Negotiation is a big piece of the car buying puzzle. The art of negotiation comes easier for some people than others. The good news is that effective negotiation is a skill that can be learned. There are some fundamental keys to becoming a successful negotiator: communication, knowing the game and how to play it and how to close a deal.

Effective Communication

- Actively listen to the other person. Show them you are engaged through facial

expressions and body language.
- Try to elicit from the other party their needs, wants and concerns
- Invoke responses from the other person that will help direct them

towards the answers you are looking for
- Take notes on what they are saying. This shows that you respect their view

(and will help you as future reference).
- Periodically read your notes back to the other person to confirm what they have

said.
- Allow them to explain things in their own way, even if they repeat

themselves or digress. Your ultimate goal is to get them to say yes to what you

want and their willingness to go along with what you’d like depends a lot on the

feelings, comfort level and perceived outcome.
- The person passing the message has more influence than the message

itself. Your demeanor and mannerisms say a lot about

you

Rules Of Playing The Game

- Begin all negotiations with a plan
- Lead the conversation into the direction you want to go in
- If you begin to feel frustrated excuse yourself from the negotiations
for a few minutes to compose yourself. You wouldn’t want to say something that

will jeopardize your negotiations.
- Do not get into an argument
- Know your bottom line price and stick to it
- Establish a goal in your mind that you want to reach
- Determine the vehicle and options that you want before entering the dealership

What Successful Negotiators Look Like

- ability to express information and ideas in clear cut simple format
- able to focus on the big picture
- portray an optimism about future transactions
- seem down-to-earth
- ability to make fun of themselves to ease tension and demonstrate

light-hearted humor
- demonstrate cooperative interaction

Closing The Deal - Outline how the deal benefits the other person - Try not to knit-pick on tiny things that don’t really matter

Tips to Remember

- People decide whether they like you within the first 30 seconds of meeting you.
- People do business with people they like
- Since people not only reveal but conceal information, enter the

negotiation process with the understanding that you will not know everything