Well I just wanted to see what everyone thinks about that. I have been a teacher for 2 years and found out its not for me. I have this opportunity to work for Ford on the sales floor for a few months then hopefully move into the finance division. Also I'm not sure if this is for me also, but I'm willing to try and I love cars so...

Anyways my question is, as a consumer I've always had a negative attitude towards car salesmen, and now I'm going to become one. - What would you advise me to do or be like so that I can create a different personna of car salesmen to my customers? I'm a good guy, a Christian, and I want to be good at everything I do. So what is it that I can do to be successful and at the same time earn the trust from my future customers? I'm honestly asking for advise. I start in about 2 weeks. Thanks.

I know lots of you have been very helpful on lots of different issues and subject. Just hoping you could help me out here too. Thanks.

 

This is your chance to treat others the way you would want to be treated. I know that when I sold Retail Electronics I tried to be very honest and upfront with Cust's. I'd see other Lie, Cheat, And Steal to make a sale. Wasn't for me. Because of this I did'nt make the Best sales person ( from A Company Standpoint ) However I could go to bed @ night knowing That I'd been the type of salesperson that I'd want waiting on me.






Good Luck

 

I've never worked for the sales department. I've been a technician at a Lincoln-Mercury dealership for the past three though, and I've learned a bit about how all departments of a dealership work.

I dunno if it's relevant or not, but there's a pretty good article on Edmunds.com about one of their editors going undercover as a salesman at two different dealerships. Not saying that that article is an outline as to how all dealerships operate, it's just very interesting reading.

As far as dealing with customers, just be yourself. There is one caveat to this: Most salesmen's behaviors are directly proportional to how hard their general manager is riding them. To the general manager and the dealer principal, your only purpose there is the move the product. I really like the smaller, mom and pop dealerships in regards to this, where there are several loyal customers, where the smaller dealership relies on the trust between the salesman and their customer to spread the good word to their friends, which brings more people in to your cubicle to buy a car. Larger, big volume dealerships generally have more rope to play with in this regard.

As I said, I'm not a salesman, but I can try to answer any other questions you might have. Just from my fly on the wall view.

 

oops was supposed to be a reply to the Working for ford thread.

 

That's good input. Fortunately for me the sales manager is a friend of one of my good friends. And also his ideas and focus is on the customer and the services that we provide. That's what even got me intereted to work for him. He's a good guy, and you can tell just by talking to him. He's trying to change the image of salesmen and tries to do it by one hire at a time.

It's weird cause i dont really need this job, I mean I do need a job but I can find alot of jobs that pay decent. I have my MBA and kinda want to try something different and exciting. I'm only 26 and my wifes making great money so I can kinda experient right now. But in a way I feel like I'm going over to the "Dark Side" if that makes any sense. But maybe that'll help me in the long run, cause if I'm not so worried about making money I can give customers a really fair deal on new vehicles.

 

I juat bought my first new truck a few months ago and here is my advice for a good salesman: be honest with people to the greatest extent you can (I used to ask questions that I knew the answer to, just to see if they would lie to me), know your product in and out (again when I ask a question that I know the answer to and you don't, well then you have to go ask, which is ok but not great or lie, and that is bad), focus on why your product is the best instead of just trashing the competitors (totally turned me off to a couple of salesmen, I'm here to talk about your product not the other one), don't pressure people to buy right now (anyone who tried to pressure me to buy right then didn't even get a call back). Those are all things that I looked for and found in the salesmen I was actually willing to buy from. Good luck to you, and welcome to F-150 online.

 

D'oh!!

 

IMO honesty is a very important quality. I think a lot of the bad names for car dealers come from the little white lies they tell. They don't think it will affect anyone, they are just interested in getting the sale. Unfortunately the lies become apparent after the consumer takes the car home and by then (usually) its too late...tends to give the dealer a bad name and put the customer off from ever going back there. I realize most salesmen work on commission so getting the sales are a priority but don't make it an obsession!

Best of luck!

 

Honesty is overrated. Its good, but overrated. All good sales pukes have one quality: knowledge. For the love of god KNOW YOUR PRODUCT line. Know all the specs, features, functions, capacities, maintenance schedules... EVERYTHING. Read all the manuals, cruise the owners sites, everything! I hate salespeople that just expect me to buy it 'just because'. Wow clients with your knowledge, and apply that knowledge to THEIR needs. If you can SHOW them that XX car/truck is best for XYZ reasons, you've got a sale. If a client knows more than you, then your a failure as a saleman. Hang it up and go teach again.

 

I agree with dzervit. Know your product, but I’ll add to that with know it AND show it. Walk through the car with customers, show them the ins and outs. I love cars but even car buffs don’t know that this year’s model has this feature, or that new gizmo for every car. A good piece of advice I heard many years ago that is good for EVERY customer service person. It might be the hundredth time you heard that question, BUT it’s the first time they’re asking it. Take each question like it’s the first time your answering it. Service is so crappy these days, you show people a little respect, get their trust and they buy from you and be happy doing it.

 

People have given great advice.
Be professional (don't trash talk the competitors), be honest, be fair, and be knowlegdable - And if you don't know, say you don't know, don't make something up so you appear knowledgable.

When I've gone car shopping, everytime I've had to tell the salespeople what options were avaiable.

 

Knowledge is power if used correctly, you can be one of the nicest salesman in the world but, if you don't know what your selling its a recipe for failure.

 

Drive every make and model that they offer, become familiar with them...even wash them by hand if necessary. You'll have a much better understanding of them if you use them like a customer would. Things like..."you know, I was able to put three golf bags in the trunk", or "I pulled my boat with one of those, and I didn't even know it was back there." The customer will believe that you're not BSing them.

Good luck..and forget the white shoes and plaid sport coat. LOL

MR

 

I'm thinking of switching too...I'm already a salesman, ( a damn good one I may say) and my success has came through honesty, product knowledge, passion and picture images...tell a story of what it will be like for your prospective buyer to have that beautiful F-150 setting in their drive-way. I have lost the passion I had for what I sell now and I'm looking also. I really never had a passion for what I was selling, just passion to succeed. I use to carry around a business card of one of my competitors and everytime I would think about going in somewhere trying to get the business and would say to myself...ah, I'm too tired or I'll do it tomorrow I would look at that business card and go get the business.


I HATE loosing or coming in 2nd

make the cars and trucks your passion..that's 90% of your success.

 

I agree with Dzervit, know the product your selling. I knew more about my truck than the cute a$$ed redhead selling me my truck, but she sure did look good selling me it.