This question might be best suited for r/askcarsales but figured with lot of industry folks and brokers/dealers here, I would see what y’all think about this. Is it possible for a consumer to establish a working relationship with a dealer?
What do I mean by that? Let’s say I worked with the SM and GM on a quote and they gave me a great deal (base MF, strong pre incentive discount, the works…). As a gesture of appreciation for being easy to work with and giving me a great deal, I’ll bring them both a bottle of wine. In part, with this gesture I’m also hoping to establish a relationship with them where for my future purchases, if the market currently stands at 10% pre incentive for a particular model (assuming base MF), I can have them be straight with me right off the bat and tell me the best they can do and best case, my relationship building skills get me 10% right away or they come back at 9% which I would still take in the interest of saving my time reaching out to 15 other dealers.
I realize that they would not want to be willing to do deep deals always so this is merely a way to have a preferred dealer with maybe a touch of a personal relationship, and hopefully that’s enough to get a good if not a strong deal. If not, the consumer can do the usual dance of reaching out to multiple dealers or a broker.
Thoughts? If this is indeed achievable, what would go a long way in making sure the SM/GM remember you aside from maybe a bottle of good wine for each of them.
Tl;dr - Be nice and go the extra mile for SM and GM once you have a great deal secured and this was your first time working with them. Is it possible to do something nice for them and create a relationship so they remember your name/face for your next car a year from now and give you a good deal?
You’re overthinking it. What are the chances they’ll remember you in 3 years, you’ll love the same brand, the same brand will have the best deals etc etc?
Some people have offered tokens of appreciation like a bottle of JW Black to establish a rapport before the deal was signed.
But the idea of a GM remaining at the same store over your adult lifetime and welcoming you back every 3 years sounds like fantasy. Especially because some of the worst quotes we’ve seen have been prefaced with “my family has been going there for 20 years” yada yada
Completely agree with this and although this is my first post here, I’ve been a lurker for a long time now and also constantly visit r/askcarsales. To your point, the key differentiation here would be knowing my numbers of what a strong deal is, much like what most of the THs suggest as well on here as opposed to having the dealer come back to me with numbers.
I usually swap out of my cars every 12-15 months and primarily shop BMW because of the flexibility of lease transfers and how seamless they are. I get the gist of your statement, but isn’t that the question? Is there a way to create a personal relationship so they would remember me in 12-15 months from now?
Edit ; This isn’t about establishing loyalty with a dealer blindly and trusting every number they throw at you. I agree that’s a recipe for disaster. Instead I’m talking about doing the due diligence you always would, knowing what deal you’re shooting for, and then reaching out to this preferred dealer.
I do think it is possible as it has worked for me (and is currently working). It was not built off 1 deal though. These are dealers I have bought several vehicles from, referred customers to, and provided a gesture after the fact. For example, a Honda dealer pays any customer $500 if you refer someone and they purchase a NEW honda vehicle. I tell them that they can split it amongst themselves (new car manager and finance manager). It just depends on where you are, how you come off, and who they are as a person. It’s a huge YMMV.
Yeah you’re probably right that it might take more than 1 vehicle to establish any personal relationship but have to start at some point so trying to put my best foot forward from deal 1 and see how it plays out. Worst case I’m back to where i am right now.
Agreed, but it’s still WAY easier to get out of a lease and be off the hook with BMWFS than it is with Audi for example. I’m not counting on always being able to transfer my leases, just saying that’s something I’ve done in the past and has worked fairly well for me. Ofcourse, past performance does not guarantee future results, and I’m well aware of that.
This def goes against LH standards, but I did it by going in person. I always dealt with them in person but you just have to know how they play the game. If you are someone that gives into pressure, don’t do that. If you have great self-control and can walk away from a deal, go for it.
A GSM or Sales Manager is doing a million things and also making sure the sales team isn’t playing grabass outside. It is literally babysitting most days. You may want to try to develop a working relationship with an Internet Director or Internet Sales Manager.
Edit: The higher-ups don’t stay at dealerships for long. Everyone is always constantly on the move. Send me some cupcakes though please.
Personally I think trying to get inside someone’s head with a nice bottle of anything as personal as wine is a waste of money.
Pop your head in their office during service visits. Create a signature look even if that’s the only time you use it. Bake cupcakes or buy them. I don’t think there’s much payoff to this strategy so I wouldn’t invest much in it.
Thanks for sharing your opinion, this is exactly what I want out of this discussion - to be able to get people’s opinions on this and see if anyone’s had/not had success with this.
I’m trying to understand at what stage I would be dealing with either of these folks. Typically if I can’t find the email of an SM off their website, I end up filling the “Interested in this vehicle” form even if it’s a custom build just to get the ball rolling. Sales advisor reaches out and then I ask them to present my deal to SM.
When you inquire online you’re getting someone from the Internet Department. Sales Managers close customers in person; They don’t (traditionally) get involved with 10+ emails and texts back and forth with customers.
Interesting, thanks for sharing that. Most of my conversations are over email since most of my deals end up being out of state. I looked back through my email exchanges and every manager I spoke with it just has “Sales Manager” in their email signature. Wonder if they are actually ISMs but just prefer to write SM.
Tangential question but since you’re an industry folk - if I email the GM directly, do they ever personally read my emails or do those end up going to SMs?
I’ve ever only had one GM reach out to me (apart from their standard “I’m committed to ensuring a great experience for you” email) and while he helped with the deal by what seemed like always forwarding my emails sent to him to one of his SMs, he never personally responded even when I thanked him and asked his choice of preferred whiskey.
This isn’t hard. Listen to the people you are dealing with. If you’re good at talking to people, you will learn what they like and then you can send something meaningful. I am a big believer in almost always sending a nice gift with a handwritten thank you note on my letterhead. This pays dividends for you as you move through life.
When I bought my last BMW, the salesman commented on my unique wallet when I went to give him my card after a test drive. Three interactions later, I took delivery and had two of those wallets wrapped for him and the SM. It was memorable for him. You want to create some kind of small, tasteful impression.
If my GM received an inquiry directly he will either miss it, ignore it, or forward it to me. I think the term ‘Internet Sales Manager’ came about because so many people just call in asking for a Manager that we turned everyone into a Manager.
Its difficult. The best sales men/women I have worked with flip brands and even positions in the same brand really quick. A previous sales manager who was a pleasure to work with this past summer switched into a GM position of a sister dealership located in a different state a week after I worked with them on a Toyota deal.
This is exactly my thinking as well. It pays in life to establish personal relations, I’m sure some others might disagree. Thanks for sharing your experience.
True, most deals have taken a turn for the worse, from almost every manufacturer. Although this post isn’t specific to BMW as a brand, but from what I see even though they’ve gone 180, their deals are still better than their german counterparts. Example comparisons I’m thinking of would be M340i vs C43, X5 40i vs GLE350. Maybe Audis lease similar to BMW but their transfer policies are very restrictive.
