Shute

I had been thinking about buying a car for two years. After another $1000 of repairs on my 1994 Buick Roadmaster (purchased new) with over180,000 miles, it was time. In the past, when I sat in a new car (at dealers and at auto shows), the comfort did not match my Buicks sofa like seat so I put off buying. During the past 24 months I determined the make and model but not the color; thus one Friday my plan was to check the colors at a local dealer. Later, the best price would be obtained via online bidding - a proven way to obtain a competitive price.

After arriving, the salesman took some basic information and asked how much time was available. My response was 15 to 30 minutes. Four hours later, I left without buying because the deal was on a car with the light interior not the dark that was my preference. In retrospect, what transpired in those four hours was a demonstration of classic car sales techniques at their best. This realization came to light a few days later when watching a movie where the sales manager highlighted the tricks of the trade, he gloated on how to manipulate the customer. After the movie, I said: this is exactly what happened to me. Of the 14 techniques used during my four-hour ordeal, all were referenced in the movie (except in the movie a secret microphone captured the conversation between husband and wife after the salesman left the room this did not occur). The amazing thing is that I did not realize the sales tricks during the process. What were the techniques?

First, in the parking lot the salesman turned his back and said follow me to the office and I did. Next, he obtained keys for the model of interest and positioned the car so I could sit in it. Although, I have driven the model before, he insisted it was no problem. After 15 minutes we returned to the office to say goodbye, how naive.

The third technique was offering a deal that could not be refused. He quoted a trade offer two times the value of my car and eight thousand dollars off the list price! My thought, this is too good to be true. My response, need to check with the wife. No problem, he offered the use of his cell phone, technique four, remove obstacles. Now the hook was set, he had a possible buyer. After driving a second car of my preferred color, we were back at the office.

My trade was the next topic. He filled out the paper work to determine the value via an online wholesale system. He offered one thousand more than the value which somehow made me feel good even though it was one thousand less than his first offer. This was trick five. Keeping my keys, trick six.

It was next revealed that the eight thousand discount first quoted was on a demo with 4,000 miles; thus we discontinued negotiations on that car, rather, the focus shifted to the one I just drove. He said they wanted to close the first sale of the day to get things rolling, thus a big discount, trick seven. The next question was what price would close the deal; He asked me to sign on a scratch pad how much I would pay, trick eight. Any amount was ok, if it were unreasonable, he would fight with his manager for me, technique nine, the salesman was on my side.

The manager arrives. He says he would be losing money on this deal, it cost more to produce the car than you are offering. Obviously, unreasonable offers were not acceptable. He then starts the negotiations with the msrp and drops a thousand; our prior negotiations were lost somehow, trick ten. Since the car has more options than requested, a lecture on their value follows. When I request a basic version, the manager actually gets mad implying how much better discount is available with options, trick eleven intimidation. After the manager leaves, the salesman uses trick twelve, ten thousand down with three year payments and list price. This came out of the blue since from the beginning the premise was a cash deal. However, it must be a standard practice.

The manager returned with a better offer, his lowest possible price. Actually he is losing money and will have to take the loss from his department budget, trick thirteen. Technique fourteen, a one-time offer, is highlighted by the question from both sales staff: do we have a deal at this price? By this time, I am not sure if the deal is reasonable since so many numbers have been discussed. The manager places a gong on the table to announce the first deal of the day. I am holding the pen to sign when my gut says no, wait for the exact car - do not compromise on the desired interior; and, do not succumb to these pressure tactics. Somehow I manage to obtain my keys and leave as an exhausted individual.

My story ends when I purchase the exact car I wanted from another dealer at a good but not great price, the negotiation involved an offer and a counter offer via email. Since my nerves were shot; I could not tolerate any more hassle or pressure. If acknowledging these crafty and subtle techniques will make the job of buying a car easier for someone, then my experience has some value.

Jim Johnson, July 2007

Retired person recently purchasing a new car.

It is not easy to organize a successful party. Food, drinks and recorded music are fun, but since there are quite a lot of occasions to celebrate throughout the year, thrown repeatedly such parties soon get boring.

Why not at least once or twice in the year, as, for example, on the occasion of Christmas, New Year Day or corporate anniversary have a party a bit different from an ordinary drinking spree, a party to be original and remembered long afterwards.

So what makes a party successful? Is it possible to organize an unforgettable, smooth-running event on your own?

The most important thing is the theme, the idea. But it is not always easy to invent a theme. And it is even more complicated to realize it. Usually, it requires much effort. When choosing a theme, it is advisable to pay attention to several criteria.

