Ask a car salesman anything...anything at all.
Discussion
StescoG66 said:
I think what Mex is referring to is soft skills, and it is a bit of a black art. You either have it or not
What is sad here is the lack of respect for one anothers’ trades - respect somebody’s job, and don’t impede their ability to do it. For the record I was a sales rep for 16years and that’s was my over riding principle. Worked by and large in my favour...... however not offended at being classed as unskilled and not a professional. Be good if we could walk a mile in each others’ pointy shoes.
FTFY.What is sad here is the lack of respect for one anothers’ trades - respect somebody’s job, and don’t impede their ability to do it. For the record I was a sales rep for 16years and that’s was my over riding principle. Worked by and large in my favour...... however not offended at being classed as unskilled and not a professional. Be good if we could walk a mile in each others’ pointy shoes.
greysquirrel said:
Why do you call them units? Can’t you just say car? This demonstrates to me the lack of care to what is actually being sold and shows the motivation of a salesman to shift x ‘units’ of whatever commodity they have, today cars, tomorrow possibly something else.
I don’t doubt that it is a difficult job and the stress of having to sell a certain amount or risk being dropped must be unbearable in the times when people just aren’t buying.
We call them units for simplicity, we sell new retail, new fleet, new Motability, used, trade blah blah. I don’t doubt that it is a difficult job and the stress of having to sell a certain amount or risk being dropped must be unbearable in the times when people just aren’t buying.
40 units is the simple way of saying how much ‘stuff’ has been sold. I’m sure you don’t actually care what the breakdown of those ‘units’ are but of course we do, it’s what gets us paid.
Alucidnation said:
We went to our local Suzuki dealer to look at a new Swift Sport.
Didnt bother to call ahead, arrived, new unregistered one in the showroom.
Salesman let us have a test drive in the demo, talked for about an hour, and then tried to do a deal.
Wasn't going to budge initially, so called his bluff and started to walk out saying we would think about it.
Once outside, we wondered over and had a look around the demo again, and with that he came out.
Asked us back in, sat us down and gave us what we wanted.
Picked it up a week later.
Lovely chap.
And brilliant car!
Good stuff, enjoy, cracking little car.Didnt bother to call ahead, arrived, new unregistered one in the showroom.
Salesman let us have a test drive in the demo, talked for about an hour, and then tried to do a deal.
Wasn't going to budge initially, so called his bluff and started to walk out saying we would think about it.
Once outside, we wondered over and had a look around the demo again, and with that he came out.
Asked us back in, sat us down and gave us what we wanted.
Picked it up a week later.
Lovely chap.
And brilliant car!
Pommy said:
Butterface - was it you who works for a Renault dealer? Was wondering how the Megane RS is selling and how it’s being received?
More generally, what do salesmen think about selling the hot version of a regular car?Hearing Mexman's entertaining rant about selling 7 seaters to feral families, are new hot hatches similarly difficult to sell? I can imagine they attract a lot of overenthusiastic test pilots, as well as the know-it-all "Parkers guide in the back pocket" kind of buyer.
spreadsheet monkey said:
Pommy said:
Butterface - was it you who works for a Renault dealer? Was wondering how the Megane RS is selling and how it’s being received?
More generally, what do salesmen think about selling the hot version of a regular car?Hearing Mexman's entertaining rant about selling 7 seaters to feral families, are new hot hatches similarly difficult to sell? I can imagine they attract a lot of overenthusiastic test pilots, as well as the know-it-all "Parkers guide in the back pocket" kind of buyer.
Sorry, I missed this post.
We don’t do a lot of RS stuff TBH, I think we’ve done 3 new Megane RS so far.
They’re normally pretty straightforward, most buyers have done the research beforehand and just want a drive/ nail down specs and order it.
Tbh I don’t mind what I sell, we get more ‘test pilots’ when we sell an older performance car it seems. I remember one time when we had an Impreza STI for sale, wow, that bought out some interesting characters for sure.
Mexman said:
Oh, I don't know, OK, I may not be a master cabinet maker or a cornice plasterer, but unskilled?
I think there is a certain 'skill' in knowing how to manipulate a deal and a customer, knowing what to say, not what to say, and when to say nothing at all.
Unskilled? No I don't think so.
I’m a master cabinet maker who agrees wholeheartedly that good selling is a skill that can be learned without formal qualification and honed over the years to become a master. As with my job (and most others) some can do it extremely well and am some can get away with it enough to scrape a living. The good ones always stand out. I think there is a certain 'skill' in knowing how to manipulate a deal and a customer, knowing what to say, not what to say, and when to say nothing at all.
Unskilled? No I don't think so.
If flogging cars was easy I’d have my tools on EBay quick sharp- the money is better!
Two points:
One - I’m a Chartered Accountant, so a “professional” by some user’s definitions, but that doesn’t make me think that I’m any better than other skilled people in other industries. I work hard at my job, and I think I’m quite good at it. To have survived as long as he has in the used car industry, I’m expecting that Mexman works hard at his job and is quite good at it, so in my mind that makes him just as “professional” as I am.
Two - this has been a great conversation over nearly 2 years, started by Mexman and supported by others in the car sales business, and I’d rather we got back to that, than a tedious discussion over which profession/job is “best”.
I’m grateful for what I’ve learnt about the car business and continue to learn: let’s keep it civil please!
Thanks and rant over...
One - I’m a Chartered Accountant, so a “professional” by some user’s definitions, but that doesn’t make me think that I’m any better than other skilled people in other industries. I work hard at my job, and I think I’m quite good at it. To have survived as long as he has in the used car industry, I’m expecting that Mexman works hard at his job and is quite good at it, so in my mind that makes him just as “professional” as I am.
Two - this has been a great conversation over nearly 2 years, started by Mexman and supported by others in the car sales business, and I’d rather we got back to that, than a tedious discussion over which profession/job is “best”.
I’m grateful for what I’ve learnt about the car business and continue to learn: let’s keep it civil please!
Thanks and rant over...
GeneralSinn said:
What I find really funny is what I see as the crucial difference here. The majority of people working in true professions (doctor, solicitor, etc...) don’t actually do it for the money.
They do it for the betterment of health, the love of the law etc... the money is a fringe benefit, whereas for most other non-professions (sales, service etc...) money is the single motivator.
Bull....most lawyers I know, and I know plenty, do it for the love of money.....They do it for the betterment of health, the love of the law etc... the money is a fringe benefit, whereas for most other non-professions (sales, service etc...) money is the single motivator.
Edited by POORCARDEALER on Monday 13th May 10:17
Edited by POORCARDEALER on Monday 13th May 10:18
swagmeister said:
Mexman - you stated
A) No car dealer would give you a job without any experience (just like those you have listed above)
So how does one get experience ? Chicken \ egg
Good question.A) No car dealer would give you a job without any experience (just like those you have listed above)
So how does one get experience ? Chicken \ egg
I personally got a lucky break at a Citroen dealer via a friend who was in the motor trade, who set up an interview for me to get into the trade and it paid off.
I have known people who have started off as valeter, weekend meeters and greeters, parts staff, who have all progressed into sales.
It is possible if you are young, say under 21, to be given a chance, even just as a weekend part time sales helper, to progress fully, but of course it depends if you can prove yourself and sell.
I have also known ex police officers, ex double glazing sales, ex renewable energy , ex mobile phone sales people give it a go (not with much success though) They all seem to have an attitude and bad selling habits that are hard to break.
If you are young and can show initiative, most employers will like this, as you haven't been previously taught any bad habits, and they can 'mould' you into what they are looking for.
Most ex sales people from other backgrounds ( mobile phone/double glazing/sales reps) mostly have picked up bad habits over the years and are difficult to retrain.
Selling cars ....."profession" or not, it is a difficult job to do well, most cant, and requires an armoury of skills.
Good self motivated people are extremely hard to find and retain.
I worked with people who were earning six figures in the 90s, the big groups wont pay that now, and the best sales people usually follow the money
euphoricmess said:
4941cc said:
Completely agree, after 20 years of it!
I spent two hours in Merc yesterday the guy wanted to know all about me and how I wanted to pay. Barely talked about the car. Came out having not sat in one, not discussed anything about the car and it was clear he knew lots about PCP bit f
k all about the car. That's MBUK's process, anyway.
Ahh, the heady 90s...
Yep, I was earning a serious amount of money in the late 90s, it was easy, 16% interest rates, people were falling over themselves for PPI, because job security was poor, cars were more basic then, less preparation costs, and people's expectations were much lower.
The good old days of Rover 214s, Maestros, Escorts, Omegas.
Easy money, not so much now though.!
Yep, I was earning a serious amount of money in the late 90s, it was easy, 16% interest rates, people were falling over themselves for PPI, because job security was poor, cars were more basic then, less preparation costs, and people's expectations were much lower.
The good old days of Rover 214s, Maestros, Escorts, Omegas.
Easy money, not so much now though.!
POORCARDEALER said:
Selling cars ....."profession" or not, it is a difficult job to do well, most cant, and requires an armoury of skills.
Good self motivated people are extremely hard to find and retain.
I worked with people who were earning six figures in the 90s, the big groups wont pay that now, and the best sales people usually follow the money
Indeed, which has been out of the motor trade (clue, trade, not profession -no specialist qualification/degree required to enter) for the last decade, mainly...Good self motivated people are extremely hard to find and retain.
I worked with people who were earning six figures in the 90s, the big groups wont pay that now, and the best sales people usually follow the money
Pommy said:
Red 4 said:
You could not do any of the jobs listed above but anyone can rock up to a used car lot and sell cars.
This is categorically nonsense.Edited by Red 4 on Monday 13th May 01:13
Edited by Pommy on Monday 13th May 04:22
Mexman's assertion that a 3 day course in some way makes him "professional" or some kind of expert is laughable.
Mexman may be very good at his job (he's very keen to tell us how many "units" he has shifted lately :and how succesful he is laugh
but that is very different to being a recognised professional with formal qualifications.If it helps (and makes you feel better) I've met some very good car sales people.
Then again, I've met many who I can categorically state appeared to be morons.
A "profession" it certainly isn't.
Red 4 said:
Pommy said:
Red 4 said:
You could not do any of the jobs listed above but anyone can rock up to a used car lot and sell cars.
This is categorically nonsense.Edited by Red 4 on Monday 13th May 01:13
Edited by Pommy on Monday 13th May 04:22
Mexman's assertion that a 3 day course in some way makes him "professional" or some kind of expert is laughable.
Mexman may be very good at his job (he's very keen to tell us how many "units" he has shifted lately :and how succesful he is laugh
but that is very different to being a recognised professional with formal qualifications.If it helps (and makes you feel better) I've met some very good car sales people.
Then again, I've met many who I can categorically state appeared to be morons.
A "profession" it certainly isn't.
Your point was police, nurses, fireman etc could just rock up and be in car sales - this is categorically untrue.
Being skilled at one job doesn't make you automatically able to do another just because your job is trained in a particular field.
Pommy said:
That's not what you said for the part above.
Your point was police, nurses, fireman etc could just rock up and be in car sales - this is categorically untrue.
Being skilled at one job doesn't make you automatically able to do another just because your job is trained in a particular field.
I wonder whether good car salesman are good because of what they have learned, or because of their innate abilities and personality traits. Do car salesman get better with experience, or do good car salesman start good and stay good and bad car salesman start bad and stay bad? Does age and experience come into it, or do you get lads in their twenties earning as much as guys in their fifties because they are simply good at it? Your point was police, nurses, fireman etc could just rock up and be in car sales - this is categorically untrue.
Being skilled at one job doesn't make you automatically able to do another just because your job is trained in a particular field.
Integroo said:
I wonder whether good car salesman are good because of what they have learned, or because of their innate abilities and personality traits. Do car salesman get better with experience, or do good car salesman start good and stay good and bad car salesman start bad and stay bad? Does age and experience come into it, or do you get lads in their twenties earning as much as guys in their fifties because they are simply good at it?
A bit of everything. I know people in their 30’s who’ve been selling cars for 5 years who earn loads more than people in their 50’s who have been selling for 20 years.I started off selling cars about 13 years ago, I wasn’t that good, got made redundant, went and did something else then went back about 9 years ago and I get better, more skilled and enjoy the job more every year. Some people just walk into it, do a great job and earn lots, others think they will, flounder a bit for a year or so and go off to do something else.
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