Ireland Car Trade

Deception is everywhere and phonies are scattered all over the land. This is the reason why each one should be cautious in both their transactions and decisions. This fact is also true in purchasing automobiles. Though most of the auto dealers are honest, there are some details that every purchaser should watch out for.

When honesty and integrity are made issues, surveys divulge that auto dealer’s knuckles scrape the bottom of the barrel along with other politicians, telemarketers and insurance agents. Auto industry is riddled with liars and crooks.

Deception is almost always linked to marketing and this is said to be an activity that most people identify with a grain of salt. According to some, life is a sales game and to win it over, every strategy must be made – whether it is good, tolerable or awful. Several profit-oriented companies make profits by promoting their products and services as better than their rivals, regardless of their truthfulness.

Why do auto dealers have such dire reputations? According to analysts, the reputation is triggered by the fact that most people have their cars as their greatest single purchase other than a dwelling. Negotiable value mated to a wide- variety of options makes every one careful about trickery. The cautiousness is far higher than if a brand of apparel or food failed to live up to consumer’s expectations.

There are a lot of maverick salespersons in the business industry. But in the auto industry itself, a dealer of K & N Cold Air Intake would less likely feel the impact of hesitation than auto dealers. These crooked salespersons are thorns that bring down auto industry’s reputation to the detriment of honest individuals in the industry.

Dealership owners usually keep these maverick salespersons because they are usually seated atop the sales charts. Businessmen are saying that though reputation is one significant thing, business is still business. Unless the situation would generate a legal action, most businessmen will not avoid a goose that lays golden eggs.

Among the most common lies include price packing. In this situation, the salesman agrees with a purchaser on a particular price. Afterwards, he ‘packs’ additional hundreds of dollars onto the final bill. This is done by including finance charges to a few more dollars per month than what is required. Unfortunately, only the most astute purchasers get to notice this shrewd scheme.

Another lie is dubbed as the bill-padder or the excessive labor fees in regard to pre-delivery work like those involving larger wheels, audio system upgrades, and the like. This is easily disguised by adding several folds of dollar per month to the final charge. Aside from this, auto dealers also employ several white lies as anyone else.

The industry has its slice of shady character, same with other industries. However, various industries are swarmed by different types of people – people of character, people of integrity, people of faith and those belonging to the negative types.

According to some dealers, it is quite unfair to dub them as liars, crooks, or fraudulent doers when they are doing an honest business. They added that selling cars is a great way of earning honest income. “Profit,” said Stephen Smith, Lexus auto dealer, “is not an option, but an objective in any business and that holds true in my industry. It is as fair for an auto dealership and an auto salesperson to make a profit as it is fair to make a profit in any other form of business. There are good people in the auto industry and I am one of them!”

Lauren Woods
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/the-biggest-lies-auto-dealers-make-107056.html

Time has passed and the same old job situation has you down. The life you are living is much like a sad country song. It’s not what you had imagined, and you don’t like your day job one bit. Maybe it was a friend that shared with you the power of auto tech schools, or it could be that you have done your homework and know what auto tech schools can do for someone who is interested in a career change. Regardless of the reason, the time has come to give auto tech schools a serious look, and find out what it is they have to offer, and which schools fit your needs best.

It is important to look only at the Automotive Technology schools that are near you, because commuting is too much of a hassle for most students. The fact is that most auto tech schools require long hours of hard work. This is not conducive to major commuting. For this reason it would be wise to set a standard; to look at those auto tech schools that are no more than 1 hours drive away from your current home. This is the first step in narrowing down the process. Of course if you look at auto tech schools online, that would eliminate any commute whatsoever.

