The Car Salesman's Thread
Discussion
Grenoble said:
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.
Thanks for the heads up. I will look him up 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:
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.
Basic anywhere between £10 and £15k. Commission on metal, finance, products. Usually a car, sometimes fuel.It is a balance of how long I will need my savings to supplement my income.
Try JGA (John Gibson) in York, motortrade recruitment, or MTSelect.
burriana said:
Cheers Mark. They can only say "How much experience? How old? You're having a laugh" 
Believe it or not it is usually quite difficult to recruit staff, the hours and low basic put people off. Worth a punt. If you get an in to any dealership around York, Harrogate, Malton or Scarborough let me know, chances are I'll know someone there.markmullen said:
Believe it or not it is usually quite difficult to recruit staff, the hours and low basic put people off. Worth a punt. If you get an in to any dealership around York, Harrogate, Malton or Scarborough let me know, chances are I'll know someone there.
Might be worth a walk down the dealers row in Knaresborough. The Jaguar guys were very friendly last time I was there - as were the Leeds branch.Might be a good fit for selling approach and a more mature sales approach?
Edit to add: I should flag I'm not in car sales; in sales but not for cars...
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.
Out Lotus Dealer here in Scotland is pretty perfect in that regard. Perhaps it benefits from big fish /small pond effect, or perhaps it is different in niche markets but there are emails, brochures and mail drops when interesting stock arrives or new offers are announced or demo events and test drives are organised. 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.
The salesman is active in the online Scottish Lotus community and often attends arranged meets or runs in one of the Demonstrators. Whilst it would be exaggerating to say that the Showroom is almost a drop-in centre for current owners it wouldn't be too far off the truth. The number of times that cars are traded and upgraded on the basis of a casual browse and going in for a chat seems high.
Deva Link said:
AtticusFinch said:
Deva Link said:
yellowbentines said:
I think the fact that no car salesman has responded speaks volumes.
No one has bothered to respond because your quite boring. Get the message?
Sorry if my question hit a nerve with anyone, I'm genuinely interested if it's normal to let your customer drive off and never contact them again, is it seen as a waste of time to keep in touch, call them in 1/2/3 years. Is it down to the dealership or the individual saleperson to maintain and work the client database - if such a thing happens?
Grenoble said:
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.
Yorkshire Mafia is a good shout for networking, good bunch of people although other recruiters are banned from it by Geoff!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.
yellowbentines said:
Looks like Mr Atticus Finch has also had a change of heart and removed his post. I must have been really boring him, he must have lots more interesting things to talk about, like painting his shed...
Yup the paints dry now, watching it was a touch more interesting. 
Not blowing my own trumpet or anything, but I thought we are in desperate need of a change in topic!
I'll go on... It's been a good day.. sealed up 2 deals and with those I've now hit my Q4 target, 3 days in
realistically I have about 2 more weeks of selling into Q4 before EDD's start showing as Jan.
Got me thinking about how targets compare between our marques... i know Renault/VW etc are anywhere between 150-200 a year, the MB BMW etc guys are 120 ish. Has anyone experienced both extremes? What's more manageable?
And also pay plans.. who has quarterly bonuses and which manufacturers set 110%, 120% targets?
I'll go on... It's been a good day.. sealed up 2 deals and with those I've now hit my Q4 target, 3 days in
realistically I have about 2 more weeks of selling into Q4 before EDD's start showing as Jan.
Got me thinking about how targets compare between our marques... i know Renault/VW etc are anywhere between 150-200 a year, the MB BMW etc guys are 120 ish. Has anyone experienced both extremes? What's more manageable?
And also pay plans.. who has quarterly bonuses and which manufacturers set 110%, 120% targets?
yellowbentines said:
Sorry if my question hit a nerve with anyone, I'm genuinely interested if it's normal to let your customer drive off and never contact them again, is it seen as a waste of time to keep in touch, call them in 1/2/3 years. Is it down to the dealership or the individual saleperson to maintain and work the client database - if such a thing happens?
It isn't normal, no but different dealerships work in different ways. If the salesman left and they were responsible individually for keeping in touch then it may be overlooked. You would still get mailshots I would have thought though... Our group has a separate department to whom all customers are passed, either after they cease to be worth pursuing or after they've collected their new car and the salesman has followed them up to make sure everything's ok. This department will definitely mailshot people and they should call them periodically but sheer volumes mean that, in practice, they probably don't manage to call everyone. Where a salesman hasn't left and the database isn't managed by another department there are a couple of reasons why. The salesman might just be lazy or preoccupied with people who walk through the doors or, controversially, there are customers who, after selling them a car, the salesman has absolutely no desire to ever see again. These are the customers who screw you into the floor on the price and are fussy/ whiny beyond reason. This poisonous combination ensures minimum commission for maximum effort and eventually my internal break even point is passed.
Hi all, just wondered if someone could value a car for me:
Jan '07 (56) Citroën C4 1.6HDI (110ps) VTR+ Coupé (3 door). 48,000 miles, pearlescent Blue, FSH, genuinely immaculate condition.
I'm considering a used Freelander TD4 at around £6k but I'm wondering what the cost to change will be.
Jan '07 (56) Citroën C4 1.6HDI (110ps) VTR+ Coupé (3 door). 48,000 miles, pearlescent Blue, FSH, genuinely immaculate condition.
I'm considering a used Freelander TD4 at around £6k but I'm wondering what the cost to change will be.
uncinquesei said:
These are the customers who screw you into the floor on the price
It's funny how these are unacceptable yet salesaman who do the opposite and load up with the high priced gap etc are just doing a job, surely it works both ways - customer wants lowest price, salesman wants highest, if salesmen who offer £400 GAP are, as has been argued many times, not screwing anyone then customers who want the best possible price logically cannot be either.You presumably still make money off a customer who 'screws you into the floor on price' otherwise you'd refuse, so the problem is what?
Take your point with the whiners though
Fox- said:
It's funny how these are unacceptable yet salesaman who do the opposite and load up with the high priced gap etc are just doing a job, surely it works both ways - customer wants lowest price, salesman wants highest, if salesmen who offer £400 GAP are, as has been argued many times, not screwing anyone then customers who want the best possible price logically cannot be either.
You presumably still make money off a customer who 'screws you into the floor on price' otherwise you'd refuse, so the problem is what?
Take your point with the whiners though
It's all about a win win situation, i.e. the customer gets what they want at a fair and sustainable price, the dealer makes a sale and generates a fair profit. Of course all the products will be offered.You presumably still make money off a customer who 'screws you into the floor on price' otherwise you'd refuse, so the problem is what?
Take your point with the whiners though
I have been involved with customers who create so much stress that it's not worth the commission.
Twisting/lying about the conversation changing the specification so many times it's a surprise when the correct car arrives, changing the deal & PX's.
(I kid you not, collecting a new car and arriving with a completely different PX that they want to renegotiate haggle about)
Wanting to cancel at the last moment, delaying delivery which may mean a target is missed. Wanting to collect cars without the correct documentation or in the wrong name and making a fuss in the showroom despite many reminders. Not keeping to appointments and getting impatient because the salesman is busy/out on demo/with another customer. Phoning reception and claiming the salesman never calls back (this message will always get to the DP/SM)
A customer who despite the DP phoning to discuss and says everything was excellent gives such a poor customer service feed back that the salesman gets fined £100 (his whole commission on the deal)
Don't get me wrong most people are reasonable and fair but get one of the above and next time they are due to change you want someone else to deal with them.
All the Salesmen on the forum will have (many) more examples of this than you can "shake a stick at"
Edited by AtticusFinch on Thursday 4th October 08:47
Not helped by strange customer service surveys wher the response "excellent" is not the highest grade.
Apparently the customer has to say "exceptional" or "outstanding" to get the highest. Not two words that the British normally use or that come to mind when describing a car service.
Guess the brand?
Apparently the customer has to say "exceptional" or "outstanding" to get the highest. Not two words that the British normally use or that come to mind when describing a car service.
Guess the brand?
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