Car Sales Professional
Website for Car Salesman is for being a car salesman, car sales tips, car salesman tips, car salesman training, Car Salesman Guide, car sales techniques, car sales closing techniques, car sales commission, you can be a better car salesman and become a car salesman
I have set this page aside to post anything that you may think would be of value for Auto Sales Professionals. Feel free to send in anything you would that pertains to Selling Cars for a Living, Car Salesman Tips, or Car salesmaan Income. You can add anything to the comment form below or you can email to KB @ CarSalesProfessional.com
Should I Change Dealerships – Common Car Salesman Question
Internet Perks for the Car Salesman
Tribute to the Car Salesman
Emotions and Selling Cars
Get Rid of the Attitude and Start Selling More Cars
Are You a Car Guy or Girl, It Might Be Too Late for You
Selling Cars and Getting to Yes
How To Be a Car Salesman – Are You Sure
Six Figure Income – Car Salesman Income
Living on a Car Sales Salary
The Car Sales Woman – It’s Your Time
How a Successful Car Salesman Thinks
A Career In Car Sales
Sell More Cars – Stop Trying So Hard
KB: Hi Mark,
I think it is a good idea, but it will i...
KB: Hi Ken,
Thanks for your input, but these numbers ...
ken: Whoever gave these numbers does not work in the no...
Mark A.: What are you opinions of having your own personal ...
ernie galletta: Amen...
Elizabeth: A co-worker introduced me to this site. Looking fo...
KB: Hi Michelle,
You should do well with Toyota.
As ...
Well, I still have not been placed anywhere and it has been 2 weeks. I really feel that I have lost the 630 dollars and it was a scam. I am on the phone right now with USC Auto who turned out to be the company that sent the trainer. The lady just told me he was not answering his phone. The trainer’s name is David Monicatti. Has anyone else ever dealt with him? Did anyone else ever got placed in a car salesperson job after taking the 2 day class? When I originally went to the dealership I really thought I was dealing with the dealership not USC Auto. My husband is really, really mad at me because he loaned me the money. I so very upset over all of this. I have been unemployed for 2 months.
RG,
I was wondering if you paid the 500 dollars for the training and actually got the position. I hope you see this and post a reply so we can know.
Hi Jim,
Those are kind of questions that make me think that selling cars is not the business for you.
If you are worried about rolling over the Draw and making minimum wage, get out now.
KB
Hi KB, Sami here again! I wanted to report back after my first 8 months in the biz !
Seven out of those 8 months I was the top grosser in my dealership! However, I recently decided it was time to move onto a dealership that was commission-based rather than volume/salary/small commission. I just wanted to know if I have a good plan here!
1. I get 15% on front and 15% on back. About half the cars we sell are used cars. There is a small volume bonus at 15+20 cars. It is a Toyota dealership.
2. Right after I accepted the offer from Toyota, my former GM who is now the used car manager at one of the largest BMW dealerships in the state offered me a position in the dealership. It’s pay-plan is 500 per week, plus 20% front on new and 25% front on used, plus demo (even though I already have a car).
I know nothing about selling a luxury brand, and don’t know how the mark-up works in those vehicles (or if I would be selling as many units).
Everyone is telling me I’m crazy for not taking the BMW position. Is there more money to be made at BMW or Toyota? Am I shooting a golden goose in the mouth?
Hi Sami,
Nice to hear from you.
Sounds like you are doing great.
One of the drawbacks of selling BMW is the amount of traffic the dealerships gets and the limited choice of vehicles.
BMW is a great car, but the buyers are usually tough to work with.
On the other hand Toyota has great product and a very diverse line of vehicle which means more traffic and ultimately more sales.
Just because a car sells for big bucks it doesn’t mean there is much profit after the pack.
I would probably take Toyota, but that is just my opinion.
KB
Hi,
I just came across your website today and I think from what I have seen so far that it’s great. I have been selling used luxuary autos now for 3.5 years and I love it. I was the salesman of the year in 2010 and 2011 and have won saleman of the month about 21 times. It is a great feeling and they not only give a very nice wood/gold star for your desk but also give bonus money for it. I was a union truck driver for 15yrs of my and decided one day with my wife to change my profession and have never looked back and am very happy. Attitude is everything in this business. It’s all about being confident in yourself to do well and you will. My 1st year in the business I made $75k! That is $20k more than I ever made in the trucking business and only working 45hrs a week VS 60! Last year I made $96g and that is moving anywhere from 20-25 units a month. My question for you is I was thinking of hiring a secretary to start handling all of my paperwork, ect.. for customers. I feel I lose alot of business doing things that a secretary could handle for me? Do you have any experience in this matter and what are your thoughts? Thanks Craig.
Hi Craig,
Thanks for writing and I am happy to hear you are doing great.
As far as a secretary…I have and I have known several salespeople over the years that paid their kids or spouses to do some of their paperwork, calling and phone work in order to make better use of their time. After all you need to spend your time doing what you do best which is selling cars.
Nice work, Keep it Up
KB
i am thinking about getting into the car sales business. I am working 60hrs a week doing security and taking home 450 a week. i live in the Memphis TN area. I wanted to know if i should go head and apply. But i guess i don’t have much to lose by trying it.
Hi Matt,
You can take home a lot more than 450 a week selling cars, but you have to take the plunge.
Best of Luck
KB
KB
How is it going? I have been back in the business for about 8 months now. I am working for a Dodge store now and we are doing pretty good there, we average about 180 cars a month. I currently am receiving 25% of the gross minus the flat. I am think about going to sell Toyota which they are offering me 20% if gross is under 2k and 25% if it is over 2k. They have a $100 mini, just like Dodge, but they have a spiff program. Not sure if this is a good move or not.
Thanks Larry
That is a tough call, a lot depends on the spiff program.
KB
Hi KB…
I am a salesman at a new dealership in a rural area…. our town is about 8k people in a county of about 34k. I have sold cars off and on between positions in a much larger market, but am now selling full time as a career.
The dealership is a great place to work. But I am wondering what tips you may have for a salesperson in a new dealership which currently has low traffic. I have stepped up to handle our IT work and a fair portion of our advertising and marketing to help stand out as an employee who is truly vested in the success of the store. But obviously I also want to spend my time and effort in a smart manner to bring people in for the overall good of the store, but also bring a large percentage of them in looking for me.
Also, I am interested to know your opinion of roving sales/marketing groups. As a new dealership we are required to use one on a fairly regular basis. The problem becomes that we have had issues where because these salespeople are not store employees, they sometimes seem much more concerned with high gross and putting people into vehicles any way they can than they are in customer service and the reputation of the dealership. Any tips on how to combat this, or at least tolerate it for us who are putting so much of ourselves into this enterprise?
Hi Mike,
You are on a tough road, but you can get through this.
Start working the internet for everything you can. Not keen on the idea of roving sales.
The Internet is the future of our business, it takes time, but it will be worth it in the long run.
KB
Hi KB -
Extremely informative. Glad i found this site. Long story short and I will get to my main question. I’m currently in retail as a regional manager overseeing multiple locations. I feel as though i’ve capped out @ about 80K per year in salary/bonus. I want more!
Always been great in sales, which is how i got to my position, thus the reason i am making the move to auto sales. I’m nervous as any person changing careers would be, but confident in myself – My question… I live in the baltimore / washington dc area so A LOT of great dealers to choose from…BUT should i go to a dealer that is a “delivered price – no haggle” dealer (huge traffic!) or a traditional dealer?
My goal is this … 80 – 100K my first year. 120K my second, and sales management my third…
Which type of dealer should i begin with? Thanks in advance for your time – I appreciate it and look forward to your response!
I took a position on july 5, trained for a month in bdc and learned the product line. I have just finished my 3rd week selling on the floor. 11 units sold, not bad. I’m just not sure its the right dealership to have a long term career. no one there makes over 80k and a few have been there 20 years plus. Is the pay plan different at all dealerships, is it better to be at a larger dealership that has a larger inventory? It seems the most money is made in used car sales. should i go to a dealership that only sells used cars to make the most money? I’m torn, i like my dealership just not sure its the place for the long term success I intend to have!
Well, as promised I’m back in touch! I went from Chevy to a used car lot, seems to get more traffic, better deals, much bigger commission, and better hours. All-in-all better! But I do wonder, as I look to the future, when would I know it’s time to move up to the next level (Finance?), and how do I go about even getting myself ready for that, and show that I can handle it? I don’t plan on making this jump for a long time, but want to start planning. Any advice would be great! Thanks KB.
Hi Mark,
Hood to hear from you again. Glad things are going well.
The next step would be finance or a sales manager.
It depends on the dealership and your abilities.
KB
Hi Bill,
Sounds like you are off to a great start.
You said nobody makes over 80K a year, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be done.
Maybe you are the one to make it happen and break some records.
You don’t have to be selling a huge dealership to make big money.
A dealership that allows you to sell both new and used is always a good idea so you can switch people that you need to switch and it gives a bigger potential customer base.
KB
Hello i am thinking about getting into the car salesman business an i would like to know if there are any reguirements that i need to be aware of before i take the plunge.
Hi Jay,
The most important aspect will be the dealership and not the brand.
