is car sales one of the most overrated jobs around ?
Discussion
paoloh said:
Butter Face said:
MarshPhantom said:
walsh said:
Someone hit the nail on the head earlier. You can earn pretty much what you like if you are a decent salesperson, but, if it were easy, everyone would do it.
Is it the selling part that is difficult or not knowing what you'll be earning from one month to the next? 
Although if you're any good at the job you get a basic idea of what you're going to earn every month and you have to cock up pretty badly to miss that
Working as a Toyota salesman, earning crap basic ( £10k ) but doing really well on comms.
Then the big recall happens.
Spent months being a receptionist earning basic.
tty. Not like anyone was able to forsee that one, and I expect it cost the company a bucket of money too.Obviously barring massive catastrophes, you should be pretty safe.
I am not anti-salesman by any stretch. I've done the job. Long hours dealing with some complete muppets, and very difficult to stay motivated after a sequence of them. But it is funny to read the comments in this thread about salespeople being bigger/more important than anyone else, and how they mirror those from certain salesmen I've met in real life. The notion is of course complete codswallop.
Yes, yes we all know without good salespeople, the company would never write any profitable business.
But then if the item didn't get invoiced, or the payment didn't get processed, nobody would ever see the money for the product.
Without a payroll team, the salesman's commission wouldn't get calculated and paid. Without an accounts team, supplier invoices and bills wouldn't get paid. It's pretty hard to sell cars in a dark, dirty showroom with no heating and no running water or electricity to make coffee.
If there was no stock (buying team), there would be nothing to sell. If the buying team was crap, you wouldn't be able to sell anything they bought at a profit.
If the item didn't get serviced and supported (service, customer care), the customer would at best never return, and at worst, return the product. In a business to business transaction, the company could wind up losing a fortune in penalty clauses for failure to meet SLAs.
If the cleaners didn't keep the customer facing areas looking presentable and the coffee machine filled up, you'd have a pretty hard time closing a deal because customer's won't sit in a crap-hole. Likewise the valeters who make cars visually appealing. After all, visual appeal is normally the very first "hook" for a buyer, even before the salesman talks to them.
If the marketing team didn't promote and advertise the business correctly, or design the environment appropriately there would be no customers coming through the door to sell to.
etc etc.
Salespeople are the front line. They are the most visible. They are the first point of contact for a customer, and of course they are vital to the organisation. A salesman can break a business, but he/she cannot make one on their own.
Yes, yes we all know without good salespeople, the company would never write any profitable business.
But then if the item didn't get invoiced, or the payment didn't get processed, nobody would ever see the money for the product.
Without a payroll team, the salesman's commission wouldn't get calculated and paid. Without an accounts team, supplier invoices and bills wouldn't get paid. It's pretty hard to sell cars in a dark, dirty showroom with no heating and no running water or electricity to make coffee.
If there was no stock (buying team), there would be nothing to sell. If the buying team was crap, you wouldn't be able to sell anything they bought at a profit.
If the item didn't get serviced and supported (service, customer care), the customer would at best never return, and at worst, return the product. In a business to business transaction, the company could wind up losing a fortune in penalty clauses for failure to meet SLAs.
If the cleaners didn't keep the customer facing areas looking presentable and the coffee machine filled up, you'd have a pretty hard time closing a deal because customer's won't sit in a crap-hole. Likewise the valeters who make cars visually appealing. After all, visual appeal is normally the very first "hook" for a buyer, even before the salesman talks to them.
If the marketing team didn't promote and advertise the business correctly, or design the environment appropriately there would be no customers coming through the door to sell to.
etc etc.
Salespeople are the front line. They are the most visible. They are the first point of contact for a customer, and of course they are vital to the organisation. A salesman can break a business, but he/she cannot make one on their own.
Salesman can't do it alone, you are right.
But they do the longest hours, earn the least before comms, work Sundays, take 90% of customer st etc etc
A salesman will earn around £30-£50 selling a new car before add ons.
You would not believe the amount of paperwork and effort that requires.
But you can earn £50 fot GardX, £50 for Gap.
GardX sells for approx £399, costs dealer £54.00 ( last time I checked ) including the lifetime warranty.
Bonnet profit on new cars is small, profit margins on add ons is not.
A lot of you have said play dealers off against each other, the upside of that, is the only way to make a profit, is to sell add ons.
But they do the longest hours, earn the least before comms, work Sundays, take 90% of customer s
t etc etcA salesman will earn around £30-£50 selling a new car before add ons.
