We’ve all experienced a pushy salesperson at one time or another. It may have been over the phone or in an electrical store. We even get people knocking on our door trying to sell us something these days – so there’s no hiding from them!
But the pushiest salespeople you are ever likely to come across are car salesmen. This isn’t always the case however, and there are some very nice and friendly car salesman out there, but they don’t tend to last very long and it’s the pushy ones who are usually the most successful. Which means we are all going to have to put up with it for a long time to come.
So, now that we realise we can’t escape them it’s time to do our homework and find out what makes them so pushy, and what we can do in the future to help things go along more smoothly.
Pushy salesman can be handled and kept at bay, and if you want to find out more about how you can deal with aggressive salesman please follow our guide on what to expect and how you can make life much easier for yourself…
Why are they pushy?
Before we begin to show you what to look out for and help you deal with pushy car salesman, it’s important to understand what makes them so aggressive in the first place and to empathise with them a little.
I know what you’re thinking – why should I ever empathise with a car salesman? But once you put yourself in their shoes you can begin to acknowledge why they act the way they do, and this is the first step to understanding their behaviour and reacting to it in a positive way. In the end, there is no need to fall out with anyone and get angry about how pushy they are. Understanding why they act like this will help you to keep calm and relaxed.
First of all, salespeople are put under a lot of stress. And we don’t just mean the usual day to day long working hours and deadlines that we’ve all experienced at some point, but we’re talking about the kind of stress associated with the worry of losing your job at any moment.
In most jobs that aren’t directly sales related you may get away with a few mistakes, or if you miss a couple of deadlines. You might get a slap on the wrist, or even a verbal or written warning. And sure, you may lose your job if that persists, but if you’re a car salesman and you don’t hit your targets for a couple of months on the trot, then you are usually looking at an instant dismissal.
So when you start to realise how vital it is they make a sale every time someone walks into the showroom, you can understand why they act like a bunch or predators that haven’t eaten for 6 weeks! If you wanted to be a successful salesperson then you’d have to do exactly the same, as it’s a dog eat dog industry, and it’s sad to say, but you’ll only survive if you push and push and act aggressively when the time is right to make that all important sale.
The first and most important point to cover is…
You are the one holding the money and the power
No matter how pushy or in control the salesman appears to be, ultimately you are the one who makes the decision – and you are the one holding the money and the power. Once you realise this before you walk into the showroom, the more confident you’ll feel about dealing with a car salesman.
It’s your money and your decision
Don’t be pressurised into buying something you don’t want, and didn’t set out to buy in the first place. Car salesman are very rarely interested in what you actually want, and are more interested in what car will make them the most commission.
This won’t always be the case as there are lots of times when a salesman is just happy to sell you anything, but you do however have to be very wary of how subtly they will divert to a different car because they know it will make them more money.
It could be a car that’s been in stock for a long time and there is a bonus for getting rid of it at last. Or it could be that the salesman needs one or two more sales to hit their target and make extra commission. No matter what the reason, you must stay focused and remember that it’s your hard earned cash and it’s ultimately your decision on what you buy.
Tell them what you want
Make it clear what you want from the start.Be clear right from the start what you want and what you don’t want. For example, if you are looking for an economical car with plenty of leg room and air conditioning, then don’t let them show you a fast sporty car. This might be a very obvious example, but you’d be amazed how many people buy something completely different to what they originally set out for!
Make a list before you set off for the dealership, and write everything down. Keep this list in your pocket and review it over and over whilst you are being shown around a few cars. If you keep looking at this list you should be able to take note of what you’re being shown and see if it matches.
If the list is very long then don’t hesitate to give it to the salesman to follow. This should make it very clear to them what you are looking for, and should help to stop them from straying. At the end of the day the salesman is happy to sell you a car no matter what commission they make, because it’s either that or you walk away.
So if you make it completely clear from the start what you want and you remain firm the minute they stray, you should very quickly have the salesman working with you rather than against you, and staying focused on what you want.
You’ll be the one driving – not them
Let the car speak for itself, and not the salesman.When you take the car out for a test drive try not to let your thoughts be clouded by the usual sales pitch of, “How smooth is this car?”, or “Did you notice how fast it went up that hill?”
Again, not only should you be making a list of the type of spec you want, you should also be making a mental note of how you’d like it to drive and feel on the road. Try to ignore a lot of the comments the salesman makes whilst on the test drive, and even ask them to be quiet if they are putting you off.
Taking a car out for a test drive is the last thing you should do after you’ve narrowed your choice down, so you cannot afford to miss out on the opportunity of seeing how it matches up to your expectations.
You also need to be wary of how a salesman will always counter act a problem you raise, and how easily they will appear to brush it under the carpet. The salesman will obviously try to focus your attention on the positives to get you to buy the car. But if it hasn’t got something you want, then stay firm and tell them it’s not the car for you.
The add-ons – warranty, finance and insurance
To begin with let’s look at finance and what you need to look out for when deciding to take it out with the dealership. First of all you must do your research before you sign up for anything. You have to remember that the salesman will make more commission if you take out finance, so they will usually try to push you into it, even if you’ve got the money already sat in your account.
The usual tricks to try and get you to sign up for finance are to tell you that you’re hard earned cash is much better stopping in the bank for a rainy day, and to keep collecting that amazing amount of interest the bank likes to throw at you.
However, you have to compare this to the amount of interest you are going to pay on the finance itself to see how much more out of pocket you’ll be at the end of it. Do some quick calculations before you step out of the house and work out how much interest you’d earn if the money stopped in the bank, and how much in total you’re going to pay if you have finance.
In some instances it may actually benefit you to take out finance and keep your money in the bank, just in case something does crop up and you need to get your hands on a lot of money for an emergency. So if you are concerned that you’re leaving yourself at risk by using all of your savings on a car, then the salesman is actually right and you should consider finance.
It all depends on the finance rate they are offering you, and how much you’ll pay in total at the end. Salesman will usually try to hide that total figure you’ll pay for the car at the end of the finance term, and will try to focus you on the monthly amount. They say things like, “This car will only cost you £150 per month. How great is that?”
What they fail to tell you is that you’ll end up paying £2,000 more in 4 years time than you would have done if you’d bought the car out right! So it’s vital that you sit there and do the sums if you are considering finance, and don’t just focus on the monthly figure.
When it comes to warranty and insurance, you need to look out for the possibility that they might build it into the price of the car, and include it in your finance deal. The salesman or finance manager may very easily tell you it will cost £150 a month to own this car, but what they may fail to tell you is that £30 of that monthly figure is for a 12 months warranty.
You need to look out for these sneaky sales tactics, and ask them to break down absolutely everything you are paying for. So if you don’t want a warranty and are not interested in any kind of tyre insurance, then tell them right at the start and keep reminding them. If they present a finance deal to you and you ask them if these items have been added, then they have to tell you.
Even if you are paying cash, the salesman may be automatically adding these things onto your invoice, so again, you need to look out for these easy to spot sales tricks. Salesman can make as much commission on these extras as they do the actual car sale, so you can see why they are keen to slip them under the radar!
Conclusion
Overall you need to be confident, firm and direct when it comes to dealing with car salesman. Make sure you know what you want before you go, so you can’t be tempted into buying something you don’t want just because the salesman said it would benefit you.
Keep your wits about you and remember – it’s your money!And at the end of the day, if you do not like the salesman and the way they are speaking to you and you find them very unhelpful, then don’t stand for it. Either ask them to get someone else, or leave altogether and go to a different garage.
Buying a car is the second most expensive thing you’ll buy (a house being the first), so you really cannot afford to buy something you do not want and end up feeling frustrated. It is your money and your decision. Do not rush into anything, and do not let the salesman push you into something you are clearly not comfortable with.
Take your time, and spend your money wisely…