• When you start to negotiate, never go near your limit, especially when asked, “What’s a comfortable payment?” They will always present a deal or car that surpasses the number. • “Haggle” is a weak way to close a deal, yet it’s common in negotiations, and never more so than when purchasing a car. The half of what you get may not be worth having. Instead, think of something else you want to trade for to close a gap — or, as I did, if the dealer proposes the haggle, respond with a counterproposal that’s more favorable to you. • When you do hit your limit, don’t be afraid to walk out. They’re the ones who want to sell a car, and there are so many dealers to choose from. If you’re like me and love negotiating, you’re now prepared to enter the ring and come out a winner. And if the very thought of this process gives you heartburn, you might be surprised by just how good a well-planned negotiation strategy will make you feel as you’re driving away.
“I actually think it’s fun.”
additional options. The salesman told us that, with the amount down that we offered, the payment would be $298 a month. Too high! I asked what the payment would be if we offered a little more down, and his response was $269 a month. Having enough information by this point, I began the negotiation in earnest by saying, “If you drop the payment to $250 a month [still not my daughter’s limit], we will provide $5,000 for taxes, registration, prep, and a down payment.” His response was classic “haggle.” He said, “Could we meet in the middle?” The way I see it, haggling is poor form and it weakens your position, especially if the other party responds with a proposal, which I did. A true haggle would have made the payment $259.50. Instead, I countered by saying, “OK, $255 a month!” — still not my daughter’s limit. He laughed at my response, which signaled to me that the answer was not “no.” Having already gotten the go-ahead from my daughter, I said, “If you accept $255 a month with $5,000 down, we will buy the car.” He wrote all of that down and he asked, “Would you put your name to that offer?” By this point, the signal (well, kind of a stunt , actually) was that the offer would be approved. I saw this as a closing opportunity, so I told him, “If I sign that, I expect the manager to approve the deal with no further changes.” He came back and shook our hands. Ultimately, if you want to get more out of these types of negotiations, here are a few things to remember . . .
“You might be surprised by just how good a well-planned negotiation strategy will make you feel.”
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