[00:00:00] Welcome to the Phoenix Business Brief. I'm Brian Hyde, and today I'm joined by Aiden Albright, who is the owner and founder of my car, negotiator. Aiden, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for having me, Brian. So let's get a little bit of a, a feel for who you are and what you do. Would you mind telling us just a little bit about yourself? Yeah, of course. Um, so I was born and raised out here in Scottsdale, Arizona. Um, kind of grew up my whole life playing basketball up until a little bit of college. Once COVID and everything hits, and I guess you could say I got into the real world of sales and a job. Uh, my first job I was in car sales over at a local Toyota dealership near me. And honestly, I got in at a great time. I learned a ton of stuff from the dealership, which was amazing. It's kind of funny. I was there when we had about 800 new cars on the lot and then I was also there when we had about six new cars on the lot. So I kind of experienced a whole difference of being able to have tons of options to choose from showing the customers to where now it's kinda like you have Slim Pickens and they [00:01:00] either have that one or you can maybe put a deposit on one coming in. So, um, got into car sales. I did that for just over two and a half years. And when I transitioned outta car sales, I actually got stayed in sales, but I got into door to door. But in the meantime, I always had friends and family asking me of, Hey, are you still at Toyota? Or Hey, can you come help me get a car or come negotiate this deal? And I would love it. I'd go mess with the sales guys a little bit, have some fun and just 'cause I know kind of what the sales side is, I was able to then make sure the friends and family, they were getting great deals on the vehicle. They had fun experiences and didn't really think anything of it until about, yeah, nine months ago I was out with some friends and one of their girlfriends got a vehicle from Toyota. I asked them who they got the car from and they told me that they paid someone to go in, negotiate the deal and do exactly what I was already doing. Um, so after I heard that, I thought it was a great idea. I saw there was definitely a huge market for people who like to avoid the dealerships and just who don't have great [00:02:00] experiences. With my knowledge, I thought it was a great, great way to start the business. Aiden, it sounds like you're exactly the kind of friend that anybody in the market for a car would want to have. Yeah. Talk to me about, so what, what do you do? Um, let's, let's break down, um, you know, the car buying process and, and let's talk about how you help your clients, you know, get the vehicle they want. Of course. Yeah. So first we'll kinda start with the call, um, just going over details of what kind of vehicle that they're looking for, any specific trims, packages that the vehicle's gonna have on it. Um, any color preferences that they absolutely love or absolutely hate. And then from there, um, they'll gimme a budget of kind of where they wanna keep it in the range of. And then from there I go out and I do the researching. Um, send them over different options based on obviously the conversation we have prior. Um, once we kind of narrow down a few different options after all the ones I send them. They let me know, Hey, then I like these three options you sent. Maybe not these two. And then from there, I then handled the contacting and communicating with the dealership to get the numbers, beat them up on the negotiations and [00:03:00] the pricing and everything, make sure that they're not sneaking anything in there. And then from there, I run all those numbers by the clients after I have them beaten down on the negotiations. And just make sure that the numbers are in the, in the sweet spot for the customer and everything sounds good. And then if everything looks good with them, I'll walk in the deal with the dealership. So when they show up, it's simple. There's no surprises, no extra games. The vehicle's already detailed. They already know all the numbers, and they simply just have to go in there, review the last final docs and sign the paperwork. Man, that sounds fantastic. Now for those who may say, oh, well I can do all that myself, Aiden, let's take a moment and let's, let's talk about some of the more common, either problems that people run into who, who go in to buy a car and really don't know how, you know, the, yeah. The industry operates or some of the mistakes that they make inadvertently. Definitely. Um, so I would say a big one is a lot of customers when they go into a dealership, the sales guys will usually ask them, Hey guys, obviously budget wise, where are we trying to be? And then [00:04:00] they'll always try to ask the customer where they're trying to be monthly payment wise. Um, that's a big mistake that I see customers focus on is they just focus, Hey, I want to have a $500 monthly payment. And they don't really see the out the door numbers, the sale price, the interest rate, all those other fees that are associated with it. So then it makes it a little bit easier as the sales guy, he might know, hey, even though we can maybe get them to a low $400 payment, they said they're okay with 500. So now that's when they might be able to either sneak up a little bit on the interest rate pack in some extra stuff on the back end. So that's where I see aton of customers making a little mistake there is giving them too much information, thinking the sales guy is then gonna help them and use that to help them. Then the sales guys, some of them, they might use that to say, oh, sweet, I can maybe charge a little bit extra now because they told me that this is in their budget. Um, so that's