When a new member asked about starting life as a car salesmen, Allpar members provided their experiences. This is a summary of what they said.
Aldo sold cars 30 years ago. “I sold cars thirty years ago, before the Internet. It was the hardest job I have ever done: long hours doing very little. Be prepared to work weekends, evenings and holidays. The toughest thing was the people you work with: everyone will steal your customers when you are not there, and undercut you when you are not looking. The same turnover that plagues car sales makes those dubious practices spread throughout the industry.
“The dealer I worked at had one salesman who had been there for years. They protected him by funneling ‘house deals’ to him, and by taking his side whenever he clashed with another salesman over a sale.
“Having said that, it is a decent way to make a living.”
johnb300M added, “We went to a dealer where a friend’s family member worked. We asked for Mike, and the two sales dudes who greeted us first, acted like “no, there’s no other Mike that works here.” We were very confused and started following one of the agents to a desk, when Mike popped his head up from a cubicle far at the end of the showroom with a burger in his hand, yelling at the ^&%$&^$^$^%$%$#$&!!!!! for stealing his clients under his nose!”
Gary S. wrote, “I worked at a Chrysler-Plymouth dealership for less than a full year in 1964, and enjoyed it, but it was much different business then. As others have said, it can be a cutthroat job if your management allows it. I was lucky, as my sales manager was honest, fair and smart. He helped the new guys learn and the old-timers liked and respected him. The owner demanded that we treat customers the way we wanted to be treated, so our dealership had a stellar reputation.”
ImperialCrown wrote, “The last place I worked had all its ducks in a row. It was the most ethical dealership that I ever worked in. The owner was a tough guy to work for and you didn’t want to get him mad. If you did what you were supposed to do and kept customers happy, he was a sweetheart to work with. He liked getting ‘love letters’ from customers.
“He touted a no-nonsense approach which seemed to resonate with customers. We had a high number of repeat buyers and regulars in the service area. Our sales staff is non-commissioned, which means they care about helping you find the car that meets your needs and not their own. While walking around our lot, one of our sales professionals will answer all your questions and help you identify the vehicle you’ll love driving for years and decades to come.”
However, “ All dealers were hit hard from the pandemic and supply chain problems, and are now able to get back on their feet. We sell a lot of Ram and Jeep. The closest thing that we have to a car is the Hornet. Some new, reasonable product to show and sell would be nice.”
ImperialCrown, a dealer tech for decades, added, “Learn a trade or get a degree in something else to fall back on in lean times. A ‘good’ automobile salesman can probably make a living at it, but be prepared for feast and famine.
“Be a professional. Good listeners, conversationalists, and genuine people-persons usually do well. Stay approachable.
“Settle on a brand that ‘sells itself.’ The competition, and some customers, are brutal.”
Gary S added, “I did quite well, but our region had vicious winters and you had to have earned your annual income before the snow and frigid temps arrived or have someone else in your family making enough to take up the slack until spring arrived. I was the sole income in our family and with a wife and two kids, I needed a job with a paycheck every month. I hated to leave, but it was a great experience.”
AdventurerSport wrote, “[At my local dealership, salesmen would work until retirement, and almost no one got fired.] I worked there for almost 9 years and was fired for no good reason, 3 years ago. Their only finance manager (also been there since 2013, we started around the same time) was fired for no good reason as well. It has has gone downhill over the last 12 years.”
Aldo pointed us to Automotive News, which does an annual Best Dealerships to Work For award. They said key factors were investigating prospective salesmen’s history, beyond criminal background and driving record—checking sex offender registries and verifying all information on their resume; some even did personality tests. Nearly half the dealerships on the list looked at social media, too. They drew a line between discrimination based on personal views, and doing due diligence of their representatives.
The reward for making it through these checks was a mix of “benefits, work-life balance, and transparency on company business.” They were given time off and kept informed about what was happening around them; and their input was taken seriously.
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