The Car Salesman's Thread
Discussion
matc said:
I would be amazed if that customer had not been spoken to several times in the past 2 years by the SE (or their replacement) who sold him his car.
Mercedes are very hot on CRM, and as such you have to maintain regular contact with every customer that comes into the dealership, even if they didn't originally buy that car from that dealer.
In recent years I've bought 4 cars from 3 different Mercedes dealerships - Stratstone, Mercedes-Benz Direct & Lookers - I've never had any sort of follow up call after driving off the forecourt other than a telephone call to say "please can you remember to complete the follow-up email questionnaire from customer services or I won't get paid my bonus"!Mercedes are very hot on CRM, and as such you have to maintain regular contact with every customer that comes into the dealership, even if they didn't originally buy that car from that dealer.
I'm really not bothered as when I want to change my car I'll contact a dealer and let them know, however I'm baffled that they don't court any repeat business, no emails/calls/post, no invite to test drive the latest model of my car, nothing. The first Mercedes I bought was from a local dealer (Stratstone in Glasgow, I still get all my cars serviced there so see them at least once a year and for any warranty work), and even at the end of the 3 year PCP I had no contact from them at all so traded the car elsewhere, so have no relationshop with their sales side and have bought my other 3 Mercs from as far afield as Eastbourne.
Am I being naive in thinking that building up a relationship with a buyer will keep him coming back, tempt him to change more frequently etc, or in car sales is there no value seen in this - genuine question!
yellowbentines said:
In recent years I've bought 4 cars from 3 different Mercedes dealerships - Stratstone, Mercedes-Benz Direct & Lookers - I've never had any sort of follow up call after driving off the forecourt other than a telephone call to say "please can you remember to complete the follow-up email questionnaire from customer services or I won't get paid my bonus"!
I'm really not bothered as when I want to change my car I'll contact a dealer and let them know, however I'm baffled that they don't court any repeat business, no emails/calls/post, no invite to test drive the latest model of my car, nothing. The first Mercedes I bought was from a local dealer (Stratstone in Glasgow, I still get all my cars serviced there so see them at least once a year and for any warranty work), and even at the end of the 3 year PCP I had no contact from them at all so traded the car elsewhere, so have no relationshop with their sales side and have bought my other 3 Mercs from as far afield as Eastbourne.
Am I being naive in thinking that building up a relationship with a buyer will keep him coming back, tempt him to change more frequently etc, or in car sales is there no value seen in this - genuine question!
I find the range of contact really interesting.I'm really not bothered as when I want to change my car I'll contact a dealer and let them know, however I'm baffled that they don't court any repeat business, no emails/calls/post, no invite to test drive the latest model of my car, nothing. The first Mercedes I bought was from a local dealer (Stratstone in Glasgow, I still get all my cars serviced there so see them at least once a year and for any warranty work), and even at the end of the 3 year PCP I had no contact from them at all so traded the car elsewhere, so have no relationshop with their sales side and have bought my other 3 Mercs from as far afield as Eastbourne.
Am I being naive in thinking that building up a relationship with a buyer will keep him coming back, tempt him to change more frequently etc, or in car sales is there no value seen in this - genuine question!
On the flip side to your experience I have a friend with a second hand C class coupe, who is constantly getting sent the latest brochure for each model and she regularly gets phone calls to offer test drives etc.
elvismiggell said:
I find the range of contact really interesting.
On the flip side to your experience I have a friend with a second hand C class coupe, who is constantly getting sent the latest brochure for each model and she regularly gets phone calls to offer test drives etc.
My E Class had it's first service at Stratstone Glasgow yesterday, their service department is now excellent, friendly & professional and I can't fault them.On the flip side to your experience I have a friend with a second hand C class coupe, who is constantly getting sent the latest brochure for each model and she regularly gets phone calls to offer test drives etc.
However, if I was working there I'd like to think I'd ask "where did you buy the last 3 Mercedes that you've brought to us for servicing, is there a reason you haven't bought them from us as I see you have done in the past, are you happy with the current car or are you thinking of changing...etc etc".
I may buy from them in the future but only when I'm ready to look, but in all honesty I could probably be persuaded fairly easily to change my car more frequently if someone tried to sell to me whilst I was in the showroom!