You would not believe the amount of paperwork and effort that requires.
But you can earn £50 fot GardX, £50 for Gap.
GardX sells for approx £399, costs dealer £54.00 ( last time I checked ) including the lifetime warranty.
Bonnet profit on new cars is small, profit margins on add ons is not.
A lot of you have said play dealers off against each other, the upside of that, is the only way to make a profit, is to sell add ons.
Butter Face said:
paoloh said:
Butter Face said:
MarshPhantom said:
walsh said:
Someone hit the nail on the head earlier. You can earn pretty much what you like if you are a decent salesperson, but, if it were easy, everyone would do it.
Is it the selling part that is difficult or not knowing what you'll be earning from one month to the next? Although if you're any good at the job you get a basic idea of what you're going to earn every month and you have to cock up pretty badly to miss that
Working as a Toyota salesman, earning crap basic ( £10k ) but doing really well on comms.
Then the big recall happens.
Spent months being a receptionist earning basic.
tty. Not like anyone was able to forsee that one, and I expect it cost the company a bucket of money too.Obviously barring massive catastrophes, you should be pretty safe.
Not knowing what you're getting plus clawback was a b
h. Imagine losing a chunk of your commission if someone decided they didn't like the car you had sold them 2,3 or 4 years down the line.Edited by MarshPhantom on Tuesday 22 July 10:09
el stovey said:
Benj1984 said:
Let's have more humans in jobs eh. Makes life much more pleasant.
I'd much rather have a cheaper car and buy it online by clicking options on my laptop. Unsurprisingly, most of the human race (and car buying public) like to have a human contact and speak to someone else before spending £0000's.
Weirdos.
Butter Face said:
el stovey said:
Benj1984 said:
Let's have more humans in jobs eh. Makes life much more pleasant.
I'd much rather have a cheaper car and buy it online by clicking options on my laptop. Unsurprisingly, most of the human race (and car buying public) like to have a human contact and speak to someone else before spending £0000's.
Weirdos.
There are some sales jobs where sales people and reps are needed but car sales are certainly not one of them.
el stovey said:
I'd much rather have a cheaper car and buy it online by clicking options on my laptop.
How are you going to arrange a test drive or check that the boot will take the pushchair/golfclubs/etc. Looking at brochures and pictures on the internet will only get you so far. Asking questions on forums and reading reviews will only give you part of the picture of how the car will suit YOU.
Or will you go down to the local dealer, talk to a salesman and check these things out and then order over the internet?
el stovey said:
Butter Face said:
el stovey said:
Benj1984 said:
Let's have more humans in jobs eh. Makes life much more pleasant.
I'd much rather have a cheaper car and buy it online by clicking options on my laptop. Unsurprisingly, most of the human race (and car buying public) like to have a human contact and speak to someone else before spending £0000's.
Weirdos.
There are some sales jobs where sales people and reps are needed but car sales are certainly not one of them.
I still book holidays through the travel agents, and I buy add ons from them too. I'm such a sucker.
I posted this earlier, but the experts claiming internet only sales are the only way forward conveniently ignored it.
markmullen said:
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 model works a treat, no problems whatsoever.
Just like RBS did with JamJar.
The online only model works a treat, no problems whatsoever.
Butter Face said:
el stovey said:
Butter Face said:
el stovey said:
Benj1984 said:
Let's have more humans in jobs eh. Makes life much more pleasant.
I'd much rather have a cheaper car and buy it online by clicking options on my laptop. Unsurprisingly, most of the human race (and car buying public) like to have a human contact and speak to someone else before spending £0000's.
Weirdos.
There are some sales jobs where sales people and reps are needed but car sales are certainly not one of them.
I still book holidays through the travel agents, and I buy add ons from them too. I'm such a sucker.
You'll have noticed though that the amount of travel agencies and holiday shops on the high street have been decimated over the last ten years due do to increased online sales.
The way cars are sold hasn't changed much since the 1950s. There may always be some people that prefer to buy from a commission based salesman but I expect there are many more that would rather buy the car online cheaper.
http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=360f2b7a-5...
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB100014240527...
el stovey said:
Butter Face said:
el stovey said:
Butter Face said:
el stovey said:
Benj1984 said:
Let's have more humans in jobs eh. Makes life much more pleasant.