a big mistake that I see. And then trade-in values. Um, when people are trading in their vehicles, they don't do too much research on the Kelley Blue Book value. Um, what other comparisons are out there currently that they're selling for? So usually when they give the dealership their [00:05:00] vehicle information, they'll come back with a number and then you do get tax savings in Arizona when you trade in the vehicle. So a lot of dealerships, they'll kind of mention, Hey, good news, with your $30,000 vehicle, you're saving taxes on that. You're actually getting closer to about 33,000 roughly just because your tax savings. And so it sounds a little bit more beneficial to the customer, but even then, they might be able to get a little bit more, get actually 33,000 plus tax savings on top of. So just a couple different areas. One, definitely giving them too much information and two, obviously trade and values, making sure that they're doing the research on the value of their vehicle. What other comparisons are out there for sure. Now, I don't wanna make it sound like, oh, those car salesmen, you know, they're just waiting to pounce on you. No, definitely not. But, but I, I've been in the position of going into to buy a car before and I was really kind of surprised at how quickly I got full of adrenaline and was woo, I was all hyped up when, when I was very rational and calm going in there. What happened to me that got me so, uh, so fired up that I felt like, man, I [00:06:00] can't get outta here without this thing today. Yeah, it's the questions that you get asked. Um, the excitement of course, obviously it should be a very exciting process here. You're going to get a new vehicle, um, new ride and everything like that. You're driving it almost every single day, so you want to make sure it's the one. Um, so when you're going in there, obviously I, like you said, you're all excited and everything, and then all of a sudden now you get a bunch of questions. There's a lot of pressure of, Hey, what does it take to make the deal today? What do we have to do right now? All this kind of stuff. They don't really give you too much time to think. And then on top of that, after usually test driving, the customers go into the dealership, they sit with the sales guy. Um, and then the sales person then gets the information for credit if they're willing to give that. And then they start the negotiation with the sales managers going up to get the numbers coming down. So on top of being there all day, you're also waiting around, sitting for a good majority of that, um, where customers are just sitting at the desk waiting for their sales guy to come back with numbers. Or the second round, they're waiting for their, now the manager to come back with different numbers. So it's a [00:07:00] little bit of mix of excitement, nerves, and a little bit of pressure as well. Um, people, like I was mentioning earlier, they focus on that monthly payment. So when the sales guy gets into that monthly payment and the customer might not be ready, sales guy might be saying, Hey, well I got you the monthly payment where you're trying to be on the vehicle. Like, what does it take to get, take home today? Even though they might wanna do just a little bit more research. Um, usually that sales guy. They can get them to that payment and they're comfortable. Some people just pull the trigger right then and there. Well, I can understand why. And look, I'm, I, I mean, no disrespect, sales really is an art and, and I have nothing but respect for the people who are good at, at their game, you know, when it comes to selling. But, uh, boy, if you, if you don't have an idea of what you're doing, it, it would be real easy to be taken advantage of. And this is where I see what you're offering as a great way to, to know exactly what you're getting because you have someone who is not going to be susceptible to, to some of the, uh, techniques that that might work on lesser informed people. No, of course. And I wanna put out there, of course, all [00:08:00] sales guys, there's, I don't wanna say they're all bad, of course there's tons of great sales guys out there, um, especially in the car sales industry. But of course, like everything that's great. There's always some that are gonna be there for just either the quick money or hey, they just wanna make a quick check and they're gonna act like they're your best friend and then you'll never hear from them again, unfortunately, after that. Um, but no, there are definitely tons of great sales guys out there as well that I've run into. 'cause I've, I deal with it every single day. So I deal with some of the good and some of the bad. I'm curious, what is the reaction when you go in on behalf of a client? Um, I, I'm assuming you're probably a known quantity to, to many of these dealers. Uh, when they see you come in, are they like, oh boy, okay. It's funny. They love me and they hate me. Um, the dealerships, they love me because they know I have a solid deal for them, a good commitment and everything, but they hate me because they know they're not gonna be making any money on it, and they're most likely going to be losing money on the deal. Um, but at the end of the day, most dealerships, especially new car dealerships. They are incentivized to get out new cars and everything. So even if they are losing money [00:09:00] on the vehicle, it still incentivizes them to continue to sell it. Are there any other games or, or tricks that, that sometimes come into play when, when someone comes onto the car lot, uh, looking for a vehicle? There's, yeah, there is some tricks I would say. So depending on if you're looking at new or used, um. Leasing some companies, they absolutely love for you to