| In my years when I worked the sales
| |
| | willing to deal with them in this manner.
|
| departments at various car dealerships,
| |
| | They may have to send inquiries to dozens
|
| one word always crept into conversations
| |
| | of dealerships before they find one that
|
| between sales managers and salespeople.
| |
| | doesn't ask "When can you come in?"
|
| "Control." Control your customers.
| |
| | during every email and phone
|
| Control the car deal. Control the
| |
| | conversation.
|
| situation. Control everything.
| |
| | Once an e-friendly dealership is
|
| In the automotive industry's glory days
| |
| | identified, it is best to cut to the
|
| of 1975-1997 (before the internet came
| |
| | chase. Find the vehicle you want and make
|
| and ruined everything for them), two
| |
| | an offer. If there is a trade-in, your
|
| major things were developed and
| |
| | offer should include how much you want
|
| maintained.
| |
| | for it. Many websites advise people to
|
| 1) Customers were kept one or two steps
| |
| | "hide" their trade until they have worked
|
| behind, and
| |
| | out a price for the one they are buying.
|
| 2) Dealerships made lots of money.
| |
| | This is absolutely pointless and
|
| These two developments were aided mostly
| |
| | incredibly annoying to the dealership (so
|
| by the salesperson and their managers'
| |
| | much so that it can actually hurt the
|
| abilities to control their customers.
| |
| | final negotiated trade difference - this
|
| This, more than anything else, is why the
| |
| | is explained below).
|
| automotive industry is the last to jump
| |
| | Online negotiations can be tedious.
|
| on the "Buy it Online" bandwagon. From
| |
| | Emails can take time to be answered. In
|
| your home or office, the dealership has
| |
| | the meantime, the vehicle in question
|
| no control over you. For this reason, 99%
| |
| | could sell. If possible, a consumer
|
| of new and used car dealers with websites
| |
| | should initiate a phone conversation to
|
| use their web presence for one reason: to
| |
| | discuss the money. The consumer should be
|
| get you to their lot.
| |
| | prepared with information on both
|
| The few who do offer ways to buy a car
| |
| | vehicles, including payoff on their
|
| completely over the internet and via
| |
| | trade-in.
|
| telephone are the ones who will
| |
| | While Edmunds and Kelley Blue Book are
|
| eventually pave the way. The quality of
| |
| | excellent for finding information about
|
| cars, the length of warranties, and the
| |
| | vehicles, their trade evaluators are
|
| information available to consumers are
| |
| | usually inaccurate. Black Book is used by
|
| all increasing. With a bit of research,
| |
| | dealerships and offers realistic trade
|
| people are able to decide which vehicle
| |
| | values.
|
| fits them best without going from
| |
| | Once both parties agree on a price or
|
| dealership to dealership test driving
| |
| | trade difference, payment can be
|
| cars and collecting brochures.
| |
| | arranged. Whether through online credit
|
| A Bit of Research
| |
| | applications or simply having the
|
| New cars are simple to research. Sites
| |
| | dealership fax a buyer's order to the
|
| like Kelley Blue Book offer a smorgasbord
| |
| | consumer's bank or credit union, it is
|
| of reviews, photos, and pricing
| |
| | not difficult to pay for a vehicle via
|
| information. Search Google for the
| |
| | internet, telephone, or mail.
|
| vehicle you are considering and literally
| |
| | Finally, arrange to have the vehicles and
|
| millions of results beg to be clicked and
| |
| | paperwork transported or set an
|
| read.
| |
| | appointment to finalize the deal at the
|
| Used vehicles are a bit trickier, but it
| |
| | dealership. If the paperwork is to be
|
| is still possible to get almost all of
| |
| | transported, the consumer will want to
|
| the information needed to make a
| |
| | talk to the finance manager to discuss
|
| decision. Classified automotive search
| |
| | any warranties, fees, and insurance
|
| sites like Cleveland Used Cars offer a
| |
| | considerations before the paperwork is
|
| diligent consumer a place they can find
| |
| | drawn up.
|
| their perfect vehicle.
| |
| | If the deal is to be consummated at the
|
| The roadblock occurs at the intersection
| |
| | dealership, the consumer should still
|
| between the consumer and the dealer. They
| |
| | talk to the finance manager. They will
|
| both lie to each other. Not all of them,
| |
| | want to talk face-to-face about other
|
| of course, but enough to where the trust
| |
| | products. Let them talk to you about
|
| level between the two is just below
| |
| | everything over the phone and ask them to
|
| Hillary and George W. and just above
| |
| | have the paperwork drawn up before you
|
| Syria and Israel. The dealerships started
| |
| | get there. Finance is the last, best
|
| it with shady tactics and the consumers
| |
| | place for the dealership to make some
|
| are fighting back with techniques taught
| |
| | money, so they will not do the paperwork
|
| by, yes, a barrage of websites dedicated
| |
| | ahead of time unless you ask.
|
| to cutting the dealers' bottom lines.
