The Grinder that would not give!
I was the manager of a Chevrolet dealer in Virginia at the time and on my way back in from walking the lot when I notice him pull up. It was business as usual as I approached him and greeted him. I told him I was the manager and ask if I could answer any questions for him. He said no and so the challenge began.

Normally I would have flipped him to a sales person and went on with my day but I am old school and enjoy tough deals. So when he blew me off it was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. I was all over this guy using everything I had. Finally he told me he was interested in a Suburban and wanted to trade his old suburban in. He was driving a 1992 thunderbird at the time and this was 2006. So I showed him the Suburban but he would not drive it, I used everything I knew to get him in it to drive it but he resisted well!

After showing him the Suburban and doing what I refer to as a kidnapping(when a customer refuses a test drive I get them in the passenger seat and then just drive off the lot explaining the ride and then I try and get them to drive back.) I took him inside to my tower and set him down. He struggled a bit to give me his information but finally he gave in. Then I ask for his commitment to buy. He was hesitant but said if the deal was right. Now understand I have heard that a million times and sold a car afterwards but this time was different.

His Suburban he wanted to trade was a sled so I appraised it sight un seen. I started working figures with this guy and he was way off he thought I had $20,000 of profit built into the new Suburban. I beat that guy for an hour and got no where so I called the GM for the dealer group to come and help. He gladly did as he love the grind! Now I am one of the best at what I do but the GM of the dealer group was a master. He was a true wordsmith he could ask you the same question 30 times and you would never realize it was the same question. Some times in the business it takes a fresh face to close a deal and the GM was my relief pitcher!

So here we were beating this guy together for another 45 minutes and still nothing, this guy would not give and it was becoming apparent he was not going to . I mean by the time he left there were 3 of the best managers I know including myself in there hammering on this guy and he would not fold at all. When he left I scratched my head in amazement because when you get that many egos in a room normally the deal is getting done even if we have to give the car away and believe me we tried.

You know that was on my mind for a day or two but I moved on because you know you win some and you lose some. About a week later my phone rings and it was this guy the grinder! He said he would be by later in the week to talk to me again. I thought for sure this was a done deal. He did come by later that week and we hammered him for another 2 hours and he still would not buy. Now this process repeated itself several times over the next few weeks until the grinder became known by everyone at the dealership. To me this guy was becoming a friend a true old school challenge.

I remember the day he came in and told me he was getting close that we were almost there. I told him I did not want to talk about the car deal so we grabbed a soda and sit in my tower and he told me that he owned a boat trailer shop. About that time one of my green peas cam in all upset because his customer did not sign on the first pencil. So just as I was going to tell him what to do the "grinder" looks at me and says hey Brad I bet you $100 I could close this guy at the first pencil. Well I knew I could but I was not as sure that the "grinder" could. He was in shorts and a t-shirt as well! But you see I love a good gamble and well hey it was a extra $100 so I said your on! He went down and 15 minutes later came back and the people were buying at the first pencil! That was the best $100 I ever spent! At that point I realized it was not about what number he would buy at or the deal but for him it was about the game. He loved this grind more than I did and I respected that! Even if he never bought it kept me polished on my skills.

The "grinder" came by a few more times and we battled it out and he even called  me on a regular basis just to say hello. I though I would never sell this guy just as the GM and the other manager believed as well. It was a real shot to the ego!

It was the last day of our 0% interest sale and we were open until midnight. We had a huge promotion going on the radio station was there and all. My showroom was packed and I was rocking and rolling. It was around 8 PM that night and I had about 15 deals getting worked in my showroom. I was on the hustle to close some car deals. I am balls deep in some numbers at my desk when I looked up and there he was the "grinder" I said "what are you doing here" he told me he was ready, so I told him great to sit down. Then he hit me with he was not done he wanted to negotiate some more. So here I am working 15 car deals and this guy is here to bust my balls some more. I looked him dead in the eye and gave him my final bottom line no profit offer. He said no that he wanted another $500 and so I told him bye. He got up and started out the door. I am a fighter I can not let anyone go for me it is they buy or die. So I went after him. We beat each other another 45 minutes before we made a deal. When we made the deal I was so mad that this guy had nickel and dimed me that I just walked off and went out back for a smoke.

I was enjoying my smoke in piece and quit when the door opened and it was him! I looked at him and said listen I am done buy the damn thing or not. He smiled and said what's wrong Brad. I told him he beat me and I was loosing true money on the deal. He smiled again and said Brad I like you your old school and you want give up until you get the deal and then he asked how much money I was loosing. So I told him $250 and then and there he agreed to pay an extra $300 for the Suburban. See I did not mind loosing money because it was an over aged unit and I needed to move it but it was the fact he beat me. For those of you thinking you could beat me rest assured even on my worst day I would rip your head off and make a nice profit and you would feel like you got the deal of your life!

This guy was old school and just loved the grind. He missed the action days of the old and the truth is that's what he needed to make his buying decision. He needed a guy to grind it out with him and I was that guy!





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