Auto Leasing Secrets in the 21st Century

PREFACE

Copyright 2002, George E. Clark
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted by any means, electronically  or mechanically, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without written permission of the author.

In considering titles for this book, I soon discovered that my efforts constituted a contradiction in terms.  In other words, how could a book be written not only for the automotive consumer, but for the leasing salesperson as well--each of whom share differing philosophies about the process of either selling, buying, or leasing a car.

It’s a repetitious process that’s repeated every several years when buyers and sellers meet in the automotive arena, with consumers making every effort to purchase or lease a car for the least amount possible. Contrast this with the salesperson on the other hand, who attempts to make the most profit on each deal, in direct opposition to the consumer’s efforts.

It’s a classic example of market forces at work, with each side attempting to establish a better financial position.  Some may refer to this as “horse trading,” but unlike flea markets where items are relatively inexpensive, the stakes in the negotiations surrounding a new car assume larger financial considerations on both sides--which explains the pressure surrounding the process.

In researching other books written about this subject I discovered several current publications on the subject of leasing.  I specifically refer to four books whose combined page total came to over 1,100 of which only 221 pages specifically dealt with leasing.  And although the leasing-related subject matter was accurate and helpful enough--none of the books specifically explored the psychology of the buying or selling process.  In addition, neither explored the issues beyond the normal do’s and don’ts that most buyers understand--such as not accepting first offers, etc.

Their information was largely clinical in nature and really didn’t explore the mental and emotional processes that drive both salespeople and consumers alike. It’s not my intent to be critical of their efforts in any way beyond what appears in this preface, because they certainly provided the reader with most of the basic and clinical insights that are relevant to this topic--but I believe there’s more to talk about.

Taking most of this published information into context tends to leave the consumer with an impression that leasing is not really that attractive as a financing alternative. In some cases that’s a true statement if applied to the individual who should not be leasing, while in other cases leasing may indeed prove to be a worthwhile alternative to the conventional purchase.  We’ll explore these differences in greater detail later, and provide you with choices--then you can decide your best alternative.

The purpose of this effort is to also close the gap between differing points of view in order to make the process more easily understood.  Conflict resolution and a discussion of the negotiation process is the goal here, while providing the consumer with hard facts on how to become more informed.

Although automotive consumers today are more educated than ever before--which is good, they still come to new car showrooms by the millions each year--yet in most cases they’re not fully prepared for the negotiation process. Some of them are able to negotiate “good” deals, while others come away thinking they’ve been taken advantage of by the salesman, regardless of whether he’s been fair, honest or unscrupulous.  Or to put it another way, how does one define a “good” deal? 

We all utilize different frames of reference as we make our decisions, and what may appear as a good deal to one person, may not be seen in the same manner by someone else.  The common denominator lies in the area of “needs versus wants ”and “perceived values,” along with a healthy dose of salesmanship, common sense, and integrity.  These are abstract concepts to be sure, and they can’t be simply charted on a graph, nor can they be easily understood without going beyond the black and white issues that make up any buying or selling process.

I don’t pretend to see our world through rose colored glasses nor do I harbor any illusions that we live a perfect existence.  We don’t.  But I do believe that all consumers deserve the best we can offer, which in turn places the responsibility of sound selling directly into the lap of the automotive leasing or sales professional. I also believe that consumers can become more effective and satisfied customers as well, if they have a better understanding of how the automotive professional thinks and what motivates him.  

This is not a book of do’ and don’ts--of pluses and minuses--or pros and cons.  And, it’s not my intent for this to be an intellectually complicated reading project, crammed with statistics, charts and mathematical formulas which most readers simply tune out.  Nevertheless, “how-to” books are still purchased every day, but only when consumers feel the need to become more educated on a particular subject.  And this very much applies to automotive leasing, and with this book, I hope YOUR questions can be answered.