is car sales one of the most overrated jobs around ?

[Wills2]

Urban Sports said:

Wills2 said:

Butter Face said:

But seriously, Overrated? I never realised we were rated in the first place.

This^^^

I've been in sales for 24 years (from telesales rep to divisional sales director for a £11 billion FTSE 250 business) and the sales function is looked down upon by all the others IT/HR/Logistics/Accounts/Legal/Buying etc..

Never mind the fact that without sales we wouldn't need an IT system to process the orders on or a HR dept to handle the revolving door policy or a warehouse to ship goods from or anyone to count the beans or a legal eagle to handle disputes and anyone to place orders on vendors.

Thankfully though most MDs and CEOs do and that's why we continue to be rewarded for success.

Are you a car salesman?

No, but I was responding to the general theme of salespeople not being rated.

[Rich_W]

unrepentant said:

I don't recognise the environment you speak about and I doubt on the basis of your ill informed post that any of the sales professionals that I know on here would be seeking your "advice".

No one cares what a some wky yank thinks

We're talking about the UK. So no one cares whether you recognise it.

[anonymous-user]

I've always thought car sales, much like being an estate agent is a job you go into if you don't have many other options after school. Certainly the people I know that work in car sales tend to fit that.

[tdm34]

Urban Sports said:

POORCARDEALER said:

Herman Toothrot said:

I find it odd that new car sales people exist to "sell" cars as I don't think they do, the product sells. The roll of sales men seems to really be filling in finance forms and just letting people know why their order is delayed. Buying a new car bike etc I'd read reviews make a decision what I want then just find where said car or bikes available from cheapest. A sales man has never sold me a car or bike, I decide what I want then go and buy it, they could just have a cashier like in tescos for all I care.

No.

There are plenty of garages all selling the same thing, all under cutting each other, salesmens job is to steer them into buying from them.

Why not just get quotes and phone around to get dealers / sales people to undercut each other until they won't go any further then deal with the lowest bidder? I know a few people that do this including myself, sales people don't add anything to the experience anymore, their days are numbered IMO.

[markmullen]

Yep, you're absolutely right, Tesco, with their rather enormous financial might, proved you absolutely correct, salesmen aren't needed.

Just like RBS did with JamJar.

The online only works a treat, no problems whatsoever.

[Wills2]

MajorProblem said:

I was a sales director for a £23bn company.


(I was on the checkout at our local Tesco Extra)

You must be clever, as they'd only let me stack the shelves when I was there.

[Urban Sports]

Wills2 said:

Urban Sports said:

Wills2 said:

Butter Face said:

But seriously, Overrated? I never realised we were rated in the first place.

This^^^

I've been in sales for 24 years (from telesales rep to divisional sales director for a £11 billion FTSE 250 business) and the sales function is looked down upon by all the others IT/HR/Logistics/Accounts/Legal/Buying etc..

Never mind the fact that without sales we wouldn't need an IT system to process the orders on or a HR dept to handle the revolving door policy or a warehouse to ship goods from or anyone to count the beans or a legal eagle to handle disputes and anyone to place orders on vendors.

Thankfully though most MDs and CEOs do and that's why we continue to be rewarded for success.

Are you a car salesman?

No, but I was responding to the general theme of salespeople not being rated.

This thread is specific to car sales people, it's not a generic sales person bashing thread.

[Wills2]

Urban Sports said:

This thread is specific to car sales people, it's not a generic sales person bashing thread.

Urban don't tell me what I can and cannot post as it makes you look a dick.

[Urban Sports]

tdm34 said:

Urban Sports said:

POORCARDEALER said:

Herman Toothrot said:

I find it odd that new car sales people exist to "sell" cars as I don't think they do, the product sells. The roll of sales men seems to really be filling in finance forms and just letting people know why their order is delayed. Buying a new car bike etc I'd read reviews make a decision what I want then just find where said car or bikes available from cheapest. A sales man has never sold me a car or bike, I decide what I want then go and buy it, they could just have a cashier like in tescos for all I care.

No.

There are plenty of garages all selling the same thing, all under cutting each other, salesmens job is to steer them into buying from them.

Why not just get quotes and phone around to get dealers / sales people to undercut each other until they won't go any further then deal with the lowest bidder? I know a few people that do this including myself, sales people don't add anything to the experience anymore, their days are numbered IMO.

I know the whole thing makes me laugh as well, like anybody gives a st who sells them the car, as long as it's the lowest bidder, who cares? Good to see somebody in agreement.

[Urban Sports]

Wills2 said:

Urban don't tell me what I can and cannot post as it makes you look a dick.

I didn't tell you anything, calm down.

[SuperHangOn]

Long, often unsociable hours (evenings, weekends) and the pressure of commission based pay. Often there will be a chart in the office with the company's salesmens performance pitched against each other to spice it up a bit. In-fighting with colleagues ('nicking' sales off each other etc.). Usual aggro of dealing with the public.

Its not going down the mines or a tour in Afghanistan but its a pressured environment and I bet the staff turnover is very high. I best most on this thread wouldn't hack it for long, I know I wouldn't.

[regprentice]

My old man recently quit selling for arnold clark for several reasons

A colleague lost almost a grand from his wages in a month for not logging on correctly to the computer system in the morning. I believe his wages were docked for £100 for each day he used the computer system under someone elses login.

He was hit for around £110 from his first wage...if i remember correctly he was penalised 10 quid for each customer he failed to take an email address from. No excuses AC even expects pensioners to have email addresses.

Changing the goalposts on commision offers. As they failed to hit their commision targets for a set period the commision was withdrawn completely but they Still had to sell the product.

