How to Save Time at the Dealership

You may be wondering how to make the most of your time at the dealership… that’s where my quick tips for car buying will come in handy and work to help you feel empowered in your dealership experience. 

One of the biggest gaps I saw when researching other car buying videos is the lack of information out there for helping to save you time at the dealership and as a mom, I know how important that really is! So I took the liberty of compiling my favorite quick tips all in one place.

You may be thinking, how do you even begin the car shopping experience? I can help you!

Before you dive in and start car shopping, make sure you’re fully prepared to tackle today’s market with confidence. To learn everything from dealership prep to a complete negotiations strategy, check out my Car Buying Course!

My Best Tips for the Dealership

Research is key to a successful car buying process.

While the process can seem daunting, I think one of the best time saving things you can do is prepare by narrowing the search. What is the easiest way to do this? Start by choosing five vehicles that you are interested in and do your research! Head on over to my YouTube Channel and watch some of my car review videos, this will help you to then narrow that list to two maybe three vehicles max. Once you have narrowed it down, you will then want to test drive those select vehicles. Any research you can do ahead of time will save you time. Familiarize yourself with the trim level, the equipment and even the color combinations to maximize your experience. Once you have chosen the vehicles and trim levels that you are interested in it is time to reach out to the dealerships that have those vehicles to get the process started.

Making an appointment is crucial to saving time.

Appointments are so important! While you can certainly walk into a dealership and buy a car and many people do it that way, by making an appointment you are choosing your salesperson and arming them with the knowledge to make the process smoother for you, such as what car you are there to look at. This allows them to have the car ready and you bypass the fact finding and narrowing down process to make for a smoother experience. 

The best time to visit a dealership.

I get this question a lot. People are interested in knowing if there is a better time for a better deal and the answer is yes and no! In the past going at the end of the month may have presented a better deal opportunity but due to global chip shortages and new and used car prices being up about 25% it honestly doesn’t matter what time of the month that you go. In my experience, the best time to visit a dealership is during a weekday and early in the morning. While it can be difficult to take off work or find a babysitter, if you have the means to do it, you will definitely save time. 

Set realistic expectations for the process.

While I can provide you many ways to save time in the dealership, it is also worthwhile to set a precedent for the realistic amount of time that the actual purchase may take. A car is the second most expensive purchase you will make, just like you wouldn’t rush the house buying experience you want to ensure that you don’t rush things when purchasing a car. This can lead to paperwork getting sloppy and bad decisions being made. By not rushing the process you can ensure that you are getting the highest quality experience. 

Choose a good salesperson.

It is so important to choose your salesperson! This puts you in control and improves your car buying process and I promise that if they are experienced they will make the entire process faster and more efficient which ultimately will save you time! My favorite site is dealerrater.com! Also don’t forget to leave a review after your sales experience. 

Prep your paperwork ahead of time.

You want to ensure that you come prepared to make the process as smooth as possible and one of the ways to do that is to prep your paperwork ahead of time. This includes bringing: 

• Your driver’s license and that driver license of whoever else may be going on the loan

• Your insurance card and make sure that it is updated and validated

• If financing through the dealership, your proof of residency and at least two pay stubs (you may not need these but it is better to be over prepared)  

• If trading in be sure to bring your title, lien release, extra keys and ensure that your trade in is cleaned and prepped for trade in. 

Additionally, if you have a pay off on the trade, be sure to gather the exact amount before coming to the dealership as this will help in your negotiations with the dealer. You can download my free PDF payoff verification form here. Download and fill this out ahead of time to save time. 

One other paperwork tip that is specific but I have seen hold up the process is to ensure that if you have some sort of freeze on your credit or finance protection to have it removed before going to the dealership if you plan to finance through them. This can speed up the finance process. 

Saving time during the negotiation process.

This is a process that inevitably may take some time. I do feel that dealerships are moving toward a format where internet price is the best price. Dealerships are moving toward less negotiating on car deals. Now, where some negotiations can take a long time is on the trade in. This can be different at every dealership so come prepared! Come to the table ready to negotiate and in my opinion you will save time if you do your research, get multiple prices ahead of time and make the first offer on your trade. It is the dealership's job to make money and try to get your trade for the least amount of money possible and sell it for the most amount of money possible. By making the first offer you are being transparent with your research and working your best deal to make the most of your trade in, ultimately empowering you in the process. 

Buying a car can be a fun experience if you do it right! By setting realistic expectations and using my time saving tips above I am confident the process will be smoother for you and your family. 

Remember to always show up early, with an iced coffee in hand, ready to take control of your car buying experience! 

See the full video here:

For other car buying tips, check out my recent posts: