Checkered Flag Toyota in Virginia Beach. Made that exact mistake several years ago.
The buyer was my mother-in-law. My wife, at the time a Navy Captain, and Chief of Staff of a Navy-wide Task Force, was the decision-maker. I was merely the driver of the car shuttling the principals from dealership to dealership.
But the salesman kept directing the questions, and attention, to me.
Big mistake.
When the Captain had had enough, the manager was called, and the Captain dressed him down, gently, but publicly, in front of his staff, and we walked out. We bought the car, that day, at Charles Barker (now Hall) Toyota, a few miles away.
She had me send a picture of her mom, and the new car that was bought at their competitor, to Checkered Flag just to be certain that they knew she was serious, and they truly had lost the sale.
You never know who has the money, who is calling the shots, or exactly who you are dealing with. Smart salespeople know this. The ones who don’t - lose the sale.