Facts are though folks, shrinking margins and rising variable expense means that dealers are going to be forced to go down the path of product advisors vs commissioned sales folks. I think this has been inevitable for the last decade.
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Say Goodbye to the Car Salesman??
- Thread starter Jeff Kershner
- Start date
I actually got in a pretty heated argument with a coworker about this very topic! I see no reason as to why any of the car manufacturers cant do a retailesqe atmosphere. This will "cut out the middleman" that is the car dealerships. Picture a "(someones name) Ford Dealership" Remove the persons name, fill the place with people who work for Ford, and they can charge a fair price for a car, control supply better, and basically optimize the whole car buying process. Customers happy, Ford's happy, everyone wins!
The "sales man" is going away, its just a matter of time for someone with half a brain to realize that the old ways of doing business is not going to work anymore.
The "sales man" is going away, its just a matter of time for someone with half a brain to realize that the old ways of doing business is not going to work anymore.
- Feb 9, 2012
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- Todd
I love all these articles and comments about the end of car salesman...I question who writes them??? Have they ever worked in car dealership before?? Have they ever dealt with someone with lousy credit and have to collect copies of utility bills, references, etc..?? Have they ever dealt with someone with 3 crying kids in the showroom running around?? How about a husband and wife fighting over what car they can afford?? How about the problems customers have after the delivery that come up??? Have they ever dealt with those??? Next to home the car is the biggest purchase people make and they need to see it, drive it, smell it and really like it in order to commit financially to it. Furthermore, I would say based on experience that no matter what they say "most" people like to negotiate when it comes to buying a car. Its human nature to want to negotiate. Humans have been doing it for several thousand years..Not everyone likes to "haggle" but most do..It takes a seasoned auto sales professional to negotiate with people and help them with a very large financial decision. It takes a salesman with a personality, not some 20 year old kid who knows how to tweet but not how to talk to someone!!! This is a people business and it always will be. Every few years we hear and read these stories about the end of the car dealership and the end of the car salesman...NOT HAPPENING!!! No that being said its the job of every car dealer to provide the shopper with the best online tools for the consumer to shop for a car..(photos, good website, etc...) and provide a professional car buying experience before, during, and after the sale...Last thing...I invite any one of these people that write these stories or make these comments to spend 2 WEEKS working in a car dealership and DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC....They may change their tune!!
I would take you up on this... in fact i'm trying to do it at my dealership now. I'm a 25 year old, know it all, computer literate, social media using, marketing genius. I sit behind a computer all day... I WANT to be in the showroom making 150k a year selling cars to people. Instead, i'm stuck in an office working my ass off getting you guys ALL of your business, making 1/4 of what you take home.
So if your offer is real, and you're close by, I would love to learn the "art of the sale" because it will only make me better at my job.
- Feb 9, 2012
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- Todd
I wish I could Todd, but I'm part of a team here that i truly feel will make a ton of money and is doing things that not to many dealers, hell even vendors, are doing. I appreciate the offer, but I can't quit on this team.
I do want to learn how to sell cars though... but it would have to take the backseat to my main job/career.
- Apr 7, 2009
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- Joe
Last week, Jeff Kerschner passed me a link to 129 Cars | This American Life
It's NPR doing a FANTASTIC story inside a CDJ dealer in long island for 30 days. It's factual, honest and I give it 2 Thumbs up, WAYYY up.
It's NPR doing a FANTASTIC story inside a CDJ dealer in long island for 30 days. It's factual, honest and I give it 2 Thumbs up, WAYYY up.
wow, this is just like NHL's 24/7 where they follow the team up until the winter classic. pretty awesome!
87% of car salespeople, that enter this business, are gone within a year. It has been this way for decades. Why? They couldn't make any money! I can't imagine any job that wouldn't be better than a poorly paid car salesperson. How many times have you had to tell a salesperson that there were customers on the lot? You would need Private Investigators to find them when you start paying $10/hr. How many times do you shake your head as you watch a piss poor presentation? What would you expect from some hourly "adviser" in 30 or 100 degree weather? What sets car people apart from the general public? We can make a decision. Think some hourly guy is going to close a deal? The customer would have to beg to buy the car. Why would they want to do all of the paperwork?
- Oct 17, 2011
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✨ AI Highlights
Dealers debate whether internet-empowered consumers have diminished the role of car salespeople, with the original article suggesting customers arrive at dealerships already informed and ready to buy. While some acknowledge that online research has shifted competition to the pre-visit stage, most participants argue that salespeople remain essential because customers still need to physically experience vehicles, require closing assistance, and dealers must compete on service quality rather than information advantage. The emerging consensus is that dealers should invest in customer-centric experiences—transparent pricing, efficient transactions, and product knowledge—rather than traditional sales tactics, though the industry will likely see a shift toward "product advisors" over commissioned salespeople as margins continue to shrink.
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