Hi,
Thanks for all the great information and everything.
I have been learning a lot!
This is kind of personal question but I always get very anxious whenever I go or talk to dealers.
I feel so overwhelming just talking to them. My instinct is just tell them no on everything and get out.
I tried doing this via email but most of them want me to call.
Is there any good strategy for person like me?
I am normally not like this but man… talking to dealer is no joke.
I hear you! It’s definitely anxiety-inducing. I’ve found that emailing does not work - they want to talk. But in person at dealership instantly puts you at a disadvantage as you’re on their turf and they can try and play all their salesperson tricks.
I’ve been most successful over the phone. This works best if you have a clear number in mind that you want to hit. And of course know exactly what model, trim etc you want. Do your research, then just call all the relevant dealerships. It’ll become apparent very quickly who’s willing to indulge you and who isn’t. Good Luck!
Talking to a dealer can be one of the most unpleasant communication experiences known to man, so don’t feel too bad: you aren’t alone in finding it very uncomfortable.
Stick to email at first and only call after you feel confident about what you want. Don’t let them pressure you into agreeing to anything you don’t want to do, including going in person (by that point, they’ve already won).
Personally, I prefer to put together a very well researched offer. I email it over, say this is my offer, yes or no? If yes, I’ll be there in an hour to take delivery.
I’ve never felt the need to do anything in person/over the phone. I want everything in writing with no room for misinterpretation.
If they won’t deal over email, move on to the next dealer. The way you’re feeling about this is exactly why they want to have the conversation in person/on the phone.
I have definitely tried this tactic and it has worked one time. I live in a small market with a limited amount of dealers. In my experience, most of the time, dealers feel the need to negotiate and crave a personal connection - it’s just what they’re trained to do. Just my personal experience with the 5 lease deals I’ve done in the last couple of years. One was done over Email/text, the others over the phone. I got the deal I wanted every time. But calling definitely takes more time and effort.
Just use phone and email, but put your offer together before calling or emailing. There is a lot of information on the forum to help with this.
For any dealership to not entertain over email in year 2020 is just absurd but surprisingly, there are so many out there still stuck with the old 90s. In my experience, its almost impossible to deal with them. However, be on the lookout for a system generated email from the GSM or GM which usually follows after a day or two of initial contact. Once you receive that email (with gm email address), respond and let them know that how in 2020 u find it unbelievable that they dont wanna discuss over email. Then, depending on the response, you may want to let them hear your voice. But like other’s said above, by that time, make sure you have all your research done and have a reasonable expectation of what you are looking for.
They don’t crave a personal connection because they’re lonely, they crave putting the buyer in a situation where they have the upper hand. I see no reason to give them home field advantage.
Two things.
I would drop the dealer who doesn’t provide pricing over emails. Do your homework, make sure you agree with the pricing or negotiate more before you go to the dealership. When the price is right, you would want to go test drive. Actually, I am the one who told the sales I want to go test drive and I had the best experience doing it. So I had never talked to this sales over the phone, everything is through emails.
Is there normally a specific title you want to reach out to? Would an internet sales manager have more negotiating power than a salesman?
It depends on the dealer. Some ISMs from what I understand can desk deals at some places, while at others they’re glorified lead generators.
You’re better off looking for a sales manager and working with them direct if you can.
If not, I would work through a salesman to get the sales manager contact. At least this way the salesman gets the commission.
Some places will just punt the deal over to the salesperson of their choosing. I dealt directly with the sales manager on the last four or five deals I did and they just assigned it to someone to get credit for the sale. They were minis but they were probably the easiest deals the salesperson had to do all week.
Where they think they have the upper hand.
In my experience this is more true for leases than purchases. Oftentimes, getting introduced to a salesman over the phone and having leasing knowledge makes me eligible for the automatic transfer to the GSM/GM.
It seems like dealers in LA at least are finicky depending on the brand. Luxury brands are hesitant to give you an offer that you want even if you saw a deal for the same model here and Edmunds’ MFs and incentives.
Stick to your original intention and lease price in mind and don’t agree to lease if it’s more expensive. Nothing wrong with saying no to them and leaving. You don’t owe them a yes if they don’t meet your requirements. If you’re worried about saying no too quickly once you’re at the dealer, be prepared to say “Can we work on the incentives, etc”. Or try going in with a very neutral outlook, tell yourself you can’t predict what will happen so there is no reason to worry or get excited about talking to a salesman or finance.
Just remember they are people like you and I, with different personalities, different moods, they might be anxious themselves, etc. A quick no isn’t going to be huge to them. They’ll have another customer again through email or walk in.
I am an anxious person, awkward sometimes depending on what’s going on with work, or caring too much what people think. I had Teledoc therapy for the first time this year specifically about anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy helped so much!
Believe me when I say WE HATE EMAILS
always ask for a sales manager or the GSM and talk on the phone otherwise your email will be lost in the middle of the other 500 emails the the dealer receives every day.
That’s just the type of aggression that puts off so many of us!
You still don’t get it!!!
My last three non-broker deals have been negotiated over SMS with a salesperson. Very efficient way to do it.
Personally, I’d rather talk on the phone with someone at the dealer. It lets them know you are serious and gives you a chance so build some rapport or make some small talk letting them know you are a real person not some internet nobody offering 20% off at buy rate with a generic email obviously sent to multiple dealers. Reverse sales…(assuming you are a people person and know how to hold a conversation with a human)
Also, avoids waiting around all day for a response to an email offer you may or may not receive. If you’ve spoken to them already you end up actually getting a response or counter. Nothing more frustrating imo then someone not responding, same goes for trying to contact brokers. Godforbid you forget one minor detail, you get your hopes up waiting for a response that never comes. Soup nazi comes to mind.
I just hooked up a buddy with a nice Prius Prime. I first looked for the best pricing on CarGurus and sent them a message asking for their most competitive pricing and an offer sheet with every fee. They would usually call 5 minutes later just to make sure I was a real person. I would explain that all details were on the message and that I’m ready to buy as soon as their numbers are the most competitive. There was always some calling involved. Lastly, because this was an out of state purchase ($4,500 rebate for this car in NE regions) I also asked for e-sign of all finance documents and now deciding wether to ship the car or go pick it up. No room for error. Tell them what it takes to earn your business, and if they can’t provide (like one of the dealers I was dealing with) move on.