walking to his car... still walking... still walking... getting in... slowly shuts door, slowly starts engine... slowly drives away looking in rear view mirror
Why on Earth would Bobst be looking for a car if he has a Star Trek transporter?? Or is he a Ferengi in disquise looking to make a profit off of unsuspecting hyooo-mons?
Nevermind - I couldn't resist! Now, back to the regularly scheduled program ...
He talks about being "logical" but to me, since he plans to raise his offer at the next store, why not just raise it at the store he is at already? Makes no sense to me.
Raising the bid would be negotiation.
If you decide not to negotiate you have three choices: (1) Buy at MSRP or sale price from any dealer without negotiation, (2) Buy at a fixed-price dealer such as CarMax, Scion or Fitzmall, or (3) Create your own fixed-price offer.
Raising the bid from store to store is market research. The system makes perfect sense once you accept as a constraint that there will be no negotiation.
I bought my wife's ring in the diamond district in NYC and negotiating is completely necessary. They start everyone off with a complete sucker's price then quickly chop 30% off. After that, you grind for another $500 or so. I think the starting point on my wife's ring was $7,000 and I paid $4,300.
I couldn't give a crap about jewelry, but it's an important gesture to the girl and you want to give the best ring that you can reasonably afford. If I would have walked in and asked for a $4,300 ring and took the first that they showed me, I'd be royally screwing myself.
Buying the ring was a completely painful process. By a car was comparitively a pleasure.
bobst may not like to negotiate, but I think it would be much less stress and more "logical" to pick up the phone to make a simple counter offer, than to go to another dealership and confront another salesperson and sales manager
Here is the thing Bobst can't pick up the phone and counter offer. For Bobst to counter offer the dealer would first need to make an offer, but the dealer refused the offer without countering Bobst offer. All bobst would do if he called back would be to start bidding himself up, thats a very bad thing to do in a negotiation.
LOL... you must be joking?
No I am not, he already knows what car he wants, already knows what options, me most likely test drove the car someplace and he knows his price all he needs to do is make an offer. That takes about a minute to find a salesman and present his offer.
If you think different tell me what more he has to do?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I don't know so much about him, I know about his buying style (much of what I don't agree with but thats a personal choice) and I know that by reading his posts. His style of buying is so famous on these boards its called the Bobst method.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I wish I had someone that could make me feel so safe and would defend me on these boards. I've been shunned by my fellow Honda salesman, "Isellhondas". I don't know who else to turn to.
I hope this will end the discussion on Bobst's buying method. It is widely recognized by the salesmen as amusing. We all applaud him for his style and wish him the best. Bobst and his special protector Snakeweasel are awesome and we at the boards love them.
Well first off Bobst will tell you that I am as critical of his method as anyone is as I see some problems with it (as do you). But it is a system that works and seems to work well with him.
However ridiculing him for using a method that he likes the best that produces a good deal for both him and the dealer is completely uncalled for.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
It's times like these that I sincerely wish a laydown would walk through the doors. I'm so bored right now and I'm not especially interested in my internet leads.
madman....no offense intended, but most of the regulars on here who are buyers have enough experience in buying a car that I doubt any of us would walk into a showroom and be considered by any salesperson as "amusing" in our strategies.
Most of us have been buying cars for years (most of the salespeople here have been selling cars for years, too). Most of us have seen all the "if I.....would you" closes, 4 squares, "puppy dog", bait and switch, etc than we care to recall.
Most of us know what any car will sell for (give or take a couple hundred). I don't think I've seen any of the regulars step up as payment buyers, either.
Fact is, you can think of us as amusing if you want. I don't know that you'd be successful in selling us a car, however.
isellhondas has been around here at least as long as me, probably longer (and I've been around here for a good long while). While we don't always agree, he's shown to respect the buyer that respects what he's trying to do. If he's "shunning" you, he must have a good reason.
We've seen a lot of good sales people come and go here (Mackabee, rroyce, etc). Some have stuck around (isell, audia8q, etc).
