There's no denying it: women love to shop. Yet, for most of us, stepping into a car dealership is something we dread almost as much as going for a bikini wax.
If you read Car Buying Tips: Before You Go Shopping part 1 of my tips, then you've already made your lists and you're prepared to step into the dealership. Hopefully you wrote everything down so you have all your requirements with you to refer to, but at the very least, you have in your mind exactly what you are looking for.
I highly recommend that you plan to take 2-3 hours out of your day for this shopping excursion so that you're not rushed. This is a major purchase and needs to have your full attention.
By allowing extra time, you can also test drive more than one car, and it will be easier to compare them. Even I find it difficult to remember everything about a car I drove just a week ago. Being able to drive your top car choices back-to-back will make it much easier to make an educated decision in the end.
Do not be intimidated. You are the one with the money; you know what you want and you will do what you need to do to find the perfect vehicle for your needs. Remember this!
As I mentioned in my first article; know what you want and what you don’t want. Hopefully, you've done some research so when the salesperson asks what you're looking for you can adequately and confidently supply an answer. If you're just ”browsing” don’t be afraid to tell them that. Maybe you've only seen pictures online and you want to see a car in real life -- that’s fine. However, be respectful of the salesperson's time and tell them firmly that you are just looking.
Car salespeople work on commission. I don’t think this will surprise anyone, but I just want to remind you. Of course, this means they want to sell you something and get your money so they'll get their cut of it. If you are firm and respectful in the beginning, it sets the tone immediately.
Be friendly and let them know what you want. Showing right away that you already know what you want will help deter the salesperson from suggesting things that you don’t want or need that may cost you more money down the line.
When they ask what you want to spend, give them a lower ballpark figure than what you can really afford. This will give you more room to play with if you do decide that you want more features or a more powerful engine -- or a different vehicle all together!
If you read Car Buying Tips: Before You Go Shopping part 1 of my tips, then you've already made your lists and you're prepared to step into the dealership. Hopefully you wrote everything down so you have all your requirements with you to refer to, but at the very least, you have in your mind exactly what you are looking for.
I highly recommend that you plan to take 2-3 hours out of your day for this shopping excursion so that you're not rushed. This is a major purchase and needs to have your full attention.
By allowing extra time, you can also test drive more than one car, and it will be easier to compare them. Even I find it difficult to remember everything about a car I drove just a week ago. Being able to drive your top car choices back-to-back will make it much easier to make an educated decision in the end.
Do not be intimidated. You are the one with the money; you know what you want and you will do what you need to do to find the perfect vehicle for your needs. Remember this!
As I mentioned in my first article; know what you want and what you don’t want. Hopefully, you've done some research so when the salesperson asks what you're looking for you can adequately and confidently supply an answer. If you're just ”browsing” don’t be afraid to tell them that. Maybe you've only seen pictures online and you want to see a car in real life -- that’s fine. However, be respectful of the salesperson's time and tell them firmly that you are just looking.
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Car salespeople work on commission. I don’t think this will surprise anyone, but I just want to remind you. Of course, this means they want to sell you something and get your money so they'll get their cut of it. If you are firm and respectful in the beginning, it sets the tone immediately.
Be friendly and let them know what you want. Showing right away that you already know what you want will help deter the salesperson from suggesting things that you don’t want or need that may cost you more money down the line.
When they ask what you want to spend, give them a lower ballpark figure than what you can really afford. This will give you more room to play with if you do decide that you want more features or a more powerful engine -- or a different vehicle all together!