HOW TO TALK DOWN A CAR DEALER-10 TIPS FOR INTROVERTS -

So, you’re an introvert but you want to buy a car. To do this successfully, you’ll have to learn how to talk down a car dealer.

You see, the car market is a world where you’ll encounter things that are a nightmare for introverts.

Pushy, loud people, lots of negotiating, sometimes swindling, you have to be on the edge to avoid traps, and so on. Of course, It’s not always this way. There are many exceptions where people treat you fairly and have a nice attitude.

But, as we all know when it comes to making a living and feeding the family, seldom does anybody want to miss a good chance. In the world of car dealers, introverts are the perfect opportunity.

This is mainly why it’s good to learn how to talk down a car dealer. Just in case the situation gets pushy and out of hand, this article should help to protect yourself and your money.

1. HAVE A CLEAR VISION OF WHAT YOU WANT

The foundation of every good car purchase is to make a decision about what you exactly want.

Let’s be honest, buying a car is a hard task. It’s pretty expensive, there are a lot of options and a lot of manufacturers.

To add to this, a car is a long-term investment that should serve you well for at least five years (more like 10) without any problems.

Then there’s the factor of what you like as opposed to what you really need. For instance, you may start looking for something practical like a station wagon and easily end up with a convertible which you don’t really need.

Pretty tough to combine these contradictory factors into one package, especially if you’re buying a used car.

Car dealers know this and will easily take advantage of it, especially if you’re an introvert who is more likely to be talked or pushed over.

Always have in mind what you exactly want and, above all, know that you’re giving away you’re hard-earned money.

No such talk or pushy attitude should leash you of these unless it’s exactly what you want and need.

If you’re interested, click here for some more tips on how to buy a used car.

2. WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU WANT

Once you’ve made the decision, write it down on a piece of paper or on your smartphone. This may sound old school but is very effective as a reminder.

As you’ll see, once you start visiting dealerships, driving around, spending hours, days, or even weeks searching for the right car, fatigue will kick in.

This is normal because as mentioned, buying a car is not something that’s done every day and demands time, attention, and caution.

You may get tired, irritated, or downright bored with the whole affair. This is when you’re more susceptible to buying something you don’t want or under bad conditions.

Having a clear image in written or illustrated form is very important in order to learn how to talk down a car dealer.

If he/she starts selling you something you don’t want and you sense your giving in, just pull out the paper or your phone and take a glance at what you really want.

It should work and return you on the right track.

3. TAKE A FIRM STANCE WHEN TALKING WITH THE CAR DEALER

If you enter a dealership with a quiet and sort of a lost person attitude (which a lot of introverts do), most car dealers will notice this and adjust their behavior accordingly.

They will probably start offering cars that you may not need, payment arrangements that don’t suit you, trim levels that are above your budget, and so on.

Opposed to this, a confident stance and firm posture will make handling the situation much easier and in your favor. Maybe you won’t even have to talk down to him/her to get what you want.

4. BE PREPARED TO BE RUDE

If you really want to learn how to talk down a car dealer, you’ll probably have to be a bit rude.

This is hard for introverts as most of them avoid conflict situations and in general, avoid being rude to other people.

(for more information about introverted people, click here for a great explanation on Wikipedia)

But you should know that you’re not going to the opera house, rather to a fighting arena where your interest has to be number one.

Rudeness is perhaps less needed when buying a new car, but when buying used ones, you’ll need to roll up your sleeves.

Don’t be afraid nor shy to speak your mind and talk down to someone if needed.

Yes, this may be a nightmare for an introverted person but it is necessary to save your interest and money. Besides this, it might give you an extra edge for a better deal.

5. BE LOUD EVEN ARROGANT IF YOU HAVE TO

This tip may sound odd, but try mirror-imaging the other side. Even train a bit if you have to as it works wonders.

As mentioned lots of salesman can see an introvert from a mile away and will try to verbally impose themselves.

The standard techniques are loudness, some shouting, being arrogant even intrusive.

Mirror imaging will successfully fight this off. Just do the similar things the car dealer does. For instance, if he/she yells, you yell also. This will send a strong message and make the other side think twice before trying something.

It will also make talking down easier.

Don’t act like a comedian or make a fool of yourself. Sound and look natural as if it was second nature.

6. MAKE SURE THAT THE CAR DEALER KNOWS THAT YOU’RE A PAYING CUSTOMER

Talking down to a car dealer will be much easier if you flash some cash.

The car dealer will notice this for sure and act accordingly.

To be honest, car dealers are faced on a daily basis with all kinds of people with all kinds of attitudes. Thousands of queries end up with only a handful of purchases. This is a tedious and tiring environment and spotting a potential real customer is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Instead of a bad attitude, you may unlock a personality that will help you make the right decision.

The best part is that it will make talking down much easier, less aggressive, or even unnecessary.

7. INFORM YOURSELF ABOUT THE MARKET

To learn how to talk down a car dealer, you must be well informed as it will give you a good advantage.

What better place to do this for an introverted person than the internet.

Luckily, in today’s world, every one regarding car sales (new and used) is on the net.

The best part of this is that you can spend hours upon hours searching for cars from the comfort of your own home, without any hassle, chattering, or unwanted conversations.

Besides this, it will paint a good picture of the market, prices, and locations. One more good thing is that you can read experiences and reviews which is pretty good help.

Knowing the prices will give you an advantage for a good bargain while the reviews and experiences will inform should you even visit a certain dealership.

Even better (but this rare and in some cases not necessary) you can make a purchase without even visiting the dealership at all.

8. DON’T GET TOO FRIENDLY

Introvert people, by their nature, are quiet, nonintrusive and lots of times, friendly.

This can easily be misunderstood for a weakness or an advantage for the other side.

Put more simply, the car dealer may misunderstand that you are over-friendly and use that as an angle to his/her advantage. I would not call this unusual as it is somewhat part of human nature.

Being polite and well-spoken will be enough if the dealership deserves so. Any other kind of courtesy is OK when you’ve made a deal and if it’s to your satisfaction.

When you get in a situation where you have to talk down a car dealer it’s much harder if there are friendliness and emotions involved.

You’re there for business and your own interest, not for social acquaintance.

This where being an introvert comes in handy. Being a distanced person of few words will speak its own volume and help you stay focused on what you really want and need.

9. DON’T FEEL GUILTY

In the process of searching for a car and visiting dealerships, you’ll encounter a lot of people and probably have a lot of conversations.

During those conversations, don’t promise anything.

Why? Well, from what I’ve seen, most introverts are pretty polite people. Not all, but most that I’ve met are. Politeness, among other means to keep your word.

For instance, you liked the presentation of the car, you liked how the car dealer treated you but you didn’t exactly like the car.

This may lead (because of that politeness and the dealer’s extra effort) to have second thoughts about what you really want and even start thinking about buying that car.

Avoid this like wildfire. At the end of the day, your guilt will not justify that you’ve bought something you don’t need (wrong car type, overpriced, in bad condition, etc).

The best way to avoid this is to keep a distance and don’t promise anything. Just prevent the whole guilt trip possibility altogether.

Some of the best expressions for this are: “thanks I’ll see”, “thanks for your time”, “if I make up my mind I’ll call”, “thank you for the nice explanation” and so on.

In the world of car buying a weak promise is forgotten in a matter of days while a bad purchase is something you’ll have to live with for years to come.

10. TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU

Taking someone with you is gold when you want to buy a car.

That person should be a sort of wingman, both for keeping a good perspective and for helping to repel any „attacks“.

A huge help for an introverted person as a good car dealer can easily get the upper hand in a purchase and a negotiation. A bit of pushing and shoving, some loud talking, even spiced with a touch of rudeness, and money is out of the pocket.

The best-case scenario is if you bring someone that has some car knowledge, can recognize hassling, and already knows how to talk down a car dealer on his/her own.

Win-win situation, as this person will both help you choose a good car and may help you get a good deal.

CONCLUSION

Being an introvert in a loud, flashy, and cocky world isn’t easy at all. I know that very well. The burden is even more obvious when you start looking around for your next car.

Whether you like it or not, the truth is that many car dealers will try and take advantage of introverted people and attempt to take away their hard-earned money. You know what?

They won’t miss a minute of sleep for doing it.

On the other hand, you surely will.

In order to avoid that, one of the most useful things you can learn is how to talk down a car dealer. It’s a useful tool that will save you from an unwanted or bad purchase, bad negotiation and in the end, save you some serious money.

In the end, I hope that any car dealer reading this doesn’t get offended. We all have to make a living and doing so from selling cars is one of the toughest ways.

Just wanted to ask that, if you encounter and recognize an introverted person, please take your time and treat him/her the right way and show the correct path to buying a good car.

Please avoid the more popular and standard „holler into submission/wise guy“ attitude as it will only have a serious counter-effect.

This will, for sure, make both sides happy and satisfied in the long run.