Chevy salesman

[Cray_Z28]

Hello, Long time lurker...

My current career is coming to an end this December as the company is moving their stuff over seas... Anyway, I have always wanted to sell new Chevrolets and I'm not sure if this is feasible. It is something I would like to do part time while still employeed to test the waters... Is there anyone here who has experience with this field? Is the pay good, is it stressful or is it rewarding. I would definately NOT be one of those slimeballs just looking to make a sale... I live in the DFW area, so opportunities are out there... Any opinions, suggestions, ups and downs would be appreciated...

Thanks

[avant1963]

The problem for anyone that is a car-enthusiast selling cars is that you won't be a slimeball, but chances are your manager and owner will.

My father started his second career as a car salesman. He's been a gear-head probably since he could walk and made a natural switch selling Chevys. Pay was off and on - some weeks he'd bring home $80, sometimes 10 times that. Problem is, if you aren't a shrewd jerk trying to get every penny (and stealing some) you probably won't make anywhere near what they "say" is the potential.

Then as managers change (which is like every few months in the sales biz) styles change. This Chevy dealer went all "highway" (high-pressure) and my dad hated that. So he moved to a Ford-Kia dealer. He hated selling Kias, but at the time, that's where the money was. Kia gave extra incentives for sales. My dad would make more off a Sephia than a Focus. After that Ford dealer when to $h!, he went back to Chevy again and had to sell Hyundais also. Once again, Hyundai gave extra cash for selling any of their cars. ONce again dealers would push a Elantra over a Cavalier because they would make more off it. My dad tried to do the opposite, even though he would usually make a flat $50 on a Cavalier. After a few years at that dealership, the "highway-men" moved in and basically said "No one can walk out this door without buying a car!" After a few head butts with my dad and management (The manager did not care if the person came in looking for an Impala, but only could afford an Accent, he wanted my dad to pressure them into the MUCH smaller car instead of looking at some used stuff or letting them talk about it. Not everyone going to a dealership is ready to buy TODAY!) my dad quit and never wants to sell cars again.

So moral: Unless you can find a dealership that does not employ a high-pressure mentality (good luck) that fact that you are a car guy looking to work selling cars honestly is really going to be hard. I think the business is so much different now that it was even 15 years ago. The stories of the "salesmen' that my dad had to work with were unbelievable (these guys were "salesmen". They could be selling soap door-to-door or cars or black-market weapons it didn't matter. MOst knew nothing about cars and would "yes" people to death, "Does it have ABS?" "yup" - even though it didn't. I don't know if it was intentional or just lack of caring).

I once thought it would be fun to sell cars that I loved being around, but after all the horror stories from my dad, I thought better of it. Maybe there is a dealer like that around you, but here in NJ, it seems that most dealerships are now "rape and take" highway shops and there is no room for an honest car-lover in that line of work.

[CARBIZ]

1) Do not think selling cars will be easy or fun.

2) Do not think you will get a new car every month.

3) Do not think you will make $60k your first year.

4) Divorce your wife right now and save the suspense because you will rarely be home or on time.

5) Start thickening your skin now. (Suggestions might be going into a biker bar and telling them you are gay, or going into a club and only hitting on the

hottest women - practice getting turned down and rejected a lot.)

6) Practice getting lied to. (Suggestion might be to look in the mirror and say "I am the coolest/handsomest/smartest guy around.")

7) Doesn't matter if you know anything about cars; in fact, it is probably better if you don't. Don't wanna confuse customers with facts.

Doesn't matter if you like cars; in fact, probably better if you don't because you will only get angry/insulted when customers tell you how bad yours are.

9) Don't bother learning the newbie's name (including the manager's) for at least 3 months. It's a waste of time. (Oh, wait - you are the newbie.)

10) Remember: they aren't paying you so expect to work double shifts, holidays and long weekends at no notice.

11) Customers think you are at the dealership 24/7 so expect to haunt the place in case someone you spent 2 hours with just shows up. (See #10)

12) Remember the adage, Nice guys finish last? A sales manager thought that one up.