I learn from all of them....buyers and sellers. Hopefully, you can, too.
as a former saleswoman, i feel your pain. i loved the idea of being around cars (im a little bit of a car nut) and helping people find the car thats right for them. I never pulled any sneaky sales tactics. i was quickly jaded however by the hatred i felt by people walking in the door. I am usually a very pleasant person. It was very hard for me to deal with the fact that people would come in hating me, and they'd never even met me. It turned me a bit cynical towards the whole thing.
all in all, stayed in the biz for two years. i enjoyed my time for the most part. I did feel, however, that some people made the process TOO hard. its almost like many (not all, before the edmunds faithful jump on me) have information overload. this person gives this advice, someone else says something different, and a buyer doesn't know what to do, doesnt know what to look for, and ultimately, doesnt know a good deal if it jumped up and bit them on the nose.
most of the regulars on this forum are the exception to the rules, so they tend to disagree with what salespeople say about their average everyday buyer.
what i wish most though, is that the regulars here wouldn't work so hard to gang up on the new salespeople who take the time to come here, and jump down their throats. give moo a break. he's here to share stories...not hear how terrible he is with the backhanded comments about integrity in sales.
anyways, from a long time reader, but an infrequent poster...
- I actually think the Bobst method is a good way to approach things, for someone that is logical and detailed oriented, and does the research to formulate a realistic price, but does not like to negotiate. The only problem I have with it is he does not trust is analysis.
If I was Bobsting, I would take the same offer to multiple dealers, instead of assuming that becasue the 1st dealer did not take an offer of X, than no dealer would.
If there are 10 Honda dealers within shopping distance, at least try the X offer at 2-3 of them, before going up to X+$100
- THe puppy dog is still popular. I did some looking lately for my SIL, and I was up front that I was doing initial recon, but the car was not for me. At more than one place, I got a hard sell to "take one home with me and show it to her", aka the puppy dog.
A couple of years back I had a Scion, and when I had to bring it in for service the sales guy I bought from would lend me his demo (see, buying local can have perks!)
Anyway, one day I get in, and there is a CD playing when I start it up. Turns out to be a training seminar of some kind. I think it was called "99 closes" or something similar.
So, it was a guru type running through a huge list of closes, and explaining how they work, what type of buyer and when to use them, etc. Really quite interesting.
The puppy dog was one I heard, but at this point I can't remember what the othres were called. I just wish I had burned a copy of the disk before I gave the car back!
I wish it was popular around here. My wife in particular would welcome the opportunity to examine and try a car before buying it outside a showroom setting. Of course neither she nor I would have any qualms about returning the car and saying "Sorry, not for us." if it didn't suit.
most of the regulars on here who are buyers have enough experience in buying a car that I doubt any of us would walk into a showroom and be considered by any salesperson as "amusing" in our strategies.
Then you're living in a fool's paradise. If only you knew what was said on a showroom floor.
I don't know that you'd be successful in selling us a car, however.
You'd be surprised. I can sell anyone that I care to. You guys are an easy sale. What could possibly be difficult about someone who has already picked out a vehicle and has a price in mind....? A trained monkey could close that deal.
If he's "shunning" you, he must have a good reason.
Once again, someone isn't picking up on humor. This board needs an injection of laughy gas.
I learn from all of them....buyers and sellers. Hopefully, you can, too.
I love the melodramatic learning feeling I'm getting. I'm sure I'll learn from someone. However, there is very little chance that someone who has purchased 5 or 10 or 15 cars in his lifetime can come close to matching someones experience selling 100's or 1000's of cars in his lifetime.
I learn from my fellow salesmen. I look at who is successful and I syphon off the best traits of them. I discard the things that don't work for me. The one thing that I've held onto of my own is a healthy sense of humor about everything.
He talks about being "logical" but to me, since he plans to raise his offer at the next store, why not just raise it at the store he is at already?
Makes no sense to me.
You may not agree with this method, but it certainly makes sense. If you raise your offer once at a store, how's the salesman gonna know you won't raise it again?
Try this. Go in to the dealer by yourself, and tell them you are doing the initial looking to see if you could live with it, but it will be your wifes car. Be real clear that you CAN NOT make a decision, it has to be her.
When they start pushing to bring her in, toss out some comments about her schedule, etc, but you will 'see if she can find the time". This is the point where they will offer to let you take it to her, if they are ever going to do it!
I just wish I had burned a copy of the disk before I gave the car back!
Oh 'stick' did you ever screw up. Now you will have to go through life only imagining what the regulars here would have paid for one of those pirated discs.
You're going to wear out lots of pairs of shoes kicking yourself over this one.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
It was very hard for me to deal with the fact that people would come in hating me, and they'd never even met me.
Isn't that a weird feeling? That was the biggest obstacle for me to get by. But then the paychecks started coming in and I realized this was the business for me!
