How Car Salesman use Ether to Sell Cars

When customers buy vehicles they always say “You know… I wasn’t planning on buying a car today…I just came to look!”

You may ask yourself, how normally careful people can make a major purchasing decision in just a few hours. The answer is “Ether”.

Salespeople recognize that the excitement of owning a new car can influence the customer’s buying decision. If a customer is "in the ether" they are more likely to spend money without clearly considering their budget. For a salesman, “ether” will enable a fast buying decision and maximize their commissions.

Of course, just the idea of owning a new car can create ether. However, salesmen can use visualizations to increase the dosage. These visualizations encourage the customer to take mental ownership of a new car.

The best way for a salesman to provoke “mental ownership” is to insert the new car into the customer’s world. One trick that salesmen may use during the test drive is to have the customer drive the car home to see if it will fit in their garage. When the customer parks the new car in their driveway, they may develop a mental image of ownership. Believe it or not, this can motivate the customer into a buying decision. Once the new car is in the driveway, the only thing that could be better for the salesman is when a neighbor walks by.

For a salesman, “ether” will enable a fast buying decision and maximize their commissions.

All of these sales methods aside, the car itself generates the "ether". If it is the right vehicle for the customer the car will produce the excitement during the test drive.

Car dealers have always relied on “ether” to sell cars and they teach their salesman to exploit its benefits. However, they also realize that it does not last. Salespeople know the excitement will soon start to dissipate. This requires them to quickly begin the price negotiations to increase their odds for a sale. This is why the negotiations always occur after the test drive. Without excitement, the customer’s decision will be based almost entirely on the price of the car and their chances for a big profit will diminish.

As you can see, car salesmen follow specific steps in hopes that it will provoke certain reactions by the customer. The test-drive step is needed for the customer to select a car, but more importantly it is used to generate excitement and make the next step (price negotiations) easier. Understanding these steps and the psychology behind them is critical to negotiating your best deal. You can find all of these steps and methods in the complete guidebook section.