Why We Suck!

[Alex Snyder]

Yes we do. keep reading

I'm going to assume that you're like me; you didn't dream of working at a dealership.  NASA, the court room, or even the White House were probably more along the lines of what mommy and daddy got you thinking about early on.  But here we are pounding pavement and fighting for pennies.

What brought you here?...needed some money for some reason I bet.  Did you intend to keep doing this after you got that needed money?  NO!!!??  Why the hell are you still here???!!!  So basically you're telling me the next best thing hasn't come along yet.  How long will it be before you stop looking for the next best thing?
The car dealership is temporary.

This is why we're scum.  This is why we can't get CRM right.  This is why we can't answer a phone. This is why there is a revolving door on the front of every dealership.

This is not what we wanted to do, and there's  something better on the horizon - right?

Well...Maybe not. Maybe you should look at it another way.

So you think selling cars is NOT a career but could "selling" be a career? Hell yes! One of the highest paid professions is SALES and with out selling, the world would stop.

You're not in the business of selling cars, you are in the business of SALES and building your own network of raving fans. SO why NOT commit today to using your CRM, answering the phone like a professional, following up with your potential clients while keeping yourself trained. Commit and make "sales" your career!
- This is a combo-posting by Alex and Jeff.

Question: What got you into the car business and have you truly committed to a career in sales?

 

[Rob (blog)]

Lack of money certainly got me started in the car business - no question about it. I've been here for years though, and don't see myself "getting out" for awhile yet. That being said, I don't intend to stay in the car business forever. But I will make the most of it while I'm around.

This advice is crucial, and I think *every* person in the car business should read it. I know tons of folks at my dealership could benefit from it.

 

[Cars are past]

Major issue is the fact that cars industry is changing. Oil is coming to it's end and all this 'economic meltdown' is because big financial institutions are moving their capital from this industry and others that are not perspective any more. Just look around, stupid LukOil is buying gas stations while others are moving their capital from something that will be dead capital in 15-20 years or even sooner. Transport will change dramatically soon and new technologies should be rolled out and new wave will come... so be ready to jump into sales on time.

 

[Volker - a.k.a. VJ - Jaeckel]

BRAVO Alex - BRAVO Jeff:
You hit the nail on its head, right on. You won't believe how many Real Estate Agents or Mortgage Brokers I had seen "flying by" the dealerships. Answer: "Well I need to make some money until the house market is back-up again".
Are you kidding me, what do you think car dealerships? May be a Starbucks or Crazy Wings Cafe, where normally part-time students bumping up their living standard for $8/hour?

We suck (as stated absolutely right in the post) because we are not taking proud in what we are doing. Alright! Here now is my story:

I came in 2001 to the U.S. to marry my American Soul mate and to execute some consulting business for a German subsidiary. This was early September 2001. Then 9/11 occurred. The world seemed to be on a stand-still and my coaching-consulting assignment was cancelled. Wow, no American degree, German accent, newly-wed and living in Michigan - sounds like a jackpot to me...
After a couple days of thinking I decided to make my biggest weakness into my strongest asset. I called up Williams AutoWorld in Okemos, MI and told the President of the company "Mr. Williams - I think it makes sense to have a real German guy, with a real German accent selling your real German cars (BMW, Mercedes, Porsche). It worked and after 8 months I received the honor to be Top-sales person for the Auto Group and be named in the Top-20 for CSI in the Market 42.
I had found my passion, selling cars and decided from there on to focus on handling things like "Internet inquiries" (which by the way nobody of the sales staff wanted because in their words “they are time-wasters).
My book of business grew rapidly over time, I changed dealer groups due to relocations and I honestly can tell you that no car dealer I've worked for ever let me down.

My recipe is - Be happy and appreciate that you are able to handle, show and demonstrate pretty things (a car), see how your customers are happy and feel good about their decision to have bought form you (CSI), following up how they are doing with their new ride and if they had earned compliments (referral), and stay in touch not only to at Christmas time (repeat business).
When you don’t feel a passion about the things you do, you need to change – not the attitude but your employer and field of work. Believe me the success will come, when you are fully dedicated to your dealership and your job. Focus on your job with the promise a) to make someone coming in your dealership happy – every day – b) become an expert on your particular Make you are selling – c) when Internet sales, commit to be different than your competition, study the competition, find their strength and observe and last but not least build your strength on their weakness.
Please, decide to make the Automotive Retail World a Better World and commit (German free translation: “Komm mit” – which means “Come with me”) to your career.
Yes, CAREER – I never in million years would have thought that I will be in the U.S. and selling cars. I knew about the reputation of car sales people but I decided to put my head down and work, didn’t allow listening to any bias and knew that I will be one day one of the Best in my field.
Huge thanks to America, which is really the land of opportunities and a big Thank You to the American Car Dealers, who have given me the opportunity to be successful. Last advice I like to share: When you show you can do it and you are successful more opportunities will arise out of it. Believe, I am just experiencing it.

 

[Neil (blog)]

I got in the business in 2004 because I wanted to help run a business, so my wife and I joined her father's independent used car dealership on the operations side. I quickly jumped on internet advertising, so I've come to terms with the fact that I'm in sales! Before, I was investment analyst and consultant to pension and 401(k) plans, and there was plenty of money there, but I just wasn't feeling "Corporate America" of sitting in cubicle looking at numbers all day and just traveling too much. Our dealership is actually quite the contrarian: turnover is very low because we hired former business owners that are loyal and appreciative of the opportunity; our profit margins are way low because we'd rather have customers walking out feeling that they got a great deal instead of feeling hassled and worked over and that is why they keep coming back; and our approach is very laid-back and honest. So yeah, we could get more aggressive sales guys, but it would be the revolving door you speak of and we don't want any "attitudes" spoiling our reputation.

 

[Mitchell Brenner]

First off, I love the car business. I better after 27 years. You are right, however, that it was not my first choice. I graduated college with a degree in Psychology and was going to go for my Masters in Social Work when my best friend opened up a dealership and told me about the money he was making so I decided to give it a shot instead of going back to school and I fell in love with it. We had fun and enjoyed what we were doing. I think that's the difference between then and now. We all got into the business not necessarily by choice but we embraced it! Nowadays people are always looking for the greener grass and even though they may never find it they are preoccupied with looking. I for one really enjoy what I do and have always had the support I needed to grow. I started on the eCommerce side of things ten years ago and I absolutely enjoy every day. I wish I could say the same for most salespeople. They just seem, in general, to get by with as little effort as possible and hope for the best. They don't follow the procedure unless forced to and will skip steps if they can get away with it. I doubt there's really greener grass out there for these types of people but it doesn't stop them from looking. I seriously wish that our business could shed some of the negativity that we have and recruit quality young people to embrace this business and help us move into the future with our heads held high! This is a great business and I, for one, will never leave!

 

[Yago Paramo]

I think every biz has its own share of people coming and going. The car biz may have a few more than others because it looks easy from the outside (and it is not!) as well as it is easy for younger people to get in.

 

[Eric Miltsch]

Interesting post Alex...

While I'm not a true car guy and not in the thick of the sales world, the online business development end of things is an important element...I never anticipated working for a dealer.

I'm not sure how long my stay would have been in a different environment. However, this is the only place I can see myself at - hopefully it'll be my last stop...

If you're doing what you love and you're making a difference, its definitely not a job, it surely could become your career - but it ultimately should be something you truly look forward to doing every single day.

If not, why the hell are you doing it?

Eric

 

[JohnScott]

To be happy or grumpy is a choice, and its a choice you make every day, all day.

Its your brain.

 

[philipzelinger]

Hi Jeff and Alex,

Well, maybe I am not reflective of the norm but I come from a business family and my attraction to the car business was drawn on my respect for the diversity of an auto dealership as a combination of a wholesale and retail business operating in multiple verticals. The combination of challenges - and opportunities - as a sales business, service business, real estate business, banking business, parts business, and all of the associated HR needs combined with the ties to community events, B2B opportunities and local/national politics was the ultimate business model and opportunity that fit perfectly into my career goal to be a "businessman!"

I of course understand that many people saw the money as the draw to the car business, however, if that was the only attraction then being a drug dealer may have had more appeal. My point is that the true professionals that have survived in the auto industry are the circle of friends and associates that have earned the title "car salesperson" and/or that can define themselves as "car guys/gals" and they are the ones that will relate to my reply. As for the others, maybe being a drug dealer would have been a better career choice after all!