Thanks. Yes, looking to buy a 2007 EX or EX-L..can't decide which. I'd like the 'extras' that the board was just talking about, like Leather and sunroof, but it depends on how much extra they will cost me versus the regular EX.
I'd like the 'extras' that the board was just talking about, like Leather and sunroof, but it depends on how much extra they will cost me versus the regular EX.
I've always said, "buy what you want", of course you have to use some reasoning here. But as the old saying goes..."if you have to ask you probably can't afford it".
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I can afford leather and sunroof, but a vehicle is a depreciating item. So I find it hard to put money saved into something I know will go down.
If I came to you and said "Give me $25,000 and in 5 years I can give you $15,000 back!" - how would you feel?
It makes me sick thinking about it, but I know vehicles are needed.
I've never had leather nor sunroof, but have this feeling I would really enjoy them now. So if the dealer wants $3,000 more for a -L versus an plain EX, I'll skip it. But if it's a smaller difference, say $1500, then I would probably pay for it.
I've had sunroofs in a few cars, and they are nice but I find that most of them are mounted too far back for me (I have to look almost straight up to see out of them).
Convertibles are the same way for me, I feel like when the top is down I see more windsheild than anything else because of how far back they come. The only convertible I have ever really felt was "open" from the driver's seat was a Wrangler, because the windsheild wasn't sloped so far back that it took up most of the view.
It appears to me that most of the salespeople here are "veterans" with years and years of experience. Fresh out of college back in 2003, I made it four months in the business (had a great first month in September, the next few months weren't so hot). I left when a former employer offered me a sales job with base pay plus commission, but you can tell I'm still interested as this is one of my favorite boards to read.
A couple of years ago, after moving to a different part of the state, I decided to give the business a second shot and went to a similar store which ended up being even worse to work at than the first, and I quit after only two days.
I must have impressed the general manager during that short time because he called me back and offered me the job of "personalization manager" you know, when someone buys a vehicle and they want to have an option installed I would sell the accessories and schedule installation, etc. plus put together some reports and such for the GM. I would have taken that job but before we actually talked salary/commission, I received a firm offer for a steady office job and took that instead.
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had I "hung in there" on the front lines, and especially how I would have liked the other job at the second dealership.
I'm curious. Did car sales live up to your expectations right from the start? What were your experiences like at first? Were you able to get by (or even do well) on just taking "ups" - or did it take a while for you to build up a base of customers for repeats and referrals? How was your management? Did they really try and train you, or just point out your weaknesses? Was there another salesperson who took you "under their wing"?
Is it just the personal determination to hang in there for however long it takes? Is it the store/management you are working for? Or do some people just not get it? Or a combination of all, or something else?
Is it just the personal determination to hang in there for however long it takes? Is it the store/management you are working for? Or do some people just not get it? Or a combination of all, or something else?
It's a combination of all those things. But mostly what kept me coming back is the fact at any given week depending on how hard I work work I can make $1500 - $2000.
Other weeks I can make $400 when I don't work that hard.
some of it is luck, getting into the right store,getting trained, having a good product to sell. Some of it is talent and determination. Not everyone can sell cars. There is alot of rejection that goes with this business.
It does take time to get going. Realistically, it takes about 3 yrs to really maximize your income and potential.
At my dealership, there were too many salespeople for everyone to come close to getting enough "ups" to even have a chance at that much money. Plus, the management did a pretty god job of taking money away from the salespeople. I had a few deals which I thought were really good, only to find that F&I had eaten into front end profit to help sell the customer a big warranty.
A couple of other guys I knew from my class at the business school ended up on the same lot. All three of us, plus many of the other sales people, were very lucky to see that much money in two weeks. It wasn't a matter of working hard; I'd bust my butt all week, sell three Focuses (Foci?) and make $300...
Just FYI, the 2008 Odysseys will have 2 new colors (Mocha Metallic, Baltic Blue Pearl) and the Touring will be available in a non-PAX trim.
Don't know when they'll be here, or the pricing, but we do now have 2 08 Pilots in (the new SE and VP) that won't see the sales lot until most of the 07s have been gone.
Did car sales live up to your expectations right from the start?
Yes. I had never bought a car from a dealership before I started working in the business. The only thing I knew was what my friend who was working there told me. He said I could make a lot of money and quick. From that regard, it lived up to all my expectations.
I was a bit naive and overconfident when I started. I thought it was as simple as shaking a hand and picking out a car. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of an order taker. It CAN be that simple, but normally isn't. I remember the veterans standing outside, about 4 of them, and I walked outside. One of them asked me how I thought I was going to do in car sales. I responded that I'd always been successful at whatever I put my mind to, so I'll do just fine. They gave some knowing looks and smiled. I know what they mean now.
The good thing for me is that I consistently outperformed everyone in the store. My buddy was the top salesman there at the time and it took me a long time to surpass his numbers. But I did it eventually.
I was able to get by very easily on just fresh ups. My repeats and referrals account for a couple more units a month now. I can't complain.
As far as training, I think that my first store (and the one I work at now) did a great job. They started me with the basics and that's where it all starts. I learned to move away from following a specific pattern though and can now tailor to each individual.
It was so funny at first. I could think of nothing else besides car sales. I dreamed about closes. It consumed a large part of my energy, but it was alot of fun. I was making much more money than I ever had. It was a real rush.
When greenpeas come into our store now, I can tell you within a day if they are going to last 3 months, a couple days, or if they should never have come into the business. Rarely am I wrong. I guess I've developed a sixth sense for knowing who has "it" and who doesn't.
I sold 8 cars my first month with very good gross. 11 the next. 13 the next. 18 the next. And on from there. I was no superstar at first. My friend who got me into the car business sold 21 cars his first month. He didn't hold any gross, but he can certainly sell cars. Now, he holds gross and sells a ton. He is one of the best natural salespeople I've ever met. In addition to that, as any good salesperson, he can be the most annoying [non-permissible content removed] on the planet. I guess when you've known someone for over 10 years, you get used to some things.
first of all it is not that easy. My first car I evr sold was a used one and I made $550. Then I was hooked. There is always the posbility of making tha evry week and thats what keeps me in. There have been plenty of weeks that I only made $300. There were weeks I made nothing. recieved a draw for $300 and had to pay it back the next check. The store i work at now doesn't do draw checks the pay minimum wage for 40 hours than time and a half if commision is less than the hourly. The problem with that is this job is too much work for minimum wage. My first dealership's tarining was go out and take a up. The dealership i work for now does a lot more role playing in how to overcome objections to find out what there offer is to buy a car today. I understand what you are saying about how mangement can change the deal after it's done. You must be talking about adjusting the trade after the deal is done. i have seen that done at other dealers. You write a deal and management changes the trade for less so when they send it to auction they have a better chance of making money that goes directly into their pocket. Also I have seen F& I take front end gross to make more profit on their warranty or other services such as resist all. For the record i don't think Joel or any other managers here would do that. i believe any of those kind of managers would not be interested in this kind of forum because they already think they know everything. They would be a old- school dealer. It is funny when the store will higher a new salesperson and they take evry up in the world the fist month, management will love them and praise them as they are better than you . Than the next month the new hero of a sales person is burnt out, prejudging customers and brooming them because they don't think they are buying because they are getting a lot of objections. Anyway getting paged have to go.
There's some I've never heard and some that we use.
Bone boy = gets all the house deals
Brown Noser = kisses management butt, buys them coffee and donuts expecting bones.
Vet = salespersons that live off of repeat and referrals and rarely take lot ups.
Lot lizard = sales person that hangs out on the lot and ups everyone in sight. Eventually becomes a "seasoned" sales person and hangs out in the showroom with the other vets.
car guys = people who been in the biz a while and are car nuts.
stacking = working more than one customer at a time
carding = handing out cards to everyone in sight (not looked upon favorably by veteran salespeople)
dinosaur = persons in the car biz that refuse to change with the times. Also known as "old school"
Prima donnas = sales people who think they own the dealership
Being fed = spooning, boning, etc. as in "They are feeding him/her"
Fresh up = customer that's sold in their first visit to the dealership
I started at a "Chebby" store. It was mostly by necessity and not by choice. I had just gotten out of the Navy and at that time the manager of the company that was going to hire me went on a trip and never got back to me. I went to a local job fair, dropped tens of resumes and nothing. I met a retired Army colonel who asked me if I've ever considered selling cars. I told him it crossed my mind but I never seriously thought about it. A week later I was at his dealership going thru a training program. This was basically a six step walk around but no closing techniques. The dealership was located in a rough part of town and it was referred to by all the sales people as "The Hood". The clientele was not the greatest and I was starving. The first car I sold was a used Ford truck and they split the deal on me as the UCM thought I was taking too long so he sent a "vet" to close the deal. I was really mad! :mad: The customers were really nice and they also didn't understand what happened. I was there for the worst months in the car biz, November and December. In January they ran a "slasher sale" which I've written about here before. I saw an ad for a Toyota store and decided to give it a try. It was a better move but I still wasn't doing good. In April of 97 I was at the end of my rope and was ready to call it quits until one morning a well dressed gentleman in his early 50's pulled up and asked for the General Manager. I walked him over to the GM's office and walked back to the showroom. When he left, he thanked me and said "I'll see you tomorrow." Probably another salesperson I thought. The next day I find out he's being hired as New car manager. He begins by sitting down with everyone on an individual basis. When he comes over to talk to me, he starts asking me how long I've been in the biz, if I'm married, any kids, etc. I begin to think this guy actually cares. He tells me the average salesperson sells xx cars a month, and how many cars would I like to sell a month. I tell him I'm not the average person that everything I do is 110%. He smiles and asks me how many cars do I want to sell each month and asks me for a figure. I tell him 12-15 per month which is way higher than the national average (8 month). He breaks out a blank piece of paper and draws a chart with the days and proceeds to show me what I need to do to be successful. "To sell 12-15 a month you have to talk to 4-5 people a day." he says. "This can be anyone in service, parts, on the lot, where you have your dry cleaners done, etc. Don't be afraid or ashamed to tell people you sell cars. As long as you do it honestly and with integrity you'll never have to apologize for what you do." I still remember those words to this day. He then continued, "This is what I want you to do starting today. Every customer you demo a car to and write up, don't let them go until I talk to them. When I come over don't say a word just listen to what I say and take mental notes." The first month under my mentor I sold 21 cars and became salesman of the month. Sure, he closed a lot of my deals but he also taught me a lot of things. At the end of that month he said this to me, "You think you got the hang of it?" he asked. "Yeah, I think I got it." I replied. "Yeah, I think you do. You can sell ice to an eskimo, but don't forget I'm here if you need me." To this day, I owe everything I know to that man. He will always be my mentor. Unfortunately he was let go for political reasons and went to another dealership which is way too far to drive otherwise I would have gone to work for him. We still keep in touch. He gave me the nickname "Killer" based on the character "Killer Monsoon" in a book written by Remar Sutton about the "Insider's guide to buying your next car"
That may very well be the case. I don’t know you, so I’ll take your word for it.
I can afford leather and sunroof, but a vehicle is a depreciating item. So I find it hard to put money saved into something I know will go down.
Believe it or not if you don’t have the disposable income to spend on a car vs. putting your money somewhere else then you really can’t afford what you want. I guess you and most everybody else are in the same boat here. However, a lot of buyers, who can truly afford something, decide they will forgo spending their money elsewhere because a given car option is just that important to them.
It makes me sick thinking about it, but I know vehicles are needed.
I almost know what you mean here, but I don’t get sick over it. The best way to avoid getting sick is to buy what you want (again, within reason) and keep it longer than 5 years. It’s not always dollars and cents, you have to consider the satisfaction you will derive from what you buy. For me, getting good service from something I want is money well spent.
I've never had leather nor sunroof, but have this feeling I would really enjoy them now. So if the dealer wants $3,000 more for a -L versus an plain EX, I'll skip it. But if it's a smaller difference, say $1500, then I would probably pay for it.
For me $1500 is not enough to prevent me from buying an option/s on a car that “I would really enjoy”. Look at it like this; $1500 is 6.4% of a $23,500 dollar purchase (without interest) and if you spread this out over 6 years the cost of ownership is $21.00/month. If you don’t have this much extra disposable income to keep you happy, then maybe you can’t afford it. Gee, I’m starting to sound like a guy in the biz, with the big exception of you saying you can “afford it”. However, if you really are “cheap” this kind of reasoning will go right by you.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
"...You write a deal and management changes the trade for less..."
Do you mean that if the salesman and I agree on a price management might try to renege later?
Once when I bought a car I made my offer and it was rejected by the salesperson. Two days later I called back and offered to split the difference. It was my salespersons day off so the GM got on the phone, verified my offer and accepted it on the spot. Later, when I picked up the car the salesperson said: "I wasn't going to let you have it for that price." :confuse:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Do you mean that if the salesman and I agree on a price management might try to renege later?
No... Lets say they gave you $10000 for your trade in. The deal for the sales person had a front end gross of $1500.00. Which he would have earned $300 at a 20% commision. The next day the sales manager or GM thinks it would be better for the store if they changed $10,000 ( that they had in the deal) to $9000. Now the front end gross went from $1500 to $500 and the sales mans commision went from $300 to $100. Which would have no affect to you. Your deal would not change Or this could happen. You have $1500 front end gross it goes F&I he nedds to sell a warranty and to keep his average up a $1000 profit for a warranty, lets say the warranty costs $1500, The F&I sells it to you for costs and reworks the numbers in the computer taking the money from the front end of the deal and putting it onto the back end of the deal. I don't know if I explained it good enough but those are some of things that can happen at some dealerships. :sick:
There are some stores that will screw with the sales guy pay. they are the old school stores who have not figured it out yet. The thinking is they would rather pay say for example 8% commision to the F&I guy on the Service Contract profit then pay the Salesperson 20%-40% on the sales gross.
To be honest I thought that practice was pretty much dead. We tell folks when we hire them that we will not steal from the front to give to the back.
That happened to a co-worker of mine at the first dealership he ever worked at years ago. A friend of his came in to buy a car from him. He sold them the car at a fair price. He didn't give it away for nothing but he didn't screw him either plus he got a few hundred over book for his trade because it was in very good shape.
They go into the F&I Office and the F&I guy moves all the profit from the front to the back with a sky high interest rate plus a warranty.
The F&I guy made my co-worker look like a jackass because he reduced the price of the car by XXX an gave them a little more for their trade. He tried to tell him that they kept asking for more money off and were going to walk if they didn't get the car for a cheaper price but he was lying through his teeth. He just wanted to make some more money and figured the new guy would roll over for him.
My co-worker made a big stink so they started watching the F&I guy more often and eventually he got fired.
I can't believe this! I don't know what goes through some customers minds. It was Patrice deja vu all over again. I came back from lunch and sitting at a table is Mary. I sold Mary a Pre-owned Certified Tundra about a year and a half ago. Mind you, I have called Mary on her birthday, on the anniversary of the truck sale, got her a spare key, every %$#&&&^$#$ phone call that's required for follow up. And what does she do? "Oh Hi Mack! How are you?" :confuse: "I'm doing great! What's up?" I ask. "I sold my truck and am getting a 4runner." she says. "You are. That's nice. Who's helping you?" I ask. "Tony is. I came by last week and you weren't here. I asked about you and you were off by then." she says. "Mary, I have a cell phone. You can reach me anytime." by this time I see Tony walking back with a s**t eating grin on his face. :mad: So I wish her luck with her new vehicle and walk away. I just don't get it sometimes. :confuse: Mackabee
Well my experience a few saturdays ago I go in to see the salesman that sold me my last car, I was told by another salesman he's off on vacation and will return on monday, I said i'll stop back in on monday. Doesn't most dealerships have computer systems that will show the last sales person that sold the customer their car?
Stopped by a friend's shop. He was working on a '93 LS400 and had just replaced the MAF. Out of curiosity I asked how much did that MAF cost $900? He laughed and said close...$1500. I said $1500 MAF for a 14 year old car? And the part box said TOYOTA and not Lexus....sheesh!!
Sorry for the off topic post.
So geffen, have you narrowed it down to like maybe 4 or 5 different makes?
I'm still working on it I should have a deal put together by the end of the month, lets see Honda or Toyota or Hyundai? I'm leary about Hyundai reliability. :shades:
I'm not in the car sales business (I sell plumbing supplies), but there are a scary amount of similarities between our professions.
We have "strokers" that come in or fax an order in and ask for a price quote on material for a big job and never buy. This is a HUGE time waster for us as we're a family business that isn't computerized at all so everything is hand written.
We have people come in and get downright belligerint insisting that they can get the material cheaper at a certain National Home Improvement chain whose primary color is orange. It never occurs to them that the certain retail chain isn't giving material away for nothing.
