This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dale Dallman will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I wrote Drive Down the Purchase Price of Your New Car over several years, mostly in a place you might not associate with car dealerships: a sparse log cabin on top of the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming.
Getting there meant traveling twelve miles by horseback. There was no electricity, so my writing equipment was a regular typewriter and a ribbon. That was how I put years of experience selling cars and managing dealerships onto paper.
The cabin had only one window, but it offered plenty to see. A huge mountain filled the view. Below sat a creek and a rope corral where I kept my horses. All kinds of wildlife could appear outside. Looking up from the typewriter meant looking into a world far from the car lots I was writing about.
On the table sat a sign-in book. The cabin was open to whoever came along, and anyone who entered signed the book. It was a record of the people who had found their way to that remote place.
One visitor left a different kind of signature. A bear broke into the cabin looking for food, and the sign-in book still showed its bite marks. People left their names; the bear left its teeth marks.
That was my writing space: a typewriter, a ribbon, a table, and one window overlooking the mountains, creek, horses, and passing wildlife. It was sparse, but the view gave it something no furnished office could offer.
The subject of my book came from my working life in the automobile business. I did most of the writing twelve miles in, by horseback, in a cabin without electricity. Those two parts of my life came together, one typed page at a time.
Buying a car. Just those three words can conjure up a whole swirl of emotions.
For some, it’s the thrill of a sleek new model—the scent of fresh upholstery and the promise of open roads. For others, it’s a daunting odyssey filled with jargon, pressure, and the fear of an expensive mistake.
Wherever you fall, you’re reading this because buying a car is a significant life event.
We’ve all stood on the lot, squinting at price tags, decoding financing offers, and feeling the push to “act now.” It’s easy to feel outmatched—to wish for an expert at your side. Consider this book that expert: your trusted co-pilot on a journey that’s both exciting and rewarding.
This isn’t just a checklist—it’s a philosophy. You’ll learn to approach car buying with clarity and confidence, understand financing, master the test drive, and negotiate with purpose, ensuring that you walk away feeling like a winner.
Whether you’re a first-time buyer, upgrading, or simply overwhelmed by options, this book is for you.
So, buckle up. Get ready to embark on a journey that will not only lead you to the perfect vehicle but will also leave you feeling empowered, informed, and ready to hit the road with a smile.
Happy driving!
Enjoy an Excerpt
The Mega car dealers worked up a sales system designed to cost you money! It was to psychologically make your brain pick the one item out of four you reacted to most. The four items are PRICE, DOWN PAYMENT, TRADE ALLOWANCE, and MONTHLY PAYMENT! The designs were different, but the concept was just as deadly.
The top, center of the Four Square Sheet describes the vehicle you are buying. The Brand, Year, and Serial number, then, at the bottom of the sheet, they drew four separate squares. They were all blank squares. The salesperson would have you settle into a specific vehicle and fill in the center part. He wouldn’t fill in the squares. He would talk to you about price, down payment, trade-in, and monthly payment, but not write in the squares. He would ask about a down payment.
Then, he would leave you to talk to the boss. This time alone does two things. It allowed you to talk over the information you had given the salesperson, and it was a cool-down period to settle your jitters.
Now he has left you to tell the Desk Manager everything you discussed. The Desk Manager then fills out the four squares on the bottom of the selling sheet. He lists the FULL selling price, including all dealer-added options and extra profit, in one square. He writes a very low value in another square for the price they offer for your trade. The next square gets a very high cash down payment figure. The last square gets a very high monthly payment figure.
About the Author:
Dallman then went out to the West Coast. Here, he worked on new and used cars for a Chevrolet dealer in the car village in Olympia, Washington. He and his best friend (both from Billings) worked there. The idea for a book started there, but Dallman needed a broader cross-section of the car business, so he moved to Gilchrist Buick in Tacoma, Washington, to reach a different class of buyers. He did so well that Buick Motor Division had him do training videos that they used internally in National training.
Dallman decided to go to Germany on a contract with TOYOTA WORLD. The job was working the locations on the military bases where the military could buy cars and use them in-country, order one to be picked up at a dealer back in the states when they rotated home.
Dallman now does consultant work for buyers. He has instructed sales classes and trained both BUYERS and the salesmen, trying to get your money! Dallman has advised many dealers and salespeople. But he loves helping buyers outsmart the Dealers more!
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