The salesman mentality

[Monkey news]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 07 October 2010 at 22:41

[Brink]

Worst 'I hate being a sales monkey' thread ever!

[Simond S]

Monkey news said:

I have been a sales executive for the past few months and it seems that some people really try and be the steriotypical salesman. I have no idea why this is the case. I am very honest, genuine and most importantly, do not ballst the customers, and I still make exactly the same amount of sales. My profit margins are high, infact higher than some of my colleagues, but I am not a complete and utter bellend about the whole ordeal .

So what is up with this persona of being a complete moron when being in sales? bhing about customers and other such unprofessional behaviour. I choose to rise above it, of which has been noticed by my colleagues and I get a bit of abuse for being "posh", rather than that then from a chlamydia ridin cesspit.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Are you a little ashamed of yourself that you are a salesman. It seems that you have deserted your higher standing in life to take such a lowly job.

I am sure that your peers who have suffered in such a down trodden position must be genuinely pleased to have a breath of fresh air to enter the industry such as yourself.here is a saying "one swallow a summer does not make" and I'd be careful of your self praise until you have a history of success.

For what it's worth, I think you are a complete and utter bell end just for starting a post telling us that you aren't a complete and utter bell end.

[Simond S]

swerni said:

Ps no one calls themselves a sales executive

I do recall one staff members other half complaining that they weren't on the top table at Christmas dinner. he felt they should be as she was a Client Relations Executive.

I'm not sure the other 8 customer service girls quite agreed!

[hyperblue]

Everything I touch turns to sold

[okgo]

swerni said:

Are you the bell end who didn't get the company car when your colleague did.
The one who was told to pick up the scraps from the others.

Ever though it's not them that's the issue?

Ever thought of a new career.
You sound like you would make a great traffic warden.

Ps no one calls themselves a sales executive

what do they call themselves then?

[Simond S]

Salesman if they are paid for one time sales
Account Managers if they sell into and are paid to retain accounts

[Simond S]

hyperblue said:

Everything I touch turns to sold

'ello sausage

[AJS-]

Simond S said:

Salesman if they are paid for one time sales
Account Managers if they sell into and are paid to retain accounts

Or Business Development Manager if they're opening new accounts.

[Original Poster]

hyperblue said:

Everything I touch turns to sold

My first words weren't mummy, they were money.

[Jerry Can]

Simond S said:

Monkey news said:

I have been a sales executive for the past few months and it seems that some people really try and be the steriotypical salesman. I have no idea why this is the case. I am very honest, genuine and most importantly, do not ballst the customers, and I still make exactly the same amount of sales. My profit margins are high, infact higher than some of my colleagues, but I am not a complete and utter bellend about the whole ordeal .

So what is up with this persona of being a complete moron when being in sales? bhing about customers and other such unprofessional behaviour. I choose to rise above it, of which has been noticed by my colleagues and I get a bit of abuse for being "posh", rather than that then from a chlamydia ridin cesspit.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Are you a little ashamed of yourself that you are a salesman. It seems that you have deserted your higher standing in life to take such a lowly job.

I am sure that your peers who have suffered in such a down trodden position must be genuinely pleased to have a breath of fresh air to enter the industry such as yourself.here is a saying "one swallow a summer does not make" and I'd be careful of your self praise until you have a history of success.

For what it's worth, I think you are a complete and utter bell end just for starting a post telling us that you aren't a complete and utter bell end.

At the risk of putting my head above the parapet, I do think that whilst the original poster has made his point rather poorly, he still does have a point.

I have a slight concern that this person in particular whilst focussed on customer service may do so at the expense of dealer profitability by believing that customer service is about rolling over all the time. And we all know that that is not the case.

However it's the ungraciousness of a certain type of salesman that mire the car industry in the 1960's. How can it be the case that a 100 strong dealership with a £50m tunover makes 0.5% return on sales....?

I know that when you have done a slim deal that corners have to be cut, but when you have done a fat deal does the customer get any better service? I would wager that if a car has a stone chip on the bonnet, whether there is money in the deal or not, tippex will be used to fill in the chip and not 'Chipsaway', or that a £6.99 floor mat set from Morrisons will be fitted instead of the genuine article, just to save a few quid.

In the meantime the salesman is boasting, lording it over his colleagues about him 'bolting up' another customer. "He paid full retail for that, the chuffing fool, and I got him on 10% as a flat on chucky, F**king kerrching."

And then there are the 'test driving numpties' who you all have to deal with, that are ultimately a waste of time, but had the salesman followed the correct sales process might well have been able to qualify the prospect a bit better and therefore managed his time a bit better.

The majority of car salesmen give the rest of the industry a bad name, as it is about laddish, sometimes thuggish behaviour designed to belittle the customer and make themselves the 'big man.'

Car salesman in general are particularly guilty of a 'taking mentality' instead of a 'giving mentality' when it comes to sales. It is a subtle difference in attitude but has a massive impact on customer perception when you offer to give your advice, give your time, to help the customer to make the correct decision, so that he is wants to give you his money so that you can give him your car. So much better than, taking his time, to take his money, so that he can take your car.

Sales is about customer service whilst trying to encourage a person to buy through salesmanship rather than forcing them to buy through relentless closing. You are not a salesman if you only do the latter.

Of course all the car salesmen on here will tell you (me) that they are exactly like that, always providing customer service which quite frankly is bullst as we all get customer fatigue.

So to al of you who mock the OP, he has a point, it's just that its touched your nerve.

[milner993]

I work as a car sales man and customer service is key but if you get some tt of a customer that just wants to test drive everything and take loads of bloody brochures (day trippers) then what is the point you might as well bin them off as there not going to make you money or the dealership. And the worst thing is for every wasted minute you spend with them potential customers are walking around who might just buy I am not going to give my customers bullst Maybe on MPG lol but that’s about it. If you want to see the best sales man go on you tube and look up (Italian car sales man Robert de Niro) now this will make you laugh.

[Kermit power]

AJS- said:

Simond S said:

Salesman if they are paid for one time sales
Account Managers if they sell into and are paid to retain accounts

Or Business Development Manager if they're opening new accounts.

That's just "salesman" for people who don't want to have salesman on their business cards.

[Chris_w666]

milner993 said:

I work as a car sales man and customer service is key but if you get some tt of a customer that just wants to test drive everything and take loads of bloody brochures (day trippers) then what is the point you might as well bin them off as there not going to make you money or the dealership.

Will that person come back next week or year because you were nice and friendly? How can you just bin them off straight away?

milner993 said:

And the worst thing is for every wasted minute you spend with them potential customers are walking around who might just buy.

Surely the 'day trippers' also might buy something?

milner993 said:

I am not going to give my customers bullst Maybe on MPG lol but that’s about it.

So you would mislead a customer deliberately? IMO a good salesman would both read his customer and would know his product, I have walked away from things because of things salesmen have said. It is very hard to know if the bloke who has just told you that the 540i touring will do 50mpg with ease is a genuine moron or a bare faced liar. I would always be cautious and assume the latter therefore distrust anything else he told me about the vehicle.