I'd much rather have a cheaper car and buy it online by clicking options on my laptop. Unsurprisingly, most of the human race (and car buying public) like to have a human contact and speak to someone else before spending £0000's.
Weirdos.
There are some sales jobs where sales people and reps are needed but car sales are certainly not one of them.
I still book holidays through the travel agents, and I buy add ons from them too. I'm such a sucker.
You'll have noticed though that the amount of travel agencies and holiday shops on the high street have been decimated over the last ten years due do to increased online sales.
The way cars are sold hasn't changed much since the 1950s. There may always be some people that prefer to buy from a commission based salesman but I expect there are many more that would rather buy the car online cheaper.
http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=360f2b7a-5...
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB100014240527...
Marks post right above makes a perfectly valid point that most people don't want to buy online, 2 big names have spent many millions trying it and failed.
One of the brands I work for sells 'online' direct to customers, except they don't, a customer can choose their car, and, er, their order gets sent to a dealer to contact them and fulfill it (which is also the way most 'brokers' work, the dealer still gets a sale but none of the customer interaction, they don't mind that at all). The numbers of these orders is tiny, I think we had one last year....
Butter Face said:
One of the brands I work for sells 'online' direct to customers, except they don't, a customer can choose their car, and, er, their order gets sent to a dealer to contact them and fulfill it (which is also the way most 'brokers' work, the dealer still gets a sale but none of the customer interaction, they don't mind that at all). The numbers of these orders is tiny, I think we had one last year....
That's not really a proper online shopping model, there are no cost savings passed on to the customer by cutting out the salesmen. I don't want to see people out of a job, i'm sure my job will also eventually be replaced by a computer but you have to be a bit blinkered to think an online sales model couldn't work perfectly well for the car (or most other) sales.
el stovey said:
Butter Face said:
One of the brands I work for sells 'online' direct to customers, except they don't, a customer can choose their car, and, er, their order gets sent to a dealer to contact them and fulfill it (which is also the way most 'brokers' work, the dealer still gets a sale but none of the customer interaction, they don't mind that at all). The numbers of these orders is tiny, I think we had one last year....
That's not really a proper online shopping model, there are no cost savings passed on to the customer by cutting out the salesmen. I don't want to see people out of a job, i'm sure my job will also eventually be replaced by a computer but you have to be a bit blinkered to think an online sales model couldn't work perfectly well for the car (or most other) sales.
You'd have to be be a bit blinkered to see that, especially since I've pointed it out twice.
In years to come when my generation is the oldest and we've grown up buying online then maybe but for now there are whole generations of people who wouldn't even consider buying a car solely online.
paoloh said:
Salesman can't do it alone, you are right.
But they do the longest hours, earn the least before comms, work Sundays, take 90% of customer st etc etc
No, never. The people who take the brunt of the grief are Service Managers not sales people. IME most of them fade into the background once the deal is made. Any oversight, oops financial contribution or go and speak to CS.But they do the longest hours, earn the least before comms, work Sundays, take 90% of customer s
t etc etcel stovey said:
Sorry, where have you twice pointed out a car manufacturer offering cheaper sales online by getting rid of car salesmen?
I've twice pointed out that Tesco and RBS both tried online only sales, no salesmen, and on both occasions failed, spectacularly, having hemorrhaged a bundle of money.The reason manufacturers don't do it yet is they know it won't work, obviously you know better than them, you ought to let them know.
el stovey said:
Butter Face said:
One of the brands I work for sells 'online' direct to customers, except they don't, a customer can choose their car, and, er, their order gets sent to a dealer to contact them and fulfill it (which is also the way most 'brokers' work, the dealer still gets a sale but none of the customer interaction, they don't mind that at all). The numbers of these orders is tiny, I think we had one last year....
That's not really a proper online shopping model, there are no cost savings passed on to the customer by cutting out the salesmen. I don't want to see people out of a job, i'm sure my job will also eventually be replaced by a computer but you have to be a bit blinkered to think an online sales model couldn't work perfectly well for the car (or most other) sales.
Cars age in different ways, clutch, brakes, general feel etc etc
They need to be tested to be fully appreciated.
yonex said:
IME most of them fade into the background once the deal is made. Any oversight, oops financial contribution or go and speak to CS.
Fade? in my experience most of them run for the hills like their arse is on fire as soon as you sign the order, any issues they never seem to be available, return phone calls or answer emails, maybe I have been unlucky but in my opinion that is the difference between a good salesman and an order taker, most car salesmen are order takers.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff