Man Goes To Buick Dealership Planning To Buy Used. Then Salesman Realizes He’s Better Buying A Brand-New Car—Because Of His Credit

A man walks into a Buick dealership hoping to buy a used car. The general manager is initially skeptical after hearing the man’s credit profile and loan situation, but eventually proposes a deal that satisfies everyone.

TikTok creator JC Prats (@jcprats25) at Starling Buick GMC in Stuart, Florida, posted a video about the customer interaction on Feb. 9. He says he resolved the situation by simply going "back to basics" with regard to his sales strategy.

Prats reveals that the previous Saturday, a man came into the dealership looking to purchase a used vehicle. He informed them that he was upside down on his current truck loan, but had good credit and wanted to make a deal. Prats connected him with a salesperson and went on with his day.

Why Is This Buick Customer Better Off Buying A New Car?

After a couple of hours, Prats says he noticed the customer and his salesperson weren’t making any progress. So, he pulled the salesperson aside and asked what was going on. That’s when the salesperson told him the process was stalled due to credit and loan factors and a lack of a down payment.

"I said, ‘Why are we showing him a used car? We should show him a new car,’ and he says, ‘No, he doesn’t want a new car,'" Prats says.

He went back to the customer and asked him for his credit score, which the man claimed was 650. Prats asked the man if he could put down $5,000, and the man changed his tune and said he could.

"We went from the salesperson telling me he had no money down to, in five seconds, telling me he had five grand down," Prat says. "I said, ‘You need to consider a new truck if you have negative equity. It’s going to be easier to bury your negative equity with your $5,000 down. We can make this a little more palatable.’"

Prats asked the man if he could run his credit to confirm the number, and the man agreed. "All this happened in about seven to 10 minutes," Prats says. "We run the credit; he’s a 550, not 650 like he thought."

What Is The Moral Of This Buick Dealership Story?

Prats says he hasn’t completed the deal just yet, but expects it to close in short order. And the entire interaction reminds him of something important. 

"Sometimes we forget and step out of going back to the basics, you know, sales 101," he says. "Get back to the basics. Qualify your customers. Make sure you’re asking the right questions. Move [with] a little pep in your step. Get excited. Don’t take the path of least resistance, and you’re gonna see you’re gonna sell more cars."

According to NCM Associates, pushing past an initial no is indeed one of the hallmarks of a beginner sales strategy. It can take multiple requests before a customer is willing to say yes. Additionally, it can help immensely to form a personal relationship with the customer, as I advised a Reddit user and a beginner salesman a couple of years ago.

When it comes to Prats’ advice to the customer, there are some cases when it might be better to roll an underwater loan into a new-car loan rather than a used-car loan. And those cases generally include, as Prats said, significant money down and perhaps even manufacturer incentives. If not, you’ll end up paying more in the long run.

Motor1 contacted Prats via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We will update this story if he responds.