First of all, you should have in mind that the aim of a corporate party is not only relaxation, but also getting to know one another better through interaction, revealing personal qualities, etc. That is, the point of a party is team building. Therefore, it is especially important that all the staff members could participate. Here participate means far more than remaining passive watchers because active participation is one of the keys of a successful party. The role of a watcher (if it can be called a role at all) is simply boring. Let your employees feel that they are important and strong as personalities by giving them a chance to express themselves or accomplish certain tasks. A theme party is an ideal time to do it.

An inseparable part of a holiday party is humor. A light or sharper touch of humor should dominate in every theme.

It is also very important that the theme should be chosen considering the companys sphere of activity and the specialties of the people involved the theme should be something out of the ordinary, maybe something exotic or lightly shocking. Unrealized childhood dreams may be a good idea when choosing a theme. Maybe your boss wanted to become a fireman as a child? Why not put a fire-fighter costume on him and make him sit into a fire truck on boss day or his birthday? Or why not get serious gentlemen immersed in a pool of coloured balls? Its so nice when people free their true selves, stepping over the line of everyday routine.

It is also important to take into account the occasion on which the party is organized. Surely, if it is a or New Year party, you wont do without the usual attributes such as Santa Claus, Christmas tree, gifts and fire-works, and somehow or other the theme of the party will have to match the occasion. In case of many other events, the freedom of choice is greater, there is space for infinite interpretations.

If it is a corporate outing, the theme should allow time for activity: tasks to be carried out, games and so on.

Still lacking ideas? Here are several themes:
- Cowboy party (country music and dance, rodeo, whiskey, cigars);
- Knightly tournaments (show fights with thorny knob-sticks (fake ones) followed by the same sort of fights involving the participants, horses, ladies);
- Japanese samurai (fighting with kendo swards, calligraphy, tea ceremony);
- Fire-fighters (fire-engines, helmets, staged fire scene);
- Travel in time;
- UFO (flying saucer, aliens, other planets);
- Beer festival (beer pavilion, the German Oktober Fest" mood);
- alternative sport championship (paintball, electronic basketball, curling, quad-bike race, running with five-man skis (a pair of skis for five persons), sumo, pillow battle);
- tracing classical literature (The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Don Quixote, etc.)

Once the theme is selected, it needs proper implementation. The costumes are not enough. The success of the party also depends on the choice of decorations, music, shows, tasks prepared for the participants, food and drinks.

Moreover, a party must have a culmination point. Be it travel in time or a medieval knight tournament, there has to be something to surprise or amaze the participants. It may be a flying saucer landing, an enemy attack or whatever: it depends on your imagination and possibilities.

Meanwhile fire-works, hot-air balloons, a ball-pool, trampoline, soap bubbles and the like may serve to create a festive atmosphere and complement the theme. An inseparable attribute of a fun party is photos.

Now, should companies organize corporate parties on their own, or maybe it is better to ask for professional help? Choosing the people to entrust your event to depends not only on the budget but also on your expectations, the time foreseen for preparation, the needed equipment and many other factors.

Organising a corporate party yourself is cheaper. But there is some risk in doing so since even the smallest details may spoil a seemingly successful event; thus, lack of professionalism may be a spoke in the wheel. Besides, it may cost a lot of time and nerves for the staff members responsible for such events as they may lack experience. Let alone the responsibility which will not let you relax and fully enjoy the celebration. Even if you have decided to organize a party yourself, you can still ask for professional assistance. Currently there is a wide range of such services in Lithuania, from party ideas to equipment rent. Among them, there are indeed original things for parties: the biggest grill in Lithuania, a submarine towed on the snow, hot-air balloons, bubble machines, etc. In the global context, event planning professionals in Lithuania can offer high-level services. Choosing professional help in planning an event is a way to avoid repetition. It may happen that some of your guests have already taken part in a similar party, so a good event planning company will never organize the same event a second time. Moreover, experienced event planners will always find a way out when unforeseen difficulties arise. However, it is also important to remember that an event starts from the dialogue. Clients are welcome with their thoughts, ideas and wishes so that professionals could offer the most suitable solution.

Discussing all the details and nuances before the event is just vital. Some more tips when planning an event

To ensure a smooth and truly memorable party, it is advisable to start preparing at least before 2 months, even though it would actually take shorter.

It is also advisable to hold corporate parties on weekdays rather then on weekends, so you will have a greater choice of venues and entertainments.

Donatas is an author of the most corporate entertainment and incentive travel articles on the official Team Holiday web site.