13) The dealership thinks your cherry is popped when you write your first deal. Wrong. Your cherry is popped when your first 70 year old woman tells you

she loves the car, you and the dealership but has to "think it over," then buys the car up the street for $50 less after you spent the afternoon with her.

Still interested? My biggest advice is: don't think of it as a part time job. Managers will sniff that out in a second. If you are committed to the job, you may have a chance of selling. You don't need to sell you soul, but you will have to learn to stand out. And be good with your money.

Oh, get friendly with a bankruptcy trustee, too. Just in case.

[HarleyEarl]

1) Do not think selling cars will be easy or fun.

2) Do not think you will get a new car every month.

3) Do not think you will make $60k your first year.

4) Divorce your wife right now and save the suspense because you will rarely be home or on time.

5) Start thickening your skin now. (Suggestions might be going into a biker bar and telling them you are gay, or going into a club and only hitting on the

hottest women - practice getting turned down and rejected a lot.)

6) Practice getting lied to. (Suggestion might be to look in the mirror and say "I am the coolest/handsomest/smartest guy around.")

7) Doesn't matter if you know anything about cars; in fact, it is probably better if you don't. Don't wanna confuse customers with facts.

Doesn't matter if you like cars; in fact, probably better if you don't because you will only get angry/insulted when customers tell you how bad yours are.

9) Don't bother learning the newbie's name (including the manager's) for at least 3 months. It's a waste of time. (Oh, wait - you are the newbie.)

10) Remember: they aren't paying you so expect to work double shifts, holidays and long weekends at no notice.

11) Customers think you are at the dealership 24/7 so expect to haunt the place in case someone you spent 2 hours with just shows up. (See #10)

12) Remember the adage, Nice guys finish last? A sales manager thought that one up.

13) The dealership thinks your cherry is popped when you write your first deal. Wrong. Your cherry is popped when your first 70 year old woman tells you

she loves the car, you and the dealership but has to "think it over," then buys the car up the street for $50 less after you spent the afternoon with her.

Still interested? My biggest advice is: don't think of it as a part time job. Managers will sniff that out in a second. If you are committed to the job, you may have a chance of selling. You don't need to sell you soul, but you will have to learn to stand out. And be good with your money.

Oh, get friendly with a bankruptcy trustee, too. Just in case.

You should frame that.

I have never read a more accurate

portrait of a car salesman.

Perfectly stated.

Another one could be: 'you are only as good as the total sales at the end of the month because the next day, is like your first, you are starting all over'

[daves87rs]

1) Do not think selling cars will be easy or fun.

2) Do not think you will get a new car every month.

3) Do not think you will make $60k your first year.

4) Divorce your wife right now and save the suspense because you will rarely be home or on time.

5) Start thickening your skin now. (Suggestions might be going into a biker bar and telling them you are gay, or going into a club and only hitting on the

hottest women - practice getting turned down and rejected a lot.)

6) Practice getting lied to. (Suggestion might be to look in the mirror and say "I am the coolest/handsomest/smartest guy around.")

7) Doesn't matter if you know anything about cars; in fact, it is probably better if you don't. Don't wanna confuse customers with facts.

Doesn't matter if you like cars; in fact, probably better if you don't because you will only get angry/insulted when customers tell you how bad yours are.

9) Don't bother learning the newbie's name (including the manager's) for at least 3 months. It's a waste of time. (Oh, wait - you are the newbie.)

10) Remember: they aren't paying you so expect to work double shifts, holidays and long weekends at no notice.

11) Customers think you are at the dealership 24/7 so expect to haunt the place in case someone you spent 2 hours with just shows up. (See #10)

12) Remember the adage, Nice guys finish last? A sales manager thought that one up.

13) The dealership thinks your cherry is popped when you write your first deal. Wrong. Your cherry is popped when your first 70 year old woman tells you

she loves the car, you and the dealership but has to "think it over," then buys the car up the street for $50 less after you spent the afternoon with her.

Still interested? My biggest advice is: don't think of it as a part time job. Managers will sniff that out in a second. If you are committed to the job, you may have a chance of selling. You don't need to sell you soul, but you will have to learn to stand out. And be good with your money.

Oh, get friendly with a bankruptcy trustee, too. Just in case.

Quoted for truth.

So much depends on the dealership.

A buddy on mine sells Dodge-he seems to do just fine.....

[CARBIZ]

Two of the best lines I have heard in the car business:

Heroes to zeroes. (As said above, you are only as good as your last month.) Goes triple for managers, who are the first to fall on the sword.

Peed myself laughing when I heard this one 10 years ago, but it is so profound: When introduced to the new manager (du jour), shake their hand and say,"Of all the managers I have met, you are the most recent." Try and say it with a straight face!

[HarleyEarl]

Too funny...I've heard that phrase before, 'hero to zero'....and never a more apt description of a salesman.

You might sell the most cars in a day...even set a record for one day sales and then next month, it's all

but forgotten.

I say, if you want to sell Chevrolets, then do it...

even with all the challenges, there are still

rewards, like you are always around

new cars and trucks all the time,

the new car smell,

driving them,

caressing

them,

is it

hot

in

here?

[Oracle of Delphi]

driving them,

caressing

them,

is it

hot

in

here?

You gave me a woody!

[HarleyEarl]

Sometimes cars do that to me...entering them, driving them....total wood.

[Cray_Z28]

Thanks for the input guys. Looks like this is going to be one of those things that only sounds good in a dream, but completely different in reality. Thanks for the honesty.

[!!!TED!!!]

I was a Chevy dealer for bit.

Its pretty much as carbiz said, but depends on the dealership.

You get a desk, wear a suit, drive cars, so in that respect its really cool.

On the flipside, you gotta be a tricky bastard to make the sales, or your toast.

Some dealerships are very relaxed. Just recently, I went with my brother to an Acura dealer. The sales guy was extremely laid back, and gave us a CSX to drive alone, letting my bro drive using my licence (he had forgotten his at home). He then laid out all the numbers as transparantly as Iv ever seen.

At a Chevy dealer not long ago, the sales guy was extremely high pressure, would gloss over the cars features, and really wanted the sale done that day. He fudged the numbers, and wasn't very honest. He even did the "phone bit", where his phone rings in the middle of negotiations, and he proudly says "Im with a client, let me call you back", then tells you that was a happy customer. Mmm..hmmm

13) The dealership thinks your cherry is popped when you write your first deal. Wrong. Your cherry is popped when your first 70 year old woman tells you

she loves the car, you and the dealership but has to "think it over," then buys the car up the street for $50 less after you spent the afternoon with her.

100% TRUE!!!

If you have prior sales experience, and your good at selling, then you have a chance. If you just love cars, and want to be a "good guy dealer", be carefull.

[GMTruckGuy74]

If you just love cars, and want to be a "good guy dealer", be carefull.

I spent 16 months of my life selling new Buicks-Pontiacs-GMCs and used vehicles while waiting for a teaching position in my field to open up. I woudn't recommend this field to anyone that isn't really into a sales career. I quoted Ted for the truth - if you think you can sell and you love cars, a great salesperson it won't make you.

[CARBIZ]

There is an odd camaradarie amongst long-term survivors. Nothing makes a veteran laugh harder than when someone says, "I used to sell cars." I can explain that only because the veterans make a stink load of money, can sell vehicles with their eyes closed, generally have little or no education and work independently from their managers. They have seen hundreds of newbies come and go, plus have such a huge pool of customers to draw from that they don't worry about the market, economy, etc. Generally, they don't take customers off the floor ( or cherry pick like hell). They look at interlopers with deep disdain, which makes it quite difficult for newcomers to break into the business.

I can think of no "shooter" (someone who would routinely sell 12+ cars a month) that I know of who is educated beyond community college or who even likes cars. They came from all walks of life before, fell into the car business and because they were a "natural" never left because the money was so easy and so good.

Times have changed, to be sure, and selling Chevrolet in this market is quite a challenge; however, these old-timers are still making money (although with perhaps quite a few more strings attached than in the past). It's just that for someone new starting out, there is no mercy.