Any car salesmen on here?

[deevergote]

I'm playing with the idea of selling cars... Hondas. The last 2 times I went looking at cars at Honda dealerships, I had the salesmen tell me that I knew more about the cars than they did! So, I figure I may do well...

I have sales experience, at least in terms of working at a restaurant. I know the cars. I enjoy the subject matter. I just don't know about the hours or the pay schedule...


Has anyone done auto sales before (Honda or anything else... new cars only)?


I just want to get some firsthand feedback before I dive into it.




And Rich, if you read this, Burns is my #1 choice!

[T3aM 83rD]

Never did it, but I think its highly comission based, so you HAVE to sell cars to be profitable. You have to have excellent people skills too.

[xczechboyx]

i have a good friend that worked at the Nissan dealership. I was gonna join him but after i talked to him i would never be a car salesman. I'm not saying all dealerships are like this but he said basically you cant have any heart selling cars. There's so many lies and tricks to it. They trick people with the numbers and they lie about the trade in values. And plus its strictly commission so if you don't sell you don't get paid. My friend quit last week because he said he couldn't lie to peoples face all the time.

But the upside is if you can sell, then its a highly profitable job.

[TysCb7]

There's so many lies and tricks to it. They trick people with the numbers and they lie about the trade in values. And plus its strictly commission so if you don't sell you don't get paid.

But the upside is if you can sell, then its a highly profitable job.

sounds like a credit card company i work for.

[LinX]

Ask yourself, do you want to invite stress into your life or not.

[CB3]

I have had these same thoughts. There is not much that annoys me more then asking questions and fiding out that I know more then the salesperson I am asking. One of my friends is a saleman at Honda in Canada and he makes around $80,000 plus bonuses. He was at the top of his dealership and wanted to try something different so he left for heavy duty machinery sales starting at $60,000. He is back at Honda! I wish I was good at sales. My advice is if you are honest, don't fall for slimy tactics, don't wear a clip-on tie or a leather jacket you should do fine.

[NAiL05]

If you can talk and negotiate your in. You can only go so low on a car. Plus it is commission based as mentioned.

[accordaffair]

I went to the Honda dealership to get my free inspection, and I knew more than all the salesmen, they all sounded just like ricer noobs. Unfortunately, selling cars isn't about product knowledge, its about convincing people to buy cars.

The only way you could do things your way, would be to own your own dealership. But by the time you'd worked your way up that ladder you'd have told so many lies, and drained your soul empty, you'd probably be the most corrupt one there....

The only ones at the dealership who had some clue were the mechanics, but they don't sell cars. And they're probably not allowed on the sales floor.

Serious salesmen are liars that can make people believe their lies. I'd love to hear of you being a truthful, honest salesman at the Honda dealership, but like it was said, you probably wouldn't be able to sell enough and be canned.

Another dead hero. (figuratively, of course)

I'm being very depressing, so feel free to ignore everything I said.

[Shuebakka]

Im not a car salesman but i work at a dealership and the way it works here is you make 2 grand a month regardless of the amount of cars you sell.

Obvisiously they wont keep you around too long if you dont sell many cars but if you sell 0 one month you get the 2 grand still. All commision is additional and that ranges on what your selling and how far up the pooper you shove extended warranties and fees.

The hours are long, a lot of the salesman here from 7am to 7pm six days a week, not sure exactly on how their scheduling works though...

[starchland]

yeah i dunno i know people who tried it but wereent the right type. you have to be the right type usually, unless you work in a dealership that uses different tactics. I mean i think with hondas before you walk through the door they have already convinced you to buy. In the right dealership it may work.

[wed3k]

fuck dressing in suit attire.

[GHOST 2.2]

me vs salesman.....

i was pickin up parts with my homeboy at a local honda dealership so i decided to look at the si hatchbacks. i wanted to see what the salesman knows about that car. he approached me and this is how conversation went.

sales guy - Hello! you look like you're really into this car. anything i can help you with?

me - yea im looking at this car...i saw the horsepower rating but i see no torqure rating. how much is the torque?

sales guy - Umm the torque should be the same as the horsepower.

me - so its 160 hp and 160 in tq?

Sales Guy - Yes sir.


after that i just said "okay thank you!" and left.... i thought that was funny.

[deevergote]

Yeah, when I went to look at an Acura CL-S, I asked the salesman about the J32... and he said "you lost me... you know more about this car than I do!"

The guy at Burns (where I'm thinking of going) that sold my wife and I our SE, used to be a Chrysler mechanic. So when I talked tech with him, he knew enough to keep up (probably more, honestly). Going by the awards on the wall, he was apparently a very good salesman as well. He got us to buy a car! We went in with the intention of looking and NOT buying, so he was good! Hell, I told him about the site here, and when Meg and I went to get the money from the bank for the downpayment, he was surfing the board (looking at aww_sheit's car) when we got back! "This guy Omar sure takes a lot of pictures!"
I think he was trying to find pictures of a 6th gen for us, to get us more excited about the car we were buying (and Omar had a shoot with a nice 6th gen).


Selling new and certified used is easier than selling beaters... I couldn't work for a mixed lot that sells 10+ year old cars. Hondas, and mostly Hondas, I can do. Plus, I like the cars, so I can get excited about them. When the salesman is excited, the buyers are excited... and they buy.
The best way to sell is to NOT sell... learn what people want, show them what you have that best suits their needs, and you're in. The indecisive people just need a little prodding


I'll have to look into it. The stress I can handle... can't be worse that restaurant work. The only things I'm not sure about are the hours and the amount of paperwork involved... I don't want to screw something up!

[tommi]

man this kinda thing reminds me of a few weeks ago at a honda dealeship i freqent, my friend was looking at an integra that was alread swapped, from LS to B16.and the salesman we had known personally tried to get us a deal with the trade in of my friends car, the dealership caught on and fired the salesman, and raised up the price to what they think the car was worth. that was a shitty situation. someone lost a job over a pos integra the dealership couldnt sell. and now the car has been sent to auctions somewhere.

[deevergote]

Wow, that really sucks!

There's a Chevy dealership near me that supposedly had 4 salesmen taken away in handcuffs last week... I don't know the deal, though.

http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_102202155.html
^I just found it.

It was 3 older salesmen and a 21 year old girl... Sucks for the girl! She was probably brand new, and trusted the shady tactics of the experienced guys... Still, she should've known better! Bait and switch and forgery were the crimes.