Tips on how to get the prices down at a car dealership

Haggling is a skill that can save you thousands of dollars if you play your cards right. It’s not just about asking for a lower price and being adamant about it. Sometimes, you have to play the salesperson so they can lower their guard and the price. Haggling is no different when you’re at a car dealership. Getting a salesman to talk down a car can be difficult, but what you get is definitely worth the try. Here are some tips on how to get the prices down at a car dealership.

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 Before you talk about the prices, it’s ideal that you know what the car’s base price is. You can do so by checking out trustworthy websites. This way, you’ll know if the current price the salesperson is giving is too high. If the car’s value is around $20,000, haggle at that range.

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Don’t be afraid to walk away if negotiations aren’t doing so well. Leaving simply means you’ll still have your money, but the salesperson would have missed a deal. They would be more likely to change their minds if you look like you’ve decided to take your business somewhere else.

Lastly, if you’re buying using cash, don’t be afraid to flaunt it. Let’s say you’re trying to buy a used car that’s worth $9,000. If you show the salesperson that you have $8,300 on you at the moment, it’s possible that the salesperson would make the deal.


Jeffrey W. Lupient graduated from Hamline University with a degree in Political Science. He began his career in the automotive industry when he started working multiple jobs in his family’s chain of dealerships. Since then, he has developed a business acumen fit for a leader in the trade. He is currently a dealership manager in Lupient Buick Pontiac GMC. For more insightful reads on car dealerships, visit this page.

Expert maintenance tips that can extend the life of a car

In today’s world, cars no longer serve the sole purpose of luxury – they’re a necessity among families as well as business owners, and to ensure their longevity means to get the most out of the total cost.  The good news is there are care and maintenance techniques that guarantee cars will work well for a long time and even extend their lifespan.

Be patient with break-in period

Usually, during the first 1,000 miles, it’s best to keep one’s speed under 55 mph or to what was recommended by the manufacturer.  Avoid heavy loads on the drive train, and use only light to medium acceleration.  Don’t allow the new car to idle for long stretches of time, as the oil pressure produced by doing so many not be sending oil to every part of the engine.

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Learn the meaning of various warning indicators

This is a must even with modern cars’ sophisticated sensors and warning system.  Understand what’s check engine light, service engine light, electrical fault light, brake warning light, ABS warning light, coolant warning light, and oil warning light are all for.

Drive with care every time

Sure, it’s a lean speed machine.  But cars should also be used with care and consideration.  Don’t race the car’s engine during startup, and accelerate slowly once driving starts.  Put less strain on the engine and automatic transmission through shifting to neutral at red lights, and when turning the steering wheel, don’t hold it in an extreme right or left position for more than a couple of seconds.

Maintain wheels and tires properly

Check tire pressures, as well as tread depth.  Rotate tires and have the aligned checked.  Clean the brake dust off the wheels, as it’s the accumulation of different materials that come from the brake rotor and the brake pad itself as they come into contact when the brakes are applied.

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Use gas from reputable service stations

Ask whether the gas you’re about to buy is filtered at the pump and if the station ensures changing the pump filters regularly.  Stations that don’t have pump filters can make one prone to dirty gasoline, while others may not mix alcohol and fuel properly (or even water down their product).

Jeffrey W. Lupient is a native of Minnesota. He started his career in the automotive retail industry when he began working multiple jobs in his family’s chain of dealerships at the age of 15. For more on the automotive industry, click here.

How Auto Dealerships Can Grow In The Digital Age

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Many traditional auto dealership businesses are losing out for one simple reason: not going digital in their marketing roadmap. Traditional marketing and advertising techniques just don’t cut it anymore in an age where people make buying decisions online and look to social media for researching products and services. Here are some ways for auto dealers to grow and take advantage of marketing in the digital age.

Use video

Most buying processes happen online these days, with customers searching for cars, viewing features, and comparing prices on online shopping platforms. Video content is one surefire way to attract prospects. Create and promote video walk-throughs and tutorials for clients, highlighting the experience they can get from visiting the dealership. A virtual presentation of the inventory can also be recorded to showcase numerous features and innovations.

Mount an email campaign

Personalization is key in creating emails that convert. Email campaigns can be segmented based on different data sets, from car brands and models to demographic selections such as income and neighborhoods and cities. Be sincere, friendly, and attentive to customer needs and pain points.

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Go social

Roll out a professional and fully decked profile on social platforms, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Industry-centric platforms and apps are also a great target. Schedule posting, sharing, and promotion of content in a way that best engages with the audience. Employ excellent writing and storytelling.

Jeffrey W. Lupient is the Dealer Principal at Lupient Nissan in Rochester, MN, and the Executive Manager of Jim Lupient Infiniti in Golden Valley. He has a reputation as a highly-skilled dealership manager who aims to deliver only the best possible ownership for clients. Read more on this site.

Looking Into The Future Of Car Salespeople

The number of customers who prefer to shop through digital means is continuing to grow. This has raised concern in the automotive industry as some are wondering if car dealers and salespeople are still necessary for the future.

