Stories from the Sales Frontlines

british_rover

Probably had a spiff on Camrys that month. Like for every Camry they sold they got an extra 150 dollars from the manufacturer or dealership.

louiswei

That, and the reaction from my insurance agent when I called to get a quote!

That's why I like the performance sedan so much. 300 HP plus sedan-like insurance rate...can't beat that!

snakeweasel

I have had many dealerships offer to let me take the car home for the night even after I told them I was just looking around and haven't made up my mind what I was going to buy. None of those places were particually desperate.

snakeweasel

I didn't get hammered to hard on my 400 HP Caddy. But then again its not the primary car and my agent knows that it sits in the garage most days.

louiswei

Well at the same time your 400 HP Caddy is a performance sedan and not a 2-door coupe right?

cluedweasel

I used to say to my customers that I would be quiet through the drive except to give directions, but feel free to ask any questions.

cluedweasel

I've actually done that! One guy kept going on about the BMW 330 while he was test driving the G35 so I swapped seats with him and we drove to the BMW dealership.
Also, we had a guy from Cadillac do the same. It was a hot day so I took out a soda for him and his customer, unlocked the car they were comparing and left them to it. He bought the Caddy but came in with his brother a few days later to buy a G35 so it was win-win! (although 2 G35 sales would have been nice!).

snakeweasel

Well at the same time your 400 HP Caddy is a performance sedan and not a 2-door coupe right?

Well to be honest I misread the post I was replying to

But I can out accelerate that GT Stang any day :shades:

snakeweasel

We were actually looking at the G35 when we bought the Caddy. The G35 lost out hands down after driving the V.

cluedweasel

Personally, I never cared much for the power delivery of the G35. My fellow salespeople bought G35's for themselves. I went with the M45 instead. Just preferred the V8.

snakeweasel

Really didn't look at the M45, two things kept me from it. First was the price, it was just a little to pricey for us, second was it, IIRC correctly, only came in an auto.

au1994

Execellent approach and I appreciate it when my salesperson does that.

It is quite annoying to me for someone to be blabbering on about features that I already know about etc.

Or, even more annoying "So, where do you work? Got any kids, Live around here?

I'm so tempted to say "Well, I'm unemployed at the moment and me and the wife and 7 kids just had to move back in with my Mom."

snakeweasel

Or, even more annoying "So, where do you work?

At the prison laundry, that is until my recent escape.

Got any kids,

Nope had to get rid of them when they wouldn't stop asking annoying questions. By the way how many bodies can you fit in the trunk?

Live around here?

No, I usually go to one of the furthest dealerships to buy my car. Oh can you ship this to my home in New Zealand?

mazda6iguy

In my area, there is a Chevy dealer that has been around since the 40's I think. When they moved to a bigger dealership building across the street from where they were originally located, they made the old building a sort of classic car showroom (not open to the public, except by special request). The owner kept several classic chevrolets over the years, including a mint condition Caprice convertible that is used in parades. I think that they also have their original window stickers. This dealer also has classic dealership literature and original Chevrolet advertising posters, etc. in this room. Just wondering if other dealerships out there have classics in their collection (not for sale, but for show).

british_rover

Our auto group had one of the oldest Pontiact Franchises in the United States untill they finaly let the Franchise expire a few years ago.

The owner saw the crystal ball on GM and decided it was better to close the franchise and use the building for more profitable makes.

We also have one of the older Volvo and Older Saab franchises.

The autogroup owns a restored 1969 Pontiac LeMans convertiable.

Two old Volvos a 1957 and a 1968. I thought we had an old Saab as well but it is not showing in our current inventory. Maybe they finaly decided to plate that vehicle.

We also have off and on over the past several years owned the 1959 Series II Land Rover. We own it again right now and are sort of trying to sell it.

mazda6iguy

I mean classics that were never sold and obtained new, not from trade-ins, etc.

british_rover

Oh well the pontiac and one of the Volvos are vehicles that we had new and as far as I know neither has ever been titled they have always been on dealer plates.

The days in stock counter on my inventory system has kicked over to 9999.

denver_nissan

It seems the bluetooth might be best demoed as a "no-brainer", low-hassle, non-technical feature. What could be easier than pushing a button on the steering wheel and saying "call dealership" and connecting? Isn't this the way it works? Wouldn't the "hands-free" aspect of the technology best be displayed whilst the hands are engaged? If it is this simple, I would think so. If more complex, I agree that things like nav systems, etc. should be demoed while parked and one may focus on them exclusively. I will certainly defer to my experienced brethren on any account. I'm sure the dealership has finely honed procedures regarding everything "auto sales". Strong training and established procedure makes this dealership attractive to an initiate like me (not idiot, initiate!).

Regarding the 'no haggle' pricing, I don't believe it is a firm policy. I believe we have a "we will not be undersold policy", which is not advertised, but maintained.

4 years ago Michael... sounds like your ready !

Cheers,

Mark

genmtrfan

I want to own a car dealership, Chevrolet specifically. I love cars. I read everything I can find about them. Get this, I'm a business professional with a Master's degree and the only car experience I have was when I was growing up and often visited the Chevy dealer my Grandfather partially owned. It was affectionately know as the "Chevrolet garage" to everyone in the small southern town. Case of nostagia? Probably. But I've had this dream for several years and it won't go away. I live in a booming suburb that doesn't have it's first New Car Dealership (although it has everything else).

Where do I start? Before you tell me to quit my job and go to work selling cars at an established dealership, how much could you honestly expect to make the first year? Not the typical post on this site, but where better to get first hand information on how to make it work? Let the discouragement begin..... I know, it's a hard life.

corvette

My grandfather still refers to his local Chevrolet dealership as the "Chevrolet garage." As in: "I had my coolant changed last week at the Chevrolet garage."

denver_nissan

Would anyone choose to open a Chevy dealership now? I bet you could find one for sale.

I don't know much about the business, but Ford and GM are having a tough go of it now. When I went looking for a sales position, Honda, Nissan, Toyota (alphabetically) were my immediate objectives.

A toyota place that offered me a position (they couldn't take me until February due to a driving record hang-up) told me $35-45K was more or less automatic. You could make that lying down. Beyond that, it is purely you.

I knew that I could not consider selling something that I wouldn't want to buy. That might separate me from a true sales "professional", but it will help me sleep at night. When I think transportation, Chevy does not come to mind. I came of age during the late '70s. Gas prices were high, the Accord was introduced. I had a hand-me-down choice of two cars in 1980: a '68 Mercedes 230 sedan, or a ?'74 or '76 Toronado. I chose the old Mercedes. I'm from the East Coast (Fairfield County Connecticut). We were surrounded by foreign models. My mother had an '87 (?) Buick Regal. I've never driven a car that was so poor. I am the domestic auto maker's "lost generation". They really don't exist for me. Before the Buick (which was a company car), she had '86 Accord with the flip-up headlights. That was the most perfect car I'd ever driven. Sporty, good looking...

Good luck with the Chevy's. I may have opened the door to alot of flaming here, but I am looking to make a good living here. Nostalgia has no room in this business decision.

biancar

Re the Bluetooth, I agree with the others about showing it when the car is parked, either before or after the test drive. You could show it before the test and then say something like "you can try it out while you're driving if you'd like." Leave it to the customer.

It's annoying to me when the sales guy wants to do something fiddly in the middle of a test drive when maybe I'm concentrating on how the car handles, how it sounds, seat comfort, etc.

div2

Back in the 1980's, I dreamed about owning an Alfa/BMW/Honda dealership. I was going to call it "Axis Motorsports" :P

isellhondas

Well, let's see...

First of all, do you have about 20 million lying around?

snakeweasel

I wish I owned a business that was so profitable I could take in expensive inventory and never sell it.

The very nature of business is to turn around inventory as quickly as possible. That being said I would say that dealerships that purposely hold onto cars for the sake of having "new" classics down the road are few and far between. Now there is always the case where they couldn't give away a car and it sat in the lot for years and years, but I would also suspect that that is indeed rare too.

snakeweasel

Where do I start?

Well if you are a business professional with a Masters degree you should know the answer to this. First thing you do is create a business plan which includes a feesability study which includes "can the Nashville area support another Chevy dealership?" and "will Chevy allow another franchise in the area?".

snakeweasel

Plus the vehicle I was driving was paid off and while it had close to 100K at the time, it still had no major issues and so I decided to go ahead and drive it till the wheels fell off

Yep you really did the right thing financially. If your current ride is paid off and it is running well and fits your needs then there is no real reason to get a new one. Put those car payments in the bank for a few years then pay cash for your next one.

snakeweasel

I don't know much about the business, but Ford and GM are having a tough go of it now.

They may be having a tough go of it now but they are far from finished. In 5-10 years you might see a strong GM and Ford, in 20-25 years GM and Ford might be very strong with Honda and Toyota falling on hard times. Then again maybe not, but they are not going away any time soon.

A toyota place that offered me a position (they couldn't take me until February due to a driving record hang-up) told me $35-45K was more or less automatic.

Unless they are offering you a base salary (or salary against commission) of $35-45K then I would take it with a grain of salt. It it is a strictly a commission position nothing is automatic, anything above $0.00 is strictly up to you.

snakeweasel

First of all, do you have about 20 million lying around?

Or can you get financing for it?

graphicguy

Or, even more annoying "So, where do you work?

At the prison laundry, that is until my recent escape.

Got any kids,

Nope had to get rid of them when they wouldn't stop asking annoying questions. By the way how many bodies can you fit in the trunk?

Live around here?

No, I usually go to one of the furthest dealerships to buy my car. Oh can you ship this to my home in New Zealand?

Now....that's funny stuff.......

genmtrfan

Are you just using Nashville as an example, because I didn't mention the name of the city?

I have enjoyed the comments. No, you can't make a business decision on nostalgia, yes you do need lots of money and/or credit and you've got to have a business plan.

I do disagree that Chevy would be a bad choice. They've got the full line, the Impala is selling like crazy with the Malibu not far behind. They've got the new Taho, new full-sized trucks (soon) and will have the new Camaro in a few years as well as a new Malibu next year. I also agree that you should sell what you would drive. There's a new Uplander in my driveway.

My question was more of a how do I get there from here? If you had the cash or credit you could buy an existing dealership. I'd say that you could buy for far less than 20 mil if you find the right situation. I know it would be very difficult to get a new dealership without experience. However, I could get some partners and the business experience in general would help.

I was also intrigued to hear that someone else's grandfather uses the term "Chevrolet garage." Funny how language changes.

au1994

"Chevrolet garage."

Doesn't the term go way, way, way back when many of the first dealership franchises were given to repair shops?

genmtrfan

The answer to that is that I still have and 8-5 job, so would you think I have 20 mill? I have great credit, but I don't know how what percentage a bank would be willing to loan. Has anyone had any experience with GM Motors Holding?

genmtrfan

Very possibly. My grandfather was at this dealership from 1943-2003, so it's an old one. He's 91 and was the Parts Manager and part owner. He'd still be there now if he could see over ten feet. But, yeah, he's still driving his '02 Impala.

I've got an '88 Iroc I've had since Sept. '87 and would love to put it on the showroom floor as an attraction.

jmonroe

..." Why don't you just buy it from him?"

" I don't want to pay too much!"

" Sorry, I don't like your tactics. Buy it from them!"

Click...

isell,

For what it's worth I don't blame you for doing the "Click" on this guy. This guy went WAY beyond being a jerk. You've got to have a lot of b---- to call from another dealers office.

In the end I guess you won. Imagine what you would have gone through the first time a jerk like this would have had a problem with his car.

Yep, you definitely won.

jmonroe

snakeweasel

Are you just using Nashville as an example, because I didn't mention the name of the city?

I am using Nashville because your profile says Nashville. Lovely little town, used to live there near the Airport. May I ask what section of the area you're at?

My question was more of a how do I get there from here?

Try contacting GM, see if their dealer relations department can help you.

british_rover

Very few dealerships now are single point operations.

Most autogroups now have multiple franchises spread out over many different demographics and price points.

We have two franchises that sell brand new vehicles for less then 14,000 dollars. Then we have our franchise that does not sell any new vehicle for less then 40,000 dollars. When the Phaeton was out for VW we had two franchises that had vehicles approaching the six figure price range.

Then there is the seasonal aspect in some part of the country. From now till about Feb/March we will be rocking. Over the next five to six months I will make around 75% of my yearly income. At the same time some our two domestic stores will drop off in the middle of the winter considerably.

corvette

I have no experience with financing an auto dealership, but generally banks expect a personal guarantee when loaning money to a new, unestablished business (or, financing an existing business for a new owner). Basically, if the business fails, you'll be filing bankruptcy. No pressure or anything!

snakeweasel

The answer to that is that I still have and 8-5 job, so would you think I have 20 mill?

To be honest, since I know someone who is selling shoes at a local department store with about 30 million in the bank I would say I don't know.

british_rover

Which bank did he rob?

snakeweasel

He'd still be there now if he could see over ten feet. But, yeah, he's still driving his '02 Impala.

He can't see more than ten feet and he is still driving????? :surprise: :surprise: :surprise:

snakeweasel

It is more of a case of the luck of the draw when the stork dropped him off. In this case its a little bit of eccentric and a little bit of wanting to show everyone he can survive outside his families fortune.

Anyway bank robberies usually net just a few grand.

british_rover

Well not if it is the Italian Job.

VRoom Vroom MINI.

isellhondas

" The Impala is selling like crazy"

Ah, where? To the rental companies?

genmtrfan

I figured that out after I posted. I didn't realize city info was on the profile.

Fastest growing City in the State (MJ). New retail development at the interchange that will compete with anything already in Nashville. Nashville in general is booming, Nissan's HQ is moving here, we have NFL, NHL, healthcare company mecca. Saturns are built here, Nissans are built here, Corvettes are built 50 miles from here. It's a great time to be in Nashville, economically.

But competition would be strong area-wide. We have a Bill Heard dealership and several other Chevy dealerships, but none within 15 miles of this area.

genmtrfan

I don't know the % that goes to rental, but I know GM has reduced it substantially this year. July sales were something like 30K and August's were 26K. Just look around on the road. They're everywhere.

genmtrfan

Pretty scary, I know. He just basically drives to his girlfriend's house everynight and back (young thang at 76), get's a haircut weekly, and grocery shops. I don't know how he does it, but he's been like this for years and hasn't had an accident.

snakeweasel

Yeah if only life were a movie, then we could make it a musical and everyone can spontaneously break out in song and dance.

Kirstie_H

I do that anyway.
I'm sitting at my desk singing "I Feel Pretty" right now.

british_rover

can spontaneously break out in song and dance

I do that anyway.
I'm sitting at my desk singing "I Feel Pretty" right now.

I can't dance, I can't talk.
Only thing about me is the way I walk.
I can't dance, I can't sing
I'm just standing here selling everything.