How To Get A Great Deal

For a start, I am an advocate of what is called Relationship Marketing. The first thing you have to get your target client or customer to do is to buy into you as a human being. In other words, you have to establish a good relationship with the client. Then, almost as a by-product of buying into you as a person, they will buy something from you as a salesman.

For the sake of brevity, let us skip how to establish a relationship and go directly to the close of the deal. That is because without the well-established, tried and trusted methods of closing the deal, you will not be able to close so much as a barn door.

1.) The If or Conditional Close.

This closing technique is one that is well practised not only by professional salesmen but believe it or not also by children. Compare "If I do my homework early can I go out to play?" with "If I can reduce the price of the car by 500 dollars will you buy the car today?"

2.) The Silent Close.

This is when you lay your cards on the table and say something like "Ok Mr Smith, there's the best deal I can give you today." and then shut your mouth. The unwritten rule is that the first one to break the silence, the other one wins the deal. You'll need nerves of steel for this one. I have seen many a Mexican standoff with both players refusing to break the silence for what can be a very uncomfortable period of time.

3.) The Drop Close.

This one is exactly what it says it is, it is when you drop the price to close the deal."My final offer is fifty per cent off, I can do no more, take it or leave it Mr Smith."

4.) The Alternative Close.

This is not unlike the following presumptive close and would go something like "Which model are you having them Mr Smith, the GTO or the GTi?"

5.) The Presumptive Close.

This is one of my all-time favourite closes, but it needs lots of confidence to pull it off. It is when you jump straight to the presumption that the customer is going to buy the car and you ask him not "Are you going to buy the car?" but rather "Which colour should I order Mr Smith?"

6.) The Added Extra Close

Here's where telling the customer that you will include something of value to the car, such as paint protection.

7.) The 'Yes' close.

With this close, the idea is to get the potential buyer to fall into a pattern of giving 'Yes' answers to questions for which there isn't any other type of answer. For example, if it's a pleasant sunny day you can say to the customer something like "Nice day, isn't it." This is what is called Phatic conversation, or small talk, which is a very effective ice-breaker.

I agree, it is a bit like stating the obvious, but that is what will serve the purpose of getting those 'Yes' answers. Having established a pattern, it then becomes more likely that when it comes to asking the customer if they would like to buy the car, they will say 'Yes.'

Knowing these closes off by heart will help you to deal with them when they come up. In fact, you can now turn those self-same closes to your advantage.

Your Turn To Close The Deal

The following examples of how to use the salesman's closes to your own advantage are just that, for example purposes only. You are free to be as creative as you wish and come up with some of your own.

1.)The If close

If I buy the car using your finance, can I get a reduction of the price of the car? I ask because I know you can earn a good commission from the finance provider. This tells the salesman that you have done your homework and know how a deal can be done.

2.)The Silent Close

Remember, you too can play that game and simply say nothing. Let the salesman be the one to make the first move in breaking the uncomfortable silence.

3.)The Drop Close

This is another simple one. You just make your lowest offer. That may well lead to the Silent Close being used by the salesman.

4.)The Alternative Close

Can you offer me a better deal or should I go somewhere else?

5.)The Presumptive Close

So, my offer is 10K, when can I collect the car?

6.)The Added Extra Close

Here's where you can try to close the deal by politely, but firmly, telling the salesman that you will buy the car if they include something of value, such as paint protection.

7.)The 'Yes' Close

This one is as easy as pie as well. Ask the salesman some closed questions followed by “Can I have the car for 10K?”

One more of the many techniques used by professional car salesmen is to negotiate in tens and hundreds rather than thousands. That is in fact a true reflection of how much a car salesman has to play with.

Mythical Discounts

You may mistakenly believe that like other high-ticket items, like houses for example, there is a great deal of wiggle room for the salesman. Sadly this is not the case. So if you go into a dealership demanding a thousand dollars discount, the salesman will in all likelihood counter with an offer something far short of a thousand, but still more than worthwhile having.

For this same reason, dealerships do not have a policy of introducing a blanket discount on all used cars. If you make the mistake of asking for an unreasonably high discount you may not be taken as a serious buyer worthy of attention.

There isn't any guarantee that using the closes above will ensure that you get exactly what you want, but they will certainly increase your chances of getting a better deal.

One or two other things to keep in mind, as a buyer or seller, are as follows; try not to appear too eager to buy or sell, and keep your poker face. Also, be prepared to walk away if you are not getting what you want. If you think the other person is being too pushy take your offer away from them.

I well remember one day a customer I had sold a car to came back the next day to try to re-open negotiations and get a better deal by pushing me to include, 500 pounds worth of extra kit.

I took the car back off him and told him I had three others ready to buy it for more than I had agreed with him (which as it happened was true). That was more than enough to bring him back into line with what was agreed the day before. I never, ever went back on a deal and I would not let others do it to me either.

One final thing to keep in mind is that you can use all of the closing techniques explained in previous pages to buy and sell not just a car but just about anything and everything. A house, a boat, a motorbike, even everyday things like a camera or vacuum cleaner, a hotel room or a plane ticket to a place in the sun.