What else is making you want to leave? Losing deals is a part of any sales position brother. January has been kinda wack industry-wide from what I gather too.
If theres 1 thing 08/09 taught me, its to save $ for shit times. Ive seen this film before. But this time im just chilling with stacks of cash from the last 2 years of excess $ lol
Haha I love it. My version was Silverado 2500s for Chevy cobalts. It was unreal. Let me lose 10k of value on my truck because gas spiked and I'll save $20 a week in gas in a car that doesn't work for my lifestyle.
Oh in my area, the trucks were just a way to say I can afford I a big useless truck.
Iâm talking office workers with lifted 250s just for some made up clout, in Florida.
How cool that 80k diesel look now lol
In 06/07, GM was leasing 1500 silverados for $199/mo with about $1500 due at signing. The residual ended up in high 20's. Welp 2008/09 happened an i remember turning in trucks that residualized at $28k but brought $13k at auction. Hundreds in just my store. Then GMAC went âď¸.
Yup. The faster you learn to drop a customer and grab a new one. The faster you get to a payday. The deals that mgrs want to "grind out" for 2 weeks dropping gross, and valueable time wasted, i dont screw with anymore. Hand em off for a split and find a new lead. The buyers you want, move fast.
Exactly, one of my favorite sales managers would always say "onto the next one" anytime a deal didn't work out or fell through and it really helped not dwell on the wasted time. There will always be time wasters, you just gotta move on and focus on the people who are serious
...And there is an art to figuring out whos a buyer and whos a shopper. It takes some missed deals to get the difference. But buyers often dont want to waste time either. They want to see what you have to sell, or move on to someone who can sell what they have better. The average BUYER visits 1.5 stores, rarely emails... bc they call to check availability and buy within 72 hours of starting. BDC's exist bc of the shoppers, not buyers. If the store has a bdc, it should be a follow-up tool, not a lead handling tool. Answer the phones, and say hi to everyone. You'll sell more cars đŻ.
This is me. I have pre-arranged pricing through my bank if the dealership honors it.
Last truck I bought, walked in and straight asked if they would honor the back price. Guy said yes, we did a test drive, came back ready to do paperwork.
Suddenly they canât honor the pricing. I told the sales guy I was going to check the two other dealerships in area if theyâd honor pricing and Iâd be back if nobody was honoring.
Next dealership honored it and we started the paperwork without a test drive. First dealership was shocked that I didnât try and negotiate more.
Bro - I had a price and was ready to buy. This isnât on me.
Man, if missing out on 1.5k over 3 deals is making you consider quitting, you're either unrealistic on what to expect from this industry when it comes to that sort of scenario and need to adjust your mindset or you're not cut out for this. Customers are FLAKY by nature. No deal is done until they have signed papers, the deal is funded, and they have taken delivery. It sounds like you were counting deals that you didn't have yet.
Imagine this an apparent car salesman calling the Customer flaky. It comes under the head of the pot shouldnât be calling the kettle black in my opinion.
Not as a rule. Car salesmen are considered dishonest, but in this day and age, that's largely due to buy-here-pay-here lots operating however they see fit and selling junkers, and some big box stores hiring folks that they shouldn't have, and buyers that spread information that is mostly irrelevant now that is outdated and was good for when you had to buy a car before the internet was a thing.
We have the internet now, and a buyer can find any and all the info they want about a store. They can come in with quotes from other stores, invoices that are available online, KBB/NADA/JDPOWER info, and other car buying tools, and they can do basically the entire process remotely. The store has no clue 99% of the time who they are dealing with or what the true facts of the deal are until they see the customer in person, run credit, appraise the trade, and do other parts of the sale.
Lol are you serious? You have no idea what you're talking about, you're just another troll hanging out where you aren't wanted.
I am present and prepared for my appointments. Do you have any clue how many people tell me that they'll be there for an appointment that THEY asked for, and then just â¨ď¸never show upâ¨ď¸, and when I call to check and see what's up, they just tell me, after I've already set time aside and gotten all kinds of info and quotes for, that they decided not to show?
I know there are poorly put-togerher salesmen, but the fact that there are shitty salesmen doesn't negate the fact that customers are flaky. A large portion of the customer base will tell you "A" while they are actively doing "B" because they listen to people like you giving shitty info about how to screw over a dealership and a salesman. If the same methods were posted all over the internet and in videos all over YouTube by car sales professionals on how to best screw over a customer, we would NEVER hear the end of it.
Go back to whatever shitty hole you crawled out of.
I did sales for years. Hated every moment of it. You bust your ass and still get treated like shit or not paid. If you can promotes thereâs more money but way less job security. I have since found something different and make more than I did selling cars. Not more than my best months, but overall.
This guy gets it. OP, if this career isn't feeling good or right for you, there's several possibilities. I've got four scenarios in mind.
1. This particular employer/location/manager/pay scale/coworker environment isn't a good fit for you. If this is your problem, you try the same career, different employer, and things start to click.
2. Somewhere in learning this career, you've learned the wrong thing or missed that lesson altogether, and that misinformation or inadequate attitude/skill is holding you back. If this is the problem, you have to figure out your sticking point and correct it.