But I digress. For a few nights I've been putting myself in your shoes trying to sell my wife's beloved 2000 Mazda Protege ES.
It is a one owner car that hasn't seen a body shop since it left the factory in Hiroshima. Silver Exterior/Gray Cloth Interior. It has Automatic, Cold AC, Power moonroof, Power Windows, Power Door Locks, AM/FM/CD, 6 air bags, new tires (michelin Pilot Exalto AS, not cheapo tires), a brand new battery, new alternator, a fresh alignment, & 4 wheel ABS.
I have a stack of receipts showing all proper maintenance was performed on the car. It has approximately 88,000 miles.
The rear bumper is nicked up from parking on the street in Manhattan. The car idles rough due to a timing belt tensioner that needs to be replaced (it almost sounds like I swapped out the Mazda's 1.8l DOHC I4 for a VW TDI motor).
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
I put an ad up on craig's list with photos asking $3200 for the car about a week ago. I'm not trying to hide the fact that there is something wrong with the car. It is amazing the amount of nuts that are out there. I got some insane responses to my ad, but a few good ones.
I call a gentelman on Sunday night (the day after I posted the ad). He tells me he's really interested in the car. I give him directions to my apartment complex. He tells me he'll be there in 20 minutes. Never called back, never showed up. Do people have nothing to do?
I get in touch with another guy. Says he wants to come look at the car with his nephew. We go for a test drive. He is impressed with the shape the car is in and even more impressed with my stack of receipts. I answer all his questions. He tells me that to replace the timing belt tensioner is going to be a $1000 job and he is taking a big risk. He asks what I'll take for the car (remember I was asking $3200). He asks me for a rock bottom price. I tell him $2500 to account for the work that has to be done. He tells me he'll write me a check for $1800 right now. I thank him for his time. There is no way I'm taking a personal check from someone I don't know.
I get a few more emails during the week. Mostly from people who live way outside the NYC area or what seems like people goofing around. I got an email from someone just saying $1500. I just ignored it.
The free ad on craigslist expires in 7 days. I post a new one lowering the asking from $3200 to $2500.
My inbox is flooded within hours. I actually got a hold of 3 people who said they wanted to come and see the car tonight. They asked lots of questions. You guys must have nerves of steel to test drive cars with some people. Here's what went down tonight:
Couple #1 is a 1st year medical student and his extremely attractive Israeli wife. They pull up in a mid '90's Pontiac Grand Am that makes my wife's car look like a Lexus. They showed up an hour and a half after they said they would (arrived at 7:30 PM). Took a look at the car. Started it up. Didn't want to drive it. They ask how much I'm willing to negotiate. I asked why don't they at least take a test drive before we talk price, then explained I recently lowered the asking price for $3200 to $2500. Then they start asking me how much my insurance is and what other costs will be involved. I tell them I'd wrote up a bill of sale and they'd be responsible for registering, insuring, and paying Sales Tax on the car. They left saying they liked the car but wanted to have a mechanic look at it, but the only mechanic they trust is in queens and could I bring the car there. For those who don't know the area, queens is not that far but far enough not to want to drive a car with a timing belt tensioner problem.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Couple #2 is an Asian boyfriend/girlfriend that said they'd be at my place at 7:00 PM. They didn't want to listen to my directions and their GPS got them lost. They show up at 8:15 PM. They pull up in an '07 BMW 335iA with Sports Package and lots of other expensive BMW option packages. My first thought is, what are these people doing looking for a 7 year old protege? Anyway. I find out the guy works in the city and his girlfriend is a student at SUNY Albany (a little less than 2 hours north of where I live). They ask lots of questions, thumb through my records, speak to each other in Chinese for a minute (I was curious and asked). They ask to test drive the car. Sure.
The guy gets in an drives first. He's not the best driver in the world, but I could tolerate him for a few minutes. They speak in chinese for another minute and he pulls into the parking lot and his girlfriend wants to drive. She gets in the car and could barely back the car out of the parking spot, then she almost hit a telephone pole pulling out of the parking lot. We're driving for a few more minutes and she comments that the brakes feel very soft. I ask her if he lets her drive the BMW. SHe nods yes and I proceed to tell her thatBMWs brakes are some of the best in the business and that there are few cars on the road that will match its braking performance (much less a 7 year old Mazda Protege). Then I look up and see a red light rapidly approaching with 3 cars waiting. I hear from the sound of the engine that she is still on the gas. I sternly tell her to hit the brakes (trying not to panic or jump from the car and report it stolen). The car in front of us is rapidly approaching and the boyfriends starts SCREAMING at her in chinese. She stops with about 2 feet to spare, but it could have gotten ugly. I find out she's had her license for less than a year!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
The Asian couple asks more questions and says they'd have to have a mechanic look at the car. I graciously thnakthem for their time.
A guy emails me tells me he's very interested in my car. Call him! So I call him from work today. He tells me he's 60 years old and his 83 year old mother just moved in with them. His wife has a Mustang GT and he has a small car that his mother can't get in and out of. He's looking for a cheap 3rd car to drive her around to the Drs office and back...local errands. He asks LOTS of questions about accident history, maintenance history... He asks what I'm willing to part with the car for. I tell him I recently lowered the price from $3200 ot $2500. He tells me he'll come look at the car tomorrow with hsi mechanic and will bring cash to take the car off my hands for $2000. I told him I'll see him tomorrow...We'll see what happens!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Don't fall for that! All those previous lookers were probably working for the 60 year old guy. He sent them there to wear you down so you'll take $2000 for your $3200 car. Tell him that you have been driving cars for years so you know what they're worth. Tell him that used Protege's have been going UP in value lately. Tell him that the price you offered was YESTERDAYS' price and now it's $500 more. Tell him he's not a real man if he won't buy your car. Loan him the money to buy the car at 12% but tell him you're only charging him 6%.
