MAKE THEM WORK FOR YOUR HARD-EARNED MONEY

They have the car and they must sell it. You can always live without the car a little longer. Do not allow yourself to feel pressured. Remind yourself that the salesperson is the one who is desperate.

Let them see that you have changeable moods and cannot be trifled with. If this is not your basic nature, bring along someone who can act this way. Try acting this way for a short period of time yourself and see if you can pull it off. Here are some pointers:

• Clear your mind of all extraneous details. Don't go to buy a car with a head full of troubles. Once you enter the showroom, the car buy should be your first and only priority.
  
  
• Know that your financing homework is done and that, for all intents and purposes, you have the cash in hand. This will give you confidence and will present you from being held up by later financing problems.
  
  
• Limit the negotiations to one car, two at the most. The salesperson will look at you as a browser if you negotiate in general rather than on one specific car.
  
  
• Know what your trade-in is worth - what you can get the new car for and what options you will want. Be prepared. You can wing it, of course, but it will cost you in your wallet.
  
  
• It's your money. You are the customer. If the dealer wants your money, let him work hard for it.
  
  
• Demand good treatment. A lack of warmth and some reserve will keep a distance between them and you, which is what you want. Most salespeople believe that if you like them, they will have more success making the sale. They will go out of their way to make you like them in order to facilitate closing a deal. Don't give them the edge. Keep them at enough of a distance so that friendship does not become a factor.

NOW, ACT LIKE THE INFORMED CONSUMER THAT YOU ARE

Don't be emotional - be neutral. Don't gush over a car. If you do, you will pay more for it.

Don't be too negative either. This only makes the salesperson defensive. If you are constantly negative, the salesperson will assume that you not ready to buy yet. Being negative will not get you respect or a cheaper car. Nor will it make you look like a real buyer.

Be a little unpredictable and cool. If you feel you are being treated badly or not taken seriously, be firm and let them know about it.

Don't be afraid to speak up. You have to ask for a good price to get one. Be ready to deal if the price and everything else is right.

Salespeople are trained to determine in the first few minutes what type of a customer you are. Once this is settled in their minds, they choose a game plan to follow in order to handle you to the best of their advantage.

It is definitely to your advantage to suddenly show them that their entire strategy isn't working. They have to rethink their strategy at the last minute, and it is always difficult to change pace and negate all the things they have said previously to make you buy a car.

Tell the salesperson only what he needs to know. He will probe you for information about your job, why you want to buy a car and your financial situation. He will also want to know if you want to buy a car or lease. Tell him only what you want him to know, when you want him to know it.
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