The Three Self Affirmations When Buying a Used or New Car

The most popular questions I receive have to do with buying a car; probably because it is one of the most stressful events among all human kind.  In many cases, a vehicle is the second most expensive purchase a person will make, and unlike buying a home, there is no realtor to help you through it.  However, purchasing a vehicle is really an easy process; you simply pick what you want and pay for it.  What you need to remember is to pick what you can afford.

Most every person who walks into a dealership to purchase a vehicle thinks they are walking into a game; whether they are playing it or if the salesperson is.   What I have learned is that the person who is buying the car actually plays the game with him/herself.  I am guilty of it too. For example, I can recall my first car purchase and the anxiety I experienced when I realized I had lost control of the discussion.  Now, as an experienced industry veteran, I have learned a few key lessons to avoid stress when purchasing a vehicle: do your homework, do not get emotional involved in the sale, and choose a vehicle you have the ability to pay for.

With those easy to follow guidelines and I am sure most everyone reading this will probably still walk into a dealership and have the overwhelming urge to puke on their shoes.  For this unpleasant reason I have come up with three simple self-affirmations that should help you along the vomit evoking experience.  Simply say these three sentences to yourself continuously, from the moment you step foot on the car lot until the moment you put ink to paper:

I do NOT have to purchase this vehicle today.

I do NOThave to purchase from this dealership.

I have NO obligation to do anything.

Those powerful words make for great tools when purchasing a vehicle.  They also are the key to negotiation.

Stay tuned for more tips about how to buy a car, negotiations, trade-ins, super secret tips, and of course more car rhetoric.