11 Tips Car Salesmen Don’t Want You To Know

7) Don’t Fall for the Ben Franklin Close

The “Ben Franklin close” is named after a tactic reportedly used by Ben Franklin to make important decisions. During this close, a salesperson will pull out a piece of paper and make two columns. They’ll label these columns ‘Reasons to Buy’ and ‘Reasons Not to Buy.’ The salesperson will be very helpful when you’re filling out the ‘Reasons to Buy’ column. However, when you get to the ‘Reasons Not to Buy’ column, the salesperson will suddenly get very quiet, and they’ll make you think of the reasons on your own. The salesperson is doing this to manipulate you into adding more items to the ‘Reasons to Buy’ column. If the salesperson tries to use this tactic, simply say, “Oh, that’s the Ben Franklin close.” The salesperson will probably be embarrassed that you caught onto their tricks, and they won’t try the tactic on you again.