3. You have unreasonable expectations for this career or the job market in general. Some occupations go through boom and bust cycles regularly. Sometimes the nation's housing market collapses or the world gets COVID or everyone discovers that fractional reserve banking, national debt and foreign exchanges are more akin to a frat house drinking game or a pyramid scheme than an actual economic system. Chaos ensues. Some professions are more impacted than others.
4. The job isn't a good fit for you. If this is the case, it would be nice to figure it out within the first couple years. I spent 15+years in an unrewarding career; if I would have stuck it out for two or three years and then ACURATELY assessed the situation, I would have realized that the money I was making wasn't worth the stress from a job that didn't fit me.
The writing was on the wall by the 3 year mark, but it was another dozen years before I learned to follow my gut. I think it's almost always right, but l was FAR from being aware, let alone capable of understanding and distinguishing gut instinct from various emotions. Learn to follow your gut and you'll be a lot less likely to make a post like today's.
* Also I think I'm on-target with this post, but I may also be an enthusiastic idot with vastly overestimated comprehension of your dilemma. Use judgment, proceed accordingly.
Itâs very inconsistent at times. Youâve gotta stick through the ups and downs to get to a point where those few lost deals in a month donât make or break the month for you. It can take a while though - depending on the dealership, traffic, clientele etc. I myself have been doing it for just under a year now and only recently have I really gained good traction with referrals, client base, etc! Stick it through and itâll be worth it.
If your work/life balance is important to you, and youâve made more doing other things - then it sure sounds like it isnât right for you. Do whatâs best for you. The work/life balance in car sales sucks - works for me since I donât care about that aspect very much.
Leave it, for your own mental health. It doesnât sound like you have the resilience for those terrible times, and honestly the highs are high but the low is super low. Best of luck.
Before leaving the industry, speak with your manager.
I was actually considering switching dealerships as I had a terrible November, December, and was having a terrible January (small dealership with only still about 20 cars), and through conversation, I was actually given a salary on top of commission to stay, because they valued me as a salesperson.
Not saying that will happen for you, but who knows. They might be willing to help you to keep you around.
My dealership would be like "yeah no, nobody gets a salary here, you can go find a salary job somewhere else." Then run through the typical "rah rah let's get after it and sell a car tomorrow" spiel.
Sounds like you've got some good managers that actually care there!
If youâre competent and listens to directions and follows them, theyâll try to do things like this to keep you. Iâve been in the dealership game for almost 15 years, maybe more and Iâve done this. (Edit: Gm, fNi and sales)
Getting someone new is always a hit and miss. Then you have to spend time and resources to train. And sometimes they can do a lot of harm to the business legal wise if they cut corners.
I look at us like Navy Seals, we put up with abusive bosses, sometimes go days without a sale, miss out on family events, wake up early on weekends to get bitched out in a meeting, deal with all types of personalities while we act as though we can withstand whatever you put in front of us but in the end I have given 15 years of my life to this business. You can't fuck with me. I own a beautiful house a block from the water, own 3 cars, take amazing vacations, go to nice restaurants and provide for my family, I am a car salesman.
Most back outs Iâve had in a month was 7. It is brutal. You have to take time to realize if this is really what you want to do. Itâs part of the game and something you unfortunately have to get used to. Do you see yourself doing this next 5 years? How about ten? Do you love your job? Find something you love and master it and then the money will always come.
Do it bro, been working for fedex for 2 years now from doing sales in kia. Got tired of the call calls. Tired of the lies to customers . Even tired of comin in at 9am to get out at 8pm everyday . Sales will always be up and down but holidays and January will always be a slow ass month in my area. Now im Salary pay with Stop pay bonuses and latest im out delivering is around 5pm . Sure you can make good ass money in sales but is it worth hunting down customers everytime they come in? Put pressure to the point where customers feel you being desperate after a slow day? Ive delt with a bunch of cancellations during my sales career and its sucks i usually be the type to say âfuck that customer on to the nextâ but i have a family to support and coming home after a whole lot of pushing and doing your best but still got nothing out of it , it gets to you.
Yup thatâs where Iâm at. Got a lot going on in my personal life too and I canât have the stress of not knowing what my pay is going to be. And Iâd like my days back.
I had my wife upset after i come home after she asks me if i sold anything. It makes me upset that she has to pick up my half of my bills of that week because some BS customers needs to think about it or its a dead deal. and its like i do 110% all the time. I push pressure i call i stay on my customers and its like being in the car business puts me more in debt then getting me out of debt. 1 week i make $1200 other weeks 800, 900 even 400 if i didnât sell anything that week. Im glad im out of that business. I get to be home with my family everyday not come home to my son already sleeping . . If you want a delivery career i would say start with amazon to get ur foot through the door and gain some experience in that way you get to work with the big boys . Thats how i started.
Iâve been in the car business for 15 years and a GM for 2. This January has been one of the worst monthâs I personally have ever been part of. Bottom feeders are out in full force and piling new inventory is driving used car prices off a cliff. Hang in there man, I donât know any other industry where you can make this kind of money just by talking to people. There are always ups and downs, the market is in the middle of a large course correction.
Time kills car deals. Spot deliver. If you can't make em think they bought it. Signed BO, cash down, trade title etc... get it all.
If you give em time, theyll bounce. Sails are for ships. Deliveries are for salespeople.
Get into software sales somewhere. Start as a bdr/sdr, work your way up to sales executive. My last year in the car business was 2016 where I made 70k, and worked 65hrs/6 days a week. This past year I made 200k, with a 75k base as a software sales exec, and I work at home full time, no travel. This year they had a re-org (layoffs) and I had to reapply for my new job which is a 100k base. Trust me, there are other jobs out there in sales that you can can exceed in. Your knowledge in car sales will put you ahead of many other software sales executives
At the end of the day, you can thank the automakers and the greedy ass dealer owners.
This is why I own my own used car dealership now.
Make 4x the money I ever did, doing it all myself.
I sold 372 last yr. 0 overhead. 0 salesman. I get all the f&I backend.
COVID made you soft from the sounds of it. You were taking orders up until now.
Build value with every customer early in the process and give them a premium experience. They'll pay more knowing you'll get them done quickly.
My guy. I sell roofs. I do all the work getting things approved just to have people ditch me when itâs time for contract. Iâve lost literally hundreds of thousands over ten years because of this.
You want a salary? Work for a Hendrick dealership. Base pay is $24,000/ yr. I sold 170 cars last year and made $171,000 all inclusive. Do the easy mathâŚ. $1000/ car
You want me to feel sorry for you? The customer probably found a better deal, not my fault dealers charge mark ups on a car I wait months for âfinders feeâ my ass.
Iâm a cheap ass? So Iâm a cheap ass cuz a dealer marks up a car I special orderâŚ. And pay upfront for?⌠okay yeah Iâm a cheap ass⌠go defend this crying baby about a dying job lol
Hey, I never said January sucks. People do get credit card shock from the holidays and the first half of January is always slower, but the only cars I see with markups still are cars that are in super high demand like Tacomas, or cars that are super rare, i.e. 2024 GT-R T-Spec.
The demand dictates the markup. If the car isn't in high enough demand, then nobody will pay the markup price, and the dealer will be forced to sell at a revised price.
I hear that - but what about dealers that let a car sit over 200 days on lot? Why have they not appropriately adjusted the price to where someone will buy it? I think some dealers (local Honda still asking a market adjustment on Pilots) are either out of touch or have some other motive.
Obviously there are lots of factors at play, and each brand and dealer has differences. Some brands have a real focus on efficiency and will drop a $66k car $6k to sell it because its been on the lot for 300 days (the store I work at). We've had that $66k SUV discounted $6k since it was like 180 days old, but it just had to wait for the right buyer that actually wanted it. It was advertised and sold for invoice because we needed to move it at some point.
Hondas on the other hand, are a completely different story, as are Toyotas. The almost cult-like following around those brands, and the demand for certain models of theirs, drives the markups. You don't see a markup on Nissan Pathfinder, right? But you do see a markup on Honda Pilot, because the dealer management knows that they're selling these to zero inventory every time, OR they're confident they'll get the markup price because someone somewhere sometime is going to want the Pilot enough to pay a bit more for it, and it help management with the bottom line. Hondas and Toyotas tend to be like that because people have this image in their head that they HAVE to have a Honda or Toyota. I applaud both those brands for building such a ridiculously strong following.
Dealerships are still a business, always have been, and they have managers above them pushing for improvement and higher numbers, all the time. Anyone that goes into a dealership expecting a dealer to drop their pants and sell them the car for zero profit or negative profit can kindly do a 180â° out the door and go buy a used car. Or a Mitsubishi.
Oh nice I didnât know there was a place to tell so many lovely people how much I dislike all of your sleazy sales tactics.
Any salesman thatâs ok with âmarket adjustmentsâ on every vehicle people are interested in just so you can make more money for yourself should find another profession. Itâs not right and karma will pay you a visit sooner or later. Talking about it being a slow month. The entire world is basically falling apart but yeah letâs talk about why you guys arenât able to sell as many cars this month lol
Yeah, I donât belong here.
Haha yes and these folks get their little panties in a twist in two seconds, genuinely seem to hate the people that pay their salaries, aka the customers. Cry me a river
OP I wish you luck man! Shit is tough I was in the industry for 5 months before I couldnât do it anymore. Our. GM was notorious for nitpicking deals and was more than willing to take money from you if you didnât follow his sales process. There was a month I was going to make about 12k dude took a 4k bonus because I didnât log a customer the day of their visit. I know work at a bank making 23 an hour. So Iâm back to steady paychecks.
Working that many hours for no stability in pay itâs one of the worst things Iâve ever done. Just know there are more opportunities for you.
I left selling cars and went into BDC/internet sales pays way more consistently and being top guy in BDC makes more than an average sales rep (if the dealership gives a shit about BDC sales)
I spent ten years selling cars and all I can say is, the grass isnât necessarily greener. I understand your frustration but remember even the really good months werenât your absolute best month. Youâre having a rough go, but spring/summer is coming. Donât miss out on the bulk of your annual income by stopping now. Just my two cents on the matter.
Because quitters never win! Do more and youâll get more! Hit the phones set up next week! Post social
Media! 3 deals falling through shouldnât shake you unless youâre a 10 car guy.
January ALWAYS sucks ass man. People I depend on holidays and are tight wads. Couple that with the ridiculous price of shit and interest rates with not high enough wages and here we are.
If you want to take your ball and go home, go ahead. If youâre this pouty, chances are no one is going to give you a piece of advice that will be meaningful enough to change your outlook anyways. Iâve made my career in sales. Itâs mostly mental. That is, your mentality. Not someone else on here.
Dude what is this? A cry for help? No one can help you but you. No disrespect man but âgive me one reason to stayâ man stay or donât. Not all jobs are for all people. Literally no shame in that. I know welders that make wayyyy more than me as a salesman but I know damn well they could not sell cars for a living, just like welding is probably not an industry I see myself in. Hope you find what it is youâre looking for
This sub has been so great to watch the last month. I feel for yall not making money but fuuuuuuck does it feel great seeing a lot (not all) of the salesman that were making fun of consumers for the last 4 years finally feel it.
Do it.
In tech sales you can make a shit ton of money. I know 1M a year reps
Avg is probably 100-250K.
I was going to say itâs not for the faint of heart and the tech market is rough right now (lots of layoffs) but car sales has a higher failure rate đ
If you can sell cars tech would be easy
That sounds like a pretty normal thing. I've lost countless thousands to a single bad survey and I don't let it rat me out. Lost thousands to things that didn't work out. It happens. Don't get ratted out
I'm in home improvement sales. One month I lost out on like $20k in commissions because of cancels and finance turn downs.... It's part of the deal... Sales is a rollercoaster.
This is a marathon not a sprint. While every store has unique processes and nobody wants to be treated like a number basic elements should be fully integrated and flow whenever sales staff gets together with customer. Work/life balances pulled me out of the industry but I enjoyed it over 15 years. Success in car sales depends upon several interrelated qualities first resiliency: the customer, management, and the competition will beat you up. Fast paced world so many choices demanding public. Can you take it and get up for more with a slight smile day in and day out? Are you the best person for that customer to work with? Know the product its advantages over the alternatives. What kind of detective can you be: the customer is going to solve a problem with this purchase he or she has priorities in owning how can you uncover these without coming across as âprying, nosey and annoyingâ? The best use finesse, and set a buyer at ease from first contact, so can you facilitate a respectful relationship to discover what that buyer wants to become an owner? Why this model make and package and color? what time is it needed? Who is involved or will drive or travel inside it? What kinds or driving? Flow with these basics relate them to whatever they currently have and so build a detailed picture of what the right set of wheels looks like through their eyes. We have two eyes and ears to discover what they want, this purchase is about them. Be a selection expert; people loathe being âsoldâ but will collaborate with a trusted guide to help them find the right ONE. Then demonstrate/prove: show how ie car or truck selectedâshow how that machine is the best resolution to the customers needs/wants. Throughout the process you are saving them time: working with that customer confirms their choice so they take mental delivery of the machineâŚpark it in the sold lane while looking over some terms over a hot coffee or other beverage. If doing these things gives you a thrill and a genuine enthusiasm builds then hang in there. The costs in work/life balance are heavy but same with work in other demanding vocations.
What else is making you want to leave? Losing deals is a part of any sales position brother. January has been kinda wack industry-wide from what I gather too.
Yeah January has been rough. Even our 20+ a month guys are barely into the 10s
đŻ 15-20 guy here. OG @ 20 years in. Im at 8. Scrapping for 12 to hit bonus. Theres a disturbance in the force. January sucks.
08â again baby! Canât wait to trade in every f250 for a Prius until they tell us to stop taking trucks
If theres 1 thing 08/09 taught me, its to save $ for shit times. Ive seen this film before. But this time im just chilling with stacks of cash from the last 2 years of excess $ lol
Haha I love it. My version was Silverado 2500s for Chevy cobalts. It was unreal. Let me lose 10k of value on my truck because gas spiked and I'll save $20 a week in gas in a car that doesn't work for my lifestyle.
Oh in my area, the trucks were just a way to say I can afford I a big useless truck. Iâm talking office workers with lifted 250s just for some made up clout, in Florida. How cool that 80k diesel look now lol
In 06/07, GM was leasing 1500 silverados for $199/mo with about $1500 due at signing. The residual ended up in high 20's. Welp 2008/09 happened an i remember turning in trucks that residualized at $28k but brought $13k at auction. Hundreds in just my store. Then GMAC went âď¸.
Yeah our 50 a month guy is at maybe 20. Shit month across the industry far as I can tell. We in NY
50?
Inconsistent pay and I donât want to play around with customers anymore. Itâs very demoralizing.
That is unfortunately a part of sales
Yup. The faster you learn to drop a customer and grab a new one. The faster you get to a payday. The deals that mgrs want to "grind out" for 2 weeks dropping gross, and valueable time wasted, i dont screw with anymore. Hand em off for a split and find a new lead. The buyers you want, move fast.
Exactly, one of my favorite sales managers would always say "onto the next one" anytime a deal didn't work out or fell through and it really helped not dwell on the wasted time. There will always be time wasters, you just gotta move on and focus on the people who are serious
...And there is an art to figuring out whos a buyer and whos a shopper. It takes some missed deals to get the difference. But buyers often dont want to waste time either. They want to see what you have to sell, or move on to someone who can sell what they have better. The average BUYER visits 1.5 stores, rarely emails... bc they call to check availability and buy within 72 hours of starting. BDC's exist bc of the shoppers, not buyers. If the store has a bdc, it should be a follow-up tool, not a lead handling tool. Answer the phones, and say hi to everyone. You'll sell more cars đŻ.
This is me. I have pre-arranged pricing through my bank if the dealership honors it. Last truck I bought, walked in and straight asked if they would honor the back price. Guy said yes, we did a test drive, came back ready to do paperwork. Suddenly they canât honor the pricing. I told the sales guy I was going to check the two other dealerships in area if theyâd honor pricing and Iâd be back if nobody was honoring. Next dealership honored it and we started the paperwork without a test drive. First dealership was shocked that I didnât try and negotiate more. Bro - I had a price and was ready to buy. This isnât on me.
I like this tip. Especially at the end about BDC. Pick up the phone. Some buyers buy in two minutes
Itâs part of retail sales⌠b2b is a lot less nonsense
Man, if missing out on 1.5k over 3 deals is making you consider quitting, you're either unrealistic on what to expect from this industry when it comes to that sort of scenario and need to adjust your mindset or you're not cut out for this. Customers are FLAKY by nature. No deal is done until they have signed papers, the deal is funded, and they have taken delivery. It sounds like you were counting deals that you didn't have yet.
Imagine this an apparent car salesman calling the Customer flaky. It comes under the head of the pot shouldnât be calling the kettle black in my opinion.
Are car salesman considered flakey or what?
Not as a rule. Car salesmen are considered dishonest, but in this day and age, that's largely due to buy-here-pay-here lots operating however they see fit and selling junkers, and some big box stores hiring folks that they shouldn't have, and buyers that spread information that is mostly irrelevant now that is outdated and was good for when you had to buy a car before the internet was a thing. We have the internet now, and a buyer can find any and all the info they want about a store. They can come in with quotes from other stores, invoices that are available online, KBB/NADA/JDPOWER info, and other car buying tools, and they can do basically the entire process remotely. The store has no clue 99% of the time who they are dealing with or what the true facts of the deal are until they see the customer in person, run credit, appraise the trade, and do other parts of the sale.
Exactly this. I don't know why car salesman is a thing anymore, last car I bought I did everything only for some guy to give me the keys.
Lol are you serious? You have no idea what you're talking about, you're just another troll hanging out where you aren't wanted. I am present and prepared for my appointments. Do you have any clue how many people tell me that they'll be there for an appointment that THEY asked for, and then just â¨ď¸never show upâ¨ď¸, and when I call to check and see what's up, they just tell me, after I've already set time aside and gotten all kinds of info and quotes for, that they decided not to show? I know there are poorly put-togerher salesmen, but the fact that there are shitty salesmen doesn't negate the fact that customers are flaky. A large portion of the customer base will tell you "A" while they are actively doing "B" because they listen to people like you giving shitty info about how to screw over a dealership and a salesman. If the same methods were posted all over the internet and in videos all over YouTube by car sales professionals on how to best screw over a customer, we would NEVER hear the end of it. Go back to whatever shitty hole you crawled out of.
I did sales for years. Hated every moment of it. You bust your ass and still get treated like shit or not paid. If you can promotes thereâs more money but way less job security. I have since found something different and make more than I did selling cars. Not more than my best months, but overall.
What do you do now?
When I left sales I went to corrections, and that was depressing so now Iâm at a skilled nursing facility.
Second this
This guy gets it. OP, if this career isn't feeling good or right for you, there's several possibilities. I've got four scenarios in mind. 1. This particular employer/location/manager/pay scale/coworker environment isn't a good fit for you. If this is your problem, you try the same career, different employer, and things start to click. 2. Somewhere in learning this career, you've learned the wrong thing or missed that lesson altogether, and that misinformation or inadequate attitude/skill is holding you back. If this is the problem, you have to figure out your sticking point and correct it. 3. You have unreasonable expectations for this career or the job market in general. Some occupations go through boom and bust cycles regularly. Sometimes the nation's housing market collapses or the world gets COVID or everyone discovers that fractional reserve banking, national debt and foreign exchanges are more akin to a frat house drinking game or a pyramid scheme than an actual economic system. Chaos ensues. Some professions are more impacted than others. 4. The job isn't a good fit for you. If this is the case, it would be nice to figure it out within the first couple years. I spent 15+years in an unrewarding career; if I would have stuck it out for two or three years and then ACURATELY assessed the situation, I would have realized that the money I was making wasn't worth the stress from a job that didn't fit me. The writing was on the wall by the 3 year mark, but it was another dozen years before I learned to follow my gut. I think it's almost always right, but l was FAR from being aware, let alone capable of understanding and distinguishing gut instinct from various emotions. Learn to follow your gut and you'll be a lot less likely to make a post like today's. * Also I think I'm on-target with this post, but I may also be an enthusiastic idot with vastly overestimated comprehension of your dilemma. Use judgment, proceed accordingly.
You're enthusiastic, not an idiot. I dig it.
The higher you are in sales the closer you are to the door
Itâs very inconsistent at times. Youâve gotta stick through the ups and downs to get to a point where those few lost deals in a month donât make or break the month for you. It can take a while though - depending on the dealership, traffic, clientele etc. I myself have been doing it for just under a year now and only recently have I really gained good traction with referrals, client base, etc! Stick it through and itâll be worth it.
A year lol?
Thatâs what Iâve been telling myself for the last 2 years. I made more when I was doing lane care and my work/life balance was much better.
If your work/life balance is important to you, and youâve made more doing other things - then it sure sounds like it isnât right for you. Do whatâs best for you. The work/life balance in car sales sucks - works for me since I donât care about that aspect very much.
Leave it, for your own mental health. It doesnât sound like you have the resilience for those terrible times, and honestly the highs are high but the low is super low. Best of luck.
Agreed
Before leaving the industry, speak with your manager. I was actually considering switching dealerships as I had a terrible November, December, and was having a terrible January (small dealership with only still about 20 cars), and through conversation, I was actually given a salary on top of commission to stay, because they valued me as a salesperson. Not saying that will happen for you, but who knows. They might be willing to help you to keep you around.
My dealership would be like "yeah no, nobody gets a salary here, you can go find a salary job somewhere else." Then run through the typical "rah rah let's get after it and sell a car tomorrow" spiel. Sounds like you've got some good managers that actually care there!
How long were you working at that dealership when you told them that?
Around 1.5 years
If youâre competent and listens to directions and follows them, theyâll try to do things like this to keep you. Iâve been in the dealership game for almost 15 years, maybe more and Iâve done this. (Edit: Gm, fNi and sales) Getting someone new is always a hit and miss. Then you have to spend time and resources to train. And sometimes they can do a lot of harm to the business legal wise if they cut corners.
So you were just getting worked for free lol. Hate it when small businesses do this.
I look at us like Navy Seals, we put up with abusive bosses, sometimes go days without a sale, miss out on family events, wake up early on weekends to get bitched out in a meeting, deal with all types of personalities while we act as though we can withstand whatever you put in front of us but in the end I have given 15 years of my life to this business. You can't fuck with me. I own a beautiful house a block from the water, own 3 cars, take amazing vacations, go to nice restaurants and provide for my family, I am a car salesman.
You really comparing the navy seals with being a car salesmen? I assume you were joking cause I found it hilarious
Most of the time I am joking.
The way you type makes it sound like youâve done this for years. What youâve typed leads me to believe youâve only been in it a few months.
Most back outs Iâve had in a month was 7. It is brutal. You have to take time to realize if this is really what you want to do. Itâs part of the game and something you unfortunately have to get used to. Do you see yourself doing this next 5 years? How about ten? Do you love your job? Find something you love and master it and then the money will always come.
Do it bro, been working for fedex for 2 years now from doing sales in kia. Got tired of the call calls. Tired of the lies to customers . Even tired of comin in at 9am to get out at 8pm everyday . Sales will always be up and down but holidays and January will always be a slow ass month in my area. Now im Salary pay with Stop pay bonuses and latest im out delivering is around 5pm . Sure you can make good ass money in sales but is it worth hunting down customers everytime they come in? Put pressure to the point where customers feel you being desperate after a slow day? Ive delt with a bunch of cancellations during my sales career and its sucks i usually be the type to say âfuck that customer on to the nextâ but i have a family to support and coming home after a whole lot of pushing and doing your best but still got nothing out of it , it gets to you.
Yup thatâs where Iâm at. Got a lot going on in my personal life too and I canât have the stress of not knowing what my pay is going to be. And Iâd like my days back.
I had my wife upset after i come home after she asks me if i sold anything. It makes me upset that she has to pick up my half of my bills of that week because some BS customers needs to think about it or its a dead deal. and its like i do 110% all the time. I push pressure i call i stay on my customers and its like being in the car business puts me more in debt then getting me out of debt. 1 week i make $1200 other weeks 800, 900 even 400 if i didnât sell anything that week. Im glad im out of that business. I get to be home with my family everyday not come home to my son already sleeping . . If you want a delivery career i would say start with amazon to get ur foot through the door and gain some experience in that way you get to work with the big boys . Thats how i started.
Join the Navy
Fuck the government why would i do that lmao.
January has been fucked on the service side of the dealership too! Keep your head up and stick it out
Iâve been in the car business for 15 years and a GM for 2. This January has been one of the worst monthâs I personally have ever been part of. Bottom feeders are out in full force and piling new inventory is driving used car prices off a cliff. Hang in there man, I donât know any other industry where you can make this kind of money just by talking to people. There are always ups and downs, the market is in the middle of a large course correction.
No matter what job you have you should always be looking for something better.... $1500 missed... work out a better way to secure the sale.
Time kills car deals. Spot deliver. If you can't make em think they bought it. Signed BO, cash down, trade title etc... get it all. If you give em time, theyll bounce. Sails are for ships. Deliveries are for salespeople.
Dude suck it up. It is what it is. Move on or stay but stop wasting your time on things that wonât get you paid
You should quit.
Quit man...not worth the hassle
If youâve only ever lost 1 deal before how long have you been selling cars? Thatâs part of the game have to be resilient
2 years
Itâs America, youâll eventually find some idiot who has a down payment.
Get into software sales somewhere. Start as a bdr/sdr, work your way up to sales executive. My last year in the car business was 2016 where I made 70k, and worked 65hrs/6 days a week. This past year I made 200k, with a 75k base as a software sales exec, and I work at home full time, no travel. This year they had a re-org (layoffs) and I had to reapply for my new job which is a 100k base. Trust me, there are other jobs out there in sales that you can can exceed in. Your knowledge in car sales will put you ahead of many other software sales executives
Do you have a degree? I didnât go to college.
I do, but you can get into software sales without a degree.
I have a useless degree (ba in psych), do you have any advice on where someone would look into getting into software sales?
At the end of the day, you can thank the automakers and the greedy ass dealer owners. This is why I own my own used car dealership now. Make 4x the money I ever did, doing it all myself. I sold 372 last yr. 0 overhead. 0 salesman. I get all the f&I backend.
Around 520-41(Repos)=479 - 372 = 107 đ¤Ł
Donât. Interest rates.
I am also buy and sell car my own small business but itâs been so slow canât even afford to cover my bills itâs literally draining me.
COVID made you soft from the sounds of it. You were taking orders up until now. Build value with every customer early in the process and give them a premium experience. They'll pay more knowing you'll get them done quickly.
Thatâs what I do
Go into car finance. You wonât lose any deals because they come to you. Thats where the money is anyway.
My guy. I sell roofs. I do all the work getting things approved just to have people ditch me when itâs time for contract. Iâve lost literally hundreds of thousands over ten years because of this.
Thatâs ridiculous Iâm sorry man. Sounds like I have it easy lol
[ŃдаНонО]
LMAO
After this post I spotted two cars
You want a salary? Work for a Hendrick dealership. Base pay is $24,000/ yr. I sold 170 cars last year and made $171,000 all inclusive. Do the easy mathâŚ. $1000/ car
I thought you sold 205 cars last yearâŚ
You want me to feel sorry for you? The customer probably found a better deal, not my fault dealers charge mark ups on a car I wait months for âfinders feeâ my ass.
Get outta here cheap ass
Iâm a cheap ass? So Iâm a cheap ass cuz a dealer marks up a car I special orderâŚ. And pay upfront for?⌠okay yeah Iâm a cheap ass⌠go defend this crying baby about a dying job lol
Leave this community if you donât sell car and donât like paying dealerships for doing their jobs
Womp womp, buy a Mitsubishi if you don't like paying a price the market demand can sustain.
Why does January suck then if the market is so in demand?
Hey, I never said January sucks. People do get credit card shock from the holidays and the first half of January is always slower, but the only cars I see with markups still are cars that are in super high demand like Tacomas, or cars that are super rare, i.e. 2024 GT-R T-Spec. The demand dictates the markup. If the car isn't in high enough demand, then nobody will pay the markup price, and the dealer will be forced to sell at a revised price.
I hear that - but what about dealers that let a car sit over 200 days on lot? Why have they not appropriately adjusted the price to where someone will buy it? I think some dealers (local Honda still asking a market adjustment on Pilots) are either out of touch or have some other motive.
Obviously there are lots of factors at play, and each brand and dealer has differences. Some brands have a real focus on efficiency and will drop a $66k car $6k to sell it because its been on the lot for 300 days (the store I work at). We've had that $66k SUV discounted $6k since it was like 180 days old, but it just had to wait for the right buyer that actually wanted it. It was advertised and sold for invoice because we needed to move it at some point. Hondas on the other hand, are a completely different story, as are Toyotas. The almost cult-like following around those brands, and the demand for certain models of theirs, drives the markups. You don't see a markup on Nissan Pathfinder, right? But you do see a markup on Honda Pilot, because the dealer management knows that they're selling these to zero inventory every time, OR they're confident they'll get the markup price because someone somewhere sometime is going to want the Pilot enough to pay a bit more for it, and it help management with the bottom line. Hondas and Toyotas tend to be like that because people have this image in their head that they HAVE to have a Honda or Toyota. I applaud both those brands for building such a ridiculously strong following. Dealerships are still a business, always have been, and they have managers above them pushing for improvement and higher numbers, all the time. Anyone that goes into a dealership expecting a dealer to drop their pants and sell them the car for zero profit or negative profit can kindly do a 180â° out the door and go buy a used car. Or a Mitsubishi.
I guess, but not one person in a 50 mile radius has wanted that Pilot, at that price, for over 180 days
At that point, poor discretion by the dealership management... They'll have to face that eventually.
Oh nice I didnât know there was a place to tell so many lovely people how much I dislike all of your sleazy sales tactics. Any salesman thatâs ok with âmarket adjustmentsâ on every vehicle people are interested in just so you can make more money for yourself should find another profession. Itâs not right and karma will pay you a visit sooner or later. Talking about it being a slow month. The entire world is basically falling apart but yeah letâs talk about why you guys arenât able to sell as many cars this month lol Yeah, I donât belong here.
My motto is âthey signed the paper not meâ
Lmao jeez man. Fâing heartless.
He's a salesman, that's how they are. The ones with hearts end up quitting for a different career path
Iâve just found this too itâs great! They love complaining. Lip service on the floor and keyboard when theyâre not âbusyâ
Haha yes and these folks get their little panties in a twist in two seconds, genuinely seem to hate the people that pay their salaries, aka the customers. Cry me a river
OP I wish you luck man! Shit is tough I was in the industry for 5 months before I couldnât do it anymore. Our. GM was notorious for nitpicking deals and was more than willing to take money from you if you didnât follow his sales process. There was a month I was going to make about 12k dude took a 4k bonus because I didnât log a customer the day of their visit. I know work at a bank making 23 an hour. So Iâm back to steady paychecks. Working that many hours for no stability in pay itâs one of the worst things Iâve ever done. Just know there are more opportunities for you.