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There are those who even claim that in a few years’ time, the services offered by these companies and professionals would be rendered obsolete. After all, businesses of this nature have traditionally relied on face-to-face conversations and negotiations.

Even so, the continued advancement of technology, and consumers’ preference for and reliance on online means of shopping is not seen to put car salespeople out of commission. Their roles, however, would most likely change.

For example, before heading to a showroom, most buyers in the past would have not yet completely zeroed in on what brand or model to purchase. The sales pitch or the explanation of a salesperson would heavily factor in their decision-making process. Today, most customers can research on their list of choices through the Internet. Some would already even know what they want, with the visit to a dealership done just to see the model firsthand or to test-drive the vehicle.

Rather than striving to educate every customer about the available cars, salespeople should give more focus to building relationships with them and understanding what their needs are.

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Also, car salespeople can take advantage of technology and use it to reach out to more clients. They can leverage data and analytics to target a more specific audience so that marketing activities can be conducted more optimally.

For more articles on the automotive retail industry, visit this Jeffrey W. Lupient blog.

Car Dealership Scams And How To Avoid Them

Not all car dealerships are out to scam you, let’s be clear about that. All the negative things you hear are deserved by a handful of dealerships who rely on deception or other means to seal a deal. There are thousands of honest car dealerships that offer great service. But even so, people should still be mindful of scams. So here are some car dealership scams and how to avoid them. 

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Lying about credit scores is one of the biggest scams in the business. Operators will lie about your current credit score and give you a much higher interest when it comes to the monthly computation. An unchecked credit score could have you paying for the same price as a brand new car. 

False advertisement is also a scam that’s difficult to catch. It’s difficult because you can only find out once you are lured into their showroom or their garage. Some false advertisement claims include hefty rebates. What happens is the price they give you includes the rebate. 

Another vicious scam is the “we’ll pay your loan” scam wherein dealers will promise to pay for some of your loans for a few months so that you will be able to purchase the car. However, a few months after getting the car, the bank will notify you that no dealership has paid for any of your loans.

Image source:  hotcars.com

Jeffrey W. Lupient is a native of Minnesota. He started his career in the automotive retail industry when he began working multiple jobs in his family’s chain of dealerships at the age of 15. For more articles on automobile dealerships, visit this website.

How viable are self-driving cars, really?

Autonomous vehicles or AVs are the talk of the industry in the last few years. Ads and commercials online and on television are showing car manufacturers beginning to roll out models of these self-driving cars. But can they really be the next big thing? 

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There’s no denying that these cars will make the roads safer, especially because of problem with the so-called human error factor. In fact, a study done by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showed that drivers cause 94 percent of road accidents. These self-driving cars will never be distracted by phones or a bad day. 

This leads to saving more money in the long run. The initial release of AVs will surely be costlier, but because they significantly lower the risk of accidents, owners will eventually save on expenses induced by such. Plus, wear-and-tear due to small mistakes like dents and scratches when parking will be reduced. The value of these cars will, therefore, depreciate more slowly. 

Finally, these cars are more environment-friendly. At a time when sustainability and caring for nature are already important considerations in everyday lives, the improved efficiency of these self-driving cars is most welcome. If this technology eventually revives interest in and preference for electric vehicles, the impact of transportation-caused dangers to the environment will be drastically reduced.

In a nutshell, self-driving cars are definitely viable, and may possibly be the next best thing to appear on the roads as the 2020s near. 

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Jeffrey W. Lupient is the current president and CEO of the Lupient Automotive Group. A native of Minnesota, Jeffrey started his career in the automotive retail industry when he began working multiple jobs in his family’s chain of dealerships at the age of 15. For related reads, visit this blog.

Customer experience: Why you should run the extra mile in service

Consumers have the information they need at their fingertips. With developments in technology, customers are making educated choices for purchases. And having easy access to information around the world, consumers are empowered like never before. 

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There is now higher expectations of brands as consumers are harder to convince of the value of a product or service with competition against more established companies and brands. Business and marketers are driven to bring their top-notch service to the table to deliver more than what is asked for. An approach that is central to the customer is a new trend that companies follow, while others still stick to traditional methods. 

This approach benefit companies more as finding new customers is harder and more expensive than retaining old ones. Studies have shown that there is more value in concentrating resources on maintaining existing customers. To attract new ones, companies would have to spend five times more than keeping existing consumers happy with their products and services. 

Customer and company interaction take place in multiple channels such as via telephone, email, websites, in-store, or social media. Unifying these channels ensures consistency in customer service and communication. This prevents the customer from being frustrated for having to repeat their issue over and over before a company finds a solution. When a customer feels understood the first they expressed their issue, a firm provides them with a pleasant customer journey. After all, gladdened customers are the greatest brand campaigners, as they are the best sources of referrals and brand advocacy. 

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Jeffrey W. Lupient is a hands-on manager who uses his industry knowledge and many years of experience to deliver excellent service to clients and develop long-term customer relationships. For similar updates, head over to this blog.