I'm sure I'm leaving out some professional sales methods but these are the one's that come to mind since they have been used on me over the years. :sick:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
You've got to use this line, spoken to me with a straight face by a sales manager while I was shopping recently (I'm not kidding):
"God wants you to buy this car. He lead you here and that is why you became interested in this one. You trust Him, don't you? He wouldn't allow you to make a mistake."
....I wanted to say, "Oh really? And He told you this? What else did you find out? Can you ask Him a couple of questions for me?"
Instead, I just said that up until that point my shopping experience had been pleasant, and asked them to please not make me upset. He backed off.
What is that called, having God close down a deal for you? "The Almighty close?" And do you have to split the deal with Him? :P
Thanks for all of the responses and genuine insight on what made all of you guys successful in the business. I appreciate it! (Plus it makes for good reading)
Everyone I know that has a Hyundai praises its reliability. Mine personally went over 120K miles before anything went wrong and that was the only thing that did go wrong. So far the only out of pocket expenses has been routine maintence.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Technically at my store it is a split deal only if you put the customer on paper. But for the most part these guys have worked together for so long that it is rarely an issue. They all live by the "What comes around goes around" rule and take pretty good care of each other the first 28 days of the month. Occasionally their is an issue the last couple days of the month and for some reason it is always with a sales person who is sitting on 9, 13, or 16 units (all one away from a bonus) imagine that
The split deal issues are handled on the floor and we (the managers) don't get involved unless it looks like the issue is going to get out of hand, then we will step in.
Geeze, do you think if he went to the Toyota dealer the price would've been a lot less? Would've the Toyota dealer repaired his Lexus or would they have sent him over to the Lexus dealer? I remember having something on one of my Buicks repaired at a Chevrolet dealer and it cost a lot less but was essentially the same part.
Comments
Takes a couple years to be a "Vet" here, until then you are a "Drive Up
We call someone a vet after 6 months cause they are ussualy gone before that
I liked the dog and bone scenarios
When do the new 2008 Odysseys come out? Do the dealers know yet what will be new/different versus the 2007's?
thanks,
-brian
If you are looking for a deal, now is the time on a 2007.
Yes, looking to buy a 2007 EX or EX-L..can't decide which.
I'd like the 'extras' that the board was just talking about, like Leather and sunroof, but it depends on how much extra they will cost me versus the regular EX.
-brian
I've always said, "buy what you want", of course you have to use some reasoning here. But as the old saying goes..."if you have to ask you probably can't afford it".
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I can afford leather and sunroof, but a vehicle is a depreciating item. So I find it hard to put money saved into something I know will go down.
If I came to you and said "Give me $25,000 and in 5 years I can give you $15,000 back!" - how would you feel?
It makes me sick thinking about it, but I know vehicles are needed.
I've never had leather nor sunroof, but have this feeling I would really enjoy them now. So if the dealer wants $3,000 more for a -L versus an plain EX, I'll skip it. But if it's a smaller difference, say $1500, then I would probably pay for it.
Convertibles are the same way for me, I feel like when the top is down I see more windsheild than anything else because of how far back they come. The only convertible I have ever really felt was "open" from the driver's seat was a Wrangler, because the windsheild wasn't sloped so far back that it took up most of the view.
A couple of years ago, after moving to a different part of the state, I decided to give the business a second shot and went to a similar store which ended up being even worse to work at than the first, and I quit after only two days.
I must have impressed the general manager during that short time because he called me back and offered me the job of "personalization manager" you know, when someone buys a vehicle and they want to have an option installed I would sell the accessories and schedule installation, etc. plus put together some reports and such for the GM. I would have taken that job but before we actually talked salary/commission, I received a firm offer for a steady office job and took that instead.
Sometimes I wonder what would have happened had I "hung in there" on the front lines, and especially how I would have liked the other job at the second dealership.
I'm curious. Did car sales live up to your expectations right from the start? What were your experiences like at first? Were you able to get by (or even do well) on just taking "ups" - or did it take a while for you to build up a base of customers for repeats and referrals? How was your management? Did they really try and train you, or just point out your weaknesses? Was there another salesperson who took you "under their wing"?
Is it just the personal determination to hang in there for however long it takes? Is it the store/management you are working for? Or do some people just not get it? Or a combination of all, or something else?
It's a combination of all those things. But mostly what kept me coming back is the fact at any given week depending on how hard I work work I can make $1500 - $2000.
Other weeks I can make $400 when I don't work that hard.
Some of it is talent and determination.
Not everyone can sell cars.
There is alot of rejection that goes with this business.
It does take time to get going. Realistically, it takes about 3 yrs to really maximize your income and potential.
At my dealership, there were too many salespeople for everyone to come close to getting enough "ups" to even have a chance at that much money. Plus, the management did a pretty god job of taking money away from the salespeople. I had a few deals which I thought were really good, only to find that F&I had eaten into front end profit to help sell the customer a big warranty.
A couple of other guys I knew from my class at the business school ended up on the same lot. All three of us, plus many of the other sales people, were very lucky to see that much money in two weeks. It wasn't a matter of working hard; I'd bust my butt all week, sell three Focuses (Foci?) and make $300...
Don't know when they'll be here, or the pricing, but we do now have 2 08 Pilots in (the new SE and VP) that won't see the sales lot until most of the 07s have been gone.
Yes. I had never bought a car from a dealership before I started working in the business. The only thing I knew was what my friend who was working there told me. He said I could make a lot of money and quick. From that regard, it lived up to all my expectations.
