to buy the bimmer, benz or volvo.
Probably: if they are the original owner! And certainly if they paid cash for it 10 years ago... Irony: running it through carfax will show that in a second!
Probably not: if they bought it last week.
Unfortunately, our society judges by the appearance without really looking into serious details. I own two vehicles where one is pretty old and the other one is much newer and the differences in treatement I have gotten are amazing!
I have driven up in my 15+ year old off-roader dressed SUV (which has 100% original paint) and was told: "wow, that is a relic", "you can test drive, if you can afford it". :mad: Needless to say, this sales person would never get my business. :P My answer always remains: "do not laugh, I am the original owner"!
The auto show season is upon us. It hits Cincinnati next week. I just received an invitation in the mail from Buick (how did I get on their mailing list?). They're paying for my breakfast and letting me wander the auto show floor before it opens to the public.
Cleveland's starts in a couple of weeks. Can't wait. I'm not aware of any promos like in Cincinnati, about the only promo we're getting is free parking. Oh, and 'free' auto show magazine guides.
I once had sort of the reverse thing happen in Birmingham many years ago. The used car I was test driving ran out of gas. I walked back to the dealership. The salesman and I jump in his demo to go rescue the car. As I put the seatbelt on, my falls across a strange object. There's a damn .45 tucked between the console and the passenger seat!
You mean that Edmunds doesn't send you out a few free tickets for all your hard work? :mad:
Seriously, head on up to your local GM dealerships. They will generally give you a ticket or two.
I had two free tickets to the Chicago Auto Show this weekend but decided to take a pass this year. I was in Detroit for the preview of the NAIAC last month.
salespeople pre qualify because its their paycheck on the line. sure, they can occasionally find the one guy/gal who has a boat load of money, but dresses like an average joe. how often does that really happen?
Most of the people I know that have great incomes and have ready money and low debt usually dress down unless it is for a situation that requires dressing up. Car buying doesn't require dressing up.
Most of the people I know that dress really nice have so-so income are in debt up to their eyebrows and couldn't scrape together the funds to buy a stick of gum without planning it out in advance.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
There is generally a reason WHY someone is driving a 10 yr old Honda.
There is always a reason for everything. The problem is what is that reason. Maybe the driver is one who figures that since it still is running why get rid of it.
Let me ask you this, if I drove up in my 7 year old Hyundai would you think that I wouldn't be able to buy a Volvo? Would you give me the time of day?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
"I have driven up in my 15+ year old off-roader dressed SUV (which has 100% original paint) and was told: "wow, that is a relic",
I know the feeling(1987 4Runner as a 2nd vehicle) - and yet that's probably an exception most salespersons should be aware of. Old 4WD vehicles and classics are always being run around because the person wants to drive it - barring a real rustheap, that is.
Oh - one way to get better street-cred with your old 4WD is to get some big Smittybilt nerf bars and side bars installed. Add some Bridgestone Duellers/BFG AT/TA and a bit of color polishing on the paint...
And a lot of peolpe drive around cars for ten years and want a better car. That old Accord driver probably has no kids in the house anymore, a little bit of appreciation on their property, and with a little coaxing, would gladly buy a new Accord V6 or Avalon - or even a Lexus.
The real danger is the crummy econobox driven by someone under 30 - like Neon or a Kia Sephia or simmilar - that's less than 5-6 years old.
Oh - one way to get better street-cred with your old 4WD is to get some big Smittybilt nerf bars and side bars installed.
Worry not, my suburban assult vehicle already has about $1,500 of quality Aussie bumpers: front (~130lbs) and rear (~85lbs)! Those puppies are 1/4" steel !
Absolutly! without a doubt in my mind, just because you drive a 7 yr old Hyundai doesn't mean that I am going to ignore you. I will give you the same courtesy as the guy that show up in a bimmer 7 series. I give every guest equal treatment and the best treatment that I can give you.
Well some here have implied that there would be some reason that I am driving a 7 year old Hyundai and that reason would be financial.
