The telephone approach solves all of these problems. On the telephone, body language is eliminated from the equation and you, not the seller, are in control of the conversation.2 You have set the sequence of moves and defined the game. They know that you will speak to enough dealers that anyone who is on the cusp of a manufacturer’s incentive, for instance, will give you a really good price. They reveal information to you however they reply. The fact that some of them leave the conversation early is a good thing—it saves you time. You have not lost an opportunity.
