Confessions of a Car Salesman

What really goes on in the back rooms of car dealerships across America?

"Confessions of a Car Salesman"

Source: Edmonds.com

That is a great article. I'm glad he didn't just attack car salesmen. There are dirty dealerships and fair dealerships. I believe I work for a fair dealership right now, but I've worked at dirty ones as well.

I recommend that article for anyone either in or thinking of going into the car sales industry.

I work in the auto industry and found the article to be rather slanted toward the Willy Loman (Death of a salesman) type of attitude to his co-workers while he was undercover. The methods he described are dying out in the industry and the shark type of salesman is becoming obsolete simply due to the information available to the customer. The politicians love to pick on dealerships because the salesmen of yesterday left us with a horrible amount of baggage. The fact that we work on straight commission and have to mark up the car to eat seems to irritate the author. Right now the industry is cutting the price of vehicles to a one price fits all and you havent seen gouging like the factory is going to do while paying the New car salesman squat, thats why the professional car guy is moving to used cars where they can't fix a price because every car is traded for individually. I try to make enough money off a client so in two-three years I can sell him another car and not soak him. The one guy that showed him a 1200 commission on 4000 dollars gross that he said was 4000 dollars too much is as good as saying we should sell our cars for cost.

That's a lot of reading. Did anyone get around to reading the entire article?

IMHO, the automobile industry has dug itself a grave with the antics allowed at new car dealerships... and they know it!

I read the entire article. Very insightful. My brother worked as a sales rep for major dealeship in our area and often talked about the shady business practices that went on. Years later the dealership was caught and lost their licence to do business.

I also realize that I am a sales rep worst nightmare. My years of being a Claims Adjuster prepared me for the negotiations. They were very suprised when they realized that I, and not my husband, would be working out the financial aspects of the deal. They could not believe I did not want to trade in my old vehicle. (We gave it away to a relative.) It was actually a positive experience for us as we got the vehicle we wanted for the price we could afford.

I do have more empathy for the sales reps now. The pressure the are under from management is incredible.

I understand the fear from both sides.

I go to buy afraid I haven't done my home work and will be taken advantage of - or I'll miss some important detail. On the other side I'm afraid I won't make a sale or will lose my job.

MitchM

I grew up in the car business. My dad and his dad owned a car dealership for over 50 years. My dad was a great salesperson, a great businessman, and a great man, period.

It was easy for him to be ethical in his own business, but helping other dealers - was a problem. There are alot of crooks in the car business.

as a car salesman, my paycheck comes from used cars. Personally, I would probably buy a new car in my life anyway, the deprication factor is too much.

the biggest comission I ever made was about 3600 but my average comission is about 600 bucks, and I refuse to sell a used car less than 1000 than what we own it for... why?

with that said, I just got back at a dealership last week... I just left a tent sale down in south florida where I was "recruited" to work for... if you ever want to see what a dealership was like 15 years ago, go to a tent sale. everyone there are 20 year vets (I am 23) who have no holes barred tactics... I had one salesman so bad I felt bad for customers he was so agressive... but he made money, alot of it so at the end of the day, who is right and who is wrong?

new car sales has it's place.. I sell enough new cars to hit my bonus money or if there are any special mazda (I sell mazdas) money on any cars.. other than that I perfer to sell used cars. I know just about everything about every car, I can sell a Sebring just as easily as I could sell a Mazda 3, which is a plus for me.

because this is my career and not a fad, I try not to rape customers becuase I plan on selling them a car in 2-3 years... I recommend every customer puts 10 percent down on their car and finanice for no more than 60 months, that way I know I am going to be in a positive equality situtaion in 2 and a half 3 years from now when they come back... very rarely will I recommend stretching payments longer than 5 years, which is how you really make money.

I have no qualms about marking a used car up 2 grand, you put down 1 grand-1500 and you are paying it off in 6 years... you still are usualy buying the car for around what the car is actually worth if you look at retail averages, and becuase you are paying it off quicker than the average american (seems to be 72 months these days), you will have more equality than the average person

Confessions of a Car Salesman

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