As long as the monkey is trained to carry my written offer to the sales manager without losing it, he would be doing all that we ask of a sales person (or a sales monkey).
However, if a dealer had sales monkeys we would be sure to not write our offers on banana scented paper.
Of course, we enjoy the process more if the sales person is interesting to talk with. With our last purchase, the salesman and I had a nice discussion about cosmology.
You know, since our last car buying experience was so good, I think I will start avoiding dealers where we greeted by monkeys. On the other hand, I would be thrilled if a store had turtles on their sales staffs, because I have always liked turtles and I even used to sleep with one. Dont worry, it was of legal age.
mad....good luck with your career. Hope it's long and fruitful.
Anyone I've ever known in the business world...who has been successful, has always focused on the customer.....learned from them. If you want to focus on the other sales people for your success, please let us know how many cars you're selling to them.
Wish you the best with your strategy.
Fact is, if what I'm reading from you is correct, and I walked into your dealership.....the only way you'd get my business would be if you came out of the shoot $1,000 under water on the car I'm interested in. I wouldn't even take the time to "toy" with you.
I did try exactly that. The salesguy offered to bring the car to our house. Which is great but of course he is then in the picture - not the idea at all.
My work here is finished. I have everyone up in arms now. Bobst, excellent post.
Graphicguy, I have a computer, an internet connection and a forum to voice my opinion. This means that I'm an expert on everything I'm talking about. Please don't mess with an expert. Thanks, buhbye.
You are new to these forums and I'm just trying to figure you out as I'm sure the others are.
Over the years, a lot of people have come and gone from these forums including a bunch of quality people.
Even though I don't agree with everybody, I respect them and would invite them into my home. Bobst would be a great example of that. He's a savvy guy but we don't share too many opinions.
In the few weeks you've been around, you have left some disturbing (to me)posts. You talked about how you lied to a woman, lowballed her and had her drive 200 miles for nothing. When you were berated for doing this, you said you were just joking. Were you?
I do have a great sense of humor but when you joke about doing something like that, I'm sorry but it isn't funny.
I welcome new people to these forums. New posters are necessary and you have left some good posts too.
Based on what I read, you probably wouldn't fit in in our store but I probably wouldn't survive in yours either.
unfortunately, i worked at a very slow store, so the paychecks didnt quite come in as often as i'd like for me. loved my managers and co-workers though. when they all left because the owner cleaned house (after the first owner decided to clean out the potential new owner), i decided to move on in my career.
nonetheless, made some great friends while i was there - my colleagues were like family!
I was poking fun at Snakeweasel's defense of Bobst. It was a joke.
In the few weeks you've been around, you have left some disturbing (to me)posts. You talked about how you lied to a woman, lowballed her and had her drive 200 miles for nothing. When you were berated for doing this, you said you were just joking. Were you?
This disturbs ME the most. You think someone who has been in the business for 4 years and supports their (growing) family would do this to his customers?
This is why I think this forum needs to laugh a little bit at themselves. Lighten up guys. These are stories from the frontlines. We all do it at the dealership and the customers all do it at home. We all talk about things that go on around us. The customers have assumptions about salespeople and vice versa. I'm just having fun with those assumptions and then telling some true stories as well.
Based on what I read, you probably wouldn't fit in in our store but I probably wouldn't survive in yours either.
Isell, tell me a little bit about your store. Are there 2 people in charge of running the internet? How many new cars do you guys typically sell? How many Honda dealers are in your area?
Thanks for the welcome. I know that I can't make everyone laugh. :P
we had a blast where i worked. I was actually the product knowledge queen of nissans while i was there (i have since gotten a bit rusty)
the last year or so i was the internet manager. and while my approach is different from yours (i actually gave a price broken down by invoice, discount, rebates, etc) i found that people were very responsive. i would respond within the hour, with a personalized response to their request. we didn't have automated emails or anything. but again, we were a small little joint.
all the guys i worked with were at my wedding too - put them in back by the bar, where i knew they'd like to be.
a good experience. when you sit on the "evil" side of the desk for two years, it gives you a different view on how to buy a car next time you need to. i think most people who have sold cars can understand that...
anyways, i still putz around here because i am a carnut deep down inside...
The thing to keep in mind is that jokes you'd make in everyday conversation don't always come across as such in plain ol' black & white. We've never met you, don't know your personality. Even if you're the funniest man on the planet in person, and your sarcasm comes through so that there's no mistaking it for your true opinion, it's going to be hard for us to just "get" that right off the bat.