Next it is imperative to look at what you want out of the programs you may apply to, or you are thinking about attending. What degrees, certifications, or other things do you want out of auto tech schools? Thinking about this in advance will also help narrow down your search to the ones that best fit your criteria. Locating the best auto tech schools can be a challenge if you live in a rural area, but it is important to keep your needs in mind, no matter how small the selection of auto tech schools. Further, it is important to look at the ranking of the auto tech schools you are looking at by the people that have attended the school. Is it a high-ranking school in terms of satisfaction and instruction? Is it one that offers students a real chance at learning about the industry? Answering these questions will give you a better perspective of which auto tech schools will work for your needs.

Most importantly the program choose must have a strong career placement program. Finding auto tech schools that offer strong career placement should not be hard, since most of these schools count this as one of the top priorities of the school. After all if one is not getting a job after attending the programs offered, what is the point in making the career change? The auto tech schools or tech schools are simply in existence to give people a chance at a better life, by providing a solid education, and then supplying a list of employers to the student for consideration.

The auto tech schools with the strongest career placement rates should be at the top of your list for attendance possibilities. Career placement rates are simply calculated by taking the total number of graduates, and getting the number of auto tech school graduates that are placed into a job. This will give you the placement percentage. Most auto tech schools use this simple formula to calculate career placement rates. If a school has 100 graduates, and 80 are placed in jobs, the career placement rate for those auto tech schools would be 80%. This isn’t a bad rate, given that a few students will surely change their mind and decide a different career path.

Andy West
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/searching-for-auto-tech-schools-58478.html

Few cities in the world are as dependent on one industry as Detroit is when it comes to automobiles. Decades ago, the southeastern Michigan city hitched its fortunes to the auto industry which has resulted in spectacular times as well as many years of financial want. These days, Detroit and some of its surrounding communities are virtual zombie towns, occupied by the living dead who don’t quite know that they are indeed dead.

To be fair, Detroit has produced some amazing products down through the year – whether designed locally or built elsewhere – the Ford Mustang, Chrysler’s minivans, Jeep, and the Chevrolet Corvette are among the many models which represent the best of America’s automotive fleet. Unfortunately, arcane management practices, outdated union rules, and stiff competition has taken the sheen off of the Detroit glitter, putting the city in the precarious place that it finds itself today.

One of the crown jewels of the beleaguered city is its annual auto show which has earned the title of North American International Auto Show due to its proximity to Windsor, Ontario and for the reason it is considered to be the premier event in two countries for the introduction of new automobiles. Annually, as many as seven thousand members of the international press show up at Detroit to get a glimpse of new models, to network, and to report on the industry. Hundreds of millions of dollars is poured into the gritty city, funds which help bolster the financial position of Detroit.

This coming show will be a bit more subdued as the world passes through one of the most difficult financial crises seen in decades. The NAIAS is not immune to pain as several automakers have announced that they will stay away from the upcoming show. Perhaps most surprising was the recent announcement that Nissan – one of Japan’s Big Three automakers – would not appear at the Detroit show (or Chicago in February) choosing to conserve its marketing funds.

Nissan now joins Suzuki and Mitsubishi as three Japanese automakers who are forgoing the Detroit show along with Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, Land Rover, and Porsche who previously announced that they would not be in attendance either.

For the city of Detroit, the absence of any automaker is a bit of a sting, but for others it becomes an opportunity to find some space at the crowded Cobo Center. Brilliance Automotive is one of the Chinese brands who will likely petition to occupy Nissan’s space, a move that could give the automaker prime marketing real estate in advance of selling several models stateside later in the year. Inadvertently, Detroit may be making it easier for one more competitor to gain entrance to the competitive American market, low cost cars from China which will certainly provide more pressure on General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler during a tough economic decline.

Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in Cary, North Carolina. Matt is a contributing writer for Andy’s Auto Sport an aftermarket supplier of quality parts including custom tail lights and headlights.