A while back I stopped in a local Infiniti dealer on the way home from work which ment driving the 7 year old Hyundai, I was ignored. A few days later I was driving the 2 year old Caddy CTS-V and was greeted right away. Now it could have just been a fluke but something tells me it might have been the car.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
"Let me ask you this, if I drove up in my 7 year old Hyundai would you think that I wouldn't be able to buy a Volvo?"
Sometimes pulling up in a nice car gets you ignored as well.
The first new car I bought after college was a nicer, well optioned, sports car. I worked while in college, and saved enough money to where I only had to finance a small portion of it, and had a decent job. Immediately after buying the car, I met my (now) wife (she tells me it was me she liked and not the car ).
Well, fast forward a year and a half later, we decided to get married and buy a house. I knew that I was going to need a truck for the house we were looking to build (I was going to do a lot of work myself).
After doing research, I went to the Dodge dealer one morning to buy a Ram. I pulled up in my sports car with my dad, the dealer appeared to be slow, and 4 salesmen were standing outside. 3 of the 4 scattered inside, and the 4th approached us. Come to find out it was his first week there. Four hours later, not only had I bought a new Ram, but my dad had spotted a used truck he liked, so he bought a truck as well - 2 sales for the newbie. The newbie later told me (while he was doing the walk around) that the other 3 salesmen made comments that I had to be buried in my current ride (which was FAR from the case) when I initially pulled up, so they weren't going to waste time with me.
well, you know best how to optimize your income and will utilize the strategy that works for you.
it's still a mistake IMHO.
now maybe the incentive or the success system is geared to support you and your strategy. maybe the flaw is there, i don't know. maybe that's part of the problem. maybe you don't have the time nor incentive to treat everyone equally.
Every customer (regardless of dress or ride) is treated as a potential buyer until they prove otherwise. The 10 year old Honda could be a frugal cash buyer, or he may have bought it at a Buy here, pay here lot 6 months ago and now thinks his credit score is up and he can get 0% financing
When those kinds of people measure you up, they are not really looking at your financial heft :surprise: . They are actually measuring you up as to how much of an easy mark you appear to be. Bottom line is that they are interested in you but in the quickest "largest profit" deal! They work for the deal and not for anyone else.
If one desires harrassment, then the appropriate image needs to be projected: try "showing" that you are loose with your money or tell them that you change vehicles every 6 months... If you project that you have no money to spend or that it is difficult to separate you from your money, you will not get many takers.
Although I'm not in the car business, I think that you can still spot money even when people are "dressing down" and "driving down"
A guy in jeans is a guy in jeans, but the old sweater he's wearing can tell you a lot. There's old good-quality, and there's old cheap.
Same with the car. Missing a hubcap? No cash being spent today. Unfixed dent? Ditto. Trash scattered in the backseat? Maybe. I'm giving him the hello and the smile, but he's not taking a loaner out by him self.
I don't think you can tell much by a guy's watch anymore since the cheap knockoff's look as good as the real ones now.
To paraphrase Daymon Runyon - There ain't always more money in the well-dressed guy's pocket - but that's the way to bet.
With all of the hours you've been putting in during this tax season, your eyes are probably glassified by now and need someone to tell you the time of day. Probably also need someone to tell you where to go how to get home.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
A guy in jeans is a guy in jeans, but the old sweater he's wearing can tell you a lot. There's old good-quality, and there's old cheap.
I did the taxes for a couple today that had on some old and cheap clothing and drove up in a nearly 10 year old dirty car (well all cars around here now are dirty). Their AGI well is excess of 150K.
A few days ago I edid the taxes for a well dressed woman who had just spend over 60K on a new Benz (I know because she deducted the sales tax). Her AGI was less than 50K.
Can't judge a book by its cover.
I don't think you can tell much by a guy's watch anymore since the cheap knockoff's look as good as the real ones now.
The most well off man I ever knew wore a $20 Timex (I use pocket watches myself).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Well, Im a customer. I have owned 10 year old Accords for years. I buy one new, pay it off, buy my second car new, pay that off. Have a year or two with no car payments, save that for the down payment, and start the cycle again. At any one time I have a paid off car and one in payments. I am now retired and no longer commuting, and I plan to buy a 530i, pay it off, and run that for 10 years. Also, I have received nothing but professional service from the BMW dealership, and turned down the test drive since I am not quite ready to start the buying process.
Those of you who argue for the rich driving old beat-up cars while wearing cheap clothes are arguing about the person - no doubt these people are admirable examples... an d their heirs and bankers love them... but this isn't a banker's forum.. it's a salesman's forum.
Well, a car salesman isn't very interested in a rich guy who buys a stripper honda every 10 years. A watch salesman isn't very interested in a rich guy who wears a Timex.
He's much more interested in the person who buys the $60K Mercedes that they can barely afford every two years. Sounds bad? I don't think so. He's in the business of selling things.
After all a salesman may admire thriftyness but it ain't feedin' the baby.
A guy who drives up in a ratty car is more likely a dreamer than a retiree who has decided to buy that once-in-a-lifetime 5 series.
Anyhow, tell the truth here.... is your 10-year old Accord missing a hubcap? Is it dented? Is it really dirty? I don't think so....
the point is the guy with the clean accord is going to buy another vehicle from somebody.
He's much more interested in the person who buys the $60K Mercedes that they can barely afford every two years. Sounds bad? I don't think so. He's in the business of selling things.
Well it all depends on many things. The couple I talked about seemed to have different priorities. Talking to them they seemed to have give having a nice house (I know where they live) all fixed up the way they want and paid off priority over a nice car. Who is to say that after they get that set they won't drive their 10 year old car to the MB dealership and buy a $70K Benz?
As for their dress, who knows maybe they have come in just after doing some work like cleaning the basement and wore old clothes for that.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
i wonder if the people who are looking to get into a vehicle they are gonna lease or take 60mo to payoff have their priorities out of order.
i think sometimes the whole system takes advantage of people with poor fiscal management skills, or a poor fiscal position.
i mean, are the sales people out there telling people not to buy new, but to purchase something "beneath them" while they pay off that high-interest credit card debt, or get to a position where they are no longer renting, but rather they are paying on a mortgage?
Your question is a fair one on a philosophical level i.e. "What bad things can happen to people under capitalism?", but I don't think that any of the salesmen who post here would deliberately sell someone into "debtor's prison" or bankruptcy.
Since it's a delicate matter for them to defend themselves' on that question, I'd like to undertake that for them a little on that front.
I'm sure that all the folks who post here have turned down at least one sale that they COULD have made, but wouldn't on principle. The kind where you drive home muttering "Dumb Kid! I was just like him once! - I hope the next guy looks out for him like I just did". In fact I bet some of those would be pretty interesting stories (hint? hint?).
My question was really originally, what does the eye of experience teach you? This kind of snap analysis is the sign of a pro.
I knew a Vietnamese woman who ran a very successful upscale Vietnamese restaurant in Williamsburg, VA, years ago. She knew her customers there knew nothing about Vietnamese food, so she'd talk to all her new customers for a minute when they came in and then recommend something from the menu for them. She could spot the seafood people and the beef-only people and the "no-strange sauces-folks". She later used those skills (and the contacts she made) to go into real estate- very, very successfully.
Reading people is the art.
So the question really was - when someone drives up (assuming you weren't on an "up" system) can you tell the ones you race the green pea for from the ones where you look out the window and pour another cup of coffee? In this scenario it's Saturday morning, and another potential customer will pull in the lot in every 10 minutes - you've gotta choose how to use your time carefully!
It's not just the car or the clothes I'm interested it- it's the art of people reading.
If it's Wednesday morning and things are slow, I'm going to take the time on the chance the guy is a suddenly successful pig farmer, but on Saturday afternoon.... well...