We do enjoy your stories, and we'll get acquainted with your personal sense of humor in time... we'll try to give you a chance if you try to give us one.
Go Cards.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
Even though I don't agree with everybody, I respect them and would invite them into my home.
Woo hoo! Party at Isells house.
In the few weeks you've been around, you have left some disturbing (to me)posts. You talked about how you lied to a woman, lowballed her and had her drive 200 miles for nothing. When you were berated for doing this, you said you were just joking. Were you?
A question for you and every car sales professional, does it really matter if they were joking? People are going to read that (mind you nothing in that post suggested she was joking) and its going to confirm their suspicions that cars sales people are cheats. In other words it puts a profession that doesn't have a stellar repretation in a very bad light.
FWIW Isell you are not the only one who finds those posts disturbing. I would never talk that way about my profession.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
ive seen blondes tell blonde jokes, and lawyers tell lawyer jokes...its all about a sense of humor. unfortunately, sometimes the intonation of what is being "said" is lost on a message board...
it puts a profession that doesn't have a stellar repretation in a very bad light
I'm pretty sure that I did not personally build this 'repretation' by myself. I'm making fun of what everyone assumes us to be. I can laugh about it. It's just cars.
I would never talk that way about my profession.
You're a CPA, lol. What bad things could be said? "I totally didn't audit that company, it was awesome!" The accountant industry doesn't typically have the flair for stories as the car biz does. Car sales are part of retail, so we talk with people constantly. I'm sure there are some bad apples in your business as well, but the stories just probably aren't as fun.
Someone may have done that before, but I'm not sure why they would.
You'd fit in just fine here. We do the same amount of business and have the same amount of competition. Good folks that work here and a very affluent area.
A blonde telling a blonde joke or a lawyer telling a lawyer joke (BTW they do know the best lawyer jokes) is markly different to a car salesperson proclaiming they lied to a customer then claiming it was only a joke later on when people complain about it.
Tell me which one is more acceptable to you.
1.) a Cop telling a joke about a cop shaking down a drug pusher for money.
or
2.) a cop saying he shakes down drug dealers for money then saying "oh I was only joking" when they start investigating him.
There is a difference.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Where did it all go wrong, Snake? Were you absolutely taken on your first car sale? And now you're trying to get back? Why so serious?
My last comment in that story doesn't tip you off? I believe I said, "That's just good business." That doesn't sound anything like sarcasm?
Wow.... We'll get through it together. Me and you, man. I'll be your counsellor. Just let me know how I can help and let's start from the beginning. Lie back. Breathe deep. And start when you're ready.
The accountant industry doesn't typically have the flair for stories as the car biz does.
You would be surprize at the stories accountants could tell you. Many accountants have big end of the tax season parties and you should hear some of the tales that come out of those (you don't really have a good story until you been in the tax prep trenches). Maybe sometime I could tell you about auditing dealerships. FWIW I just got off the phone with one of our dealers (man I am getting to hate our dealers).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Comments
Why on Earth would Bobst be looking for a car if he has a Star Trek transporter?? Or is he a Ferengi in disquise looking to make a profit off of unsuspecting hyooo-mons?
Nevermind - I couldn't resist! Now, back to the regularly scheduled program ...
tidester, host
The main thing is that he got a wonderful girl to marry.
Just like buying a car. The price is secondary. The main thing is to buy a car that you will truly enjoy driving for years.
You see, in some ways they were very advanced.
Raising the bid would be negotiation.
If you decide not to negotiate you have three choices: (1) Buy at MSRP or sale price from any dealer without negotiation, (2) Buy at a fixed-price dealer such as CarMax, Scion or Fitzmall, or (3) Create your own fixed-price offer.
Raising the bid from store to store is market research. The system makes perfect sense once you accept as a constraint that there will be no negotiation.
The Ferengi, IIRC, were expert negotiators.
But their Rules of Acquisition tell the full story!
tidester, host
I couldn't give a crap about jewelry, but it's an important gesture to the girl and you want to give the best ring that you can reasonably afford. If I would have walked in and asked for a $4,300 ring and took the first that they showed me, I'd be royally screwing myself.
Buying the ring was a completely painful process. By a car was comparitively a pleasure.
-Moo
Jip, I loved the story as well.
