Something is always better than nothing…

Some days it’s good to get out of the office, so yesterday I helped a Connecticut customer with a new Honda in person. The salesperson we dealt with was a really smart guy! I told him the exact car we were looking for and he gave us a price quote. It was about $113 more per month than where it should have been. I told him we were shopping around but his number was the highest by far. He told me he’d make it simple. “I took a shot at you because I know I can always go lower and to be honest 3 out of 10 buyers actually take the first price I offer. I am here to make a living but I would always rather have something instead of nothing. Whether I sell you the car at $500 above our cost or $1,000 behind, I still make the same $100 commission.”

He went on….



“My Managers are smart and know when a customer is bullshitting. If you know a real number that can be done by another dealer, even if it’s a horrible deal I will try and get it passed by management and talk you up as if you’re shopping everywhere and another salesman is going to do it. It just has to be a believable number or my Manager will know and tell you to go buy it elsewhere.”

I then told him the monthly payment we wanted and the exact money down for that payment to work. He brought it to the Manager and came back in about 10 minutes with the Manager. The Manager started quizzing me about how we got that price. I told him everything he needed to know and a little more! He then asked if we are ready to take the car home today. I replied yes, with another $5 per month off the payment. The deal was done at $118 less per month than the original quote we started at when we walked in.

What’s the moral of this story?



Find the right salesperson that would rather make something for the day instead of nothing, show him you’re as educated as the Manager is on the new car you’re buying and the process is simple.