Here is your step-by-step game plan for achieving your goals on your initial car shopping expeditions:

Smile and shake his hand. Be friendly. You want him to like you so that he'll work harder for you.

Tell him: "I'll be buying a car very soon." If after this introduction, you find the salesman rude or unwilling to help you, ask to speak to his Sales Manager. Tell the manager that you'd like a more helpful salesman.

Be specific as possible. For example: "I'd like to see what you have in a compact car with automatic transmission and a window sticker price of around $18,000." If you're not sure what you want or you're confused by all the choices, then tell him those things that you know are important to you, such as: "I need a four-door car with lots of cargo space and a window sticker price of around $18,000."

Under the guise of trying to help you, the salesman is going to ask you lots of questions. Do not discuss your monthly payments with him.

Then turn the tables on him. Ask him questions about the cars, the dealership and his business. Play dumb and try to learn as much as you can. Get him to like you by pumping his ego: compliment him on what a good job he's doing.

When he shows you a car that you like - and that fits your needs and budget - look it over. Do you like the styling of the car? Can you see yourself driving it?

The factory window sticker tells you all about the car. Read it carefully because it contains a lot of important information.

The window sticker will give you the predicted gas mileage for both highway and city driving. It will also list all of the equipment that comes standard with the vehicle and then, in a separate column, the options that have been built into the car at the factory with the price of each listed. Look for an "equipment package," a group of discounted options.

At the bottom of the sticker will be the asking price for the vehicle called the "M.S.R.P." which stands for "Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price". Be sure that this price fits your budget.

Some dealerships add a second window sticker called a "Dealer Addendum" in an effort to widen their profit margin. If you see one of these stickers, ignore it for now.

Most vehicles come in several different equipment levels usually designated by a letter code such as DX, SE or XL. You might be able to get the same car with the equipment you want on a less expensive version.

Is the interior comfortable? How does the interior "feel"?

He'll be happy to take you for a test drive.

Notice what's happening here: you're allowing the car salesman to breeze right through the steps of his game plan. He wants you to test drive that car. He thinks he's doing great and that he's in total control. What he doesn't know is that you know exactly what you are doing. In fact, you are in complete control here.

Don't "baby" the car. If you normally accelerate hard, then drive it that way. If you normally brake hard or corner fast, then do so. Try to drive on the types of roads you normally drive. Be sure to turn the air conditioning on and off to see how it affects the performance of the engine. And don't forget to ask lots of questions.

He'll probably ask you something like: "Is there anything we can do to earn your business today?" or "If I could sell you this $18,000 car for only $12,000, would you buy it today?"

You must be firm and clear. Tell him: "I really appreciate all of your help but, as I told you at the beginning, I'll be buying soon but not today. I simply want a brochure and some information. If I decide to buy this particular car, then I will certainly come back to see you."

If the car salesman is a good guy, he'll get you the brochure. If not, he may disappear and then return with the "Sales Manager" who may or may not be the real Sales Manager. In any case, this new guy may try to "reason" with you, persuade you, perhaps even pressure you to buy today. Again, you must be firm. Repeat to him what you told the salesman.

Don't forget that they are playing a game. And you know exactly what game they are playing. So don't fall for their lines. Don't fall for their come-ons. And don't fall for their intimidation. There's nothing personal about this. It's pure business. That's how they see it. That's how you should see it, too. And don't forget that you have the final say. If they pressure you, you can always walk away.

If they won't give you the brochures you want, no worries. You can always get them direct from the manufacturer.

Ask about factory rebates, the factory warranty, dealership service, local sales taxes, license fees and so on. When you're satisfied that you have the information you need, ask the salesman for his business card.

Whatever happens, under any circumstances, don't buy a car yet.

What should you do next? We recommend doing more research on the vehicle you drove, comparing it to others in its class and giving yourself time to think about it. As much as it feels like that one car won't be around if you pass it up, there's always another car.

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