by Wayne Mclaughlin

Created on: March 15, 2007   Last Updated: November 07, 2008

Reading the articles published here are notable for their lack of insight into car dealership methods and philosophy. After retiring from 40 years of industrial sales, I wanted to try retail and sold cars in a Ford dealership for a year. The warmth of your friendly car dealer could reverse global warming. Since few car salesmen make a living wage, they keep changing jobs in search of the golden fleece and veterans have worked at every dealership in a 25 mile radius.

There is very little to do between customers except go outside and smoke cigarettes while complaining about the managers and "strokes" (someone who leaves a car store without buying a car). I learned that the drill is the very same everywhere.

If you want to shop at several places, do not carry a weapon because you will want to kill someone eventually. The salesman's job is to grind you to the point where you buy just to end the process. It might surprise you that female customers handle this better than men.

Researching the ample internet information pertaining to your proposed purchase and knowing where you are on the credit scale will go along way toward minimizing the hassle. While you should always be polite and cordial, you don't owe your "friendly" car salesman anything and he is not there to be your friend.

Set a time limit up front (I have to pick up my daughter from school at 4 pm). Even if you don't have a daughter, don't worry about it because the first thing you are taught as new salesmen is that all customers lie and you can tell because their lips move.

You need to realistically allow an hour to an hour and a half. Fifteen minutes before the deadline you have set up, remind them that you are about to leave. It only really takes that long to do a deal anyway. If they don't come through with the price you arrived at in your research, politely but firmly leave at the time you set. You may be pleasantly surprised at the results.

Drive your new car home and take a long shower and tell your neighbor what a terrific deal you got. It's human nature that we exaggerate how much we paid for our house and how little we paid for our car.

Happy travels!

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