Matthew C. Keegan

Back in 2005, my little red Celica gave up the ghost. I loved that car, but after 178,000 miles in four years, it was time to get a new vehicle. Since it had been such a great car, I decided to simply get a new one. I walked into the Toyota dealership ready to buy. It was then that my nightmare began. Here’s what I learned:

1) Poor greetings anger the customer. I walked straight into the dealership, dressed nicely, with checkbook in hand. No one greeted me. Several salesmen avoided eye contact. I finally went to the sales manager’s desk (positioned to overlook the whole showroom like a prison guard) and he told me to wait, that someone would be with me in a minute and returned to his phone call. Hello! Show some enthusiasm, salespeople! I’m about to make a major purchase and you don’t seem to give a damn! Was it because I was a woman with no man to help poor little ‘ol me buy a car? Or was it because they didn’t know how to greet anyone? We’ll never know.

2) A lack of product knowledge can kill you. I knew exactly what I wanted – a brand new, red Celica. I was ready to pay cash. I just wanted to see the car. They said they didn’t have any on the lot. I said the 2005 had some features that were different from the 2000 and I wanted to see them. (I had done my homework). They didn’t even have a photograph of the 2005 Celica! When I asked about the wheels (some come with special alloy wheels) the salesman replied, “Well, they’re round.” Now I was really angry.

3) No one likes the hard sell and other tricky sales techniques. Well, I was pretty unhappy with these guys, but I wanted the Celica. Once I’d get angry with the salesman, they’d switch and send in the sales manager. I’d make them an offer and they’d keep me waiting while they went to see if they could get it approved. They were jerking me around and I knew it. My love of the Celica was the only thing keeping me there. Note to car salesmen – we know you are jerking us around and we don’t like it. You are making your customers your enemies. No one likes dealing with you.

4) The Internet changes everything. I escaped with my life (barely). I had to write up a sales order (noncommittal – no $) for them to agree to get the Celica on the lot so I could see it. In the meantime, I visited my Pop in Hilton Head. He got a quote over the Net for $1,000 less with no negotiation! The Internet took all the pain out of it – no switching people, no putting you in tiny rooms with finance guys. I decided I should use the ‘Net myself and got a quote on another car (I was pretty unhappy with Toyota) – the 350Z – one sweet ride if I say so myself. Vincent Elliott, the Internet Sales Manager at Michael Jordan Nissan, responded immediately to my e-mail with a good price on the Z. And he was enthusiastic about my inquiry! Yes, I felt it through his e-mail! I also should tell you some Nissan dealers didn’t even bother to respond to my request (too bad for them). The first time I walked into the dealership, Vincent was there (on his usual day off) with a big smile. I left driving a gorgeous, FireStar red 350Z.

Enthusiasm and honesty sell, tricks and high pressure cost you customers. When will salespeople (and sales managers) learn?

Denise Ryan

The world is fast changing a few centuries ago the focus was on nations, economies, and science. With the onset of the cyber world gaming shares a platform along with important happenings in the world today. The year 2006 for avid gamers was full of expectations and excitement. According to statistics the US totaled more than USD 10.5 billion in hardware, software, and accessories sales alone setting a new record. Sony PSP and Nintendo DS took portable gaming to new horizons and many predictions were proven wrong in 2006.

The year 2006 brought excitement and thrills:

1. Three gaming consoles vied with each other for supremacy and the Xbox360; Sony PSP; and Nintendo Wii set pulses racing with gaming reaching new heights with the latest technology.

2. Gaming designers and companies like Vivendi Games, Activision, Rockstar, and Electronic Arts brought new games, revitalized games, and futuristic technology to gaming. God of War won accolades at DICE where game developers unveiled great plans for 2006.

3. The E3 or Electronic Entertainment Expo held in the Q2 of 2006 unveiled press conferences by giants in gaming as well as launches of new games like Assassin’s creed, Haze, Command and Conquer 3, and Wii Resident Evil among many others. Gaming gurus studies and reviewed the event and presented expert opinions on gaming delights.

4. Gaming watchers NPD kept a finger on the pulse of gaming and established that gaming was here to stay and figures were up by 29% over July 2005, 17% in August, and 38% in September.

