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667 messages, Last post on Sep 18, 2009 at 3:24 PM
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Replying to: socala4 (Mar 23, 2006 8:40 am)  "Playing dumb" is somewhat against my personality, but I know a few people who could use that strategy to their advantage. I occasionally play a "Polish card", when get really annoyed with someone simply no listening in general communication situations. "I know my English is not perfect, but I thought it was clear that....". Otherwise, I rather play "smart" game - just fits my psyche better. Whether it is right card, I leave others to find out, LOL.
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Replying to: dino001 (Mar 23, 2006 9:10 am) There are several problems with "playing smart" in this situation. For one, it will be easier to get the salesperson to what I call his "point of no return" (the point at which he is so invested in your deal that he will accept a rock-bottom price to close it, and won't let you walk) if you get his hopes up, which is going to be expedited if he thinks you're a bit dim. For another, it raises the competitiveness of your negotiation. If you are a smart guy, then the other side is more inclined to ratchet things up a bit because you present a more obvious challenge. And it also reduces the amount of information available to you. Because the other guy knows you're intelligent, he starts holding on to his cards more closely, because he knows that you are going to use that information against him. He'd be more sloppy, and even more generous with the information, if he didn't think quite as much for you. If you have a certain personality that makes it obvious you aren't a complete hayseed, then I wouldn't encourage you to act like one, because then it would be clear that the whole thing is an act, and it won't work. Instead, I would try to stand outside of yourself and perceive you as others might perceive you based upon obvious factors (including your accent, but not just that), and then act accordingly with the goal of getting the other side to lower its guard. |
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Replying to: socala4 (Mar 23, 2006 8:40 am) ====================== You didn't print that with a straight face, did you.? .. are you sure that's not some comedy skit off Saturday Night Live ..l.o.l.. Living in area where there is many different languages ... a salesperson will either understand the customer - or not ... they'll either get with somebody that speaks the language or they'll get those famous last words from the SM/GM: .. "go find yourself a buying customer" ... that will be the end of that and no time wasted. Terry.
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Replying to: dino001 (Mar 23, 2006 9:10 am) Don't ya love the way this guy put's words in your mouth ..l.o.l.... Terry 
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Replying to: rroyce10 (Mar 23, 2006 2:32 pm) Whether you like it or not, car dealers are subject to the same issues and constraints of other sellers, and your efforts to dominate and control the customer are very easy to overcome. Fortunately, dealers are highly predictable in their efforts to use aggressive tactics, but a tactic understood is not a tactic at all.
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Replying to: socala4 (Mar 23, 2006 2:40 pm) People are people .. if you treat someone with respect, you get respect back .... and good communication is 90% of it (on both sides.!) ... your "theories" of blinking your left eye on Thursdays and stuttering on Tuesdays went out with the Edsel. Terry 
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Replying to: rroyce10 (Mar 23, 2006 2:54 pm) Well, thanks for giving me all of the credit, but actually,I learned this from professional negotiators. People will find references and links to their work on several of my posts. I'd say that the Corolla provides a better analogy. Like the Corolla, dealer gimmicks have been with us for a long time, you can expect that they'll be with us for a long time to come, and they act predictably just about every single time. (And of course, they're cheap.) The package might look a bit different from time to time, but at its heart, the concept remains the same. And thankfully, your arguments here provide a good dress rehearsal for what the customer can expect to hear at the dealership. |
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Replying to: rroyce10 (Mar 23, 2006 2:39 pm) That was all I wanted to say...
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Replying to: dino001 (Mar 24, 2006 7:14 am)
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Replying to: british_rover (Mar 24, 2006 8:06 am) You see - I still speak an accent - and will do to the end of my life. Even if you and all the saleguys on this Forum swear that it's not the case, I know it puts me immediately into at least some disadvantage, as salesguy will likely assume I stepped off the boat yesterday. It's inevitable. This was my comment regarding that insight: Dino has a point, people (not just salespeople) will judge you by a combination of factors, including your accent, manner of speech, etc. That's why behavior is important during negotiation -- the response that you get will be based, in large part, by what you communicate through your body language, expressions and how you act. I essentially agreed with Dino, but added my position that I don't believe that it has to necessarily work to one's disadvantage. But he's absolutely right that it does create a difference, in part because it's human nature to make assumptions about others within less than a minute after we've first met them. Terry wants to deflect and pretend that sales tactics don't exist and that every customer is regarded in the same way. But anyone who has bought a car knows that this is simply nonsense. This forum is driven by the fact that many consumers are confused by the car buying process, and that they often feel ripped off. Do you honestly think that a couple of posts on this board from salespeople trying to convince us that they're angels is going to change this justifiable perception? |
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