Here is the thing Bobst can't pick up the phone and counter offer. For Bobst to counter offer the dealer would first need to make an offer, but the dealer refused the offer without countering Bobst offer. All bobst would do if he called back would be to start bidding himself up, thats a very bad thing to do in a negotiation.
LOL... you must be joking?
No I am not, he already knows what car he wants, already knows what options, me most likely test drove the car someplace and he knows his price all he needs to do is make an offer. That takes about a minute to find a salesman and present his offer.
If you think different tell me what more he has to do?
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Is Bobst kin? How do you know so much about him?
-Moo
If he is I don't know about it.
How do you know so much about him?
I don't know so much about him, I know about his buying style (much of what I don't agree with but thats a personal choice) and I know that by reading his posts. His style of buying is so famous on these boards its called the Bobst method.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I hope this will end the discussion on Bobst's buying method. It is widely recognized by the salesmen as amusing. We all applaud him for his style and wish him the best. Bobst and his special protector Snakeweasel are awesome and we at the boards love them.
NEXT TOPIC PLZ!
However ridiculing him for using a method that he likes the best that produces a good deal for both him and the dealer is completely uncalled for.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I rarely quote myself, but....
It's times like these that I sincerely wish a laydown would walk through the doors. I'm so bored right now and I'm not especially interested in my internet leads.
Nothing like moving 150,000 dollars worth of inventory on and around some boulders first thing in the morning.
Most of us have been buying cars for years (most of the salespeople here have been selling cars for years, too). Most of us have seen all the "if I.....would you" closes, 4 squares, "puppy dog", bait and switch, etc than we care to recall.
Most of us know what any car will sell for (give or take a couple hundred). I don't think I've seen any of the regulars step up as payment buyers, either.
Fact is, you can think of us as amusing if you want. I don't know that you'd be successful in selling us a car, however.
isellhondas has been around here at least as long as me, probably longer (and I've been around here for a good long while). While we don't always agree, he's shown to respect the buyer that respects what he's trying to do. If he's "shunning" you, he must have a good reason.
We've seen a lot of good sales people come and go here (Mackabee, rroyce, etc). Some have stuck around (isell, audia8q, etc).
I learn from all of them....buyers and sellers. Hopefully, you can, too.
as a former saleswoman, i feel your pain. i loved the idea of being around cars (im a little bit of a car nut) and helping people find the car thats right for them. I never pulled any sneaky sales tactics. i was quickly jaded however by the hatred i felt by people walking in the door. I am usually a very pleasant person. It was very hard for me to deal with the fact that people would come in hating me, and they'd never even met me. It turned me a bit cynical towards the whole thing.
all in all, stayed in the biz for two years. i enjoyed my time for the most part. I did feel, however, that some people made the process TOO hard. its almost like many (not all, before the edmunds faithful jump on me) have information overload. this person gives this advice, someone else says something different, and a buyer doesn't know what to do, doesnt know what to look for, and ultimately, doesnt know a good deal if it jumped up and bit them on the nose.
most of the regulars on this forum are the exception to the rules, so they tend to disagree with what salespeople say about their average everyday buyer.
what i wish most though, is that the regulars here wouldn't work so hard to gang up on the new salespeople who take the time to come here, and jump down their throats. give moo a break. he's here to share stories...not hear how terrible he is with the backhanded comments about integrity in sales.
anyways, from a long time reader, but an infrequent poster...
welcome!
-thene
- I actually think the Bobst method is a good way to approach things, for someone that is logical and detailed oriented, and does the research to formulate a realistic price, but does not like to negotiate. The only problem I have with it is he does not trust is analysis.
If I was Bobsting, I would take the same offer to multiple dealers, instead of assuming that becasue the 1st dealer did not take an offer of X, than no dealer would.
If there are 10 Honda dealers within shopping distance, at least try the X offer at 2-3 of them, before going up to X+$100
- THe puppy dog is still popular. I did some looking lately for my SIL, and I was up front that I was doing initial recon, but the car was not for me. At more than one place, I got a hard sell to "take one home with me and show it to her", aka the puppy dog.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Anyway, one day I get in, and there is a CD playing when I start it up. Turns out to be a training seminar of some kind. I think it was called "99 closes" or something similar.
So, it was a guru type running through a huge list of closes, and explaining how they work, what type of buyer and when to use them, etc. Really quite interesting.
