Thoughts of fancy - car salesman

[Flybrian]

Well, after reading through the classifieds while helping my girlfriend look for a cheap computer monitor, I couldn't help but notice a bevy of ads from local Chevy and B-P-GMC dealers seeking sales associates and offering training and the like and it started to think about it. And since I know there are alot of members here that have sold/are selling cars for a living, why not ask?

The big question is - how is the car sales business for a young 22 year-old college-educated male with a real passion for cars (me)?

As far as the others:

What are these 'training programs' typically like?

What's the difference between an internet sales position and regular sales?

What's the schedule like? Is it possible to work 'late shifts' and weekends only at least to start?

Is it really as cutthroat as it appears to be?

How is the pay like? How is the typically split?

Will it even make a difference if you know alot about what you're selling and really care about the product?

Any other advice or suggestions for someone beginning to explore this field?

Thanks in advance!

[daves87rs]

I think a lot depends on the dealership, as I see many run in all kinds of different ways...

And it can be rough, depending on the market. Now would be a bad time to be a car salesman in Michigan, for example.

As far as the hours, I would expect about 50-55 hours, depending on how late they are open, and the Saturday question.

I'm curious to see what our sales members say...

[Sixty8panther]

The most fun job I've ever had... but also very frustrating and at times unrewarding.

As far as the money it's either great or horrible, no middle ground. Some people

are cut out for it some are not. Of all the crap I pull and wiht all the ways I drive my

Girlfriend up a wall there's a few things that I've decided to give up on, she says

"no more car sales" so I work the 9-to-5 at a boring office.

There's not many 30+ year old car salesman with a happy family life at home.

But since you're not at a point in your life where you have a little one at home, try

it out, you'll never know if you'd love or hate it untill you try it. If you want to

make the big $$$ get ready to work 50-70 hours a week.

Edited January 22, 2007 by Sixty8panther

[PurdueGuy]

I was a sales person for a week. Not for me.

[regfootball]

my dad was in the farm implement business for 40 years. fixed stuff for like 15 years. sold it for the rest of time as well as general managed. we're not always talking 25k transactions. those are small. sometimes half a mill changed hands.

the business went under due to new ownership so he had to look for a job.

He tried selling cars for a few months and said 'fk this'.

He had problems with the ethics of it....he hated his sales managers etc.

Its a fairly stressful gig.

Maybe buickman can lend you some advice here......

Edited January 22, 2007 by regfootball

[GMTruckGuy74]

Fly, while waiting for a teaching position to become available, I thought the same as you and accepted a job for "Internet Sales" for a Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealership back in February of '99 (I lasted until July '00). As much as I thought that I'd enjoy it (the ride & drives were fun, driving all the new cars was fun, hell - I even enjoyed most of the training (videos & booklets sent by GM)), it was some of the worst times in my life. If you're not at the dealership, you;re not making money. If you're not there and your customer comes back & buys from someone else, be hopeful the manager splits the commission. Get ready to deal with a lot of B.S. - from customers, fellow sales people, service writers, managers, finance people, etc. Remember, you're the middle person - you control nothing (good old managers). Now that I've been teaching going on 7 years, I look back at that time a little more fondly. But I'd never want to go back. And I teach MARKETING & run a school-based enterpirse (aka = school store)!!!!

[Northstar]

It doesn't hurt to try. The salesman that my aunt bought her car from was 26 I believe and had a college degree in marketing and loved selling cars, so that's what he decided to do. I'm sure there's plenty of people that hate it, too.

At the dealership I worked at I had to read some agreement before I could work there, and it talked about the salary of a salesman. I don't remember exactly what it was, but it seemed pretty decent and of course that was not counting commissions. I guess it all depends on the dealership, though.

Typically the salesman got 1 day off during the week. They usually came in at sometime from 9:00-10:00 and were still there when I left (5:00), I assume they stayed until it closed.