5. The leaders in Q3 were Madden NFL 07 and Lego Star Wars II: The Original Triology which crossed the one million units sold hurdle. Consoler gaming reached new delights with announcements that Half-Life 2 rejuvenated, Street Fighter II’ Hyper Fighting and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion were all reaching out for Xbox360, PS#, and PSP.

6. Q4 reached new heights with launches of state-of-art gaming consoles like Wii and PSP3. Each had its fans and gaming was all a buzz with expectations, some joys as well as disappointments. Blizzard drew considerable attention with its massive multi-player role –playing masterpiece World of Warcraft.

7. NDP industry tracking revealed that Q4 reached new heights and that PS3 sold 197,000 systems while Wii sold 476,000 systems. According to the trackers 400,000 copies of the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was retailed.

8. Technological advancements in the gaming world reached new heights. High level graphics, speed, clarity, and multi-player gaming took gamers to new adventures. The gaming industry went all out to take gaming into the future with designers and hardware manufactures redefining gaming.

9. Change is inevitable and the Entertainment Software Association will have a new head as Douglas Lowenstein the founding President of ESA decided to move on.

10. The year laid the foundation of futuristic gaming hardware which set the trend for designers to focus on better software and greater games. 2007 will introduce multiplatform games like Grand Theft Auto IV, Army of Two, BioShock, and more.

The Gaming Industry is all set to reach new heights in the coming year with gaming gaining popularity world over. The World Wide Web, popularity of the internet, and tech savvy gaming consoles has caught and sustained the interest of gamers young and old. Gaming has expanded its base and become multi-player with gamers from all over the world vying their skills against opponents from all over the gaming universe.

Barry Allen
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/top-10-news-for-video-gaming-industry-in-2006-90525.html

The global community is now facing the biggest threat to its existence in the form of global warming. To address the threat of global warming, different industries including the auto industry has taken major steps to reduce the amount of fossil fuel burned and the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. And recently, another industry has expressed dedication to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The aluminum industry announced on March 24th their “Position on Climate Change”. The said action was taken after the meeting of the members of the Aluminum Association.

Patrick Franc, the Chairman of the Aluminum Association, has this to say about the issue: “We believe that it is important for the U.S. aluminum industry to assume a leadership position in this cause for environmental sustainability of our industry and products, on a market-wide and global basis.” Franc is also the president of the ARCO Aluminum.

The industry acknowledged the threat of global warming to the planet as reported by scientists. The industry further concedes that the planet is increasingly becoming warm due to the excessive release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which radiates heat from the sun. The industry also agrees that to combat the issue, greater efforts would have to come from every industry that has mushroomed from all corners of the world.

Government involvement is also urged by the Association. The industry encouraged the legislative body of the United States to enact laws which will recognize the pay off of recycling towards reduction of greenhouse gas emission. The industry reports that the energy invested on the production of aluminum is offset by the reduction of energy need in recycling their products. The energy savings on recycling of aluminum amounts to 95 percent compared to the initial production.

The U.S. aluminum industry has already taken steps towards the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as according to Steve Larkin, the president of The Aluminum Association. “The aluminum industry in the U.S. has made considerable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, offering both experience and a positive track record in this cause. Our contributions through recycling and downstream emissions reductions through better, less emitting automobiles will help the United States and other countries protect the environment,” he further emphasizes.

The use of aluminum on vehicle parts such as a Nissan exhaust tip and the body of the vehicle also reduces the amount of greenhouse gases released. This is because aluminum is a lightweight metal and the lighter the vehicle, the less power it needs. And the less power it needs, the less fuel it needs to burn which translates to less emission.

The aluminum industry also recycles these parts and they are supporting the enactment of legislations which will give incentive to companies that recycles aluminum. One form of incentive that they are asking from the government is the tax credit for companies in the aluminum industry.

RyanThomas
http://www.articlesbase.com/theater-articles/us-aluminum-industry-to-help-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emission-122586.html

Imagine two automotive dealerships side by side. Imagine that one is a GM dealer and the other is a Ferrari dealer. How do you think a potential client would be treated at the Ferrari dealership if he demanded a Ferrari, but only if allowed to purchase the Ferrari at a GM price point?

