I’ve been a car dealer for 43 years… here’s what it really means when we ‘talk to the manager’
A VETERAN car dealer has explained what it means when a salesperson says they need to “talk to the manager”.
Ray Shefska – who has been in the industry for 43 years – revealed some of the tricks of the trade on YouTube channel CarEdge.
He said it isn’t actually a slight of hand manoeuvre and generally comes down to the salesperson not having authority over pricing.
“When the salesperson is presenting numbers to the customer, you have to remember that the salesperson doesn’t really have any real authority,” Ray explained.
They have to run anything the customer proposes by the manager in the office in order to “clear it”, as the only power they really have is to help a buyer select a car and go for a demo drive.
“That’s the main reason a house person will go check with the manager,” he said.
However, Ray said it often won’t be an easy exchange once they do go to speak with their superior, who may well berate them a little.
“The manager wants to challenge the salesperson to go out there and get more money from the customer,” he explained.
They will run them through different factors that they can and can’t offer as part of a deal while also geeing them up.
“It’s just to create more negotiating to try and get a higher price from the customer’s offer,” Ray said.
He went on to say that 90% of dealerships operate this way and often after the salesperson has gone back to the manager with a proposal a couple of times a separate “closer” goes out to seal the deal.
Ray described this superior seller as “strong as an ox” and who’s going to “push you (the customer) a little further”.
But he said in more “progressive” dealerships the salesperson may well have authority across the board.
This would mean they could alter offers and negotiate terms themselves without the need for a manager or a closer.
Simple thing all drivers must do before even walking into a dealership
BY JACOB JAFFA
A CAR buying guru has revealed the simple thing all drivers should do to “save thousands” before even stepping foot in a dealership.
Brits can effectively “earn themselves money” on any car deal just by putting in an hour’s work at home.
Stuart Masson, editor of consumer motoring advice site The Car Expert, sat down for an exclusive chat with SunMotors on how to buy your next car and avoid being ripped off.
He explained that just a little bit of research before even making your way to a showroom can prevent you from being sucked down a rabbit hole of extra charges.
The car sales whizz said: “The first thing that will make the biggest different to whether you’re likely to get a good deal or a bad deal is taking the time to work through everything properly.
“So many people get caught up in ‘I need a new car, I need to do something quickly’.
“You are asking for trouble.
“There are hundreds of thousands of cars for sale, so there will always be good deals.
“A few hours of work saves thousands of pounds.
“Most people won’t make thousands of pounds in a few hours so you are making money.”
Stuart emphasised that the key trick is to set yourself strict budget limits beforehand and walk into the dealership knowing exactly what you want.
He added: “The car dealer will sell you the car that they want to sell you, because that’s their job.
“What you need to do is make sure you’re only looking at cars that meet your criteria.
“If they don’t…go to the next place and be really strict about that.”
You can read the full article here.