Thread: Looking for Salesman and Good Sales experiences.

AS I'm about to give that sort of wage earning a go.

Big ticket sales items specifically.

Save your hatin' for the other thread (yeah, start it yerself).

It's the only field where "no experience" is required and decent money can be made and "normal" hours are the gig.

I've never felt the need for the services of a salesperson for cars as I know cars, and what i want and that's that. But apparently there is a large part of the population who will evermore buy cars from folks who sell them professionally. And i'm now old enough to understand that the position of salesman is there in order to service the customers who need them and that there's nothing wrong with that. Sure it might cost a little more, but why should anyone work for free? If there was no "value" then there'd be no service.

I'm asking the salesmen to come out of the woodwork and confirm/deny/comment.

I've already started "working" conversations at random. It's a hoot and something I never really pursued before, outside of convenience and antiques (and then i was dumb).

I figger the step from used auto to new auto to real estate or boats or planes ...well if you can SELL, then you can SELL.

See Glengarry Glenn Ross again yo! (Coffee is for Closers!)



or tell a great Sales story from the Customer perspective. thanks

If I am reading your post correctly you are going to dip your toe into the Car Biz ???

Originally Posted by gssixgun

If I am reading your post correctly you are going to dip your toe into the Car Biz ???

Yeah, I don't have to get a certificate or move to the oil-rigs or coast to get a job that way. Should still have time to pursue my metal-working hobbies (bikes, blackpowder, razors) in the evenings. And a paycheck would be killer!

***
I'm at mid-life where folks often change horses mid-stream.

but I wasn't really on any horse, i'm just trying to catch a stirrup (or paddle) and get my ass out of this current...

If you are a business owner, partner in nearly any business, you are in sales. I am a lawyer and I run a law office. Our firm has multiple offices and each has an attorney that runs the office and others who more or less work the files only. I practice law about 10% of the time. The rest of the time, I am selling people on our ability to meet their legal needs. There are two keys to success in sales:

1) Know your product. Whatever you are selling, know that product up and down. You will have customers who know your product better than you in their mind, and therefore lack trust in you. Knowing your product is the only way to combat this. Most people can smell bs. A good salesman does not need to resort to that to be successful.

2) be adaptive to your audience. A salesman must be able to connect and relate to a customer. Plain and simple. I represent billionaire hedge fund managers and municipal workers. It doesn't matter, as long as I can relate to them and adapt to what makes them comfortable. My farmer clients may trust me more if they see me in casual clothing. Others may need pinstripes and glasses to feel connected. It's all about the audience and what makes them comfortable.

The rest is easy. If you can sell you can sell. I worked at a car lot briefly when I was in college. Sold 7 cars in one day to 7 customers. That was the total of customer traffic to the establishment. I was genuine and honest, respected each customer, and knew my product. The rest was easy.

Originally Posted by WadePatton

... Should still have time to pursue my metal-working hobbies (bikes, blackpowder, razors) in the evenings.

That is key right there.

It will work out simply because you have a good attitude about it.

I've never been in 'sales'.
But I do know someone that was doing exactly that, but he didn't fit the whole 'used car salesman', 'pitchman', 'the hard sell' "ambush them on the sales floor' kinda deal and he did great. As a matter of fact he made bank! He sold trucks. I never woulda thought he would make anything at it. I was sure proved wrong. He makes his own hours too. And he said he still has time for his other interests in the evenings and weekends. (mainly surfing, and volunteer math tutor at the city college). Im not sure what hes doing now as I've kinda lost contact over the last couple years.

I'm not a salesman but I am in charge of the IT across a 6 dealership car sales business. Having worked within the industry now for over 7 years I have seen and spoken to a fair number of salesman and picked up a thing or three.

On the whole car salesmen actually know bugger all about cars, half of them couldn't change a wheel if their life depended on it. So knowledge of the innermost workings of a car are obviously not needed, they do know how many doors a car has and what colour it is hehe. The specs they actually just get on a printed sheet as and when they need them (read when a customer asks them anything other than how many doors does it have).

So what makes a car salesman successful? This one is a bit tricky because some people like a brash in your face salesman and some like a quiet fellow. What ever their tactic / act is (all the good ones are acting in a since) all the successful ones have one thing in common and that is the ability to have a conversion with a customer.

I always ask the top salesman how they do it. Most say that they get talking to bthe customer about something they like, could be fishing, could be their kids, could be straight razors It doesn't matter so long as its not cars Once they find that something they say they are 90% there with the sale as the customer then no longer sees them as a slimy used car salesman but just a "decent nice fellow" who happens to be selling them a car

I have lots and lots of little tricks they use, when I have time I'll list a few out.

Good luck and congratulations on your new job

Having been in sales /marketing most of my adult life, and having trained many thousands of sales people over the years, I can tell you that it is very rewarding financially, emotionally, etc. However... if you don't have a natural knack for it then you'll have to really apply yourself to learning how to sell, and you must NEVER GIVE UP!

The best advice I can give is to learn "The Art of Asking Questions". Good sales people listen a lot more than they talk, and most folks will tell you exactly what they want if you learn to ask the right questions...

...That, and as I say: Persistence is the Key...

When someone pulls the 'shamwow' act/tricks on me...bye. Sorry, I digress.

Originally Posted by rbaker2778

If you are a business owner, ...

I have been, lost it all-capitol and the wife but that's another story. I've been scraping by with odd-jobs waaay too long. Time to kill it in Sales.

Which i never pursued before because i didn't get it, thought it was all BS. I'm no BS'er. and now I see that's what makes long-term successful selling a real possibility. SO here we go.

ALL THIS after i find my water leak and get running water again--digging up waterline by hand (which i installed years ago). I'm on break now.

Originally Posted by HaiKarate

When someone pulls the 'shamwow' act/tricks on me...bye. Sorry, I digress.

Yeah, no. That's the sort of stuff that I won't tolerate, nor deliver.

Threepeat bidness is what i'm after: The guy/gal I sell today comes back next time--and sends a referral in the meantime. Can't do that by being silly or overpromising/underdelivering or making them feel like I don't care after the signature.

Making each customer feel like he/she is your most important client has GOT to be good for bidness. We'll see.