A leading used car expert has warned motorists can quickly identify a dodgy petrol, diesel and electric car salesman in minutes with 13 major red flags.
Kevin Hunter, a car buying specialist warned the tone of a salesman's approach and their first few words can give vital clues of their motivation.
Good car salesmen will look to help a driver make the best decision for them while bad sellers will be mainly profit and target driven.
This could see road users caught up in accepting a bad deal or unfavourable terms in a payment plan or finance scheme.
Express.co.uk explains Kevin's 13 tips to ensure road users are not caught out when trying to secure a deal this Autumn.
1. Super High Enthusiasm
Kevin has warned that "way over the top enthusiasm" should be a "serious red flag" to potential buyers.
He claims if somebody on a car lot talks to you "like they're jacked up" on energy drinks, potential buyers should consider walking away.
, Kevin added: "It actually helps the car salesman compensate for the guilt of trying to snowball you. It kind of makes them numb."
2. Immediate Pitch
The motoring expert said bad car salesmen will usually try and grab buyers' attention straight away with keywords such as "amazing inventory" or "awesome dealer".
Kevin added: "It all comes out immediately. The bad car salesman pitches you on things faster than a farmer pitching c*** out of the back of a barn."
3. Pressure
These salesmen will make it hard for drivers to think, standing in front of buyers and trying to stop prospective owners from thinking of anything else.
Kevin stressed there was a simple way for road users to get out of this situation with a simple phrase.
He commented: "You only need to have the courage to say 'I'm here for one thing and one thing only. Get out pen and paper and write this down' and I make them do it."
4. Financing
Appearing to push customers into accepting a finance deal over other payment options is a major red flag and should be immediately called out.
Dealers will often benefit from incentives through finance schemes which makes securing a contract more beneficial for them than a cash customer.
5. What's in it for me
Kevin said: "They don't really care about you while being very much into themselves. They wear slick clothes, you're hit with a heavy wave of very expensive cologne and endless rambling about how amazing they are."
6. Don't Understand Customers
Kevin warns this is "absolutely key" for a good salesman to understand what customers want from the sale.
However, a bad salesman will be "too impatient" to understand customers' needs and will just want to get their hands on motorists' money.
If a salesman is asking for your business but doesn't take time to understand who you are, drivers should walk away.
7. Superficial Value
A bad car salesman may try and jazz up a less exciting deal in a bid to make buyers enthusiastic about parting with their money. However, many buyers will see through this and should vote with their feet.
Kevin added: "They hammer all the features, all the bells and whistles and totally avoid the end result of what a good car deal actually looks like."
8. Can't Understand No.
Kevin explained: "No means no. Only do business with people who understand that word."
9. Lack of Sincerity
The used car expert has warned that communicating with an insincere salesman will feel fake and weird.
If there is no connection between a buyer and a salesman, it would be easier to leave.
10. Two Option Solution
Kevin stressed: "A bad car salesman offers it to any challenge or objection you raise. It doesn't matter what it is. Everything you say that they didn't want to hear results in them running down a new goat trail that always has a fork in it.
"It goes one of two ways, both leading to the sale that they want."
11. Your Needs
Kevin warns that a bad salesman will not be interested in finding out what motorists need from a new or second-hand vehicle.
Simply stating that "most customers" like this model doesn't mean the car is right for every driver and a good salesman should identify this.
12. It's not a two-way dialogue
A bad salesman will "talk a mile a minute" and make it difficult for buyers to jump into the conversation.
According to Kevin "when the information flow has you feeling like a dog who has its head out the window" it's time to walk away.
13. No communication loop
Kevin stresses that real communication shouldn't feel like a salesman is forcing someone into anything.
There should be natural questions in a discussion and the feeling that a buyer is being listened to.
Instead, a bad salesman will keep trying to turn potential buyers towards their objective which could leave drivers caught out.