"I'm sure that all the folks who post here have turned down at least one sale that they COULD have made, but wouldn't on principle. The kind where you drive home muttering "Dumb Kid! I was just like him once! - I hope the next guy looks out for him like I just did". In fact I bet some of those would be pretty interesting stories (hint? hint?)."
It would be nice if life was like that. A recent King of Cars episode followed a truck driver who was trying to buy a 15K or less SUV. Given his erratic (or not well established) employment history, a FICO score of 518, lack of down payment and/or savings collateral it was going to be difficult. The dealership tried everything it could to get him financed, but to no avail. He was obviously in need of some financial counseling not a used gas guzzler. The salesman told him to find a co-signer or a down payment and to please come back when he had one or the other.
Now, I don't think it was the salesman's or dealership's job to offer financial advice, but they strongly encouraged him to continue his bad habits. That buyer is doing his part to ensure that personal savings in the US are at their lowest point (-1%) since 1933. Apparently, "what's good for GM (and Chrysler) is not good for America"--at least in the long term.
i mean, are the sales people out there telling people not to buy new, but to purchase something "beneath them" while they pay off that high-interest credit card debt, or get to a position where they are no longer renting, but rather they are paying on a mortgage?
I think that kind of advice is the customer's accountant's job and not ours as to how much debt they have and what they should be or shouldn't be getting into. When someone comes on the lot and says they're in the market for a car, I just show them the car, and try to work out a price.
How much they make, or how much they owe is not really any of my concern. I bet many people would get offended if they're out shopping for a car and the salesperson tells them that they're making a mistake or have their priorities out of whack.
I did have one customer like that about 3 years ago when I started selling cars. He was 19, and had a horrible driving record. He financed a 8 year old Integra, but then it turned out his insurance cost aboout $8000 :surprise: a year. I told him he should be riding a bus and not a car for the next few years. He insisted on this car and went through with it.
"The question is, what do you wear?" I had someone call the house the other night who asked my wife the same question. Now I know it was just a car salesman prequalifing her. I feel better knowing that.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Comments
I want to test drive THE car I am potentially buying, before I negotiate. Last year, when shopping for a car, I was at a dealer, and found the exact model we wanted (down to the color).
During the test drive, the car was making a lot of unusual noises (sounded suspension related), and this was a brand new vehicle. Even the salesman heard it, and knew something was amiss. The only other vehicle they had on their lot with the same options was a hideous color, and didn't make the same, unusual noises the other vehicle did.
In this case, I am glad we drove the exact car we were interested in buying before entering in to negotiations.
I can see that on a high end vehicle, but in my case, this was a Honda, and I sure am glad I drove the exact vehicle before I wasted time haggling on a car that was unacceptable.
Looks like your going be doing some test driving in the Midwest...
Some comments from some forums reguarding the free $15...
Thanks FordFreak! I am also the owner of 3 Fords. We are looking to purchase a new vehicle, and really dont know if we want to buy anotherFord. This is a good reason to, at least, try something new. Great post, and Repped
I'll check it out
15$ ??? Come on now , i don't think it's even worth to waste your time for that kind of money.
mazda is great when it comes to this stuff. They seem to be one of the few makers out there doing these offers on a regular basis. Though, sadly, $15 is a little lower than normal for them. Hopefully it isn't the way it's going to be from here on out.
But $15 for free still ROCKS! Thanks Mazda & OP
I guess it depends on how close you are to a Mazda dealership. I drive by one on my way home from work. Last time a deal like this came up, I stopped in, explained I just wanted to get them to sign it (ie, didn't want to drive a car), and asked for a business card for when I'm in the market for a vehicle. Done and done. I was back in my car in under 10 minutes. Not too shabby for $25 (last deal). $15 is still worth my time. Now $5 might not be.
Don't expect to show up in the showroom and get $15 easily within 30mins.
why's this? I've done it many times with numerous different makes/dealers and am out within 10-15 minutes about 80-90% of the time. Only once did the salesperson require that I drive the car.
