How Much Do They Make: Car Salesmen

"Howdy Harrell" (hseason91)
05/06/2014 at 15:52 • Filed to: None

Just wondering if any of you Oppo's work at a dealer doing car sales.

I live in a major city and was wondering how well these guys typically did working at a dealer like Audi, BMW, Mercedes, or Cadillac. I would assume that being a "car guy" would help to push these guys into a top tier at their respective dealer.

All Oppopinions appreciated!

DISCUSSION (7)

CalzoneGolem > Howdy Harrell
05/06/2014 at 15:58

Being a car guy has little to do with it as far as I can tell. Being a good salesman has a lot more to do with it. Sure the car guy can connect with another car guy that comes on to the lot but most people just want a car to get them somewhere else.

Squid > Howdy Harrell
05/06/2014 at 16:12

From my time working as a tech, being a car guy has very little to do with selling cars. In some dealers it actually hurts your ability to sell because you'll generally be more willing to acknowledge the faults of the product. Also there has been vast majority of salesmen who don't know shit about cars. Sales is really an up and down industry and it relies heavily on the reputation of the dealer when you start out, then your ability to connect with your customers to drive you more business. Basically being a people person and not a car guy is what will end up making you more money in sales. It is also very hard to get your first sales position at a luxury dealer, while sure the potential to make more money is there, the sales are just that much harder and they are fewer and farther in between. Then there is the hours spent doing nothing and waiting for customers to walk on the lot or call. The hours are not great and you do spend a large amount of time at the dealer and even on your days off you are fielding calls from customers whom are calling you to ask about random details about specs and finance offers.

If you can sell, you can make decent money as long as you are in an area that has enough customers to buy what you are selling. For a while I knew quite a few salesmen that were making just barely above minimum wage, but that was when the economy was in the shitter. . .

TxBrumski > Howdy Harrell
05/06/2014 at 17:02

Being a car salesman has a lot to do with product knowledge and selling the positive points of the vehicle. You always want to showcase its strengths and build value in the car. Being a car guy does have its advantages in selling them because you can more easily recall information about the vehicle you're showing.

I've seen many salesmen lose a sale because they had no product knowledge and said "Uh, this Camry is gold and has a V6" where they should've said "Yes, now this Camry has a 3.5L V6 and comes in 8 colors, including this color called 'Sandy Beach Metallic'".

More knowledge of cars = builds value in cars he/she sells = better salesperson.

Devlin Munion > Howdy Harrell
05/06/2014 at 17:06

I worked for a short time at a local Audi Dealer.

The short and unfortunate answer that I realized is that being a car guy does not help at all, and it is a very tough business to get started in.

My dealer moved a lot of cars, but the unfortunate thing was that most of the customers are repeats and when a repeat customer comes in they belong to the salesman/woman who they have been working with.....which is understandable.

The other unfortunate part is that since it is all commission and no salary when you are starting fresh out of school and have no savings to live off before you build upo a customer base you are screwed.

But to answer your initial question some people will do very well and some will not.
While I was there a few different salesmen would pull in over 10k a month.

Good luck if you plan to enter the auto sales business.

sellphones2493 > Howdy Harrell
05/06/2014 at 19:12

Worked at Carmax for a summer (I'm a college student). I did relatively well because at Carmax, I can sell anything I want (I did sell a few I wasn't too proud of - Saturn Ion, Aveo, 2004 Camry w/ 108K for $12K).

At Carmax, you sell a lot more but make less per sale than at a traditional dealership. I was one of the top at my location for my 3 months working there (one of the original, massive Carmax's in MD), and I was doing about $4k a month.

If I worked there longer I could have sold more off referals and whatnot, plus if you're in certain clubs you make more per car.

Breakdown:
Sell a car: $120
Buy a car: $50 (if you take a trade you only get the sale)
Sell Maxcare: $100
Sell GAAP: $50
Accessories: Varies

Various promotions go on every month ($5 Test Drives, $15 Credit Checks)

Howdy Harrell > Devlin Munion
05/06/2014 at 21:42

I'm actually going into Wine and Spirits sales, but thanks!

Devlin Munion > Howdy Harrell
05/07/2014 at 20:31

Well that should be fun too! Crown Royal for everyone!