The salesman we bought our cars from is now one of the sales managers there. He was successful and worked his way on up the ladder to the manager position.

I do think that knowing the product gives you a huge advantage. Knowing what you're talking about make it seems like you care about serving your customers and care about what you do for a living. I also think this will make whatever test/training you have to go through much easier, as you already know most of the info.

Like I already said, I don't think it would hurt to try if you are interested. Hell, you could be the next Buickman

[turbo200]

Well, after reading through the classifieds while helping my girlfriend look for a cheap computer monitor, I couldn't help but notice a bevy of ads from local Chevy and B-P-GMC dealers seeking sales associates and offering training and the like and it started to think about it. And since I know there are alot of members here that have sold/are selling cars for a living, why not ask?

The big question is - how is the car sales business for a young 22 year-old college-educated male with a real passion for cars (me)?

It can be a great experience. It can be very fruitful, it all depends if your passion is in the right place.

As far as the others:

What are these 'training programs' typically like?

the way I see it--the more training you can receive from experienced sales managers, the better. that said, there are more than a few ways to be successful in sales; you must rely on your own knowledge and expertise with people skills/communication/public speaking. the best thing I can say about these training programs is be sensible, take thier advice, pick apart what you feel will work for you, and listen to even what you disagree with. Selling practices/selling methods will vary wildly from salesperson to salesperson; the most successful salesperson is the one that comes across as genuinely interested/caring, honest, and understanding; you must be patient, but you must know when to take the lead, be forward, and offer "expert" advice [from your position as salesperson, but less from your position as an enthusiast. Be prepared to let go of all your pretentions about "the things YOU KNOW" as a car enthusiast.] They could care less, the average person just wants somehting they feel comfortable in, offers everything they need in a car, and something they like. There are very easy ingredients to follow for finding the right car, be it used or new, for the right person, and most people came into the dealership because they saw something they feel already appeals to them, so the best thing you can do is PAY ATTENTION to what they say.

This is important, let all your ideas about what kind of car is best for them ASIDE. Being someone who, in person[as much as this may not come accross here], loves to listen and discover others, I didn't have a problem with this. If you go in with this mindset, discover them, you will be a success. IT can be a burn though, a lot, a lot, a lot of people are just kicking tires and not going to have the balls to step forward and make the purchase, for the average car salesman who lacks the drive, courage, and understanding of that key point, this leads to many burns. The best thing I can say about that is that it will take time, but you will soon discover through reading people who is REALLY itnerested in buying the car from you that day. You should have a lot of experience with people faking interest though, with all the test drives you take :AH-HA_wink:

What's the difference between an internet sales position and regular sales?

internet is like being a secretary [it shouldn't be that hard], but it depends on the dealership. for many, internet means bottom line price and a flat commission for you. regular sales means you get to determine what your commission is, based on many factors with the sale.

What's the schedule like? Is it possible to work 'late shifts' and weekends only at least to start?

grueling, this was the worst aspect for me, considering I had considerable health problems as well. probably not but look around.

Is it really as cutthroat as it appears to be?

no, do not be afraid of oldtimers, they are full of $h!, they are scared of you. a lot of dealerships operate on heavy bonuses; a young upstart always has the best attitude going into a dealership, they are youthful energetic idealistic, you get the picture. so when the young guy comes the oldtimers run the risk of losing all thier glory and bonus money, so they will do what they can to scare you $h!less. it is stupid, but it's thier living, it's thier career they're not going anywhere, and they have families to support. in that perspective it's easy to see why they do what they do.

selling cars is as easy as selling jeans. it's simple. people either like the brand or they don't they either are ready to plop down 25k or not, they either like you or no, you landed them on the right car or no

How is the pay like? How is the typically split?