I tried this at my local central FL dealer and it was a no go. The sales guys knew nothing of it and even called someone who told them it was midwest only. Too bad.
AGREED! What happened to the $50.00 gift cards? The only reason it is on the front page is because the gift card is for Best Buy, and this place is too tech heavy on their deals. I got the Toyota $50.00 and the Honda one last year...both $50. For the work I had to put into it, they almost weren't worth it either. It took a good hour at each place and ruined my Saturday, twice!
How do you guys feel about promotions like these? Are they a waste of your time?
Guy walks into the his dealership and asks the salesman if he can test drive a loaded Maxima. Salesman says sure and brings up a manager's demo. The "customer" pulls a gun out of his jacket, sticks it to the salesman's head and says he's taking the car.
The salesman says, "Go for it".
"Customer" drives off and 4 minutes later the entire dealership is crawling with cops. They still haven't found this guy.
Yikes! You never know what you're going to get.
-Moo
Usually, the first question the desk asks the salesperson is "Has he/she driven the car?"
This is usually less of an issue at a highline store.
If the salesperson thinks you are a real prospect, doubtless they will want to get you in the car.
They aren't meant to sell cars, but drive "traffic" into the showroom.
Motor Companies love them because they can say to the dealer body, "We sent you all this traffic, why didn't you close them?"
Yes, some well dressed people can't afford to pay attention, let alone buy a car. But, the odds say that more of them car buy a luxury car than the guys driving 10 yr old Accords.
You just have to qualify everyone.
-Moo
Probably: if they are the original owner! And certainly if they paid cash for it 10 years ago... Irony: running it through carfax will show that in a second!
Probably not: if they bought it last week.
Unfortunately, our society judges by the appearance without really looking into serious details. I own two vehicles where one is pretty old and the other one is much newer and the differences in treatement I have gotten are amazing!
I have driven up in my 15+ year old off-roader dressed SUV (which has 100% original paint) and was told: "wow, that is a relic", "you can test drive, if you can afford it". :mad: Needless to say, this sales person would never get my business. :P My answer always remains: "do not laugh, I am the original owner"!
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
-Moo
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Seriously, head on up to your local GM dealerships. They will generally give you a ticket or two.
I had two free tickets to the Chicago Auto Show this weekend but decided to take a pass this year. I was in Detroit for the preview of the NAIAC last month.
Most of the people I know that have great incomes and have ready money and low debt usually dress down unless it is for a situation that requires dressing up. Car buying doesn't require dressing up.
Most of the people I know that dress really nice have so-so income are in debt up to their eyebrows and couldn't scrape together the funds to buy a stick of gum without planning it out in advance.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
There is always a reason for everything. The problem is what is that reason. Maybe the driver is one who figures that since it still is running why get rid of it.
Let me ask you this, if I drove up in my 7 year old Hyundai would you think that I wouldn't be able to buy a Volvo? Would you give me the time of day?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I know the feeling(1987 4Runner as a 2nd vehicle) - and yet that's probably an exception most salespersons should be aware of. Old 4WD vehicles and classics are always being run around because the person wants to drive it - barring a real rustheap, that is.
Oh - one way to get better street-cred with your old 4WD is to get some big Smittybilt nerf bars and side bars installed.
And a lot of peolpe drive around cars for ten years and want a better car. That old Accord driver probably has no kids in the house anymore, a little bit of appreciation on their property, and with a little coaxing, would gladly buy a new Accord V6 or Avalon - or even a Lexus.
The real danger is the crummy econobox driven by someone under 30 - like Neon or a Kia Sephia or simmilar - that's less than 5-6 years old.
there's a reason why the 10yr old accord owner doesn't need to impress.
i also wager he / she isn't a monthly payment shopper.