Now imagine two homebuilding businesses side by side. Imagine that one is a stick builder and the other is an insulating concrete forms (ICF) home builder. How do you think a potential client would be treated at the ICF home builders business if he demanded an ICF home, but only if allowed to purchase the ICF home at the stick builder’s price point?

First, it is important to understand that both auto dealerships offer automobiles that get a person from point A to point B and that both home builders offer homes that provide adequate shelter from the elements. If this is true, then on the surface, it would seem reasonable to demand that all vehicles and all homes should be similarly priced in a highly competitive marketplace. Strangely, this is not the case and it certainly is not reasonable.

Now there are at least three reasons that this comparison is not totally fair. First, while Ferraris and ICF homes actually cost more to manufacture than their counterparts, the Ferrari is more expensive to operate and maintain while an ICF home is much less expensive. Second, financial “return on investment” calculations are not performed on automobiles since resale value typically declines 60% within four years of ownership. Conversely, homes typically increase in value over any given time frame. Finally, no one honestly believes that you can purchase a Ferrari at a GM price, while the same can’t be said of ICF construction versus traditionally built structures.

As ICF industry professionals, we know that we have a premium product with value beyond comparison, yet the industry seems both bashful when discussing benefits and apologetic about the value of the product when discussing price. Here are three things you can start doing today to properly “frame” your ICF business and increase your sales immediately.

First, stop comparing your product to traditional construction technologies. The Ferrari dealer would never allow his product to be compared to a GM product under any circumstances. The essence of ICF technology is superiority in every measurable category and is therefore not comparable to traditional construction technologies. By allowing the comparison of ICFs to traditional construction, we cheapen the “brand” by accepting the question as reasonable and thus opening the door to price comparisons.

Second, immediately begin to start discussing benefits instead of features. Every sales person is familiar with the phrase “sell the sizzle, not the bacon”. Apply this bit of wisdom to your sales strategy today. Although a Ferrari may have an awesome sound system, leather seats and a high performance engine (the features), the true appeal is the experience of becoming a member of the elite class of Ferrari owners (the benefit). The features of ICF construction are awesome and sound wonderful, but people don’t want to be sold a set of features, they like to buy benefits. Begin discussing benefits today instead of features. You will instantly create reasons for your prospects to buy ICFs and buy them from you, instead of the arduous task of selling against other technologies and other ICF industry members.

Finally, don’t be afraid to discuss the premium value of ICF ownership. It is this disconnect between value and price that must be addressed and understood before the ICF industry can assume its rightful place as the technology of choice in the building industry. The best way to discuss anything with your prospects is to ask questions and give them the opportunity to provide an answer. Frame each of your questions in a manner that is consistent with the benefits of ICF technology.

Several questions you could and should ask include “Do you want a structure that can easily survive natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and floods?” and “Do you require a structure that is resistant to termites and other insect infestations?” and “Are you interested in saving 70% on your utility bills while simultaneously providing the highest possible indoor air quality for your family?”. If a prospect shows no interest in these benefits, then they will likely not be interested in the premium value provided by ICF technology.

Remember that not everyone can afford a Ferrari and not everyone that can afford one buys one. The real difference between a Ferrari and ICF technology is that no one can afford not to purchase ICF technology. Properly qualifying your prospects and presenting them with the benefits instead of the features will help you grow your business and your profits more quickly while helping ICF technology assume its rightful place in the building industry.

Eric Williams is the founder of the Get Ready to Win Network. Eric can be contacted at ericw01@yahoo.com or 928-255-5379. For more information, click here: http://ericwilliams.48dayscoach.com

Eric M. Williams
http://www.articlesbase.com/sales-articles/can-you-purchase-a-ferrari-at-a-gm-price-selling-a-premium-product-in-the-home-building-industry-84228.html