not sure what your second question means. the pay is good. it can be up to 10k/month [heck even more than that if you're really good], if you're not making at least 4k/month consistently after 3 months you're not trying or you shouldn't be wasting your time in the business. money depends on what brand you choose, for you I would go for Chevy, but if you're willing to open your mind a little I might try Honda first. they have a small product lineup [easy to remember], guaranteed customers [usually if they shop Honda, they're not shopping much else, it's true based on stats], and a great product to sell. BUT, Chevy can make you real good money with the Silvy and other 900s, in fact it could be really good money there. With BPG you'd have to be one line only, so small product line, bewildering option list with the Sierra, etc, and the potential isn't as high. Chevy, like Honda, is an automatic choice for people. You know, for the average guy/girl/family looking at a car, it's like where there's always Chevy [Honda]; it's a catch 22; they're not passionate about the brand, but it's a logical choice. Most importantly, you must know your product, know it and you know what to sell to whom

Will it even make a difference if you know alot about what you're selling and really care about the product?

YES

Any other advice or suggestions for someone beginning to explore this field?

take your time in picking the right place. look around at the salesman when you apply/interview, don't just settle for the first place that hires you [i learned this BIG lesson the hard way]. unsavory salesman usually lead to unsavory sales managers behind them pushing them to do tricks, if you don't feel comfortable doing this, you will end up losing. When I walked in to Miller Honda, I had the Edmunds bible in the back of my head; I mean I know A LOT about cars, and I know A LOT of subjective opinions, I went to a place where I was confident in the product. But the day I first started working I realized there were markups on all the cars!!!! Even the regular Accords, Pilots, Odysseys that sold slowly. My heart sank. This was literally like one of the worst things I could have not checked beforehand. I sucked it up, stuck with the place. I soon learned this was only the cusp, and things got so much worse from there I ended up quitting in a bad way, but I had to, i'm exaggerating, I really was respectful to everyone there the whole time. But the people working there have to be one of the biggest groups of people all collectively on the low end of the Decency scale I've ever met. A disappointing experience.....

Thanks in advance!

Edited January 22, 2007 by turbo200

[turbo200]

Fly, while waiting for a teaching position to become available, I thought the same as you and accepted a job for "Internet Sales" for a Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealership back in February of '99 (I lasted until July '00). As much as I thought that I'd enjoy it (the ride & drives were fun, driving all the new cars was fun, hell - I even enjoyed most of the training (videos & booklets sent by GM)), it was some of the worst times in my life. If you're not at the dealership, you;re not making money. If you're not there and your customer comes back & buys from someone else, be hopeful the manager splits the commission. Get ready to deal with a lot of B.S. - from customers, fellow sales people, service writers, managers, finance people, etc. Remember, you're the middle person - you control nothing (good old managers). Now that I've been teaching going on 7 years, I look back at that time a little more fondly. But I'd never want to go back. And I teach MARKETING & run a school-based enterpirse (aka = school store)!!!!

This is the experience I was talking about.

I can see what everyone is saying in this thread. I can appreciate all the different views, and they are all really coming from the same place. It is a tough business, at first, but it can also be a very rewarding, confidence-building experience.

[NDL]

The most fun job I've ever had... but also very frustrating and at times unrewarding.

As far as the money it's either great or horrible, no middle ground. Some people

are cut out for it some are not. Of all the crap I pull and wiht all the ways I drive my

Girlfriend up a wall there's a few things that I've decided to give up on, she says

"no more car sales" so I work the 9-to-5 at a boring office.

There's not many 30+ year old car salesman with a happy family life at home.

But since you're not at a point in your life where you have a little one at home, try

it out, you'll never know if you'd love or hate it untill you try it. If you want to

make the big $$$ get ready to work 50-70 hours a week.

I think you wrote a great description about what to expect - especially that the money is either there, or it isn't; no middle ground. The hours flat out suck. Best yet, I love it when few 'real' people walk in all day, and your best prospect comes in, twenty minutes before closing.