lease the vehicle because it's a little bit harder for you to kind of read the numbers, see exactly what the sale price is with the residual, kind of see where all the money's going. So sometimes that, and the sales guys, they might talk to person, Hey, if you lease this vehicle, it's a much lower payment. Um, less money down, all this kind of stuff sounds really great, but then once you get into the nitty gritty, you realize, oh, wow, might be a little bit more, some cases leases is better, but some casing or some cases financing definitely is a little bit better. Interesting. Do, do you ever, uh, do you ever find people complaining that, uh, they got the old bait and switch? All the time. Um, lots of it [00:10:00] is, Hey, the vehicle's here, Wayne, can you come on down, make it in, and the customer goes down there and, oh, sorry, that vehicle just sold. We don't have it anymore, but we have this one that can replace it. It's just the exact same. So a lot of that, um, with the vehicles of saying it's there and when it's really not there. Or a lot of, some dealerships, they won't really give exact out the door numbers over the phone because if they do that, then when you come in, obviously you have that to show them and they can't really do anything about it. But if they tell you, Hey, no, it's just 28,000 plus, roughly about 10 to 12% if you add taxes and fees on top. Then when you go in there, they don't really have a paper of you saying, oh well you have an exact out the door. So we have to honor that. Um, so some dealerships, that's why I always love to make sure I'm getting the full out the door, the sale price and all the fees and everything prior to us showing up. So then that way when we do get there, there's no surprises, no extra fees or anything like that. Now, I don't mean to insult you by, by how I'm comparing this, but it seems to me this is almost like the advantage of, you know, having a good attorney when you go into court. Yeah. [00:11:00] Someone who speaks the language, someone who knows, uh, yeah, all of the procedure and, and how, how the system works. And, and that's why they're there, is to make sure that, uh, that you're being represented and, and that you don't inadvertently, or, you know, unexpectedly make a, a wrong turn. Exactly. Yeah. Um, and it, I mean, it's confusing, especially with all the numbers and everything, um, with the vehicle, the excitement, the questions and everything, it does tend to be a lot. Um, so I totally understand why when some people go to a dealership, they expect to be there maybe for a couple hours or so, and they end up spending 4, 5, 6 hours there. Um, and it's just an exhausting process for them. So, and there's a lot of numbers. They've been there for a while. They're confused. And if the payments end up being comfortable, sometimes that's when people just say, okay, we've been here for four hours. The payment's fine. Let's just do it. Um, so I can definitely understand why some people Yeah, unfortunately does happen. That. Yeah, the pressure can take a lot of different forms, and again, this is not to suggest that, boy, you're gonna get strong armed, but someone [00:12:00] who knows the system is definitely going to, to know when, when the pressure's being ramped up, you know, in cases where it shouldn't be now. Definitely. Having said that, Aiden, tell me about to talk to me about your first sale. What, what was that like? So it was actually very cool, um, great feeling and everything. My first sale, it was to a good friend Ben Newell. Um, he was looking at getting a new Tacoma and it's funny 'cause I used to obviously, like I was mentioning work at Toyota. So I had good connections with them still. Um, and just being able to, one, let my friend know, Hey, this is my business. I'm starting, this is what I do. And obviously him trusting me to give the opportunity for that, and then executing it. Honestly, that was just the biggest. Accomplishment, I guess I could say is going to the dealership, finding the truck. He absolutely loved getting him a lower payment, um, than he, what he was currently paying, getting him a great deal on the vehicle. By the time he showed up, everything was already ready for him. He had a great experience when he was there signing the paperwork. Um, in finance, I [00:13:00] helped with negotiating. He wanted to get GAP as well, so I helped negotiate that. He had a great experience in there and then when he drove off the lot, he literally told me, he was like, that was literally the easiest process I've ever had to buying a vehicle. Um, and then just hearing that it was like, wow, this, this is amazing. Um, not only did it actually work, but he had a great experience and this is definitely gonna be something someday. Oh, I bet that was music to your ears. It was amazing. Now, every time I hear customers telling me, oh my God, like, you helped me get my dream vehicle, or, oh my gosh, I didn't think I was gonna be able to do this, but you did. Like, I love, absolutely love hearing that now. Okay, so here's, here's one that popped into my head and, and, and probably because I feel like I've, I've been taken advantage of on this one when it comes to, uh, you know, upgrades or add-ons. Uh, yeah. What are some of the more common ones that people fall for? That they really probably shouldn't? So, and I get this a lot on social media, it's funny, um, with aftermarket or with warranties, extended warranties. Um, so some people it, and it all honestly [00:14:00] depends on the customer's case. If the customer is gonna be trading outta the vehicle in two to three years, they don't really keep their vehicles for a long time. It doesn't really make too much sense for them to get an extended warranty because