| |
| | The Truth About Trade-Ins
|
| Some dealer websites are able to give
| |
| | If a dealership whittles their price
|
| just about every bit of information about
| |
| | down, then learns of the trade, they will
|
| a vehicle that is available before the
| |
| | simply offer less for the trade than they
|
| customer drives out. Still, even
| |
| | would have prior to negotiations. Here is
|
| technically advances dealers like Bristol
| |
| | a realistic example:
|
| Honda Dealers and Los Angeles Kia Dealers
| |
| | If their car is listed at $20,000 and the
|
| are finding roadblocks in implementing a
| |
| | trade-in's actual cash value (ACV) is
|
| completely online transaction process.
| |
| | $5,000, the dealership might make an
|
| Breaking through Roadblocks
| |
| | initial offer of $20,000 for theirs and
|
| Nick Umbs, Internet Manager at Ted Britt
| |
| | $6,000 for the trade.
|
| Ford in Virginia, has tried to bridge
| |
| | This is a necessary dealer "trick"
|
| these gaps through eBay and other
| |
| | because the vast majority of customers
|
| methods.
| |
| | believe their trade is worth more than it
|
| "We start out by posting 35-50 detailed
| |
| | really is. Dealerships can "show" more in
|
| photos along with a highly detailed
| |
| | the trade by decreasing their profit and
|
| description of the vehicle," said Umbs.
| |
| | run less of a risk of insulting their
|
| "We want the customer to feel like they
| |
| | customer. After all is said and done,
|
| are actually at the dealership with the
| |
| | they are still counting the trade in as a
|
| vehicle. We don't want them to have any
| |
| | $5,000 car.
|
| unexpected surprises upon delivery.
| |
| | Now, after some more negotiating, both
|
| "The whole process is very painless with
| |
| | parties might agree at $19,000 purchase
|
| great results."
| |
| | price and $6,500 for the trade-in,
|
| Using their prowess with eBay and an
| |
| | yielding a trade difference of $12,500.
|
| eAutoDrop option for consumers, they have
| |
| | In this case, the dealership most likely
|
| been able to sell and ship vehicles
| |
| | raised their ACV of the trade-in to
|
| around the country and across the world.
| |
| | $5,500 because they wanted to make the
|
| Another problem is with the trade-ins.
| |
| | deal work and it was negotiated in good
|
| While most dealer websites offer photos,
| |
| | faith.
|
| a complete list of options, an available
| |
| | Given the same situation but where the
|
| vehicle history report, and a promise
| |
| | consumer doesn't mention the trade, the
|
| that their used cars have been inspected
| |
| | dealership might offer an initial $500
|
| and reconditioned by their service
| |
| | discount from the $20,000. Back-and-forth
|
| department, most consumers want to know
| |
| | they negotiate and agree on an $18,000
|
| their trade-in value based upon make,
| |
| | selling price. Then the trade is brought
|
| model, and miles.
| |
| | in.
|
| Diffee Ford Lincoln Mercury in El Reno,
| |
| | The dealership will still think the
|
| OK, handles distant trade-ins as part of
| |
| | vehicle is worth $5,000 and will probably
|
| their Buy a Car Online process. Step 2 of
| |
| | offer that much since they have no room
|
| their process has a page where the
| |
| | "show" more money in the trade. Many
|
| consumer can answer several questions
| |
| | dealerships might even offer a little
|
| regarding their vehicle and its
| |
| | less out of annoyance. Chances are very
|
| condition. They are asked to send photos
| |
| | high that they will not budge from the
|
| of their trade-in so that an accurate
| |
| | $5,000 ACV, so negotiations end. The
|
| value can be placed on it.
| |
| | consumer can either take the $13,000
|
| "We have been able to sell dozens of
| |
| | trade difference or not.
|
| vehicles to out-of-state customers
| |
| | The Future
|
| because of 100% disclosure on both ends,"
| |
| | The ability to complete a vehicle
|
| said Dandy O'Connor, Customer Resource
| |
| | transaction over the internet and
|
| Manager. "We don't expect them to buy
| |
| | telephone is slowly working its way
|
| ours if it isn't what we described, just
| |
| | towards fruition. The advantages are
|
| as we wouldn't take theirs if we were
| |
| | aplenty for both consumers and
|
| misled. Since we started the program, we
| |
| | dealerships. It would broaden the options
|
| haven't had any of these deals go south."
| |
| | of consumers, decreasing the need to
|
| Their list of customers last month
| |
| | settle for a vehicle that isn't exactly
|
| includes buyers from New York, Arizona,
| |
| | what they want. It would expand the
|
| New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska,
| |
| | potential customer base of dealerships by
|
| Illinois, Arkansas and Florida.
| |
| | making distant buyers more accessible.
|
| Buying Online in Today's Marketplace
| |
| | As of now, the consumers want it, but the
|
| The industry is reluctantly heading
| |
| | dealerships are hesitant. They will all
|
| towards less face-to-face contact. Until
| |
| | eventually break under the weight of
|
| it fully gets there, consumers can still
| |
| | necessity as more dealerships learn the
|
| buy their cars online - it just takes a
| |
| | lesson that "sometimes, it's okay to lose
|
| lot more work.
| |
| | control.
|
| First, they must find a dealership
| |
| |
|
