Posts Tagged ‘vehicle purchase’
Finding the right vehicle for your family
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
There are a lot of special considerations when looking at a vehicle for your family. Not only will it be responsible for getting you around town, it will be responsible for your family’s safety and convenience. Making a final decision will take some careful consideration; here are a few questions that can get you closer to your answer:
What’s the cargo? This will have the biggest impact on the style of vehicle you look at. If you have to get a large group of children to and from school, appointments and other events, a minivan might be your best option. If you have kids but also a lot of cargo like pets and groceries, perhaps you should look at an SUV. If you have a smaller family, consider a car as the most practical means of transportation.
Where will you be driving? Let’s face it, gas is not cheap! However, before you jump head first into a hybrid, consider your driving style. If you’re driving mainly around the city, a hybrid might be best for you. However, if your normal trips consist of a lot of highway driving, look into a smaller engine vehicle. Either way, understanding your driving habits will help you out tremendously.
What is the safest option? When it comes to your family, safety is usually your number one concern. Purchasing a vehicle should be no different. Once you have the style of vehicle picked out, look at the safety reports on which one is the safest. There are generally yearly reports, with breakdowns for each type of vehicle, so do a quick search online and find out what is the safest.
How much can you afford? Notice that price is the last talking point? I completely understand needing to fit into a budget but by finding a vehicle that fits your needs first, you will be much more satisfied with your purchase. Also, when looking at the price tag also consider additional costs like insurance and maintenance. Another quick search online will show you the best vehicles to insure and maintain. This can ensure that your new vehicle purchase really does fit into your budget.
Hopefully these tips help you find a vehicle that gets your family safely where they need to go for years to come. If you have any questions on finding the right vehicle for your family, please let me know at: cihde@ewaldauto.com
Tags: automotive, Automotive Advantage, car buying, car dealership, car sales, Ewald, family, Milwaukee, new cars, Oconomowoc, used cars, vehicle purchase, Wisconsin
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Buying a car is not just about price
Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
Let’s face it: cars are expensive. No matter how you slice it, purchasing a new vehicle requires a significant investment. With that in mind, most people go into the car buying process trying to figure out how they can spend the least amount of money possible on a new vehicle. While this is completely understandable, there may be a better way to go about the process than to focus on money.
When I work with someone I start by asking them what the absolute essentials are for their vehicle. If they have children they will need additional seating, if they tow something a lot they will need an equipped vehicle or if they haul a lot of gear they will need an appropriate amount of space. By starting with the absolute requirements you are able to take your desires out of the equation for a bit and focus on what kind of vehicle you actually need.
Once the requirements have been listed, we take a look at their current vehicle. What are some of the things that they absolutely love about their current vehicle? On the other hand, what do they dislike about their current vehicle? This list will help you immensely when picking out a new vehicle. It takes you away from and empty list of options and allows you to focus on the key features you desire.
With your requirements, key features and absolute no’s in place, you are able to start looking at what kind of vehicle you are looking to purchase. However, instead of looking at a long list of possible options, you have a small number of vehicles that will fit your criteria. Although you have not focused on price during this process, you should still walk away with the greatest value.
The reason I recommend this style of shopping to my customers is because it leaves them driving away happy the majority of the time. Instead of looking for a vehicle that matches certain price criteria, you are able to search for a vehicle that you will be happy driving off the lot. And while it may seem like you would pay more by using this method, the opposite is usually the case.
How does this method compare to your style of shopping? What have you found to be the most effective way of walking away from a sale happy? Has focusing on price ever caused you to walk away unhappy? As always, I invite you to reply privately at: cihde@ewaldauto.com
Tags: automotive, Automotive Advantage, car buying, car dealership, car sales, Ewald, Milwaukee, new cars, Oconomowoc, vehicle negotiation, vehicle purchase
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The truth about trust
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
The word trust seems to get thrown around a lot. Within the car industry it is constantly talked about as a key-deciding factor for buyers. When I look for new vendors I tell them that trust is crucial to doing business with me. However, seldom do I think about what it really means to trust someone.
This came to my attention because I recently switched vendors on something, even though I trusted the old vendor completely. The new vendor showed me how much time and money I could be saving with them and my alliance to the old vendor seemed to quickly fade. After only a few short meetings I found myself easily ending an eight-year relationship. At that point it hit me how quickly my trust shifted from the old vendor to the new one.
What came to my attention is that even though I did trust the old vendor, they did not look out for my best interest. They did not do everything in their power to get me what I needed, as fast as possible and at a lower cost. This made me realize how fickle trust can be. It is not simply a matter of whether or not you trust someone; it is to what degree you trust them that it really matters.
I think about this in my own industry and it makes perfect sense. If someone bought cars from me for eight years and then found out they could get the same car faster and cheaper, they would immediately trust me less and the other person more. The true key to trust is to not just establish it but to reinforce it. Taking trust to the next level and building a relationship of value to that customer reinforces me and my product/service in their mind. The goal is to remind our customers that not only do we want their business today, but we’d like to keep it for years to come.
The truth about trust is that it is not something that you gain once and then forget about. Trust is something that, once earned, must constantly be reinforced and strengthened. Having realized this, I personally will be spending a part of my time every week not just gaining people’s trust, but keeping it.
Tags: automotive, Automotive Advantage, car buying, car dealership, car sales, Ewald, Milwaukee, Oconomowoc, vehicle purchase
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Planning to Buy a Vehicle?
Monday, November 23rd, 2009
People ask me what they need to do to be knowledgeable about the buying process all the time. From my experience, I have found there are a few key criteria all consumers should be aware of before they start their search for their next vehicle. Here are some suggestions:
Know your budget: Beyond just knowing what you want to spend per month, calculate the total cost of owning a vehicle. Check out how the vehicle you want will effect your insurance, research standard maintenance costs and consider repair cost differences. The last thing you want to do is exceed your budget with an expense you did not think about completely.
Be realistic about trade-in value: Beyond just going to Kelly Blue Book, look at what cars like yours are selling for in your area. Also, consider what your car would go for at auction. Most important, be realistic about the condition of your vehicle.
Research the car you NEED: I highlight NEED because I’m sure we all have a dream car that we want. Instead, consider how you will use your vehicle the majority of the time you are driving it. If you travel all over the place, an SUV or truck probably isn’t the ideal choice. If you have a family with many children, a dog or lots of stuff, a sedan probably won’t work too well. Look at what you will use your vehicle for 75% of the time and make your decision based off of that.
Plan for a down payment: The number I tell my customers to plan for is 20% of the agreed upon price. Although your trade-in can be included in this, I wouldn’t recommend including any rebates you may receive. First, rebate amounts change frequently, so if you are planning for a purchase in three months, those rebates may no longer be available. Second, financial institutions want to see how much money you are willing to contribute out of your pocket. Thirdly, a down payment decreases your monthly payment and makes the monthly budget more affordable.
Know your credit: This is as simple as obtaining your credit score to ensure you do not having anything outstanding that you did not know about. There are numerous websites that allow you to check it once a year at no charge. Your credit score is a key indicator of the type of financing terms you will be offered when you make a purchase decision. Be aware of this score so you aren’t surprised with your financing options.
Hopefully, this information arms you with the confidence to start a discussion in your household about a vehicle purchase. A more educated consumer makes the buying process easier for the sales associate and you yourself. Should you ever need more information about how to make your purchase decision, please feel free to email me at: cihde@ewaldauto.com
Tags: car buying, car dealership, car financing, trade in, vehicle purchase
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