Ask a car salesman anything...anything at all.
Discussion
Simonium said:
I hear great reports of a poster on this thread from an ex-colleague of mine, so in amongst the shysters, wideboys, spivs, and crooks, there are some great salesmen, but they’re few and far between. And I approach this from both sides of the issue.
Who are you talking about? I refuse to believe there is a single nice car salesman out there, FAKE NEWS 
I have no friends, I am a lone wolf in the night.
But yeah, Simonium (I think) worked with a guy I know who is honestly one of the nicest people I’ve met in the trade.
I’ve worked with some absolutely brilliant people over the years though, all this talk of sleazy sales people just isn’t representative IMO, or maybe it’s the area we live in. I’ve only ever met a few people and thought ‘Christ I’d never buy a car off them!’, most people are just normal people doing a pretty normal job.
But yeah, Simonium (I think) worked with a guy I know who is honestly one of the nicest people I’ve met in the trade.
I’ve worked with some absolutely brilliant people over the years though, all this talk of sleazy sales people just isn’t representative IMO, or maybe it’s the area we live in. I’ve only ever met a few people and thought ‘Christ I’d never buy a car off them!’, most people are just normal people doing a pretty normal job.
Simonium said:
Be professional; it is a profession after all, albeit an unskilled one.
Comments like that always make me glad that I don't live in Britain any more. In the US selling is considered a profession and you don't get that sort of sneering onanistic condescension. Selling is a profession and to be good at it actually requires a lot of skill. There's a high attrition rate, especially in the car business, because it is hard and many can't do it. Those that do it well do well from it and many CEO's of profitable businesses have a background in sales.
Butter Face said:
I have no friends, I am a lone wolf in the night.
But yeah, Simonium (I think) worked with a guy I know who is honestly one of the nicest people I’ve met in the trade.
I’ve worked with some absolutely brilliant people over the years though, all this talk of sleazy sales people just isn’t representative IMO, or maybe it’s the area we live in. I’ve only ever met a few people and thought ‘Christ I’d never buy a car off them!’, most people are just normal people doing a pretty normal job.
Yep same with us; hand on heart none of us are the stereo typical sleazy salesman. But yeah, Simonium (I think) worked with a guy I know who is honestly one of the nicest people I’ve met in the trade.
I’ve worked with some absolutely brilliant people over the years though, all this talk of sleazy sales people just isn’t representative IMO, or maybe it’s the area we live in. I’ve only ever met a few people and thought ‘Christ I’d never buy a car off them!’, most people are just normal people doing a pretty normal job.
Mexman said:
Sheepshanks said:
OTOH we wandered into our local VW glass palace, part of a large group, last weekend wanting to have look at Touaran. "New or used?" asked the receptionist. I said new, and she said "we haven't got one in the showroom". I asked if there was another one we could look at and she huffed and said there aren't any salesmen available. There was a bloke sitting at reception who looked just like a salesman - he stretched back in chair and watched what was going on but didn't say anything. We all stared at each other for a few seconds, then we turned and walked away.
Another observation for you.Let me tell you a trade secret.
Most salespeople HATE selling 7 seaters/MPV type vehicles.
Because normally it involves 5 feral kids running around screaming, a bored wife shouting at said kids whilst in best Primark tracksuit bottoms, a clutch of bloody Isofix car seats being dragged around the showroom, a full on woolley jumper type 'Father' (of at least one of the screaming brats), who knows it all better than you do, all the seats in the back of said MPV being torn out, moved around, swivelled around, folded up, and generally messed with, littering the showroom, and 2 incontinant drooling fat Labradors pissing all over the place.
And will they EVER put the f
king things back in the car correctly?No, you lucky if they find there way back to the car in one piece normally.
Try being a car salesman having to contend with this s
t for the 3rd time on a Sunday afternoon .Edited by Mexman on Sunday 12th May 16:59
I think there's an average of one sales person in every dealership you'd never buy a car from. I don't mean sleazy, but lazy or just generally ste at their job. They either don't last very long before being bounced out the door to reappear at another dealership, or for some reason they're bulletproof. The bulletproof ones are the ones that annoy me the most!
te at their job. They either don't last very long before being bounced out the door to reappear at another dealership, or for some reason they're bulletproof. The bulletproof ones are the ones that annoy me the most!unrepentant said:
Simonium said:
Be professional; it is a profession after all, albeit an unskilled one.
Selling is a profession and to be good at it actually requires a lot of skill. There's a high attrition rate, especially in the car business, because it is hard and many can't do it. Those that do it well do well from it and many CEO's of profitable businesses have a background in sales.Of course there are skills involved but that doesn't make it any more of a profession than any number of other occupations - for example call centre staff need certain skills (many of which many job-holders seem to lack) but would you consider that to be a profession ?
gothatway said:
What a load of claptrap ! It's only a profession if you define "profession" to suit your desires. What formal qualifications are required to become a salesman ? What is/are the recognised professional body/ies who represent the "profession's" interests and can sanction members who fail to perform to professional standards ? How extensive is the CPD programme ?
Of course there are skills involved but that doesn't make it any more of a profession than any number of other occupations - for example call centre staff need certain skills (many of which many job-holders seem to lack) but would you consider that to be a profession ?
I can think of several, being FCA accredited being one, generally required to sell insurance based products and finance.Of course there are skills involved but that doesn't make it any more of a profession than any number of other occupations - for example call centre staff need certain skills (many of which many job-holders seem to lack) but would you consider that to be a profession ?
I had to do a 3 day course in Leeds followed by several 3 hour exams a few years back, and these have to be refreshed.
Failed car salesman perhaps?
As someone who has never bought a car from a dealer before, I have to say that my recent experience was very much mixed.
Was looking at C Class coupes for a company car with a roughly £40k budget that could be paid straight away.
First dealer didn't have any sales people available so they took my details and I left.
Second dealer the guy was your stereotypical salesman who was adamant that the car in the spec I was after didn't exist - kept trying to tell me I was wasting my time wanting a Merc with memory seats and leather. He said his colleague would call me back (they didn't let me test drive anything!) - they never called back.
Third dealer I went into the girl there was helpful, let me sit in a few and I worked out I couldn't fit in one with a panoramic sunroof. They didn't have one without a sunroof so she gave me her card (didn't take my details?) and said I should check back later....
In the end I called up customer services and got an appointment to test drive a car in my local dealer. The guy there was helpful and helped me search on the system to find a car in the spec I was after. Called up the boss and the deposit was paid that day.
Can't believe it took visits to 4 dealers to find someone to even bother to find me a car....
Was looking at C Class coupes for a company car with a roughly £40k budget that could be paid straight away.
First dealer didn't have any sales people available so they took my details and I left.
Second dealer the guy was your stereotypical salesman who was adamant that the car in the spec I was after didn't exist - kept trying to tell me I was wasting my time wanting a Merc with memory seats and leather. He said his colleague would call me back (they didn't let me test drive anything!) - they never called back.
Third dealer I went into the girl there was helpful, let me sit in a few and I worked out I couldn't fit in one with a panoramic sunroof. They didn't have one without a sunroof so she gave me her card (didn't take my details?) and said I should check back later....
In the end I called up customer services and got an appointment to test drive a car in my local dealer. The guy there was helpful and helped me search on the system to find a car in the spec I was after. Called up the boss and the deposit was paid that day.
Can't believe it took visits to 4 dealers to find someone to even bother to find me a car....
That's because you needed to speak to someone that deals with company cars. Retail guys usually aren't allowed to deal with business sales, so rightly it wrongly, the retail person sees it as a waste of their time as they can miss a customer they can actually deal and earn money from. I've always thought that retail sales people should get something for their time if a company car buyer ends up ordering a car from that dealership. Fleet guys don't usually work weekends so retail have to do the leg work for no return.
I won't argue that what sales people do is not skilled.
I've seen this week our sales person turn a customer round from being at the point of throwing a machine out to spending 10k on improving their factory so they could fit in a second machine off us.
But it does not require lengthy periods of study for formal qualifications, which you would need to do the job.
I think Job titles and statuses are given away in lieu of dosh sometimes,
My job title is Engineer but I'm not chartered. ( Unless you can count a Btec NC )
I've seen this week our sales person turn a customer round from being at the point of throwing a machine out to spending 10k on improving their factory so they could fit in a second machine off us.
But it does not require lengthy periods of study for formal qualifications, which you would need to do the job.
I think Job titles and statuses are given away in lieu of dosh sometimes,
My job title is Engineer but I'm not chartered. ( Unless you can count a Btec NC )
Edited by talksthetorque on Sunday 12th May 21:41
Mexman said:
gothatway said:
What formal qualifications are required to become a salesman ? What is/are the recognised professional body/ies who represent the "profession's" interests and can sanction members who fail to perform to professional standards ? How extensive is the CPD programme ?
I can think of several, being FCA accredited being one, generally required to sell insurance based products and finance.Mexman said:
I had to do a 3 day course in Leeds followed by several 3 hour exams a few years back, and these have to be refreshed.
Now you're just taking the mickey.I do believe it takes 10 years of training to be a consultant surgeon in the medical profession. Three days. I wonder how he coped?
Another aspect of defining a profession is something called 'barrier to entry.' Not everyone can be a fighter pilot, doctor or lawyer given the stringent academic criteria and rigorous selection process. I'll leave that there.
Another aspect of defining a profession is something called 'barrier to entry.' Not everyone can be a fighter pilot, doctor or lawyer given the stringent academic criteria and rigorous selection process. I'll leave that there.
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