Hello ladies, Today I bought a brand new car for less than sticker price and got everything I wanted on it and I owe it to employing FDS strategies. Just goes to show that when you level up, it bleeds over into other areas of your life.

First, I went into the dealership prepared to walk away if they did not have what I wanted for the price I wanted. I literally chanted to myself, I am the prize. They had to convince ME to buy the car; I was doing then a favor by potentially giving my business to them and not the other way around. I test drove one car but the price was high and they would not come down on it, and also told me they couldn’t get any other models for me to test, and tried to sell me a car that wasn’t even on the lot. In many ways it felt like going on a date with an LVM who isn’t putting much effort in, but you figure it’s better than being alone on a Saturday night. Next!

Then I started looking online and saw the car I wanted in another city about an hour away. I set up a time to meet the next day, and walked in with my head held high. In the past I’ve been such a pushover—constantly apologizing and acting like I was being an inconvenience—but not today. Today I was a grown, sophisticated woman who was here to make moves if the price was right. Even though I had driven over an hour, I’d still walk away if it didn’t suit me. Ghost the dealership, if you will.

Even though I loved the car, I didn’t get emotional. I didn’t go on and on about how much I loved it and couldn’t wait to drive it home. Much like you shouldn’t gush over a man to his face, I acted disinterested. I simply asked what price they could offer me, fully knowing what I’d be willing to pay. When that was too high, I made a (polite) demand for what it would take to make me happy. When that demand was met, I bought the car.

When I got into the finance office, the gentleman was trying to sell me additional warrantees. It felt a lot like when a guy tries to convince you into having sex. It’ll feel good, we love each other, you mean everything to me, blah blah blah. I held firmly to my “no.” He kept going on about what a great deal it was, and I still said no, even after he tried to lower the price of the warranty (“Just the tip, just for a minute!”) Finally we moved past that, I signed everything, and drove off in a car I absolutely love.

I could have went with the first one I saw or I could have been talked into getting something I didn’t want while paying too much, had I not internally decided I wasn’t going to accept less than what I felt I deserved. I was all by myself too, and I still was able to get what I wanted. In fact, it seemed so easy once I truly remained committed to my worth as a customer—all their sales pitches and techniques seemed so transparent.

Moral of the story is that knowing your value doesn’t just benefit you in dating; it literally helps you in every other facet of life.

How have you seen FDS work in your life?