Worry not, my suburban assult vehicle already has about $1,500 of quality Aussie bumpers: front (~130lbs) and rear (~85lbs)! Those puppies are 1/4" steel
A while back I stopped in a local Infiniti dealer on the way home from work which ment driving the 7 year old Hyundai, I was ignored. A few days later I was driving the 2 year old Caddy CTS-V and was greeted right away. Now it could have just been a fluke but something tells me it might have been the car.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Sometimes pulling up in a nice car gets you ignored as well.
The first new car I bought after college was a nicer, well optioned, sports car. I worked while in college, and saved enough money to where I only had to finance a small portion of it, and had a decent job. Immediately after buying the car, I met my (now) wife (she tells me it was me she liked and not the car
Well, fast forward a year and a half later, we decided to get married and buy a house. I knew that I was going to need a truck for the house we were looking to build (I was going to do a lot of work myself).
After doing research, I went to the Dodge dealer one morning to buy a Ram. I pulled up in my sports car with my dad, the dealer appeared to be slow, and 4 salesmen were standing outside. 3 of the 4 scattered inside, and the 4th approached us. Come to find out it was his first week there. Four hours later, not only had I bought a new Ram, but my dad had spotted a used truck he liked, so he bought a truck as well - 2 sales for the newbie. The newbie later told me (while he was doing the walk around) that the other 3 salesmen made comments that I had to be buried in my current ride (which was FAR from the case) when I initially pulled up, so they weren't going to waste time with me.
it's still a mistake IMHO.
now maybe the incentive or the success system is geared to support you and your strategy. maybe the flaw is there, i don't know. maybe that's part of the problem. maybe you don't have the time nor incentive to treat everyone equally.
When those kinds of people measure you up, they are not really looking at your financial heft :surprise: . They are actually measuring you up as to how much of an easy mark you appear to be. Bottom line is that they are interested in you but in the quickest "largest profit" deal! They work for the deal and not for anyone else.
If one desires harrassment, then the appropriate image needs to be projected: try "showing" that you are loose with your money or tell them that you change vehicles every 6 months... If you project that you have no money to spend or that it is difficult to separate you from your money, you will not get many takers.
A guy in jeans is a guy in jeans, but the old sweater he's wearing can tell you a lot. There's old good-quality, and there's old cheap.
Same with the car. Missing a hubcap? No cash being spent today. Unfixed dent? Ditto. Trash scattered in the backseat?
Maybe. I'm giving him the hello and the smile, but he's not taking a loaner out by him self.
I don't think you can tell much by a guy's watch anymore since the cheap knockoff's look as good as the real ones now.
To paraphrase Daymon Runyon - There ain't always more money in the well-dressed guy's pocket - but that's the way to bet.
Just my 2 cents
You know I would but I'm not in the biz.
With all of the hours you've been putting in during this tax season, your eyes are probably glassified by now and need someone to tell you the time of day. Probably also need someone to tell you
where to gohow to get home.jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
The things that you listed are exactly the reason why you can tell a lot about an individual from their vehicle.
Good post Lokki.
-Moo
2013 Mustang GT, 2001 GMC Yukon Denali
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I did the taxes for a couple today that had on some old and cheap clothing and drove up in a nearly 10 year old dirty car (well all cars around here now are dirty). Their AGI well is excess of 150K.
A few days ago I edid the taxes for a well dressed woman who had just spend over 60K on a new Benz (I know because she deducted the sales tax). Her AGI was less than 50K.
Can't judge a book by its cover.
I don't think you can tell much by a guy's watch anymore since the cheap knockoff's look as good as the real ones now.
The most well off man I ever knew wore a $20 Timex (I use pocket watches myself).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
73.45% of all statistics are made up.
tidester, host
Well, a car salesman isn't very interested in a rich guy who buys a stripper honda every 10 years. A watch salesman isn't very interested in a rich guy who wears a Timex.
He's much more interested in the person who buys the $60K Mercedes that they can barely afford every two years. Sounds bad? I don't think so. He's in the business of selling things.
After all a salesman may admire thriftyness but it ain't feedin' the baby.
A guy who drives up in a ratty car is more likely a dreamer than a retiree who has decided to buy that once-in-a-lifetime 5 series.
