Every car salesperson works differently, and it’s fun to observe. This past week, I had the opportunity to shop for a new car. I visited 4-5 dealerships, all with a different experience. I noticed not only different sales tactics but also different pressure points that push them in one direction or another. Thankfully, God’s hand was present through the process, and I landed on a great car to purchase. The salespeople’s behaviors, as observed in my experience, should be identified and discussed.
Dealership 1 was an experience straight out of a training course. The salesman approached me with an almost overwhelming tone of joy and calm. He brought me to his desk, asking what I was specifically looking for, and set up a test drive. During the test drive, he remained conversational, building a relationship. Towards the end of the drive, he tried to hook me. He asked me to rate the driving experience from 1 to 10. I answered with a score of 6.5. The vehicle was a nice experience, but nothing special. The car was the model I was looking for, but it did not have the correct interior and exterior color options available in my desired trim. I moved on to Dealership 2.
At Dealership 2, I was met by an experienced saleswoman who cut right to the chase. There was no fluff, no push, just being helpful where she could. I had a specific car in mind on the lot, so she retrieved it for me to check out. Unfortunately, the car was riddled with hail damage and stained my desire for it. I then walked through their other dealerships, as it was a dealership park owned by the same group. When I entered Dealership 3, I was met with a rude salesman who did not even bother to stand up and greet me. To say he was not helpful would be kind and not realistic. He must have doubted my ability to buy because he was not interested in making a sale that day. Perhaps he was not paid on commission. Dealership 4 was me walking around their lot, where I was greeted by a salesman. He grabbed his jacket and walked outside to make the effort and introduce himself. If I had bought a car from there, he was going to be my guy. If you’re in the market for a Chevy, check out Serra Chevy and ask for Richard.
All hope seemed lost, but I stumbled upon a great car at Dealership 5. It was the car. Great miles, great Carfax history, great spec. This was not a standard car dealership; it was a Lexus dealership. I was greeted very calmly and given the keys to test-drive on my own. No salesperson with me allowed me to think for myself and be more relaxed during our interactions. Needless to say, I was hooked. I pulled in and signed the dotted line.
From this experience, I saw multiple sales tactics. I noticed that standard brand dealerships, such as Honda, are almost begging for your sale. I understand that commission is the salesperson’s income, but that can oftentimes create desperation in them. As Prof. Sweet discussed in class, this is oftentimes off-putting. I am thankful for how the day transpired, and learned a lot about what to look for as a consumer on the other side of the sales transaction.
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