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Hi all! I’ve posted in this forum before about choosing a career in auto sales over hospitality. Getting started in the industry, selling is rough, but I love it! I read an article recently about the future of car sales (below), and in a nutshell, sales and marketing at the dealership level will continue to be a growing and lucrative field, but the traditional 3 acre, hundreds-o-cars dealerships will become obselete. I’m excited to move up in this field at the dealership level, but to car sales people and dealership employees: for someone just starting out, what can you recommend to me? I am still completing my bachelors degree in marketing and would like to manage marketing campaigns for dealerships and sales numbers.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I'm not in car sales, but:
Just as people are buying much of their goods at Amazon, people have started to buy cars online, and that is indeed a growing trend. There is even a new car vending machine in Singapore. Still, I think it will be many years until car dealerships are eliminated. As a career, choosing the one to work for is key. For example, just last night I bought a new vehicle. It was the 3rd from this family owned company, previous were in 2007 and 2013. Their finance guy recognized me, and has been there over 30 years. My salesman last night was the same that sold us the 2007 (which I traded in). They are closed Sundays to have time with their families, and employees tend to stay until they retire. Being there for a good while, I noticed that all of the other customers there were repeats like us. They have been in business since 1934. That's the kind of place where there is potential for job security. Meanwhile, many of the dealerships around the Seattle area are being bought out by giants like Autonation, and that always has risk of changes in personnel.
Thank you so much! I have noticed on some listings for dealerships that it will literally turn away 'job-hoppers' or employees looking for the best deal. I have also been looking into both AutoNation, local dealerships, and market disruptors like Carvana and Tesla. I definitely agree that local dealerships offer the best environments. Thank you again!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hemlock140
I'm not in car sales, but:
Just as people are buying much of their goods at Amazon, people have started to buy cars online, and that is indeed a growing trend. There is even a new car vending machine in Singapore. Still, I think it will be many years until car dealerships are eliminated. As a career, choosing the one to work for is key. For example, just last night I bought a new vehicle. It was the 3rd from this family owned company, previous were in 2007 and 2013. Their finance guy recognized me, and has been there over 30 years. My salesman last night was the same that sold us the 2007 (which I traded in). They are closed Sundays to have time with their families, and employees tend to stay until they retire. Being there for a good while, I noticed that all of the other customers there were repeats like us. They have been in business since 1934. That's the kind of place where there is potential for job security. Meanwhile, many of the dealerships around the Seattle area are being bought out by giants like Autonation, and that always has risk of changes in personnel.
Just as people are buying much of their goods at Amazon, people have started to buy cars online, and that is indeed a growing trend. There is even a new car vending machine in Singapore. Still, I think it will be many years until car dealerships are eliminated. As a career, choosing the one to work for is key. For example, just last night I bought a new vehicle. It was the 3rd from this family owned company, previous were in 2007 and 2013. Their finance guy recognized me, and has been there over 30 years. My salesman last night was the same that sold us the 2007 (which I traded in). They are closed Sundays to have time with their families, and employees tend to stay until they retire.
I recently got on with a dealership,and just to correct some things here...sure cars are selling more online now,but people still have to have somewhere to go to get the cars and most of the time it's dealers just advertising online. They still have their lots. As far as them being closed Sundays to be with their families,some of what I've been hearing is that they'd work every day if they could...it's just that banks and financing companies don't do business on Sundays which is the reason.
If you want to be in sales, it doesn't really matter what you're selling. Car sales can pay well, but why not software, technology, health care, pharmaceuticals? If you can sell, you can get into selling really lucrative stuff. Cars are nowhere near the top of that pile, except for exotics / luxury brands.
The dealers have absolutely gutted pay in car sales. If you like sales, I agree with jnojr, sell something else.
Besides the shoddy ethics even the "best" dealerships think are their right. Sales should not center primarily on chiseling as much from every customer as possible short of mugging or identity theft.
Besides the shoddy ethics even the "best" dealerships think are their right. Sales should not center primarily on chiseling as much from every customer as possible short of mugging or identity theft.
Smart sales folks take a long-term view and build relationships. You don't make a lot from selling one car... you make money when happy customers come back, bring their family, and refer their friends to you.
The dealers have absolutely gutted pay in car sales. If you like sales, I agree with jnojr, sell something else.
I've read this about furniture sales, too. Stores are often overstaffed to prevent too many customers from being unattended, which makes sense for busy weekend shifts but not so much for low-traffic weekday shifts. I would avoid commission-based retail sales in general.
I've read this about furniture sales, too. Stores are often overstaffed to prevent too many customers from being unattended, which makes sense for busy weekend shifts but not so much for low-traffic weekday shifts. I would avoid commission-based retail sales in general.
It also costs the company less since the total sales are spread out more, so the sales people never hit the higher paying tiers.
When you get paid 100% commission, the owner doesn't have enough skin in the game with respect to their employees.
No doubt Oldtrader will be by to talk about the old days in how he was the best guy in the furniture sales business and made 100K+ working 2 days a week or something, lol.
Which, I don't actually doubt. A lot of these retail sales guys made a lot of money in the past, but those days are gone for the most part. Most of these companies no longer see any benefit in their sales staff and see them more like customer service people and the company will sell what they sell no matter who is working for them, so why pay them big dollars.
Making six figures in car sales was very achievable in the past. Now, have fun earning your $125 mini.
Last edited by High Altitude; 09-23-2018 at 05:45 PM..
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