they obviously have the basic manufacturer warranty. And then if they don't end up going past the mileage or the years with that, then that extra warranty that they bought on was just being extra. Obviously they do get a prorated amount back for that, but that is just extra money that they didn't spend. Versus if somebody says, Hey, I want to keep this car for the next seven to 10 years, I drive it till the wheels fall off. It might not be a terrible option for them to get an extended bumper to bumper warranty that will cover all their parts, maintenances services and everything like that, just for the peace of mind because they are negotiable. So if you can get them down, um, kinda like you're prepaying it, but if you can get a really good discount on that, it does end up benefiting the customer. But I would say a lot of the ones that I don't wanna say a lot, but I would say some of those sneaky ones are like your dent and repair fixes. Like, [00:15:00] oh, if you're leasing the vehicle, you can pay this amount. And any dents or repairs or anything like that that you have, we'll replace that. We won't ding you or anything at the end of your lease. But then if the customer ends up trading out of it earlier or goes to a different brand, that they're not really gonna deem them on those dings and dents anyways, so that extra money that they just pay. It all kind of does depend on the customer situation for sure. And I, this is probably not a fair question to ask, but I have to ask, because of your background and your experience, are there car brands that, uh, that you tend to, um, recommend to people if they say, I don't even know what I want to, or are there car brands that, that you tend to say, you know, maybe think twice unless, you know, we can find a particularly mint, you know, addition of, of that vehicle. So my good recommendations. Obviously Toyota and Honda, those have been around a while. Super reliable. Toyota, Honda, and Lexus. Um, those three are great 'cause they act kind of all sorts of vehicles from sedans to [00:16:00] mid-size SUVs, bigger SUVs, and then the, the trucks and everything. So a bunch of different options there, obviously super great reliability, um, and affordability too. And then of course you have the Mercedes, the BMW, the Fords and everything like that. Ford has actually been. Pretty recent, a lot of the Ford F1 fifties. Those have been pretty recent or pretty popular recently with me. Um, some of the brands, I don't really, I wouldn't honestly say it's brands, I'd say it's more dealerships that I try to avoid just because sometimes they play too many games. And if I see that they're playing games with me, I won't give them the business. 'cause if they're doing that to me, someone who knows everything, or not everything, but knows a lot about the business, what are they doing to the people who are, don't know much about the business? Okay, so let's, let's walk through the process again for, for those, someone hearing this and saying, you know what? I want to, uh, I want to utilize your service at my car negotiator. Where does it begin? What's the first thing they need to do? So they'll [00:17:00] reach out to me. I have on my website, they can fill out either contact form. Um, they'll reach out to me letting me know the vehicle that they're interested in, if they have a trade-in vehicle. And then we'll, kind of first steps will be going over all the details of the vehicle that they're interested in. So that way when I'm sending them options, obviously they're gonna be accurate, of course, to what they're looking for. Then from there, once I send over the options and everything, once they find the right vehicle that they end up loving and wanna see numbers on, I then handle all the communicating, negotiating on top of that so they can sit back, relax, and then I'll send all the finalized numbers to them and they simply just have to pick and choose if, hey, we like this vehicle up, but this one's a little bit higher. This one we like to, and it's right in our range. Let's go for this one. Lock in the deal with the dealership. Schedule a time for them to come on down. And then by the time they get there, majority of the paperwork is ready. The vehicle's already detailed up, and usually I show up to the dealership a bit early just to, again, make sure the sales guys are on top of it with the vehicle, detailed most of the paperwork ready, and then by the time they show up, there's no extra surprises or anything. Well, it sounds like you have [00:18:00] definitely figured out a way to take the stress outta buying a new car. Um, talk to me about, uh, the best way for people to, to find you. First of all, uh, what is your website? My website is my car, negotiator az.com. And then on social media, I do a lot of posting on social media, on Instagram and TikTok. So those are definitely two pages that I like to try to get myself out there. My Instagram handle is my car negotiator, and then the same with my TikTok as well. So all one word. And that's where I try to post all the pictures with my clients and everything, their experiences, their reviews, and all that. So it gives the customers that are then going to potentially trust me gives them a little bit more comfortability of knowing, oh wow, look at all these people, these huge smiles on their faces, great reviews and everything. So it makes them feel a lot more comfortable. Well, Aiden, you have, uh, you, you have definitely got me thinking, you know, uh, this, this, is there any other way for a person to buy a car? It sounds, it sounds like this is the way to go. Um, [00:19:00] thank you so much for joining us today on the Phoenix Business Brief. Awesome. Thank you very much for having me, Brian.