With all the talk of buying cars... would you become a car salesman?
 

Didn't want to hijack any one of the buying a car threads.

Not sure I would like the job or not... I like people and like cars... there are two Porsche dealers near me.

Retiring in May, I have a pension so don't need to make a bunch of money. Just looking for something to do with myself to keep me (and my wife) from going crazy.

A friend signed up with Saturn as a salesman thinking their 'no haggle policy' would be an easy job. He got disgusted with all the upselling and quit.

My wife worked in the office of a dealership... you can imagine the stories I get from her.

Some of you have had the job, opinions?

TIA

Long hours, lots of paperwork. I did it for a month as an experiment. Lots of boredom!

So you have to punch a clock? Like I said I will be retired and only want to work part time.

No way I would do it for a living.
For extra retirement income? Maybe.
Try it.

Work out the hours deal before you sign on. I was a newbie/learner guaranteed at least $500/week so they maxed out my hours. Oh, and most of the other sales reps were not my kind of people.

I think you could craft yourself into a niche. Say water cooled 911s? Buy and flip? Learn one Marque and go deep. Learn the weaknesses and find good repeat vendors. Far less scumbaggery. More risk for you. You could manage your time easily.

Question? Are you able to buy good enough cars at the right price?

I know several of you guys do okay as flippers... but I don't have the disposable income (or space to park an extra car) to tie up in a large purchase then have to worry about selling a car to make my money back.

It's a dying profession, stay away. No one talks to a vacuum salesman before snagging the latest hoover and it won't be long until there is no need for a car salesman either. Tons of pressure in the industry to trim costs and the salesman is 100% waste, they add absolutely nothing to the product...they will be phased out soon.

* not a personal attack, one of my best friends runs one of Michigan's largest dealerships (yea he knows).

It’s fun in an active market/good economy. Not fun when money is tight.

If you want to have a retirement job to do part time I’d suggest driving a customer courtesy van for a dealership. Easy part time work.

To be honest I have my doubts that a dealership would want to devote floor space to a salesman who is only there part time, isn’t a hustler and doesn’t care too much whether he sells a ton of cars. Not to mention the other sales people... every customer you talk to might be a missed sale for them. They’re there to feed their families, and if the reason you’re there is just to give yourself something to do in retirement, that might not go down well either.

Hell no. Super high turnover, low barrier to entry, long hours, crappy working conditions, no value put on people, what’s not to love. Like Patrick said, the profession is dying. Go get a retail job at Home Depot or the local FLAPS.

Deliver auto parts .

I've looked into it a few times. Just no. You will work every minute they're open on weekends and holidays. And, honestly, that's when there is the most money to be made. We've gone car shopping in Scottsdale a few times on hot summer days. You would spend a ton of time in the sun and still have to be at work when it's raining and no one is going to look at cars. It really insults my intelligence when a car salesman's first question is, "What kind of payment are you looking for?" But that's how they train them. I wouldn't want to have to deal with trade offers, the paperwork, the upselling, the begging for all fives on the CSI survey and the constant turnover of co-workers, who WILL screw you over at the drop of a hat.

Not just no, hell no. And if you haven’t come from a sales background, they will eat you alive. Sales in that environment is very ego driven, to the point of it being toxic.

I remember being a young buck in the dealership environment, and making myself a promise to never be like that

If you are doing it for fun, I say go for it.

I met a guy doing it for fun, he was not worried about meeting sales requirements, or making a living, he was just in it to meet people and waste time.

He was the top salesman in the dealership and he was not trying. Why? He explained, he does not play games he is not greedy. He was relaxed and relaxed it good.


I toy with it too, if I were to get in, I would go full on tech.

Get a cel phone specifically for work, give out the number, ask for texts, encourage it.

Use email prolifically, my last car I purchased from a Stealership was negotiated via text messages, and email.

Once the deal was struck via text message, then the paperwork was emailed, I filled it out, scanned it all and emailed it back.

I walked into the Stealership with a cashiers check for the negotiated amount, signed some papers and walked out 20 minutes later with the keys to the car.

THAT is how I want to buy every car from now on.

No. Long hours, lack of respect, money and a good way to create hatred of people AND cars.

Study something, work elsewhere.

rjp

A car salesman client was recently telling me the crazy discounts on new cars (he’s at a ford lot) are destroying the margins in the used market. He might make a few hundred on a sale.

That’s awful.

A big multi brand dealer where we used to live would run a full page ad EVERY weekend in the local paper....... “Wanted!..... Now hiring 15 sales people, Full Time!”

I thought how could they hire 15 people every week. They did. If the new sales people didn’t sell a car in the first week they were fired. Then they would hire another 15.
No pay strictly commissions only.

When you pulled into their lot the sales people would literally push and shove and whoever got to you first got the chance to twist your arm. Serious cut-throat and threat management.

I would only chose being a Telemarketer as being a less desirable job.........

Jims5543 is correct. I sold cars before grad school. I didn't need the money. Just had fun. Top salesman on the lot the day I started. Those other folks absolutely HATED me.