The singular joy of selling white goods wagons on hpi to dole scum was apparently like living in a neverending episode of jeremy kyle. I would imagine its similar to working in cash convertors/brighthouse. He was being coached in spotting people whose current motors were probably in negative equity as those people would kick tyres for hours not even realising they couldn't px their current motor. (Which they bought from you the year before)

Due to high stock turnover/staff shortages only around 75% of motors had been checked/valet etc prior to hitting the forecourt. Imagine the joy of selling a motor only to subsequently have to phone the customer and tell them its actually been written off nobody inspected it and its dangerously unfit for the road.

He was a proper salesman. Windows mainly. Before the minimum wage he was commission only and might not get paid a penny in december (an accepted 'off' period). I used to have to pick my xmas present from the argos catalogue in august when it came out as that was the last time in the year he might have good money. So.. a man who can work hard and take lean periods on the chin.. but even to him ac was a joke.

Im sure other dealers are better (i quite enjoy my lexus dealership and get a good vibe from all staff... for some reason lexus have the local warranty repairs for my mitsubishi and i am scum level next to their normal clientel but they treat me very well)

[unrepentant]

Rich_W said:

unrepentant said:

I don't recognise the environment you speak about and I doubt on the basis of your ill informed post that any of the sales professionals that I know on here would be seeking your "advice".

No one cares what a some wky yank thinks

We're talking about the UK. So no one cares whether you recognise it.

I'm probably more British than you are matey and I almost certainly have far more experience of British business at all levels.

[MajorProblem]

Wills2 said:

MajorProblem said:

I was a sales director for a £23bn company.


(I was on the checkout at our local Tesco Extra)

You must be clever, as they'd only let me stack the shelves when I was there.

Only 1 in 10 make it through to the checkouts.

[daveky]

I knew a guy went straight from selling mobile phones to BMWs for a franchised dealer. Not surprising considering he always was a smarmy .

[tdm34]

Urban Sports said:

tdm34 said:

Urban Sports said:

POORCARDEALER said:

Herman Toothrot said:

I find it odd that new car sales people exist to "sell" cars as I don't think they do, the product sells. The roll of sales men seems to really be filling in finance forms and just letting people know why their order is delayed. Buying a new car bike etc I'd read reviews make a decision what I want then just find where said car or bikes available from cheapest. A sales man has never sold me a car or bike, I decide what I want then go and buy it, they could just have a cashier like in tescos for all I care.

No.

There are plenty of garages all selling the same thing, all under cutting each other, salesmens job is to steer them into buying from them.

Why not just get quotes and phone around to get dealers / sales people to undercut each other until they won't go any further then deal with the lowest bidder? I know a few people that do this including myself, sales people don't add anything to the experience anymore, their days are numbered IMO.

I know the whole thing makes me laugh as well, like anybody gives a st who sells them the car, as long as it's the lowest bidder, who cares? Good to see somebody in agreement.

Ha! remember when us "Salesman" have all gone, when all you can do is look at Autocar/Evo/Pistonheads for reviews for your new cars, when you can't testdrive your chosen car, when you only have one supplier (because when you remove the dealers as you will do) do you think that supplier will offer anything for you? Simple answer is no! as they won't have to. you'll have to pay what they want because you'll have no choice, whichever way you slice it you need us "salesman" but you just can't see it!

I really hope the Car retail industry doesn't go the same way as the home electronics industry, as that is nearly at the state of utopia that you seem to want.....

[Urban Sports]

tdm34 said:

Urban Sports said:

tdm34 said:

Urban Sports said:

POORCARDEALER said:

Herman Toothrot said:

I find it odd that new car sales people exist to "sell" cars as I don't think they do, the product sells. The roll of sales men seems to really be filling in finance forms and just letting people know why their order is delayed. Buying a new car bike etc I'd read reviews make a decision what I want then just find where said car or bikes available from cheapest. A sales man has never sold me a car or bike, I decide what I want then go and buy it, they could just have a cashier like in tescos for all I care.

No.

There are plenty of garages all selling the same thing, all under cutting each other, salesmens job is to steer them into buying from them.

Why not just get quotes and phone around to get dealers / sales people to undercut each other until they won't go any further then deal with the lowest bidder? I know a few people that do this including myself, sales people don't add anything to the experience anymore, their days are numbered IMO.

I know the whole thing makes me laugh as well, like anybody gives a st who sells them the car, as long as it's the lowest bidder, who cares? Good to see somebody in agreement.

Ha! remember when us "Salesman" have all gone, when all you can do is look at Autocar/Evo/Pistonheads for reviews for your new cars, when you can't testdrive your chosen car, when you only have one supplier (because when you remove the dealers as you will do) do you think that supplier will offer anything for you? Simple answer is no! as they won't have to. you'll have to pay what they want because you'll have no choice, whichever way you slice it you need us "salesman" but you just can't see it!

I really hope the Car retail industry doesn't go the same way as the home electronics industry, as that is nearly at the state of utopia that you seem to want.....

[LHD]

markmullen said:

Sheepshanks said:

There aren't many car salesmen doing that either. Even amongst the ones who work at BMW dealers.

You think? A lot of my friends are car salesmen, as am I, and I know plenty who are. To be honest if you're not the hours aren't worth it.

I wouldn't get out my bed for less than £50k PA.

[phPaddy]

That Arnold Clarke lad who was losing a tenner for not getting an email address deserves to lose a tenner for admitting it, just make one up it's not like they're going to respond to a fishing email anyway.

[SuperHangOn]

It must be hard getting decent salesmen when the staff turnover is so high.

Makes me wonder if a lot of dealers would be better off employing on flat rate rather than heavy commission - surely the result would be a less pressured/pushy atmosphere and they would hang on to staff longer? Could easily work in their favour.