When it comes to negotiating your best deal on the car youve
got your eye on, first and foremost you have to do your
research and homework on all the various parts of putting a car
deal together.
 
At a high level, this is all the pricing, rebate, and dealer
incentive numbers you can find on your perspective car. Youve
lined up your financing so you know what you qualify for, how
much you qualify for, how long you can finance, and what your
monthly payments will be based on a few different financing
scenarios. And (if applicable) you know the actual cash value,
and retail value of your trade-in.
 
If you dont have a firm grasp on the aforementioned, proceed
no further (dont show up at a dealership) until you do.
 
But if you have, and you feel confident, lets talk a bit
further about negotiating.
 
Rule number one when it comes to negotiating and car deals.
 
Never  negotiate from the MSRP down Youll never get to the
price you want.
 
Always negotiate from invoice price or dealer cost up.
 
Since youve done your homework, go to the dealership with your
opening offer in mind. Be confident in yourself and the fact
that although you certainly arent going to offer sticker
price, your number will be fair and not ridiculous. If you
offer up something totally ridiculous for the selling price
from the dealer, youve wasted your time and havent really
opened the negotiating process because your offer wont even be
viewed as serious. Keep your offer within the win-win window.
 
When you know your numbers and you come across as confident
(because you are) the sales people and the others at the
dealership will be aware of this and will spend less time
trying to work you.
 
Give yourself room to eventually feel good. By this I mean,
dont table your first offer with the price you have in mind
that you are willing to pay. Think about it for a moment; by
definition there is going to be some negotiating going on here,
so you certainly dont want to begin at the price you want to be
and simply hold firm. This may sound easy but this is truly a
point where many miss the mark. Many people feel uncomfortable
about starting below their target price, but it is an absolute
must when it comes to successfully coming close to or hitting
your pricing goal.
 
If the salesperson or the dealership is the first to offer up a
number to get things going, rather than you countering with an
actual dollar amount simply let the salesperson know that his
number simple not within your budget and they need to come back
with a better offer. By doing this, your goal is to get an even
better opening price without tipping your hand.
 
Remember, a dealership is always going to take a couple shots
at maximizing the deal for their side first.
 
Keep in mind that negotiating is just that negotiating. It
isnt a one-way street where you get everything you want and
the dealership simply acquiesces. There is plenty of give and
take and it may not (actually hardly ever is) limited to just
the price of the car. In other words, if you feel like you have
to come up a bit off your offer or counter offer, see if you can
get some return value for your effort such as some complimentary
maintenance, even floor mats or something.
 
When you do this it keeps the negotiation alive and lets the
dealer know that you are serious about putting together that
win-win deal that works for both parties.
 
Stay open minded during the process and treat the entire car
buying process as a negotiation package. There are numerous
avenues that you can probe for negotiation during the car
buying process. Its not just the price. However, dont agree
on the price and then start trying to negotiate other items.
Once youve said yes to the price, you lose your leverage.
Remember its the entire package.
 
Finally, always keep in mind that without you there is no deal
for the dealer. If you reach an impasse if you have to walk.
Dont rationalize giving in against your better judgment
because you really want the car, or that youve spent the
better part of your day at the dealership. Remember the dealer
and the salesperson have their time invested as well and dont
want the deal to fall through either. Be patient, keep the
negotiation communication lines open and chances are youll be
rewarded with a new car at a price you feel good about paying.

About The Author: Jeff Neilan's car dealer experience offers
insightful http://www.acarbuyersguide.com that save you time
and money. Be sure to visit www.acarbuyersguide.com for
http://www.acarbuyersguide.com/financing.htm tips, ownership
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