In 1898, William Metzger became the first automobile dealer who was not employed directly by any specific manufacturer, making him one of the pioneer car sellers. As the business of selling cars began to grow, the “car salesman” came to fruition. So began this world that many people know as a way of life, some people see these individuals as “the villain”, as the process of buying a car became something that is more disliked than getting a tooth pulled at the dentist.
But it does not have to be that way and car buyers should not think like that anymore. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard customers say things like, “I can’t believe how easy that was!” or “We’re done already?”
Here are the top 3 myths that customers begin with when they walk into the dealership and are debunked when they leave with a beautiful new car.
1. “All a car salesman cares about it making a sale.” This could not be further from the truth. Yes, many salesmen make their living off of commissions - but everyone has to earn money, right? With technology encompassing our daily lives, a car salesman’s reputation can be bruised quite nicely in a very short amount of time. Thanks to websites like Facebook, Twitter, Dealer Rater, etc. - consumers can quickly voice their disapproval and disgust with anything and everything. Why would someone want to take that chance with their career? Statistics show that a dissatisfied consumer will tell approximately 100 people about their experience compared to satisfied customers who will tell approximately 5 people. Customer satisfaction is huge in this industry! So not only will your salesman want you to leave satisfied (even if you did not buy a car), but they will also want the referral of your family and friends because it will enable their reputation and business to grow.
2. “If I wait until the end of the month, I’ll get a better deal.” We come to work everyday, and we need to make a living EVERY DAY. Whether it’s the first week of the month or the last, a car salesman is going to do everything in their power to find you the perfect car and sell it to you. Most manufacturer rebates are the same all month long (sometimes they do change mid-month), so there is not usually any extra money towards the end that will save you the big bucks. So when you’re in the market for a car, don’t feel like you need to wait until a certain date - we would like to earn your business everyday!
3. “Selling my trade outright will get me more money than if I were to trade it in.” In some cases, this may be true. However, you need to think about everything that goes along with selling a car as a private party. You will need to list the car on a third party website (many charge for this service) or stick a For Sale sign in it. Then you have to take time to show the car when strangers want to come see it. And then you have to deduct the tax you make on it. And then the stranger calls you up every time something goes wrong with it. All in all, it’s sometimes more advantageous financially to sell outright, but you have to weigh the savings with the hassle it brings.
Unfortunately I can’t promise you that every car dealership that you visit will be a quick and easy trip. Just like I can’t promise you that you’ll have great food at every restaurant, or a perfect haircut every time you go to a salon. But I can say with certainty that buying a car is not the same as it used to be - the industry has grown and become more transparent. Whether we want to accept it or not , much of this thanks goes to one particular phenomenon - the Internet.
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