There has been a lot of talk here, like everywhere about gas prices recently. I thought this story might be of interest to those involved in the discussions.... Link

this is a subject that often does spark some good debate. There are many theories on how much someone "should" make when offering a product or service. Pure capatalist types, contend that "whatever the market will bear" is the only way to go. They contend that all other factors are irrelevant. They are more comfortable in a realm where laws such as "supply and demand" which are constant, rule the day. Objections of fairness, sacrifice and decency play no role whatsoever. Others contend tha...

For years now, an increasing majority of scientists have gotten onboard with the concept that global warming is a very real phenomenon, and yes, we are causing it. Still, there has been a increasingly small minority that shuns these views and insists that everything is A-O.K. and we should just continue on as usual. Earlier this month, while the world was focused on the circus that was the death of Anna Nicole Smith, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released the 1st of 3 phases o...

Salespeople are told by their management that they have 1 job generally. That job is to close sales. While some dealerships may have specialists who "close" the customer "in the box," it is the salesperson's primary job responsibility to cause cashflow. Their job is not to show cars, be a center of information, be a liason between the customer and service or any other tak that they routinely do. Salespeople may do these tasks, but it always to achieve an ultimate goal of creating a closing op...

After the info has been presented, and you have taken your test drive. Perhaps you had a trade valued. The deler at the earliest opportunity, will move into "closing' mode. There is an old acronym in sales called "A.B.C." or "always be closing." Meaning that at every point from the greeting to the end, always be looking for the opportunity to get a commitment and complete the transaction. When I was in electronics retail, there was a small exception to that. All big ticket retail stor...

Now that we've been introduced to our sales consultant, and have narrowed in, at least generally, on what we might want from this dealer, The sales process moves to the "selective demonstration" part. Depending on how forthcoming you were with his "interview" questions, whether you spoke on the lot or sat down and let him take some notes to help assist you (which is the best way), will determine how precise he or she can be here. The more they know, the more they can point out things that wou...

When you purchase a car, or anything for that matter where a professional salesperson is involved, you get put through a process. This process, which was mentioned briefly earlier, is called the "sales process." Virtually anyone who goes through any kind of retail sales training learns this process in one form or another. It isn't always exactly parallel, but the major components of it are the same. It also isn't as deceptive as it may sound to someone outside the sales world. Understanding i...

When considering financing, is it smarter to go with the dealer? Is it smarter to get your own? Pay cash? Lease? All of these questions come up when financing a car. A little understanding of the process may make the process a little less frustrating and help you get the best terms for you. When the dealer quotes payments, it's usually at a "generic" interest rate. The rate will usually be a tier 1 rate, with about 2 points or so added for the dealer. They do this for a few reasons, and th...

The trade is one of the most crucial parts of the process, but before diving into that headfirst. Let's take a few moments to understand the sales process. This is something I learned long ago, and have been trained and trained others in various capacities. It varies from company to company, but essentially is the same process. It is not dishonest or unethical. The "sales process" was actually designed mostly to give customers a smooth way to buy rather than randomly dealing with things. T...

The other day, I was sitting, enjoying a beverage, when the person next to me started to go off. They began by telling everyone within earshot what a "rip off house" the car dealer he was at earlier was. He went off about the pressure, the lack of money for his trade, the more than 0% interest rate and a whole host of complaints. With the long list of complaints, it was hard to see how this dealer ever sold a car. But this person's frustrations were not unique. Nor was it unique to complain ...