I have never sold tractors or farm equipment. But I did sell cars for many years. I never gave a person a written price on any vehicle I had in stock. Here is the reason why. With a printed price you gave your competition an open door to beat your deal. Some dealers were,(are), so hungry they will sell their product at and maybe even under cost. (You never want to have your dealer sell you at below cost because he will go out of business and you need him,) Many buyers never consider what they get after the sale such as service and help solving problems. When they are buying new all they are considering is price for the new vehicle or tractor. I always told the buyer shop around, keep in mind my dealership reputation, years in the business and etc. then bring me your best price I will beat if I can. Folks that might sound crazy but in the 1970痴 I made over $40,000 per year selling. I never low-balled a person, which seems to be what the Koiti dealer did. The Philosophy behind low-balling a price is you go to the Mahindra dealer and tell them they are X dollars too high. They tell you no the price i gave you was really good. Kioto can稚 beat my price for a like equipped tractor. You say well I can beat the price. The when you are told the real price from the Kioti dealer you are shocked and tell the Kioti dealer that is too high, Mahindra said such and such. The Kioto dealer then days I made a mistake and I am sorry but let痴 see what we can do. Believing all the time you will give him a few hundred dollars more than Mahindra because you want to save face. It is not easy to go back to Mahindra and say, 展ell I feel like a fool, I can't get the tractor at X price will you still sell me yours for X?
Folks it is just a game. That is why I got out of the business. I have always said very few dealers tell the truth. Case in point; ask a dealer the best price they will take. If they are honest they will give you their best price from the get go. But few do. Even after they tell you their best price the normally negotiate down some more. If they told you the best price there would be no room to negotiate. Now if you have a trade this is different because no one can put an exact price on a trade-in.
If I were selling tractors in your area, even though you are three hours from me. I would determine how ready you are to buying, and then see if you could buy, (the old would you, could, you and if you sales style without the if you part, by the way is still used today to qualify buyers from lookers.), and then come to you with a model tractor I think you want. I would sell you on my service and willingness to serve you. This would get the deal quicker than being the lowest price. What will it cost me to bring the tractor to you one day? A good dealer always starts out with the list and then say I will do all I can to make you a deal. Let痴 consider what it will cost the dealer/salesman to bring the tractor to you? Let痴 consider you live 150 mile away. I would put one day in @ let痴 say $100.00 per day salary, 150 mikes at $1.50 per mile or $225.00 so I have invested $325.00. If I am not going to make that much or more in parts sales I have a very big hole in my operations. So I have made nothing until I sell you a tractor. Many dealers today only sell price. Where they need to sell product and service. I have a friend who sold Chryslers in the 1970痴. About half of his cars he sold for list price. Why because Mrs. Jones knew if it wouldn稚 start on a cold morning all she needed to do was call the dealership and a person would be at her car in a matter of minutes.
Just my two cents.
Don