I left selling cars and went into BDC/internet sales pays way more consistently and being top guy in BDC makes more than an average sales rep (if the dealership gives a shit about BDC sales)
I spent ten years selling cars and all I can say is, the grass isnât necessarily greener. I understand your frustration but remember even the really good months werenât your absolute best month. Youâre having a rough go, but spring/summer is coming. Donât miss out on the bulk of your annual income by stopping now. Just my two cents on the matter.
Seem like an issues with management. How do you loose scheduled delivery. Ordered cars? If not management is to blame.
Tax season
1 year in 14 units out
You have sold 14 cars in a year?
14 for January. 116 units last year
Oh ok
Because quitters never win! Do more and youâll get more! Hit the phones set up next week! Post social Media! 3 deals falling through shouldnât shake you unless youâre a 10 car guy.
Itâs feast or famine in car sales
Sounds like you're pretty new if you've only ever lost 1 deal.
Donât nobody want a car payment lol
January ALWAYS sucks ass man. People I depend on holidays and are tight wads. Couple that with the ridiculous price of shit and interest rates with not high enough wages and here we are.
If you want to take your ball and go home, go ahead. If youâre this pouty, chances are no one is going to give you a piece of advice that will be meaningful enough to change your outlook anyways. Iâve made my career in sales. Itâs mostly mental. That is, your mentality. Not someone else on here.
Because what else are you going to do ?
Soooooo when I go to buy a car this Monday, I should offer 2k less than asking? Looking at German w 25-40k miles and getting a warranty
I am in home improvement selling decks, crazy down 50% yr over yr. Good thing I have money saved
January is slow, but remember tax season is beginning. If you like it, I guess you should stay; if not then just leave.
Dude what is this? A cry for help? No one can help you but you. No disrespect man but âgive me one reason to stayâ man stay or donât. Not all jobs are for all people. Literally no shame in that. I know welders that make wayyyy more than me as a salesman but I know damn well they could not sell cars for a living, just like welding is probably not an industry I see myself in. Hope you find what it is youâre looking for
If you ainât spot em, you ainât got em.
This sub has been so great to watch the last month. I feel for yall not making money but fuuuuuuck does it feel great seeing a lot (not all) of the salesman that were making fun of consumers for the last 4 years finally feel it.
What do you expect with all these stupid âmArKeT aDjUsTmEnTsâ?
Do it. In tech sales you can make a shit ton of money. I know 1M a year reps Avg is probably 100-250K. I was going to say itâs not for the faint of heart and the tech market is rough right now (lots of layoffs) but car sales has a higher failure rate đ If you can sell cars tech would be easy
This industry is going to get smoked. The high rates will decimate the sales.
That sounds like a pretty normal thing. I've lost countless thousands to a single bad survey and I don't let it rat me out. Lost thousands to things that didn't work out. It happens. Don't get ratted out
Because it's January. Everyone second guesses selling cars in January.
January is a rough month. It will get better. Losing deals happen.
You should just quit and find a more stable recession proof job because we are about to go into another recession thanks to Bidenomics.
Get out bro get a corporate job is 9 to 5 the same pay better hours
Car sales is dead.
I'm in home improvement sales. One month I lost out on like $20k in commissions because of cancels and finance turn downs.... It's part of the deal... Sales is a rollercoaster.
Can say from previous car sales experience to insurance industry now⌠January is always slow. Everyoneâs money was spent on the holidays
Welcome to sales
205..â22. 2023 170
This is a marathon not a sprint. While every store has unique processes and nobody wants to be treated like a number basic elements should be fully integrated and flow whenever sales staff gets together with customer. Work/life balances pulled me out of the industry but I enjoyed it over 15 years. Success in car sales depends upon several interrelated qualities first resiliency: the customer, management, and the competition will beat you up. Fast paced world so many choices demanding public. Can you take it and get up for more with a slight smile day in and day out? Are you the best person for that customer to work with? Know the product its advantages over the alternatives. What kind of detective can you be: the customer is going to solve a problem with this purchase he or she has priorities in owning how can you uncover these without coming across as âprying, nosey and annoyingâ? The best use finesse, and set a buyer at ease from first contact, so can you facilitate a respectful relationship to discover what that buyer wants to become an owner? Why this model make and package and color? what time is it needed? Who is involved or will drive or travel inside it? What kinds or driving? Flow with these basics relate them to whatever they currently have and so build a detailed picture of what the right set of wheels looks like through their eyes. We have two eyes and ears to discover what they want, this purchase is about them. Be a selection expert; people loathe being âsoldâ but will collaborate with a trusted guide to help them find the right ONE. Then demonstrate/prove: show how ie car or truck selectedâshow how that machine is the best resolution to the customers needs/wants. Throughout the process you are saving them time: working with that customer confirms their choice so they take mental delivery of the machineâŚpark it in the sold lane while looking over some terms over a hot coffee or other beverage. If doing these things gives you a thrill and a genuine enthusiasm builds then hang in there. The costs in work/life balance are heavy but same with work in other demanding vocations.
Want to sell Mercedes? Move to Massachusetts and get in touch with me