Deva Link said:
BF is in car sales though. Waiting for someone to come in and throw an order at them is what they do. 
Is there any reason you keep coming back to this thread other than to be irritating? Time and again you get involved in things you obviously know nothing about, try and wind people up and generally act trollish?BF is concerned about his career and future and the quote above is the best you can come up with?
Wow, what a worthwhile contribution
BF, give it time, you're bound to feel unsettled changing dealerships, and franchises, it happens to us all, all of a sudden you've got different colleagues, different systems and practices, all your product knowledge has gone, you feel like the newbie.
Give it a few weeks to get used to it, don't worry about what your colleagues are earning, I was earning 5 or 6 times as much as some of my colleagues in jobs passed.
Finally if after a time you do decide you've made an error move on again, don't go back, it won't be the same. Go to a different franchise, walk in, speak to the SM, tell them you're the b
ks and looking for a change and can start that week.
Give it a few weeks to get used to it, don't worry about what your colleagues are earning, I was earning 5 or 6 times as much as some of my colleagues in jobs passed.
Finally if after a time you do decide you've made an error move on again, don't go back, it won't be the same. Go to a different franchise, walk in, speak to the SM, tell them you're the b
ks and looking for a change and can start that week.yellowbentines said:
Am I being naive in thinking that building up a relationship with a buyer will keep him coming back, tempt him to change more frequently etc, or in car sales is there no value seen in this - genuine question!
I think the fact that no car salesman has responded speaks volumes. Someone at MB UK will have read your posts and be pulling their hair out.yellowbentines said:
I may buy from them in the future but only when I'm ready to look, but in all honesty I could probably be persuaded fairly easily to change my car more frequently if someone tried to sell to me whilst I was in the showroom!
That's exactly how I feel. No-one just 'phones up or wanders in and gives me an order, I have to create the interest and then sell.Do you really want to work weekends at 50 years old?
If you dont mind, then go for it, just choose your franchise carefully, sell something that people desire, and that there is plenty of profit in.....hardest thing might be someone giving you a chance at 50 with no experience, I would ring a few sales managers and see if you can get in front of them.
Give it a try. If in 6 months it doesn't work out, you will be no worse off.
Starting as a salesman at 49 is unusual, so expect to have a few barriers thrown your way, and be questioned about it.
You should be able to earn the money you mention, but..........
Heres the but.
The car sales environment is very competitive. Other salesman my perceive you as threat and act accordingly. Everyone is trying to demonstrate how good they are with expensive watches, shoes, pens etc. Which is ok if you are in your twenties, but you may tire of it all very quickly.
Expect to be rejected/used/lied to by the customer much much more than you do good business with nice people.
The pressure can be high, but when it seems like too much a couple of nice deals can make everything alright with the world again.
I would recommend starting with a big busy volume dealer. The more people you are able to talk to everyday the quicker you will learn.
Starting as a salesman at 49 is unusual, so expect to have a few barriers thrown your way, and be questioned about it.
You should be able to earn the money you mention, but..........
Heres the but.
The car sales environment is very competitive. Other salesman my perceive you as threat and act accordingly. Everyone is trying to demonstrate how good they are with expensive watches, shoes, pens etc. Which is ok if you are in your twenties, but you may tire of it all very quickly.
Expect to be rejected/used/lied to by the customer much much more than you do good business with nice people.
The pressure can be high, but when it seems like too much a couple of nice deals can make everything alright with the world again.
I would recommend starting with a big busy volume dealer. The more people you are able to talk to everyday the quicker you will learn.
Two replies for you...
1 / With your experience in the sell/creative side, had you thought of getting into the buy side - your experience in might help a company that doesn't know the hard questions to ask and how to really create a campaign (and buy it from a series of suppliers)? Public sector is a good example where they look for industry skills?
2 / You might be well suited to a premium brand with a soft sell approach - quality used or high end - where clients want more or a relationship manager in effect, not a salesman?
1 / With your experience in the sell/creative side, had you thought of getting into the buy side - your experience in might help a company that doesn't know the hard questions to ask and how to really create a campaign (and buy it from a series of suppliers)? Public sector is a good example where they look for industry skills?
2 / You might be well suited to a premium brand with a soft sell approach - quality used or high end - where clients want more or a relationship manager in effect, not a salesman?
kentmotorcompany said:
I would recommend starting with a big busy volume dealer. The more people you are able to talk to everyday the quicker you will learn.
Absolutely, plus when you burn one by saying or doing the wrong thing there'll be another around the corner, unlike in prestige.Al, give me a shout if I can help at all.
Yep, that's what I thought. A friend of mine in the industry said to forget the luxury end as those customers tend to want to be run around after, go for the Nissan Micra / Ford Fiesta target market that are just normal people wanting a car and the volumes (hence sales) are much higher. But this is where I have heard from several sources that the money really is low.
And no, with having my nine and five year old every other weekend, I can't see many dealerships being prepared to work round that.
The way I see it is that, if I as a 49 year old, was buying something of quite a high value, I would rather buy from someone that didn't have spiky hair and a tie the size of a small county along with scruffed shoes with side laces. I know this is a generalisation, but there must be some advantage in looking business like, with a business like attitude and thirty years work experience dealing with people at all levels.
Thanks for the offer Mark. I'm not sure car sales is the route, but I certainly think I need to broaden my job search to include more sales oriented roles, as my savings are rapidly depleting!
And no, with having my nine and five year old every other weekend, I can't see many dealerships being prepared to work round that.
Grenoble said:
Two replies for you...
1 / With your experience in the sell/creative side, had you thought of getting into the buy side - your experience in might help a company that doesn't know the hard questions to ask and how to really create a campaign (and buy it from a series of suppliers)? Public sector is a good example where they look for industry skills?
I would love to find something in this line Grenoble. One of my previous jobs was "client side" working in NPD and sourcing which I loved. Shame that my ex-wife was a board director.1 / With your experience in the sell/creative side, had you thought of getting into the buy side - your experience in might help a company that doesn't know the hard questions to ask and how to really create a campaign (and buy it from a series of suppliers)? Public sector is a good example where they look for industry skills?
Grenoble said:
2 / You might be well suited to a premium brand with a soft sell approach - quality used or high end - where clients want more or a relationship manager in effect, not a salesman?
^^^ Definitely this. What are the "key words" that I should put into the search engines? "Relationship manager" - "Project manager" Any others?The way I see it is that, if I as a 49 year old, was buying something of quite a high value, I would rather buy from someone that didn't have spiky hair and a tie the size of a small county along with scruffed shoes with side laces. I know this is a generalisation, but there must be some advantage in looking business like, with a business like attitude and thirty years work experience dealing with people at all levels.
Thanks for the offer Mark. I'm not sure car sales is the route, but I certainly think I need to broaden my job search to include more sales oriented roles, as my savings are rapidly depleting!
Burriana,
Just seen that you are not far from me. Have you tried the Yorkshire Mafia networking group (http://theyorkshiremafia.com/) run out of Leeds? Can be very, very useful - encouraging Yorkshire people to do business with Yorkshire people.
Geoff Shepherd runs it - good recruitment consultant - (http://isourcegroup.co.uk/) - worth trying with them as well, they have their finger on the local pulse.
Just seen that you are not far from me. Have you tried the Yorkshire Mafia networking group (http://theyorkshiremafia.com/) run out of Leeds? Can be very, very useful - encouraging Yorkshire people to do business with Yorkshire people.
Geoff Shepherd runs it - good recruitment consultant - (http://isourcegroup.co.uk/) - worth trying with them as well, they have their finger on the local pulse.
burriana said:
I have done a little research, looked round a few showrooms and feel pretty certain that I could do the job and, would possibly really enjoy it. What I do suspect though is that the money will be the limiting factor. I reckon that most basics will be around the £12k mark and with commission, no more than £20k total in the first year. How long it would take to reach a decent salary of £30k - £40k upwards I have no idea, even whether it would be possible from scratch at my stage in life.
Not being funny but if you're earning £20k in your first year it'll be your last with that dealership!£30-40k is very attainable, good salesmen a lot more.
Ah, that's interesting mark. That's just what I was told by a so called "specialist" recruitment agency. She didn't seem the most switched on person though it has to be said. as a (very) rough rule of thumb, what would the basic start at, is £12k near the mark?
It is a balance of how long I will need my savings to supplement my income.
It is a balance of how long I will need my savings to supplement my income.
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