Instant Respect (Car Buying Tips)

I don’t mean this in a bad way, but salesmen are used to a typical type of customer. This is exactly the type of customer you do not want to be when you are buying a car:

• UNPREPARED
• UNINFORMED
• EMOTIONAL

These customers typically walk into a dealership with no car buying resources of their own. They look to the dealer or the salesman to educate them about the inventory on hand. In the end, they pay the most for their cars. They get burned bad!

Here is the quickest way for you not to be mistaken for a typical customer. Do this and you will instantly have the salesman's respect:

• Start with the reverse car loan calculator to determine the desired selling price to fit your monthly budget.
  
• Do a lot of research into cars that fit your price range.
  
• Get all the information you can about the type of car you want. Print out reviews, prices, statistics and whatever you can get your hands on.
• Use a car loan calculator to figure out the approximate monthly payment for the car you want.
  
• Organize your information so that you find the details to be easily accessible. Put it into a big three-ring binder. When I bought my last car, my binder was at least three inches thick. I knew more about the car than the saleswoman did.
• Bring your thick car buying notebook to the dealer with you. Make sure the salesman knows that you know your stuff! When he sees your notebook of information, he is not as likely to play any typical games on you. Your car buying experience will be completely different from the unprepared buyer’s experience.

Car buying is a serious issue. If you approach it half-heartedly, you can still get the car, but at a much higher cost. Therefore, take the time to educate yourself and be careful to let the sales professional know that you are not the typical buyer.