Negotiation

Possibly the most notorious element of the sales process is Negotiation.  While a small percentage of customers are comfortable with bargaining, many dread it and consider the whole process one of inherent bullshit.

I'd like to address that impression, because I both identify strongly with the feeling (I'm new enough to the car business to still recall how it felt to be on the other side of things) and have come to believe the opposite.  That is, I believe the process of negotiation results in the fairest, most clear results possible in the process of buying and selling.


It is generally accepted that auctions produce the best overall results for both buyers and sellers when more than one bidder is involved.  When a single bidder/customer is involved, the best process is negotiation, because it allows both parties numerous opportunities to re-evaluate their positions.  When a non-negotiable sticker price is used, the buyer is left with only a binary option: buy or don't buy.

More to come....