Looking for a job in car sales.

[Lazarus]

Different dealerships have different pay structures. Best one I worked at was a small Chevy dealer and the largest conversion van dealer on the East Coast. $200 salary, plus 20% of the gross, plus bonuses on the back end from the F&I dept. Sell window etching, extra point on the interest rate, extended warranty, etc, all extra cash. New cars didn't have that much profit, but we had $50 minimum for any car you sold. Average was like $100-$175 per new car but I sold a used car once and made $400 off of it. $400 in an hour isn't bad but it didn't happen frequently.

 

[GeauxLSU]

I didn't quit. The new GM let 8 people go and replaced them with his buddies from the dealership he was leaving. I wasn't going to tell anyone that because it sounds shady if you don't know how car dealerships operate with the sales reps but it happens all the time in car sales. Either I was just an easy target being a newbie or he truly felt I wasn't good enough. Even though I got along with everyone and the man that hired me refused to fire me, it didn't change a thing but oh well it happens. All we can do is dust off and move along. I'm not upset and there is no bad blood. I'm just eager to get to work. Now for another subject, the stigma of being a car salesman is the first hurdle to jump over. You do not want to be dishonest with someone. I never was and never had that problem. I will not lie and I did not see anyone else lying. Maybe giving false information because they really thought that was the truth. You make more profit when people buy accessories. Slipping a salesman money for a discount? No! As far as 200$ flat profit yes that is true! I spent 5 hours with 1 person multiple times to only make 200$ but that is the business (at least I sold) and I don't mind. That usually happens when you do not present the product properly and they feel they should get some insane discount. I made most money off used cars. The most I made off a deal was around 1400. That's not 1400 from the customers pocket! It was sales percentage from other companies that installed accessories the customer purchased through me. I had to make 2,000 for the company before I got paid anything over that for the month. It's called breaking the draw. The profit can range drastically but should almost always be good if you do the job right and honest. Before I sold cars I tested emissions. I got sick of being broke so I finally found something profitable AND enjoyable. Now I just need back in the door somewhere so I can knock it out of the park! Just keep in mind. Most of what people tell you about car salesman is false. They can and WILL at times come across as pushy but that's because they are letting it get to them and feeling the stress thus forgetting how to maintain a friendly, relaxed and enjoyable presence around strangers that automatically think you are trying to steal from them. It's easy to pierce through most peoples perceptions with a firm hand shake, bright smile and friendly tone. It's easy peasy. Just hard to get in the door never guaranteed haha.

I can't imagine someone like you will have a problem getting hired again. Best of luck!

 

[albatros43]

Reading this makes me think that working in the car business is on equally horrible ground with the restaurant business. I made life-long friends waiting tables, but the hours were horrible. The money wasn't bad as a college student, but wasn't a livable wage.

 

[IMaDad]

I would take the experience, forget everything they teach you about sales, and move to corporate sales. Six figure income possible, expense account, golf, etc etc

 

[Brian1]

When I read the part about the new GM bringing his own people with him I was not surprised at ALL! Many times when a manager knows he's laeving for another lot and a sweeter pay plan he will sort of invite a handful of his known closers to go with him. And sometimes you have a crooked manager that just wants other crooks to help him keep scamming and cover the tracks.
Since 95 I've worked for a Toyota lot, Pontiac \GMC\Caddy, Kia, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and two Ford lots. Every time it was a little bit worse and the money was definitely worse. I hate new lots and will never work for another one. At a new lot you can work with one guy ALL DAY to make two bills on moving a new unit and then that jerk off can go **** you good on the customer survey and your bonus is shot. On top of that you have to sell a helluva lot of those new cars to make a living. Inflating balloons and tying them to cars at 8:00 in the morning and pulling handles on every car at 9:00 that night. All in dress clothes and painful shoes. So then you have just enough time to get home eat shower and hope your wife picked up your dry cleaning for you. The whole time your wife is telling you this job turns you into a bastard. But I digress.
If you really want to stay in the car bidness then find one more the bigger buy here lots and find out if you like their pay plan. To me a decent pay plan should be at least 25% of the gross up to whatever qualifies as over the monthly average. My theory is that if you have to dedicate that much of your time to it and people automatically hate you without even knowing you then you deserve all you can get.

You are right about everything you said. I had somewhere around 3k in my GM account and was close to the payout period. I would have had so much more but people lied on surveys or filled it out based on the other guy ( split deal ) or just flat out did not listen to a damn thing I told them. When they let me go all that money I had built up to help my family move was taken. Such BS! I really don't think they should take that from you. Oh well. And yes the spousal units hate it. But love the money... That's how the cookie crumbles I guess. As far as a buy here pay here lot I have put so much consideration into that. I have been told its easier, less hours and still decent income.

 

[cullyhog]

Dodge Chrysler Jeep in Canton has been running an ad for a week or so. Forgot where I saw the ad. Toyota in Canton as well.
If you in Woodstock, at least it is a short drive.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

I can't imagine someone like you will have a problem getting hired again. Best of luck!

This is always true in sales and especially car sales. But you have to be careful where you wind up. In middle GA there are places like Five Star and Jeff Smith that are just sweat shop places. They keep hiring new people every other month and piling them on top of the older proven closers. To the management it's a numbers game. You know,more lines in the water. So they take new people "Green Peas" that have never sold anything and "Train Them" for two weeks and then throw them out on the floor. First thing they do is get them to call EVERY friend,relative and neighbor they can and try to get them to the lot. So that might carry them through the first month. The next month they get 2 or 3 draw checks and get blown out after being told they can't sell and they're an hourly order taker. I've seen this dozens of times over the years. But what bothered me about it was that I saw people leave decent stable jobs only to get blown out over a bad month. And that was AFTER they rearranged their personal lives around car lot hours,bought dress clothes and alienated friends and family.
My advice would be to keep selling if your talking/closing game is strong. But sell something else. Sell RVs or boats. Hell I've known a couple of guys that moved from cars to Harley Davidson and never looked back. See, with Harleys you really don't have to close them. They close themselves when they drive up to the lot. You just gotta get them financed. AND... H-D has their own bank which I think is called Eagle Mark. And it used to be that if your customer had 10% down they were gonna ride out on some H-D bike. Harley figured out a long time ago that most guys will let their car,house and work truck go back before they let that Heritage go back. I don't know why. I guess it's a fake biker pride thing. But seriously, H-D will finance people that the Jap bike companies won't.

If you can sell then you're gold. My mom sold insurance for Alfa for 25 years and still sells independently now. And it always amazes me that she can sell paper. Really, it's an intangible. THAT is selling! So if you can sell then here's to you. And go sell something that's worthy of your effort and loyalty. Could be cars. Could be RVs or ATVs . Just don't limit your ability.

 

[letusbuyyourcar]

You are right about everything you said. I had somewhere around 3k in my GM account and was close to the payout period. I would have had so much more but people lied on surveys or filled it out based on the other guy ( split deal ) or just flat out did not listen to a damn thing I told them. When they let me go all that money I had built up to help my family move was taken. Such BS! I really don't think they should take that from you. Oh well. And yes the spousal units hate it. But love the money... That's how the cookie crumbles I guess. As far as a buy here pay here lot I have put so much consideration into that. I have been told its easier, less hours and still decent income.

Listen bruh, my user name is what it is. I'm not making a good living right now. And I take **** from some members about how I make a living as an unlicensed car dealer. But that is STILL a thousand times better than standing on the HARD pavement on a lot in leather sole dress shoes waiting to talk to some smartass that hates me as soon as he parks his trade. IF you stay in cars then by all means find an all used lot. All the new cars I ever sold from beginning to end paid $300.00 at best. When I was at the Hyundai lot in Warner Robins in 07 I once just fell into a deal on a Yukon we took in trade and when the smoke cleared we/I had a $8400.00 gross. That lot only paid 15% but still...

Used is the only way to go. **** them surveys and product videos and tests. That's all just bull****.

 

[IMaDad]

So back to slipping the car salesman $500 cash....

 

[roadsterjosh]

The dealer I work for is always hiring. We have a great GM that has been there for a long time, and worked his way from the sales floor to the top of the dealer. We are a publicly traded company, and stress CSI over just about everything. Our flat deals are $100a car, which is not a normal occurrence unless you're selling the cheapest car in the line. We average 200 to 250 cars a month, and the sales people make good money. If you would like more info pm me, I will get you as much info as I can.