YOU NEED TO LEARN TO NEGOTIATE

One of my mottos has always been…. You Never Know Until You Ask. This motto has served me very well in many areas and it has been of special value when it comes to buying something. From a new or used car to new or used furniture. One of the negatives that I have seen from many Latino consumers is the lack of a clear understanding of negotiating principles as well as consumer research when it comes to buying big-ticket items.

In a matter of fact you just need to go a nearby new or used car dealership and ask one of the salesperson what type of person they like to see come to buy a car at their lot and many will respond by saying they prefer a Spanish person. Why is this? Because the term “laydown”, “easy” or “grape” have been put as labels to many Hispanic consumers in the past. These terms represent a negative stereotype because too many Latino consumers do not do their homework before buying. They just want to be able to leave the car lot driving their new car without thinking about the total cost.

Take Ramon Diaz for example he goes to a car dealership to buy a new car and trade his used 88 Honda. The salesman realizes that he might have a “grape” in his hands, someone that he can squeeze like a grape. The salesman credits Mr. Diaz with the lowest trade-in possible or gives him a very nice trade in value but adds more to the price of the new car. According to Mr. Diaz (this happened several years ago) the salesman asks him how much could he afford his monthly payment to be? Mr. Diaz says no more than $375.00 a month. The salesman explains that it might be difficult to do that, but if he can, will they have a deal? Mr. Diaz says yes! The salesman again says I will do my very best but let’s shake hands. If I get you that payment we have a deal right? Yes! Mr. Diaz replies.

Do you see what I mean? What deal has been made? No prices or terms have been mentioned. Mr. Diaz has just agreed to a payment plan without knowing how many years, how much he is paying for the new car or how much he is getting for the trade-in. Now does that seem like a deal to you? I say not! What has happened is that the salesman has now comeback with a $361.00 a month payment for Mr. Diaz, who is already visualizing himself driving the new car. Mr. Diaz is content that his credit has been approved, that his payment are for under $375.00. Unfortunately he does not realize that he only got $500.00 for his trade-in, full price for the new car and a 7 year loan instead of the usual four years and he is a happy camper. (So sad).

This is just one example of how the Hispanic consumer, not all mind you, and this also happens to all ethnic backgrounds as well as to the Anglo community at times. We as consumers have so many sources via the Internet, via books, consumer guides, to make ourselves aware of negotiating techniques, current prices, etc. So get smart! Do your homework and negotiate. In my opinion 80% of products and services are negotiable and you really won’t know until you use my motto “You never know until you ask”.

Some of the sources that you may wish to use and are free to research are the Kelly Blue Book for buying or selling automobiles, and of course common sense tells us that when looking for a bedroom set to check for the same one at other furniture stores and see which one is at a better price. Also, you can easily ask if they will deliver it for free if you buy it with cash or if they will waive the taxes or lower the price. The key is to ASK, and to research before you go out. Salespeople deserve to make a sale, they work hard to get you all the information that you need to make the purchase. But in no way do we as consumer need to become a so-called “lay-down” or “grape” to let them do with us whatever they wish.

So, Latinos learn the English language, learn the negotiating technique of asking for certain extras or discounts, do your research, compare and this way you can lift your head up high and know that you have truly secured yourself a dandy deal. By the way for those of you who prefer dealing with a Spanish salesperson they tend to do the same thing that I illustrated on the new car scenario. They are trained to do this. So be smart and negotiate to your advantage. Good luck.