What are others making and for how long?
You can always surpass that, but if nobody is making much money the pay plan might be the problem.
Do a little homework and talk to sales managers about what others are making.
KB
Hi Cacey,
Take a look through the website here and you have a pretty good idea.
Most dealerships want you to be at least 21, have a drivers license and able communicate effectively.
They will usually teach you the rest.
KB
Karl,
Every single one of your e-books have helped me immensely – I own all 3!
I’ve been training myself out of your Closing ebook and have put a lot of work everyday into sharpening my Ben Franklin close. Long story short, I bumped someone $90 a month using the Ben Franklin and held gross like a hero. And when they were done with me, F&I sold them everything there is to buy on the back end!
My sales manager was ecstatic. And take a wild guess what our GM trained on the very next morning? That’s right – the Ben Franklin close! And I did pretty much the same thing all over again that day too – used Ben Franklin and came out a huge winner.
Since then, we’ve had a Ben Franklin revival among the sales managers and the salesmen. We’re making some great money all thanks to your awesome e-book.
Thanks for sharing what works with the rest of us… I can’t thank you enough!
Best,
Adam
Thanks Adam,
I appreciate your comments and love your story.
KB
Hi, KB,
I’m wondering if you do good in sales what’s the possibility in terms of management and advancement?
You have an awesome website and I’m definitely buying your books if I try selling cars. I’m an attorney who’s decided to shut down my practice since it’s just not profitable and it would take 5 years to make a living at it and it’s really awful work. My favorite part was closing the sale and the consultative aspect, actually servicing the work was a real downer. I seemed to be really good at the sales part and had people calling me in some cases over a year later to say they’d gotten the money together to hire me.
I sold some real estate as the practice shut down and think I could do it if I had too but the lag time of years seems a bit much and there’s really no career advancement since managing real estate is essentially a glorified office manager. Also, it’s a very solitary pursuit since you work from home most of the time.
I looked around on your site but couldn’t find anything about what’s possible in terms of promotion if you do good as a car salesman.
Thanks in advance,
David
Hey KB,
I’m 3 weeks in my new sales postition with Honda. I’m kinda nervous right now.. I made the move to car sales because I was capped out salary wise at my old job and I wanted to help my family alot more. Right now traffic is very slow and we have a total of 15 sales guys right now. We’re moving into a new location so I believe that why the increase of Sales guys on the floor. For a newbie like me does this sound like the ideal spot for me? Right now we have alot of guys hungry waiting for customers and the other frustrating this is “BDC” isnt giving leads to rookies at the moment.
Hi Sami,
I sent it out to you.
KB
Hi Frank,
The new location sounds great and will probably bring you a considerable amount of floor traffic.
Hang in there and keep thinking about all the ,money you will be earning down the road.
Sometimes it takes a little while before you will get leads handed out until you get the hang of the car business.
Hi David,
There is plenty of room for advancement at most dealerships.
The key to making manager is being a top car salesman consistently.
Consistency is the key. When you numbers are on the top month after month and you want to advance you usually will.
Thanks for writing, keep us informed.
KB
KB
have you ever thought about having a section on your site where we could post our pay plans I think it would be a great tool, so sales reps would know what’s out there? Let me know what you what you think.
If you like the idea I will post mine with the manufactor spins as well.
Thanks
Dw
Hyundai Atlanta
Hi Dw,
I like the idea.
If you want to forward it to me I will use it with a couple others to start.
However I think we need to keep the name of the dealership out of the post.
KB
I have a problem at my dealership where the entire floor is flooded with salesmen. We have to stand and wait on a list until it’s our turn to get an Up. I’m not sure how I can get very many sales with so many folks and would like some advice on how to get more Ups or should I just move on to another dealership?
Hi Lucas,
I am not a fan of dealerships where the sales people rotate ups.
An open sales floor is the only way to go if you want to make the real money.
Changing dealerships might be a good idea, but you are the only to make that decision.
KB
What are you opinions of having your own personal website? I hear some people say it’s a waste of money, others say it brought them some deals. Did you ever use one? And if you do think it’s effective do you have any suggestions on going about making one?
I’ve been second place for the last few months and if I can get that extra edge that gives me one or two more sales a month I will be top dog.
PS Saw the video the universe needs car salesman, thanks for the e-mail cause I didn’t see it until now.
Thanks KB
Hi Mark,
I think it is a good idea, but it will involve some time which doesn’t come easy today.
You can find several free solutions for building a website of your own or you might want to try doing a Facebook page, not a personal page, but a business style Facebook page. I have talked to several salespeople that have picked up deals through their own websites and pages.
KB