Archive for February, 2010

The Sidekick’s role

Author: admin
02 21st, 2010

In the old Western movie days, “sidekicks” were off-beat and unpredictable characters, always ready to bring comic relief and support to the hero in his mission to outsmart the bad guys.
In used-car buying, the “sidekick’s” purpose is to frustrate, confuse, confound, even derail the bad guys — car salesmen, while giving continual support to their lead-negotiators. Anybody can be a “sidekick.” A friend, roommate, spouse or co-worker can be converted into excellent “sidekicks.” It’s important car buyers take their “sidekicks” with them, so they aren’t alone with any car salesmen when negotiating. Often, car salesmen overwhelm their car-buying clinetele when they are along. Also, if car buyers are single, they
• should definitely bring others [sidekicks] with them to help throw a few “monkey-wrenches” into the salesmen’s well- rehearsed sales-pitches and ploys. A “monkey-wrench” is anything, said or done, that will slow down or stop the
• salesman’s efforts to sell the customer a car, in the. moment.
The main purpose for bringing “sidekicks” along with you is to divide the salesman’s attention among two, three or more
• people. Car salesmen tend to lose their “focus” on buyerswhen supportive “witnesses”arearound to give a helping. hand. For example: Each time “sidekicks” -ask questions or make statements to them, the salesmen must take extra time to respond to the “sidekick,” – before continuing to “sell” their customers. in other words, each time “sidekicks” talk with car salesmen, they interrupt thç salesmen’s selling momentum. These interruptions provide valuable thinking- time for lead-negotiators to make counterplans. And, after the salesmen completely answer the “sidekick’s” question, they must regain “control” over their customers and to reexcite them into buying a car, again. The “sidekick’s” goal is to slow down or stop the salesmen’s sales-pitches and selling-ploys on the lead-negotiator, so the “hero” can negotiate more effectively.
Sometimes, car salesmen can block the “sidekick’s” efforts. If this happens, lead-negotiators must give support to their “sidekicks,” by “reprimanding” the salesmen for getting too personal with them. Usually “sidekicks” make car salesmen very nervous, because they are “witnesses” to the bait & switch selling “tactics” used inside the dealer’s selling- rooms. Finally and most importantly, if the “hero” has lost “control” over the salesmen and are about to sign a bad deal, the “sidekick’s” paramount task is to “kidnap” them from the dealership’s property, pronto, and before signing of the contract occurs. if a “sidekick” saves their lead-negotiator from a bad deal, they will be considered the real hero, in the eyes of a friend.
Joan is putting Andy’s make-up on, while he’s talking to the Director about learning a few buying-rules. These “rules” are important and need to be studied by serious car buyers.