The puppy dog was one I heard, but at this point I can't remember what the othres were called. I just wish I had burned a copy of the disk before I gave the car back!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I wish it was popular around here. My wife in particular would welcome the opportunity to examine and try a car before buying it outside a showroom setting. Of course neither she nor I would have any qualms about returning the car and saying "Sorry, not for us." if it didn't suit.
Talk about backhanded comments.
"He", my dear lady, is a she.
Now that's a real backhanded comment...
Had to get that in...now the host can push the cancel button.
Then you're living in a fool's paradise. If only you knew what was said on a showroom floor.
I don't know that you'd be successful in selling us a car, however.
You'd be surprised. I can sell anyone that I care to. You guys are an easy sale. What could possibly be difficult about someone who has already picked out a vehicle and has a price in mind....? A trained monkey could close that deal.
If he's "shunning" you, he must have a good reason.
Once again, someone isn't picking up on humor. This board needs an injection of laughy gas.
I learn from all of them....buyers and sellers. Hopefully, you can, too.
I love the melodramatic learning feeling I'm getting. I'm sure I'll learn from someone. However, there is very little chance that someone who has purchased 5 or 10 or 15 cars in his lifetime can come close to matching someones experience selling 100's or 1000's of cars in his lifetime.
I learn from my fellow salesmen. I look at who is successful and I syphon off the best traits of them. I discard the things that don't work for me. The one thing that I've held onto of my own is a healthy sense of humor about everything.
graph,
You are a much more hopeful person than I am. I think that's just wishful thinking with this guy but only time will tell.
Lets not hold our breath.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Makes no sense to me.
You may not agree with this method, but it certainly makes sense.
If you raise your offer once at a store, how's the salesman gonna know you won't raise it again?
When they start pushing to bring her in, toss out some comments about her schedule, etc, but you will 'see if she can find the time". This is the point where they will offer to let you take it to her, if they are ever going to do it!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Oh 'stick' did you ever screw up. Now you will have to go through life only imagining what the regulars here would have paid for one of those pirated discs.
You're going to wear out lots of pairs of shoes kicking yourself over this one.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
If s/he is a good salesperson they will try to get them to raise their price again.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
That was actually very sweet.
It was very hard for me to deal with the fact that people would come in hating me, and they'd never even met me.
Isn't that a weird feeling? That was the biggest obstacle for me to get by. But then the paychecks started coming in and I realized this was the business for me!
As long as the monkey is trained to carry my written offer to the sales manager without losing it, he would be doing all that we ask of a sales person (or a sales monkey).
However, if a dealer had sales monkeys we would be sure to not write our offers on banana scented paper.
Of course, we enjoy the process more if the sales person is interesting to talk with. With our last purchase, the salesman and I had a nice discussion about cosmology.
You know, since our last car buying experience was so good, I think I will start avoiding dealers where we greeted by monkeys. On the other hand, I would be thrilled if a store had turtles on their sales staffs, because I have always liked turtles and I even used to sleep with one. Dont worry, it was of legal age.
It's probably similar to what the potential buyers are saying in their car on the way to another dealership.
Anyone I've ever known in the business world...who has been successful, has always focused on the customer.....learned from them. If you want to focus on the other sales people for your success, please let us know how many cars you're selling to them.
Wish you the best with your strategy.
Fact is, if what I'm reading from you is correct, and I walked into your dealership.....the only way you'd get my business would be if you came out of the shoot $1,000 under water on the car I'm interested in. I wouldn't even take the time to "toy" with you.
Graphicguy, I have a computer, an internet connection and a forum to voice my opinion. This means that I'm an expert on everything I'm talking about. Please don't mess with an expert. Thanks, buhbye.
LOL!
so true ... so true.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
You are new to these forums and I'm just trying to figure you out as I'm sure the others are.
Over the years, a lot of people have come and gone from these forums including a bunch of quality people.
Even though I don't agree with everybody, I respect them and would invite them into my home. Bobst would be a great example of that. He's a savvy guy but we don't share too many opinions.
In the few weeks you've been around, you have left some disturbing (to me)posts. You talked about how you lied to a woman, lowballed her and had her drive 200 miles for nothing. When you were berated for doing this, you said you were just joking. Were you?
I do have a great sense of humor but when you joke about doing something like that, I'm sorry but it isn't funny.
I welcome new people to these forums. New posters are necessary and you have left some good posts too.
Based on what I read, you probably wouldn't fit in in our store but I probably wouldn't survive in yours either.
