Car Salesman position query.

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Reiku_San

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Hi Guys

I have recently had an offer to join a car dealership and am looking for some advice on any pitfalls of the job.
I have been in the tyre game for the last 7 years, and I am a pretty good salesman and have great knowledge on cars. I am also a fan of the particular brand I would be selling (New and Used)

How is the car market currently? I would need to sell 4 cars PM to make any comm. (6k basic)
The guy who has offered me the position says that some guys are clearing 20 - 30k Pm. But obv every month is different.

What do you guys think?
 
Sell your soul to the devil - Check
BS customers around every turn - Check
Lying when caught out on BS - Check
Moral compass that functions a bit iffy - check
Always thinking you're doing the customer a favor - Check
Willing to sell your mother to a nigerian drug lord to make money - check

Sound like you? Go for it!
 
If that's better than what you are making right now - why not go for it. Also if you have a passion for cars it might make the job easier and equate to more moola for you.
 
Sapcat said:
If that's better than what you are making right now - why not go for it. Also if you have a passion for cars it might make the job easier and equate to more moola for you.
Click to expand...

+1

I recently bought a car, and after months and months of research I can tell you that the majority of car salesmen are very transactional and do the absolute minimum.

If you have a consultative approach to selling you will retain customers and in the long run you will have a successful career. Good news is the bar is pretty low.
 
If it were me i would weigh up whether i could get by if i had a bad month or 2 or more with no sales - everyone has bills to pay end of month so if 6k can do it for you and bonus if u get extra then go for it otherwise look elsewhere for a stable income and not have that stress come month end and u had a bad month that u cannot pay your expenses....*** to live with that uncertainty.
 
Compare the basics with what you earn now.

Also decide if you are happy or if you wish to move jobs....
 
Ignoring GhostSixFour's bloody stupid comments, it's an OK proposition, but that is all...OK.

If you have to sell 4 units before earning comm, you will possibly be earning nothing...selling cars at the moment is not easy, and don't let anyone kid you that it is.

You product knowledge must be top notch if you want to go new, and most customers actually know more than the salesperson, thanks to Google, and they are very quick to spot a salesperson who isn't 100% up on his brand. When that does happen, the deal very often goes south and there's no recovery, as the buyer has plenty to choose from.

Paperwork around every deal will swamp you if you are not on top of your game from an Admin perspective, so that aspect must be considered as well.

Please note that you also tend to read the "buyer's" version of a deal on these pages - most customers are decent human beings, but, you get a few every month who will push you to the nth degree!

Think about it VERY carefully!
 
Listen to Uncle Fazda, he is our residents evil car selling person...

But for some reason, he seems to be a decent bloke, strange I know....
 
But what dealership is it? My friend's son, who is an excellent salesman, works for a Nissan dealership. The sales are indifferent. If it was not for the Fiat models they handle, they would not sell enough units each month
 
I have bought 2 new cars in the last 3 years and what i look at in a sales person is honesty and bang for my buck , i have been lucky with last 2 deals and will always recommend an honest sales person to friends and family. ( what goes around comes around)
That said the product i believe is crucial if it is a big seller go for it .
http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/indus...lling-vehicles-october-1.1600959#.UnX7Z3ASZY4
 
I found the salespeople at Honda Claremont very efficient and honest. They know they are selling a good product and do not have to make excuses
 
I'd guess it depends on the brand.

Selling 4 BMWs is easier than 4 Tatas per month
 
Its selling Honda.

I have heard from many ppl that the car market is bad lately. I could never survive on 6k. I need a minimum of 8500k
I am a very honest person, And I would never screw a customer over to get the sale (lying about features etc) ,That may stand me in good stead from a moral point of view, but could lose me sales.
I do a lot of paperwork in my current job, so I do not think that would be a problem. Hmm... decisions decisions
 
I don't think Hondas you really have to BS or anything ; great cars
 
I don't think Hondas you really have to BS or anything ; great cars
 
Reiku_San said:
Its selling Honda.

I have heard from many ppl that the car market is bad lately. I could never survive on 6k. I need a minimum of 8500k
I am a very honest person, And I would never screw a customer over to get the sale (lying about features etc) ,That may stand me in good stead from a moral point of view, but could lose me sales.
I do a lot of paperwork in my current job, so I do not think that would be a problem. Hmm... decisions decisions
Click to expand...

You need 8.5million a month?
 
I have traded cars as a hobby for many years and this is my view when it comes to me selling anything- basically I will not sell something I will not buy for myself.

The problem with being a car salesman is that you may be put in a position where you may have to sell something you are not entirely comfortable with. As someone who does business often, I do not worry about the current deal but future business as I have sold cars to repeate buyers, however being a car salesman may possible result in some tricky questions of principle for yourself.
 
Heh, I've experienced Honda salespeople at 3 different dealerships in JHB. All worked hard, but knew far less than I did about the cars I went to look at. Totally unacceptable. Some even tried sleezy car salesman tactics on me, didn't appreciate that. If you can see that I know a bit about a bit when it comes to cars, don't try bull**** me, you just embarrass yourself and waste my time. :mad:

Regarding you becoming a car salesman, don't be evil (TM Google) and you'll be fine, heck you may even enjoy it.
 
saturnz said:
I have traded cars as a hobby for many years and this is my view when it comes to me selling anything- basically I will not sell something I will not buy for myself.

The problem with being a car salesman is that you may be put in a position where you may have to sell something you are not entirely comfortable with. As someone who does business often, I do not worry about the current deal but future business as I have sold cars to repeate buyers, however being a car salesman may possible result in some tricky questions of principle for yourself.
Click to expand...

That is exactly why I ONLY sell the cars that I do! I am passionate about Subaru, and love the Fiat 500 and Alfa range, so don't have a problem with any of them - we also sell Jeep, and they don't excite me at all, and as a result, I sell very few of them, only when someone specifically wants one! :)

TehStranger said:
Heh, I've experienced Honda salespeople at 3 different dealerships in JHB. All worked hard, but knew far less than I did about the cars I went to look at. Totally unacceptable. Some even tried sleezy car salesman tactics on me, didn't appreciate that. If you can see that I know a bit about a bit when it comes to cars, don't try bull**** me, you just embarrass yourself and waste my time. :mad:

Regarding you becoming a car salesman, don't be evil (TM Google) and you'll be fine, heck you may even enjoy it.
Click to expand...
This was the point I made earlier about trying to stay one step ahead of the customer, as they tend to Google everything and certainly know more about the car that they are interested in, if you aren't on top of your game.
 
People will always need tyres for their cars regardless of the state of the economy. (guaranteed sales - good job security)
People can always hang on to older cars when the economy goes South. (not so good for job security or salary)
 
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