When it comes to bargaining for a new car, are women negotiating harder bargains than men?
According to a recent report from NPR Morning Edition’s Sonari Glinton, women not only negotiate harder bargains than men when it comes to vehicle purchases, but also they do more extensive preparatory work (See: Negotiating for What You Really Want– how to bargain for what you (and maybe even your counterpart) want at the bargaining table). Conventional wisdom has always placed the automobile in the realm of the masculine, but the emergence of the prepared and educated female customer has changed the way car dealers sell cars and the way car manufacturers market and design them.
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Women who negotiate good deals on automobiles approach negotiations with an objective orientation and ask different and more probing questions about their intended purchase.
While aesthetics and mechanical performance were among the top concerns for male customers, female customers placed premiums on price and reliability. Moreover, the expectation that a female car buyer may be less knowledgeable than her male counterpart when making a vehicle purchase allows female customers the advantage of surprise, because their preparation quickly overcomes gender expectations.
The Value of Negotiation Preparation
The value in preparation and limiting expectations combined with an objective outlook can pay big dividends in future negotiations, whether it is for a car, a home or your salary.
Do you have any tips for bargaining for a new car? Share your stories in the comments.
Claim your FREE copy: Business Negotiation Strategies: How to Negotiate Better Business Deals
Discover step-by-step techniques for avoiding common business negotiation pitfalls when you download a copy of the FREE special report, Business Negotiation Strategies: How to Negotiate Better Business Deals, from the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.
Related Business Negotiations Article: So You Want to Buy a Car?
What negotiators need to know before embarking on a new car negotiation. What behind-the-table concerns do negotiators have and how can they leverage these for value creation and claiming during the negotiating process?
Originally published February 2012.
Great. The article also contains a negotiating art of buying a new car. I will try to use it for the car that I will buy. Thanks for your great information
I think Saturn going out of business in 2010 was a nice foreshadowing to this news. I couldn’t believe that company tried to target themselves at women and then refuse to negotiate car prices as a general policy. I hope other companies are paying attention now…
On my blog negotiatingsalary.com I write frequently about ways that women can improve their ability to get the pay raises and starting salaries they deserve. It’s time to bridge that gender pay inequality gap ASAP!
I guess bouth women and man choose cars the same way they choose relationships partners…