What You Should Know About Car Salesmen

To most car salesmen, selling cars is a game of strategy. And as in any strategic game, the more you know about your opponent, the better. When you are at a dealership, the car salesman will ask you lots of questions in order to learn as much about you as he can. So to even the score, here are three important facts that you should know about him:

1. He needs you more than you need him.
The car salesman may be under a lot of stress. Since he works on commission, he doesn't eat or pay his rent if he doesn't sell a car. That's a lot to live with. In addition, his Sales Manager may be pressuring him to sell, sell, sell. So despite how cool and calm the salesman may appear on the surface, underneath he could be desperate to sell you a car.

2. He is not really in control.
The car salesman operates under the illusion that he is in control of the car-buying situation, that he's running the show. He's confident and smooth. Yet in actuality, you have the final say. And the car salesman knows this. He knows that, at any point, you can simply say "no" and walk away. That's one of his biggest fears.

3. He shouldn't be fully trusted.
When you ask the car salesman a question, he may give you an honest answer. Or he may lie. Or he may say he doesn't know the answer because he really doesn't know. Or he may say he doesn't know because he wants you to think that he's not as smart as he really is. (That's a common ploy.) In other words, because the car salesman is under so much pressure to sell you a car, he may say anything to get you to buy. And he'll do it under the guise of being a nice guy. So to protect yourself, it pays to never fully trust any car salesman.

Aren't there any honest car salesmen? Yes, of course there are -- just as there are honest politicians. But the problem is that there are so many unscrupulous car salesmen and the nature of their game is so tricky, that it's best to never fully trust any car salesman. It's sometimes the ones who seem the most honest who are actually the trickiest. So play it safe. Be friendly with the car salesman. Treat him with respect. But never forget that his intention is to take as much money from you as possible.