The Negotiating Process… Don’t Run Away unless you Run to Runde’s

People, let’s face it, we have all gotten into purchasing something or another without fully understanding what we are buying or why we need to buy it.

I went into a computer repair center last week to get my desktop computer looked at and I could have almost sworn that the person helping me was speaking a foreign language. He was saying stuff about “ram” and “mega bytes” and “Mozilla Firefox”… It sort of sounded like he was talking about a Japanese horror movie or something … what the heck??!!  In any case, I trusted that he knew what he was doing and ended up paying about $150.00 in repairs. He mentioned something about spyware when I went in to pick it up.  I’m not sure why it was needed and I didn’t try to negotiate anything. Why? because I was confused and because I didn’t want to come off as confrontational under what seemed at the time like high pressure sales.

What I SHOULD have done was to ask him explain every detail of what I was buying until I was no longer confused.  I also should have debated what I needed and didn’t need and then proceed in negotiating a price with him.

Some would say it’s not appropriate to be assertive and aggressive in a situation like that where you’re dealing with “an expert”. Well to heck with that, I say! We need to know what we are getting into, why we are getting into it, and what’s the best way to go about it.

That’s why I love it here at Runde’s, I know I’m not working for someone that cheats people. We hide absolutely nothing from the customer.

If you don’t believe me, then read about what to expect at Runde Auto Group where we outline pretty much every step of our buying process.

Every transaction I’ve witnessed here has the customer as the one getting the deal, not the dealership. That’s why we don’t charge processing fees or documentation “doc” fees or any of that fluff.  We never have and never will.   Those extra fees are all to often added on by other dealerships and the money collected usually goes into a slush fund intended for buying the dealership owner a new boat every year. 

At Runde’s we present customers with real prices and never any hidden fees.  Honestly, here at Runde’s — you could actually call it “NO-gotiaion” – because we give you the best possible outcome from the get go… but that’s just me being proud of our team… back to some tips on negotiating!

Here is a simple 4-step strategy to take into consideration while negotiating. This list is from years and years of experience, research and common sense.

1. Prepare yourself– research the market for what you are looking for.  Read reviews and comparable  items to make sure you know what you are going in for before you go in.
2. Debate – Open your case up to the salesperson, try to be as specific as possible,  and hear what they can offer you.
3. Compromise – Debate your research with what the best offer the salesperson can give you and ask yourself if it is fair and reasonable to both parties.
4. Finalize – Work out the details, try to get the best possible outcome for the both of you so that a strong relationship is built for future encounters.
5. Say “No” to Doc Fees – When presented with a fluff fee like this, simply tell the dealer that you’re not going to pay it.  The dealer should already have enough profit built into the deal by the time you’re ready to sign the paperwork.  If they throw something like a documentation fee in your face at the last minute … tell them “no” and be prepared to walk … or better yet run … run over to Runde’s where you won’t be presented with crap like that. 

Whatever you’re in the market for, let them know you are there to get a fair deal and won’t have it any other way. Don’t let anyone walk over you!  As Rod Stewart would say, “Don’t let ’em put you down, don’t let ’em push you around!” 

Buying a car should be enjoyable so if you’re turned off by a dealer’s negotiating process or strategies, get the heck out of that dealership immediately.