Fly, here's an important question to ask:

You want to find out how Up's (prospects) are handled. Some dealerships do things on a rotating basis, where each salesperson takes turns on handling new people coming through the door. Other dealerships, practice what is called an 'open floor' - meaning that it's a free-for-all - whoever grabs the prospect first, gets the chance to sell him/her.

[Flybrian]

Well, I'm going in at 4PM today for an interview for a part-time sales associate at CarMax. I figure that's the most convenient way to dip my feet in the water and see if I like it. I filled out an online resume Tuesday, and they got back to me Wednesday and scheduled me for today, so that's pretty quick!

[Variance]

Is CarMax the place that's like a used car supermarket (flat price, no haggle)?

[daves87rs]

Is CarMax the place that's like a used car supermarket (flat price, no haggle)?

I was thinking the same thing...

[Sixty8panther]

I love it when few 'real' people walk in all day, and your best prospect comes in, twenty minutes before closing.

Yes... your times is worthless to the customer, they expect you to

be late to dinner w/ your GF so that they can keep the dealer

open another 30 minutes and test drive the blue Trailblazer since

it might somehow drive differently than the exact same truck with

the same options, only differance being a sunroof & pewter paint.

And in the end they tell you thier brother in-law works at a Ford

dealer so they'll probably go with the Explrer since the tailgate

lock is easier to find... and then as a final F.U. they tell you:

"THANKS FOR YOUR TIME!"

This is the most insulting and overused expression in the car biz.

Edited January 27, 2007 by Sixty8panther

[Z-06]

Is CarMax the place that's like a used car supermarket (flat price, no haggle)?

I was thinking the same thing...

Yes.

Fly: I think it is a decent place to start. I do not think you will get slaughtered in negotiation by an A**hole as it has no haggle buying. Yet if you want to be a hardened person, it is not a place to start.

[NDL]

Yes... your times is worthless to the customer, they expect you to

be late to dinner w/ your GF so that they can keep the dealer

open another 30 minutes and test drive the blue Trailblazer since

it might somehow drive differently than the exact same truck with

the same options, only differance being a sunroof & pewter paint.

Were you referring to the sapphire blue, the slate blue, the medium blue, or the royal blue? There is indeed a difference! For the Trailblazer is the *best* looking vehicle on the market in sapphire blue, yet "(I) wonder how GM could've let the Trailblazer design out-the-door," in slate blue.

My former sales manager was big on follow up - too big in my opinion. I'll never forget my first sales job, fresh out of school, and follow-up calls were a new thing to me. "What should I say, when I call them" I asked. "Tell them we got their car in Hunter Green" remarked my sales manager.

"Good evening Mr. Smith, it's Michael from Mazda."

"Hi Mike. Before you say any more, I just wanted to tell you that I have only just started looking around. And I don't care for high pressure salesmen."

"Of course Mr. Smith. I only called, to let you know that we just got your Millenia in the Hunter Green color, and it really looks -"

"Mike, you have the car in Hunter Green?!?!"

"Yes. I am actually looking at the car on the floor. If you'd like -"

"HONEY!!! IT'S MIKE FROM MAZDA! THEY JUST GOT THE CAR IN HUNTER GREEN!!! MIKE, WHEN CAN I SEE THE CAR?! WE'D LIKE TO TEST DRIVE THE CAR!!"

"I'd love for you to see the car Mr. Smith, but if I am not mistaken, didn't you drive the car on your last visit?"

"YES, BUT I WANT TO SEE HOW IT LOOKS AS I AM DRIVING IT!"

"WHAT ABOUT THE SAPPHIRE BLUE COLOR, WITH METALLIC FLAKE NUMBER 34?! DO YOU HAVE #34 IN STOCK?"

"Well Mr. Smith, I would have to check on that. We do have the sapphire blue color, with metallic flake number #33.5 in stock, and-"

"METALLIC FLAKE 33.5 IS UGLY! CAN'T YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO?!"

Needless to say, at some point in my career, the once-thought-impossible happened: I actually started hating cars.

Thanks for the memories Sixty ...