Car Sales - Advice needed

mhackett102 · 31-01-2015 11:05pm #1

Hiya!
Im currently in 6th year in school, my final year! I am clueless on what I want to do next year but I have my heart set on car sales! Unfortunately, I do not know how to get into car sales.. Do I need to do a course in college or do I go straight from school?

I do have work experience as I have been a shop assistant for the last 2 years in a very popular shop in the local area, and I have also worked for 1 week in a local car garage (work experience in Transition Year). I do have a history with cars as I use to have a rally car.

If anyone out there could help me on this situation, it would be a great help!

Regards,
Martin

Bpmull · 01-02-2015 12:52am

I have to say when I was in secondary school it was often a job I thought I would love to do and I think I would like to do it still. But with the best will in the world it would be a seriously hard way to make a living. Although it's not what you will want to hear you need to try your best to get a good leaving cert as there was plenty of people in my class who got apprenticeships or had some job organised and they put no effort into their lc and they regret it now. It maybe only a piece of paper put its a piece of paper that opens a lot of doors for you. Also the same could be said for a college degree as even to get the most basic jobs now a days you need a degree.

Sorry if the above was slightly of topic but just something to keep in mind incase the salesman doesn't work out.

Toyotafanboi · 01-02-2015 1:03am

kind of agree, kind of disagree with that. if it's what you want to do, do it. i had an apprenticeship sorted for when i left school, so being 17 back in the boom i gave two fingers to the leaving cert and done **** in it.

i was let go before completing my apprenticeship as the country went into recession. i thought i had better change tact as the motor industry isn't a steady number.

you just do a PLC course, then go to college, if that's what you need to do. there are usually no entry requirements and they are quite cheap.

i done a PLC course, now i'm in my final year as an architectural technician and i absolutely hate it. it's been ****, every minute of it. why? because it's not what i want to do and i can't see myself spending my whole life doing something i don't want to do because everybody else says it's what i need to do. i want to work with cars. every day of my course i sit looking at donedeal, reading this forum or waste time working on my own car. i'l do ok in it and having a degree proves i can do **** if i want to, but that's about it.

i don't know where that was going really.

my advice, bounce through the leaving cert, apply for jobs, i've seen a few recently for trainee car sales execs, do it. if it goes tits up or you hate it, you'l still be young enough to change your mind in 5 or 10 years time.

sblythe · 01-02-2015 1:03am

Take it from someone currently in the motor trade - keep cars as hobby.

MentalMario · 01-02-2015 1:16am

Get a business degree, specialising in marketing. Then you've a chance of getting a car sales job in a decent car sales company.

I'd be very surprised if any car sales company hired you right out of school when they could get somebody with a degree for the same money.

mhackett102 · 01-02-2015 12:47pm

Thanks everyone for the replies, honestly did help me!
@MentalMario , my plan is to go to college and study Business & Marketing, so hopefully something will come out of that.

From what I understand from talking to other salesmen, new car sales only have 2 peak times in the year, January and July. If this is the case, would I be better off enquiring into garages that mostly sell second hand cars?
I see now that alot of garages dont sell any cars that are over 4 years old (i.e. Main dealerships such as Audi or Volkswagen)

tossy · 01-02-2015 1:15pm

Go down to your local dealer and ask if you can come in on Saturdays and help out and watch how things are done, it will give you a feel for it and maybe swing you one way or the other on perusing it as a career.

bazz26 · 01-02-2015 2:02pm

I'd say if you have a good head for selling stuff then you have a better chance of getting in the door. I'd guess that a person who can sell any product is more of a benefit than actually knowing cars. Knowing cars is probably something you would learn on the job but obviously having an interest in them is always a plus. You probably need to have bit of a brass neck too.

James Bond Junior · 01-02-2015 5:19pm

It's hard work. Take the advice being given here, get an education 1st eg business degree or similar. At least if you have that under your belt and car sales isn't for you then you have other options. Alternatively maybe a mechanics apprenticeship might be for you?

mhackett102 · 01-02-2015 5:32pm

James Bond Junior wrote: »

It's hard work. Take the advice being given here, get an education 1st eg business degree or similar. At least if you have that under your belt and car sales isn't for you then you have other options. Alternatively maybe a mechanics apprenticeship might be for you?

Thats the plan for me anyways - go to college, do a business course and hope for the best!
I have considered mechanics before but there's far too much hardship in it for me. A job I would enjoy would be buying/selling cars OR detailing cars, as I also enjoy valeting cars and doing bits to the interior and exterior.

BreadnBuddha · 01-02-2015 5:40pm

Don't hope for the best. Find out what you need to do, plan how to do it and then follow through.

Sales isn't taking orders. People who just process orders aren't sales people and that kind of dope usually can't sell anyway. Sales is about having a realistic plan on how you're going to sell what you're selling and then having the drive and determination to do it.

Hope has no place in any sales strategy unless you want to eat beans and toast or koka noodles as your main meals or always be the first guy let go when numbers fall and the business starts to feel the pain.

FACT.

Long Time Lurker · 01-02-2015 6:35pm

MentalMario wrote: »

Get a business degree, specialising in marketing. Then you've a chance of getting a car sales job in a decent car sales company.
.

Most of the guys with degrees don't last on the sales floor because they get eaten up by the street brawlers.. They either end up back office, business manager, distribution or training. The good sales guys are nacky shisters.

Bigus · 01-02-2015 7:47pm

Beware that to be a car sales man you need to be on the garage insurance which is hard for anybody under 25 , so a lot of car sales men get experience else where first til they come of age. Good luck with your studies.

colm_mcm · 01-02-2015 8:06pm

I used to sell cars. Work pretty much every Saturday, in at 830 at least, leave well after 6. Spending time dropping cars here and there out of hours,
It suited me back then but there's no way I'd go back doing it again.

James Bond Junior · 01-02-2015 8:22pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

I used to sell cars. Work pretty much every Saturday, in at 830 at least, leave well after 6. Spending time dropping cars here and there out of hours,
It suited me back then but there's no way I'd go back doing it again.

I too used to sell cars in addition to an unrelated full time job. Firstly it led to me neglecting my full time job inadvertently and more importantly my better half nearly sold me such was the time it was taking up and the pressure it was putting on our relationship.

colm_mcm · 01-02-2015 9:45pm

There's a great video on YouTube about the vocation of car sales, must dig it up

Edit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAACjJ20-G0

mhackett102 · 02-02-2015 12:58am

Thanks everyone for the replies, it has certainly given me a different opinion of it now.
I'll check it out with a local garage could I go in, maybe 1 or 2 days a week, and get a feel of what its like.
There's no point in me going in straight away and realising that it's not what I was expecting it to be.

Of course, with different implications with garage insurance, it would be difficult to get in at 18 years old. Also, who would deal with an 18 year old car salesman?!

Of course, if I don't like it then I will be going to college to study Business (hopefully, will know in August when the Leaving Cert results are out) and see what outcome is from there.

bs2014 · 13-02-2015 9:35pm

Great to see your looking to enter the motor trade. I'm sending you a PM with my advice and thoughts on the motor trade....

Mr.Questions · 17-02-2015 12:34am

Hi everyone, I've recently been interviewed for a job as a car salesman. This thread is really a mixed bunch of advice. I'm 27 and have a history of working within sales. I'm aware how difficult it is to sell cars but think i have what it takes. Can anybody help with the following questions.

1. is the job mainly commission based or are basic packages good?
2. what is the general commission rate?
3. what are the general weekly hours?
4. what are the targets like for a junior salesman.

Thanks.

goz83 · 17-02-2015 1:26am

Mr.Questions wrote: »

Hi everyone, I've recently been interviewed for a job as a car salesman. This thread is really a mixed bunch of advice. I'm 27 and have a history of working within sales. I'm aware how difficult it is to sell cars but think i have what it takes. Can anybody help with the following questions.

1. is the job mainly commission based or are basic packages good?
2. what is the general commission rate?
3. what are the general weekly hours?
4. what are the targets like for a junior salesman.

Thanks.

With a name like yours, I am surprised you didn't ask those questions at your interview. Why is that?

166man · 17-02-2015 1:33am

Mr.Questions wrote: »

Hi everyone, I've recently been interviewed for a job as a car salesman. This thread is really a mixed bunch of advice. I'm 27 and have a history of working within sales. I'm aware how difficult it is to sell cars but think i have what it takes. Can anybody help with the following questions.

1. is the job mainly commission based or are basic packages good?
2. what is the general commission rate?
3. what are the general weekly hours?
4. what are the targets like for a junior salesman.

Thanks.

1. basic/commission will depend on each dealer and what you negotiate. Generally the basic is quite low, circa €20k per annum.

2. Commission isn't all it's cracked up to be, less than a few hundred per car assuming the dealership makes a profit on that car.

3. Be prepared for Monday to Saturday.

4. Again depends on the dealership, could be anywhere from 12-18 cars per month.

I should stress that each dealership could have different ways of doing things. Car sales behind the fancy job title and nice fitting suits isn't all it's cracked up to be. That's just my 2c though.

[Deleted User] · 17-02-2015 1:54am

I always find it odd that car sales is made out to be this big thing.

Admittedly, for the most part, people are parting with a fair few Euro on their purchase. But surely the 9-5 of the job is the same as selling anything else?

I've sold a few different bits and pieces in my time, and I'd imagine I'd be able to sell cars with the same level of success/failure I've had with other things?

I always thought that new car sales in particular, would be relatively easy? My thinking being that if someone wants a Toyota Auris, they're very unlikely to end up in an Audi showroom. So theoretically, the customers coming into you are already interested in a particular product, and as a result you're halfway there before you even say hello?

Although I do understand that the person interested in an Avensis may also be interested in a Mondeo, and they may try both cars and two dealers/salesmens time will be used, but of course only one will sell a car.. but I'd have thought that realistically, in these cases the salesman is really more a background character and the car/test drive is the true salesperson?

By that, what I mean is, no matter how good a salesman you are, if I hate the car, you're not selling it to me. And no matter how dire you are, if I fall in love with the car, I'm likely to buy it anyway?

[Deleted User] · 17-02-2015 2:03am

^^^^ order taker

colm_mcm · 17-02-2015 8:19am

Ooh, that won't do KKV....

How do you think that old dear ended up in a dark green Suzuki Swift? Someone convinced her that she needed it over every other car out there

166man · 17-02-2015 11:02am

Deleted User wrote: »

I always find it odd that car sales is made out to be this big thing.

Admittedly, for the most part, people are parting with a fair few Euro on their purchase. But surely the 9-5 of the job is the same as selling anything else?

I've sold a few different bits and pieces in my time, and I'd imagine I'd be able to sell cars with the same level of success/failure I've had with other things?

I always thought that new car sales in particular, would be relatively easy? My thinking being that if someone wants a Toyota Auris, they're very unlikely to end up in an Audi showroom. So theoretically, the customers coming into you are already interested in a particular product, and as a result you're halfway there before you even say hello?

Although I do understand that the person interested in an Avensis may also be interested in a Mondeo, and they may try both cars and two dealers/salesmens time will be used, but of course only one will sell a car.. but I'd have thought that realistically, in these cases the salesman is really more a background character and the car/test drive is the true salesperson?

By that, what I mean is, no matter how good a salesman you are, if I hate the car, you're not selling it to me. And no matter how dire you are, if I fall in love with the car, I'm likely to buy it anyway?

New car sales in Ireland is not easy. If I'm looking for a 1.6 diesel saloon, you can be sure that I'll be checking out options from Kia, Hyundai, Renault, Toyota, VW, Ford etc etc, not only that but I'll be going to more than one dealership and pricing you off each other, often the garage down the country being able to cut a better deal due to lower overheads.

So with all that in mind, how do you convince me to go for a Mazda 1.6 diesel saloon over a Ford 1.6 diesel saloon?

It's not an easy game and there's long hours involved.

Mr.Questions · 17-02-2015 1:38pm

goz83 wrote: »

With a name like yours, I am surprised you didn't ask those questions at your interview. Why is that?

That's wasn't much help. I asked what I wanted to ask. I want to have comparisons to other dealerships and get an idea of general conditions. Thanks for the reply, I think!?

goz83 · 17-02-2015 7:28pm

Mr.Questions wrote: »

That's wasn't much help. I asked what I wanted to ask. I want to have comparisons to other dealerships and get an idea of general conditions. Thanks for the reply, I think!?

Interviews are not just one way. The potential employer wants to find out if you are a good fit for the position, BUT, you should also have been asking the above questions to make sure the position is a good fit for you. Any decent employer, or interviewer will appreciate someone asking relevant questions about the position....especially if they have not worked in the industry.

The set up in the place you interviewed for could be completely different from what you are told here. I hope that's more helpful. My first reply was at an ungodly hour.

Car Sales - Advice needed

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