Anyhow, tell the truth here.... is your 10-year old Accord missing a hubcap? Is it dented? Is it really dirty? I don't think so....
He's much more interested in the person who buys the $60K Mercedes that they can barely afford every two years. Sounds bad? I don't think so. He's in the business of selling things.
that may be true, but twisted. :lemon:
As for their dress, who knows maybe they have come in just after doing some work like cleaning the basement and wore old clothes for that.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
i wonder if the people who are looking to get into a vehicle they are gonna lease or take 60mo to payoff have their priorities out of order.
i think sometimes the whole system takes advantage of people with poor fiscal management skills, or a poor fiscal position.
i mean, are the sales people out there telling people not to buy new, but to purchase something "beneath them" while they pay off that high-interest credit card debt, or get to a position where they are no longer renting, but rather they are paying on a mortgage?
Your question is a fair one on a philosophical level i.e.
"What bad things can happen to people under capitalism?", but I don't think that any of the salesmen who post here would deliberately sell someone into "debtor's prison" or bankruptcy.
Since it's a delicate matter for them to defend themselves' on that question, I'd like to undertake that for them a little on that front.
I'm sure that all the folks who post here have turned down at least one sale that they COULD have made, but wouldn't on principle. The kind where you drive home muttering "Dumb Kid! I was just like him once! - I hope the next guy looks out for him like I just did". In fact I bet some of those would be pretty interesting stories (hint? hint?).
My question was really originally, what does the eye of experience teach you? This kind of snap analysis is the sign of a pro.
I knew a Vietnamese woman who ran a very successful upscale Vietnamese restaurant in Williamsburg, VA, years ago. She knew her customers there knew nothing about Vietnamese food, so she'd talk to all her new customers for a minute when they came in and then recommend something from the menu for them. She could spot the seafood people and the beef-only people and the "no-strange sauces-folks". She later used those skills (and the contacts she made) to go into real estate- very, very successfully.
Reading people is the art.
So the question really was - when someone drives up (assuming you weren't on an "up" system) can you tell the ones you race the green pea for from the ones where you look out the window and pour another cup of coffee? In this scenario it's Saturday morning, and another potential customer will pull in the lot in every 10 minutes - you've gotta choose how to use your time carefully!
It's not just the car or the clothes I'm interested it- it's the art of people reading.
If it's Wednesday morning and things are slow, I'm going to take the time on the chance the guy is a suddenly successful pig farmer, but on Saturday afternoon.... well...
How do I spot 'em??????? :confuse:
It would be nice if life was like that. A recent King of Cars episode followed a truck driver who was trying to buy a 15K or less SUV. Given his erratic (or not well established) employment history, a FICO score of 518, lack of down payment and/or savings collateral it was going to be difficult. The dealership tried everything it could to get him financed, but to no avail. He was obviously in need of some financial counseling not a used gas guzzler. The salesman told him to find a co-signer or a down payment and to please come back when he had one or the other.
Now, I don't think it was the salesman's or dealership's job to offer financial advice, but they strongly encouraged him to continue his bad habits. That buyer is doing his part to ensure that personal savings in the US are at their lowest point (-1%) since 1933. Apparently, "what's good for GM (and Chrysler) is not good for America"--at least in the long term.
Gogiboy
I think that kind of advice is the customer's accountant's job and not ours as to how much debt they have and what they should be or shouldn't be getting into. When someone comes on the lot and says they're in the market for a car, I just show them the car, and try to work out a price.
How much they make, or how much they owe is not really any of my concern. I bet many people would get offended if they're out shopping for a car and the salesperson tells them that they're making a mistake or have their priorities out of whack.
I did have one customer like that about 3 years ago when I started selling cars. He was 19, and had a horrible driving record. He financed a 8 year old Integra, but then it turned out his insurance cost aboout $8000 :surprise: a year. I told him he should be riding a bus and not a car for the next few years. He insisted on this car and went through with it.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible