• Stop being a LURKER - join our dealer community and get involved. Sign up and start a conversation.

Pay for Internet Sales Manager/Director

Well let's not go bananas.... you can make an excellent living, yes. But in these days of shrinking margins, lower grosses, "streamlined" (read: cost cuts), etc., the 6-figure guys are fewer and farther between. Just like everything else in this business, it's not 10 years ago -- pay plans are different too.

In the past the ISM used to be sales people that went from the floor to the internet.

Nowadays many younger people look for the security of a "base salary" or even a full salary and they get themselves submerged into: I do the prices, I take the photos (yes, some ISMs fire the photo company so they take their own photos!), I manage vAuto, I do the specials on the website, etc, etc, etc.

When I sold cars I saw sales people laughing when the manager asked them to move the cars, they didn't come dressed up to do that. They came dressed to impress, to make appointments, and to see customers.

Nowadays dealers throw people without previous sales experience into the ISM job so they want 9-5, M-F, with good base. That is OK, but that doesn't make a 6 figure salary.

For all of those talking here like Jerry, Alex, etc. Did you take a risk when you left what you were doing and started the gig you do now? How many hours do you currently work? anything close to 9-5? Week ends? You know the answer.

6 figures = Strong commitment.

Understand that this is a general comment and some of you work really hard and don't make 6 figures (yet!) but every market has different payouts.
 
Yago, I can not relate to 9 to 5 in a dealership. You pay peanuts and you get monkeys.

I'm going to bring this up one final time. There has never been a time in the car business where closing ratios have been as important. Today, we get less shoppers and more pure buyers. I would rather have a stable of closers than a bunch of idiots standing outside waiting for an up. If I see a customer walk off the lot, that is better than having them mishandled. Hire some cute greeters, delivery specialists and clear any bottlenecks getting into F&I.

I would rather have the clap than a department full of green pea ISMs. Hell, that can be cured in three days. Nothing could be as expensive, to a dealership, as having a 20% closing ratio.
 
I would like to know what your internet marketer specifically does for you besides "magic computer stuff". If dealers care to share? I would say the salary in the polling is fare well from a dealers perspective of course. I good internet salesman pays off his own salary off with his work and ultimately is much more of a secure investment than an employee.

* What dealers require there IM employees to report all of there methods approaches?
 
Thanks! I actually log 45 hours-a-week in the dealership and another 5-10 hours a week remotely from home...I'm dedicated & motivated...I come in early, stay focused, work my tail off, and I don't get sick! I live in Smithfield, VA, but am willing to travel any reasonable distance within the Tidewater area...even greater Richmond would be do-able under the right circumstances. I love the job, the people & the dealership I work for, but have a family to support...have laptop, will travel...

You hired ! When can you move to Michigan -Ill triple your income