Do dealers not listing prices shoot themselves in the foot?

[sixdogs]

I'm not so hung up not seeing a price in website or ad. What does p*ss me off is contacting a dealer via email, sharing exactly what I'm looking for, letting him know I've done my research and then asking for their best price but yet still getting the runaround from them. I don't need a dealer to help me figure out what I want/need - I've done all that legwork. I just need a dealer to tell me at what price they will sell me what I am specifically asking for. For my past experiences, those auto and tractor dealers that are willing to subscribe to this business approach have received all of my business. It's shocking to me how many dealers still refuse to do business in this more "modern" way and the sales they're missing out on.

I have lived long enough to watch lots of businesses fail because they wouldn't modernize but instead hung onto a failing business model and practices that were clearly no longer working. That's why many family business burn out after two or three generations. We can only watch.

On the plus side we have some pretty savvy dealers on this site that seem to have it figured out and know their market.

 

[PILOON]

I had a business that frowned on discounts and price cutting.
My solution was to always have a 'demo' at reduced price and also to offer package deals.
Ours was aircraft radios so I'd add in a microphone or headset (at my cost) to make up a package or on some items include installation or the necessary government paperwork at no cost.
The result was that I became the highest volume dealer in eastern Canada.
I also published a monthly newsletter that went out to every registered aircraft owner in eastern Canada.

As a result there were times that I'd sell at full price and full labor to the demanding buyer at the same time as 10-20% less to the deal shopper type.
It did not take me long to realize that some folks like to brag about their expensive toy while others needed to have a 'deal'.

 

[Hiltz]

I'm not so hung up not seeing a price in website or ad. What does p*ss me off is contacting a dealer via email, sharing exactly what I'm looking for, letting him know I've done my research and then asking for their best price but yet still getting the runaround from them. I don't need a dealer to help me figure out what I want/need - I've done all that legwork. I just need a dealer to tell me at what price they will sell me what I am specifically asking for. For my past experiences, those auto and tractor dealers that are willing to subscribe to this business approach have received all of my business. It's shocking to me how many dealers still refuse to do business in this more "modern" way and the sales they're missing out on.

I feel your pain jt. I cant stand talking to car salesman. I think they all went to the same school on how to be slimy.

 

[Mr Bitz]

Unfortunately, most manufacturers don't allow pricing on ads, such as websites and paper ads, you can however put together package deals and/or payment pricing.. As a dealer if you were to put pricing on and they find out about it you can get fined.. So please don't be upset about this, our hands are tied, were just doing what were told.. Sorry.!!

 

[MORRISONSTEEL]

I will use a gross exageration to amplify what Messicks stated regarding multiple coded tractors and how the price can change. New 175hp row crop tractor with a base price of $158,000, as it gets coded out you can very easily add over $75,000 to that sticker price (before implements like a loader). I don't know that you will ever see new units with pricing if there is more than just a single base code invloved, which pretty much stops at lawn mowers. If dealers advertised just the base price then the gripe would probably be along the lines of "well your add say's this tractor is under 160k not 230K". In the smaller tractor world there is a huge benefit to "most" purchasers and to the dealer selling to know more about what the user is going to do with the machine,especially if you do not already have a relationship w/ them. As more and more of the purchasers just are not familier with tractors. For a dealer to just talk about price the risk can be that they are accused of taking advantage of a customer by not selling enough machine or to much machine, etc. And in the process the buyer even though they claim to be an expert who has done all of his homework may just learn something that either makes the task easier or saves them money. The best and most succesful sales people in the tractor world will do exactly that (among many other things). The sales people that just quote prices will always have a smaller paycheck. Just my opinion though....

 

[varmint]

Never purchased a new tractor, but I imagine I would hate that even more than shopping for a new car. Last fall, I decided to buy a new Subaru. After 2 or 3 dealer visits, I had a good idea what I wanted, the color, and the options. Then I got busy emailing the many "web specialists" that would come up when I did online searches. Visited some more dealers, drove a couple, and got serious. I was about to close a deal when I got a late night email from a dealer I had spoken to, but written off. I wrote back what I was about to buy, and asked if they had a similar car, and what their best price would be, out the door. Bingo. They had exactly the version I wanted, so new it still had the white plastic wrap on it, and about $400 less than my best deal. Turned out to be a pleasure to deal with them, even though they are a drive to get to. I guess that's one benefit of living in a densely populated area where there are LOTS of choices within a 50 mile radius. Not the case for tractors, though.