[OT] Anyone here a/was a car salesmen?

[alsih2o]

i have a high school buddy who went into car sales. after 4 months he joined the "cleaning and vacuuming" crew and made twice as much, and felt better about himself.


but he had a personality that was easy to like, and wasn't a great salesman

 

[Bryan Vining]

Well, since you're asking for us to butt in, I'll throw in my bit. First off, can you draw unemployment? If so, do it. Second, if you don't absolutely need a job right this minute to feed yourself, etc, take this opportunity to think about what you really want to do with your life. Working strictly for the money sucks. It's better to try to find a way to eek out a living doing what you love than to make megabucks doing something you hate. Regardless of whether you get a job right away or not, don't pass up this chance to change the course of your life. The cosmos is telling you something. It's up to you to listen. If you've got to do something to pay bills, that OK, but don't consign yourself to having to do that instead of something you'd like to do.

 

[Fast Learner]

I watched three people I know have their souls sucked away by that business. By "souls" I mean their integrity, their honesty, and their self-respect.

I highly recommend against it.

My father tried it once, too, and was fired in two months for reasons similar to those above: he wasn't willing to hurt people nor was he willing to allow them to be hurt by the company's policies.

It's a ty business, and is all about ripping people off, pure and simple.

 

[Cedric]

The honest truth is that naturally I am an outstanding salesman and an excellent face to face communicator. People have told me for years that I could sell ice to an Eskimo...and it's true.

But you know what...I don't work in sales. I work in Tech Support genuinely trying to help the people who call for help.

Why you ask? Because I've never been willing to sell my morals for a paycheck. I don't want to wonder if I can live with myself when I screw up someone's life to turn a buck, because I've always been afraid that maybe I can live with myself. Maybe I won't mind too much. Then what will I become?

However, while this sounds like a pretty negative position on car sales I'll also make this point. If it came down to putting food on my table and my families table, I'd sell cars like they were going out of style.

"Absolutely sir, the Taurus is a fantastic car, but can't you just see yourself in that mustang over there? Boy, I've always wanted one of those myself. By the way, you want to test drive it just for the heck of it?"

Cedric

 

[John Crichton]

If you have a conscience, I don't recommend it.

First, I don't want to put down any legit good salespeople. My father is in sales and he is very good at it (deals with restaurant supplies).

I was in retail sales for 2 years and hated it. To make any money at all I had to lie. I hated myself for keeping the job so long. The problem was that I was really good at it. The better I got, the more I hated myself.

But some people dig it. So give it a shot. If you don't hate it then you can make alot of money doing it.

Wow, that was really depressing....

 

[Guilt Puppy]

* There's a story out this way about a car salesman who took a woman's keys when she wanted to test drive a car. When she returned he refused to give her the keys back until she bought the car. Sadly for the slimeball, she had a cellphone and called the cops.

Same thing happened to my parents at one point (again, solved by threatening to call the police.)... My uncle was a car salesman for a while, and he says they were actually told to do this in training... To throw them on the roof of the dealership, if need be. (He quickly quit this job.) They probably don't try to pull this much any more (these stories date back to the 80s), considering everybody and their poodle has a cell phone on hand.

That said, I've known other people who've made decent livings selling cars without having to become evil. Biggest problem with it is working for commission: It fluctuates a lot (especially with something like that, where IIRC your paycheck comes in increments of $250...). If you get a very few sales fewer this month than last, suddenly your standard of living has just dropped substantially. Which doesn't mean you'll be broke, just going to fewer restaurants or something. Just make sure your long-term commitments (rent, car payments, whatever) are all covered by the money you make in a bad month, not just an average one, and having something in savings is never a bad idea.

 

[Valmur_Dwur]

Ok I've been in Sales most of my adult life I've sold cars at a Ford/Lincoln/mercury dealership for about 6 months. There are many negatives to car sales. You must know your product, the type of people you deal with and work with, and the "ethical" base of car dealers. The reason I left my job was the F&I guy was telling people they were paying 6% for a vehicle when really they were paying 61/4%. Most people don't read the small print and those that questioned it were shown the computer screen as a way to show them the "numbers" were correct. Most times that was enough. The people who are paying cash of course never saw that screen. The only way I and another salesman caught it was that he had tried to put a couple into a better car payment wise and was told by the same F&I guy he couldn't. So the next day the F&I guy had the day off and we went in and started playing with numbers. He had been in REal estate and I had done some other sales stuff and so we sat down and figured out what the deal was. He quit that day I did the next. The General Manager only said you have to follow your "consious"<sp>. Damn he was right! See if you can get on at a Wonderbread/Hostess place as a route driver. The hours aren't the best but at least you don't have to "sell your soul" to make money. I know that they're looking since we are always looking.

 

[Irysangel]

If you want to try sales....

I suggest you check out www.paychex.com

I work for Paychex (on operations, of course). It's a great company, the sales team is commission based ( for the most part) but they all absolutely love what they do. And it's a product you won't feel dirty shmoozing to people about.

Seriously, if you have a moral quandry about it right now, just wait until that poor old couple comes in looking for a car and you have to stick it to them. Better to skip it all together than to hate yourself later.

 

[MeepoTheMighty]

Re: If you want to try sales....

I suggest you check out www.paychex.com

I work for Paychex (on operations, of course). It's a great company, the sales team is commission based ( for the most part) but they all absolutely love what they do. And it's a product you won't feel dirty shmoozing to people about.

Seriously, if you have a moral quandry about it right now, just wait until that poor old couple comes in looking for a car and you have to stick it to them. Better to skip it all together than to hate yourself later.

Hey, those are the people that bring me my paychecks...or chex, as it were. Nice, shiny paychecks which let me buy d&d books. Thanks!

 

[Nightfall]

Some people think I'm a car saleman for the Scarred Lands.