I was a bit naive and overconfident when I started. I thought it was as simple as shaking a hand and picking out a car. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of an order taker. It CAN be that simple, but normally isn't. I remember the veterans standing outside, about 4 of them, and I walked outside. One of them asked me how I thought I was going to do in car sales. I responded that I'd always been successful at whatever I put my mind to, so I'll do just fine. They gave some knowing looks and smiled. I know what they mean now.
The good thing for me is that I consistently outperformed everyone in the store. My buddy was the top salesman there at the time and it took me a long time to surpass his numbers. But I did it eventually.
I was able to get by very easily on just fresh ups. My repeats and referrals account for a couple more units a month now. I can't complain.
As far as training, I think that my first store (and the one I work at now) did a great job. They started me with the basics and that's where it all starts. I learned to move away from following a specific pattern though and can now tailor to each individual.
It was so funny at first. I could think of nothing else besides car sales. I dreamed about closes. It consumed a large part of my energy, but it was alot of fun. I was making much more money than I ever had. It was a real rush.
When greenpeas come into our store now, I can tell you within a day if they are going to last 3 months, a couple days, or if they should never have come into the business. Rarely am I wrong. I guess I've developed a sixth sense for knowing who has "it" and who doesn't.
I sold 8 cars my first month with very good gross. 11 the next. 13 the next. 18 the next. And on from there. I was no superstar at first. My friend who got me into the car business sold 21 cars his first month. He didn't hold any gross, but he can certainly sell cars. Now, he holds gross and sells a ton. He is one of the best natural salespeople I've ever met. In addition to that, as any good salesperson, he can be the most annoying [non-permissible content removed] on the planet. I guess when you've known someone for over 10 years, you get used to some things.
Does that give any insight?
-Moo
All I had to do was show up at work on a Saturday and I would sell two.
first of all it is not that easy. My first car I evr sold was a used one and I made $550. Then I was hooked. There is always the posbility of making tha evry week and thats what keeps me in. There have been plenty of weeks that I only made $300. There were weeks I made nothing. recieved a draw for $300 and had to pay it back the next check. The store i work at now doesn't do draw checks the pay minimum wage for 40 hours than time and a half if commision is less than the hourly. The problem with that is this job is too much work for minimum wage. My first dealership's tarining was go out and take a up. The dealership i work for now does a lot more role playing in how to overcome objections to find out what there offer is to buy a car today. I understand what you are saying about how mangement can change the deal after it's done. You must be talking about adjusting the trade after the deal is done. i have seen that done at other dealers. You write a deal and management changes the trade for less so when they send it to auction they have a better chance of making money that goes directly into their pocket. Also I have seen F& I take front end gross to make more profit on their warranty or other services such as resist all. For the record i don't think Joel or any other managers here would do that. i believe any of those kind of managers would not be interested in this kind of forum because they already think they know everything. They would be a old- school dealer. It is funny when the store will higher a new salesperson and they take evry up in the world the fist month, management will love them and praise them as they are better than you . Than the next month the new hero of a sales person is burnt out, prejudging customers and brooming them because they don't think they are buying because they are getting a lot of objections. Anyway getting paged have to go.
Bone boy = gets all the house deals
Brown Noser = kisses management butt, buys them coffee and donuts expecting bones.
Vet = salespersons that live off of repeat and referrals and rarely take lot ups.
Lot lizard = sales person that hangs out on the lot and ups everyone in sight. Eventually becomes a "seasoned" sales person and hangs out in the showroom with the other vets.
car guys = people who been in the biz a while and are car nuts.
stacking = working more than one customer at a time
carding = handing out cards to everyone in sight (not looked upon favorably by veteran salespeople)
dinosaur = persons in the car biz that refuse to change with the times. Also known as "old school"
Prima donnas = sales people who think they own the dealership
Being fed = spooning, boning, etc. as in "They are feeding him/her"
Fresh up = customer that's sold in their first visit to the dealership
Blew out of the box = deal lost in F&I
Slug = lazy salesperson
Mackabee
The dealership was located in a rough part of town and it was referred to by all the sales people as "The Hood". The clientele was not the greatest and I was starving. The first car I sold was a used Ford truck and they split the deal on me as the UCM thought I was taking too long so he sent a "vet" to close the deal. I was really mad! :mad: The customers were really nice and they also didn't understand what happened. I was there for the worst months in the car biz, November and December. In January they ran a "slasher sale" which I've written about here before.
I saw an ad for a Toyota store and decided to give it a try. It was a better move but I still wasn't doing good. In April of 97 I was at the end of my rope and was ready to call it quits until one morning a well dressed gentleman in his early 50's pulled up and asked for the General Manager. I walked him over to the GM's office and walked back to the showroom. When he left, he thanked me and said "I'll see you tomorrow." Probably another salesperson I thought.
The next day I find out he's being hired as New car manager. He begins by sitting down with everyone on an individual basis. When he comes over to talk to me, he starts asking me how long I've been in the biz, if I'm married, any kids, etc. I begin to think this guy actually cares.
He smiles and asks me how many cars do I want to sell each month and asks me for a figure. I tell him 12-15 per month which is way higher than the national average (8 month). He breaks out a blank piece of paper and draws a chart with the days and proceeds to show me what I need to do to be successful. "To sell 12-15 a month you have to talk to 4-5 people a day." he says. "This can be anyone in service, parts, on the lot, where you have your dry cleaners done, etc. Don't be afraid or ashamed to tell people you sell cars. As long as you do it honestly and with integrity you'll never have to apologize for what you do."
I still remember those words to this day. He then continued, "This is what I want you to do starting today. Every customer you demo a car to and write up, don't let them go until I talk to them. When I come over don't say a word just listen to what I say and take mental notes."
The first month under my mentor I sold 21 cars and became salesman of the month. Sure, he closed a lot of my deals but he also taught me a lot of things. At the end of that month he said this to me, "You think you got the hang of it?" he asked. "Yeah, I think I got it." I replied. "Yeah, I think you do. You can sell ice to an eskimo, but don't forget I'm here if you need me."
To this day, I owe everything I know to that man. He will always be my mentor. Unfortunately he was let go for political reasons and went to another dealership which is way too far to drive otherwise I would have gone to work for him. We still keep in touch. He gave me the nickname "Killer" based on the character "Killer Monsoon" in a book written by Remar Sutton about the "Insider's guide to buying your next car"
Mackabee
That may very well be the case. I don’t know you, so I’ll take your word for it.
I can afford leather and sunroof, but a vehicle is a depreciating item. So I find it hard to put money saved into something I know will go down.
Believe it or not if you don’t have the disposable income to spend on a car vs. putting your money somewhere else then you really can’t afford what you want. I guess you and most everybody else are in the same boat here. However, a lot of buyers, who can truly afford something, decide they will forgo spending their money elsewhere because a given car option is just that important to them.
It makes me sick thinking about it, but I know vehicles are needed.
I almost know what you mean here, but I don’t get sick over it. The best way to avoid getting sick is to buy what you want (again, within reason) and keep it longer than 5 years. It’s not always dollars and cents, you have to consider the satisfaction you will derive from what you buy. For me, getting good service from something I want is money well spent.
I've never had leather nor sunroof, but have this feeling I would really enjoy them now. So if the dealer wants $3,000 more for a -L versus an plain EX, I'll skip it. But if it's a smaller difference, say $1500, then I would probably pay for it.
For me $1500 is not enough to prevent me from buying an option/s on a car that “I would really enjoy”. Look at it like this; $1500 is 6.4% of a $23,500 dollar purchase (without interest) and if you spread this out over 6 years the cost of ownership is $21.00/month. If you don’t have this much extra disposable income to keep you happy, then maybe you can’t afford it. Gee, I’m starting to sound like a guy in the biz, with the big exception of you saying you can “afford it”. However, if you really are “cheap” this kind of reasoning will go right by you.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Do you mean that if the salesman and I agree on a price management might try to renege later?
Once when I bought a car I made my offer and it was rejected by the salesperson. Two days later I called back and offered to split the difference. It was my salespersons day off so the GM got on the phone, verified my offer and accepted it on the spot. Later, when I picked up the car the salesperson said: "I wasn't going to let you have it for that price." :confuse:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Are you in the TV business?
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Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Drop me a line ASAP so we can get me on TV quicker!!!!
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-Moo
TV Hopeful
No... Lets say they gave you $10000 for your trade in. The deal for the sales person had a front end gross of $1500.00. Which he would have earned $300 at a 20% commision. The next day the sales manager or GM thinks it would be better for the store if they changed $10,000 ( that they had in the deal) to $9000. Now the front end gross went from $1500 to $500 and the sales mans commision went from $300 to $100. Which would have no affect to you. Your deal would not change Or this could happen. You have $1500 front end gross it goes F&I he nedds to sell a warranty and to keep his average up a $1000 profit for a warranty, lets say the warranty costs $1500, The F&I sells it to you for costs and reworks the numbers in the computer taking the money from the front end of the deal and putting it onto the back end of the deal. I don't know if I explained it good enough but those are some of things that can happen at some dealerships. :sick:
To be honest I thought that practice was pretty much dead. We tell folks when we hire them that we will not steal from the front to give to the back.
They go into the F&I Office and the F&I guy moves all the profit from the front to the back with a sky high interest rate plus a warranty.
The F&I guy made my co-worker look like a jackass because he reduced the price of the car by XXX an gave them a little more for their trade. He tried to tell him that they kept asking for more money off and were going to walk if they didn't get the car for a cheaper price but he was lying through his teeth. He just wanted to make some more money and figured the new guy would roll over for him.
My co-worker made a big stink so they started watching the F&I guy more often and eventually he got fired.
The only time the front will get cut is if someone has bad credit and the bank won't finance everything.
-Moo
Thats the only time it should happen. I would rather have a deal than no deal.
"Oh Hi Mack! How are you?" :confuse: "I'm doing great! What's up?" I ask. "I sold my truck and am getting a 4runner." she says. "You are. That's nice. Who's helping you?" I ask. "Tony is. I came by last week and you weren't here. I asked about you and you were off by then." she says. "Mary, I have a cell phone. You can reach me anytime." by this time I see Tony walking back with a s**t eating grin on his face. :mad: So I wish her luck with her new vehicle and walk away. I just don't get it sometimes.
:confuse:
Mackabee
In my store,that would be a split deal.
Sorry for the off topic post.
So geffen, have you narrowed it down to like maybe 4 or 5 different makes?
I'm being nice here...but no thanks. I am too busy to waste my time with a non buyer like yourself.
We have "strokers" that come in or fax an order in and ask for a price quote on material for a big job and never buy. This is a HUGE time waster for us as we're a family business that isn't computerized at all so everything is hand written.
We have people come in and get downright belligerint insisting that they can get the material cheaper at a certain National Home Improvement chain whose primary color is orange. It never occurs to them that the certain retail chain isn't giving material away for nothing.
But I digress. For a few nights I've been putting myself in your shoes trying to sell my wife's beloved 2000 Mazda Protege ES.
It is a one owner car that hasn't seen a body shop since it left the factory in Hiroshima. Silver Exterior/Gray Cloth Interior. It has Automatic, Cold AC, Power moonroof, Power Windows, Power Door Locks, AM/FM/CD, 6 air bags, new tires (michelin Pilot Exalto AS, not cheapo tires), a brand new battery, new alternator, a fresh alignment, & 4 wheel ABS.
I have a stack of receipts showing all proper maintenance was performed on the car. It has approximately 88,000 miles.
The rear bumper is nicked up from parking on the street in Manhattan. The car idles rough due to a timing belt tensioner that needs to be replaced (it almost sounds like I swapped out the Mazda's 1.8l DOHC I4 for a VW TDI motor).
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
I call a gentelman on Sunday night (the day after I posted the ad). He tells me he's really interested in the car. I give him directions to my apartment complex. He tells me he'll be there in 20 minutes. Never called back, never showed up. Do people have nothing to do?
I get in touch with another guy. Says he wants to come look at the car with his nephew. We go for a test drive. He is impressed with the shape the car is in and even more impressed with my stack of receipts. I answer all his questions. He tells me that to replace the timing belt tensioner is going to be a $1000 job and he is taking a big risk. He asks what I'll take for the car (remember I was asking $3200). He asks me for a rock bottom price. I tell him $2500 to account for the work that has to be done. He tells me he'll write me a check for $1800 right now. I thank him for his time. There is no way I'm taking a personal check from someone I don't know.
I get a few more emails during the week. Mostly from people who live way outside the NYC area or what seems like people goofing around. I got an email from someone just saying $1500. I just ignored it.
The free ad on craigslist expires in 7 days. I post a new one lowering the asking from $3200 to $2500.
My inbox is flooded within hours. I actually got a hold of 3 people who said they wanted to come and see the car tonight. They asked lots of questions. You guys must have nerves of steel to test drive cars with some people. Here's what went down tonight:
Couple #1 is a 1st year medical student and his extremely attractive Israeli wife. They pull up in a mid '90's Pontiac Grand Am that makes my wife's car look like a Lexus. They showed up an hour and a half after they said they would (arrived at 7:30 PM). Took a look at the car. Started it up. Didn't want to drive it. They ask how much I'm willing to negotiate. I asked why don't they at least take a test drive before we talk price, then explained I recently lowered the asking price for $3200 to $2500. Then they start asking me how much my insurance is and what other costs will be involved. I tell them I'd wrote up a bill of sale and they'd be responsible for registering, insuring, and paying Sales Tax on the car. They left saying they liked the car but wanted to have a mechanic look at it, but the only mechanic they trust is in queens and could I bring the car there. For those who don't know the area, queens is not that far but far enough not to want to drive a car with a timing belt tensioner problem.
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
The guy gets in an drives first. He's not the best driver in the world, but I could tolerate him for a few minutes. They speak in chinese for another minute and he pulls into the parking lot and his girlfriend wants to drive. She gets in the car and could barely back the car out of the parking spot, then she almost hit a telephone pole pulling out of the parking lot. We're driving for a few more minutes and she comments that the brakes feel very soft. I ask her if he lets her drive the BMW. SHe nods yes and I proceed to tell her thatBMWs brakes are some of the best in the business and that there are few cars on the road that will match its braking performance (much less a 7 year old Mazda Protege). Then I look up and see a red light rapidly approaching with 3 cars waiting. I hear from the sound of the engine that she is still on the gas. I sternly tell her to hit the brakes (trying not to panic or jump from the car and report it stolen). The car in front of us is rapidly approaching and the boyfriends starts SCREAMING at her in chinese. She stops with about 2 feet to spare, but it could have gotten ugly. I find out she's had her license for less than a year!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
A guy emails me tells me he's very interested in my car. Call him! So I call him from work today. He tells me he's 60 years old and his 83 year old mother just moved in with them. His wife has a Mustang GT and he has a small car that his mother can't get in and out of. He's looking for a cheap 3rd car to drive her around to the Drs office and back...local errands. He asks LOTS of questions about accident history, maintenance history... He asks what I'm willing to part with the car for. I tell him I recently lowered the price from $3200 ot $2500. He tells me he'll come look at the car tomorrow with hsi mechanic and will bring cash to take the car off my hands for $2000. I told him I'll see him tomorrow...We'll see what happens!
2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD
Don't fall for that! All those previous lookers were probably working for the 60 year old guy. He sent them there to wear you down so you'll take $2000 for your $3200 car. Tell him that you have been driving cars for years so you know what they're worth. Tell him that used Protege's have been going UP in value lately. Tell him that the price you offered was YESTERDAYS' price and now it's $500 more. Tell him he's not a real man if he won't buy your car. Loan him the money to buy the car at 12% but tell him you're only charging him 6%.
I'm sure I'm leaving out some professional sales methods but these are the one's that come to mind since they have been used on me over the years. :sick:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
"God wants you to buy this car. He lead you here and that is why you became interested in this one. You trust Him, don't you? He wouldn't allow you to make a mistake."
....I wanted to say, "Oh really? And He told you this? What else did you find out? Can you ask Him a couple of questions for me?"
Instead, I just said that up until that point my shopping experience had been pleasant, and asked them to please not make me upset. He backed off.
What is that called, having God close down a deal for you? "The Almighty close?" And do you have to split the deal with Him? :P
Sorry that is very bad glad you are alright but...ahahahhahahahahhah LMAO
Everyone I know that has a Hyundai praises its reliability. Mine personally went over 120K miles before anything went wrong and that was the only thing that did go wrong. So far the only out of pocket expenses has been routine maintence.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
The split deal issues are handled on the floor and we (the managers) don't get involved unless it looks like the issue is going to get out of hand, then we will step in.