As with all professions, there are certain phrases or key words used within that particular industry. Sometimes you can understand, most of the time you cannot figure out what they are trying to say. For example, ‘quarterbacks’ are usually hated by the car salespeople because they make the deal much harder to seal while asking for lower prices. What they love most is a ‘real buyer’ who will pay whatever price the salespersons ask without much fuss. Although a ‘real buyer’ might sound good, it might have the same negative meaning as a ‘grape’ who agrees with everything that he is told without question.
Another kind of buyer that the car salespersons hate is the ‘grinder’, who always wants more but has little money to back up his demands. The salespersons are usually the one who want to glean as much money as they can from the buyer and when the buyer beats them at their own game; it usually gets them worked up. Therefore, if they call you a ‘grinder’, it is normally a good sign that you are good at negotiating.
At the dealership, never agree to a ‘spot deliver’ because you could be accepting to take the car prematurely. If a bank loan is financing the car, you should make sure everything has gone through and is in order before you commit your signature on the deal. It might backfire and leave you with a huge and unplanned payment to make.
Some of these terminologies are not only meant for the buyer but also to the dealership personnel as well. For example, a fresh salesperson that has just joined the work force is referred to as a ‘green pea’. Rookies are sometimes the best to deal with, because of their lack of experience that makes them less ruthless than the others. You might want to get your deal done with a ‘green pea’ but you should be careful about the paper work. Many of the green peas have been known to cause a ‘kink’. This refers to a problem done with the paper work. To avoid future problems with legal issues and the authorities, the paperwork should reflect the correct details of the deal and not leave room for exploitation.
There are terminologies for different dealerships as well. If you are going to buy a car from a dealership with an intention to negotiate the deal, do not step into a ‘no switcher sticker’. This is a dealership which sells its cars at the exact price put on the sticker with no negotiation about it. If you do not like the price, do not ask about it. That is their business policy.
There are many other terminologies but few as important as a ‘low ball offer’. This is an offer you will most likely hear on the phone. In most cases, the salesperson at the end of the line is simply trying to get you to come to the dealership with a very low offer that will catch your interest.