Please carry on...
unfortunately, i worked at a very slow store, so the paychecks didnt quite come in as often as i'd like for me. loved my managers and co-workers though. when they all left because the owner cleaned house (after the first owner decided to clean out the potential new owner), i decided to move on in my career.
nonetheless, made some great friends while i was there - my colleagues were like family!
-thene
I was poking fun at Snakeweasel's defense of Bobst. It was a joke.
In the few weeks you've been around, you have left some disturbing (to me)posts. You talked about how you lied to a woman, lowballed her and had her drive 200 miles for nothing. When you were berated for doing this, you said you were just joking. Were you?
This disturbs ME the most. You think someone who has been in the business for 4 years and supports their (growing) family would do this to his customers?
This is why I think this forum needs to laugh a little bit at themselves. Lighten up guys. These are stories from the frontlines. We all do it at the dealership and the customers all do it at home. We all talk about things that go on around us. The customers have assumptions about salespeople and vice versa. I'm just having fun with those assumptions and then telling some true stories as well.
Based on what I read, you probably wouldn't fit in in our store but I probably wouldn't survive in yours either.
Isell, tell me a little bit about your store. Are there 2 people in charge of running the internet? How many new cars do you guys typically sell? How many Honda dealers are in your area?
Thanks for the welcome. I know that I can't make everyone laugh. :P
the last year or so i was the internet manager. and while my approach is different from yours (i actually gave a price broken down by invoice, discount, rebates, etc) i found that people were very responsive. i would respond within the hour, with a personalized response to their request. we didn't have automated emails or anything. but again, we were a small little joint.
all the guys i worked with were at my wedding too - put them in back by the bar, where i knew they'd like to be.
a good experience. when you sit on the "evil" side of the desk for two years, it gives you a different view on how to buy a car next time you need to. i think most people who have sold cars can understand that...
anyways, i still putz around here because i am a carnut deep down inside...
cant wait for that new skyline GTR!!!
-thene
We do enjoy your stories, and we'll get acquainted with your personal sense of humor in time... we'll try to give you a chance if you try to give us one.
Go Cards.
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Woo hoo! Party at Isells house.
In the few weeks you've been around, you have left some disturbing (to me)posts. You talked about how you lied to a woman, lowballed her and had her drive 200 miles for nothing. When you were berated for doing this, you said you were just joking. Were you?
A question for you and every car sales professional, does it really matter if they were joking? People are going to read that (mind you nothing in that post suggested she was joking) and its going to confirm their suspicions that cars sales people are cheats. In other words it puts a profession that doesn't have a stellar repretation in a very bad light.
FWIW Isell you are not the only one who finds those posts disturbing. I would never talk that way about my profession.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
but thats just my two cents...
-thene
I run the Internet Dept and I have three people. We are a 450-500+ cars per month store with lots of nearby competition.
I'm pretty sure that I did not personally build this 'repretation' by myself. I'm making fun of what everyone assumes us to be. I can laugh about it. It's just cars.
I would never talk that way about my profession.
You're a CPA, lol. What bad things could be said? "I totally didn't audit that company, it was awesome!" The accountant industry doesn't typically have the flair for stories as the car biz does. Car sales are part of retail, so we talk with people constantly. I'm sure there are some bad apples in your business as well, but the stories just probably aren't as fun.
You'd fit in just fine here. We do the same amount of business and have the same amount of competition. Good folks that work here and a very affluent area.
Tell me which one is more acceptable to you.
1.) a Cop telling a joke about a cop shaking down a drug pusher for money.
or
2.) a cop saying he shakes down drug dealers for money then saying "oh I was only joking" when they start investigating him.
There is a difference.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
My last comment in that story doesn't tip you off? I believe I said, "That's just good business." That doesn't sound anything like sarcasm?
Wow.... We'll get through it together. Me and you, man. I'll be your counsellor. Just let me know how I can help and let's start from the beginning. Lie back. Breathe deep. And start when you're ready.
Some things just aren't funny. Customers get lowballed everyday. They drive great distances only to find out they were lured in by lies.
You would be surprize at the stories accountants could tell you. Many accountants have big end of the tax season parties and you should hear some of the tales that come out of those (you don't really have a good story until you been in the tax prep trenches). Maybe sometime I could tell you about auditing dealerships. FWIW I just got off the phone with one of our dealers (man I am getting to hate our dealers).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
When I went under the bridge, but now I am getting out from under it.
Bye.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D