Ok, very simple. I was 19 years old and decided to continue living on my own because I disagreed with my parents relocating to Florida. I had a plan. I was going to school with hopes and goals of being a teacher. I was going to school fulltime while working 3 jobs as a lifeguard and a swim instructor. Well after a month of living on my own, I started to really go broke. I mean I was not prepared for life on my own and really paying my own bills. Now my father who was already a master technician for Lexus was against me getting into the business. In fact, a year before that I was offered a job selling cars and he talked to me out for the fear that I might really make a career out of it.

Well this time I took the plunge and got trained. I started selling cars and after a few months began to be pretty successful. It got to the point that when I relocated to Florida at the age of 21 I dropped out of school and continued selling cars. At that point, I had gotten into internet sales and marketing. This was where my growth started. As my parents badgered me about school, I rejoined online and I am still doing it as we speak (I am almost done, degree coming soon). As I got into management at 23, I really saw that this is where my career will be. Well, I am now 26 and at this point I have made a lot of amazing friends including all of you. I have also really grown in my career and I continue to work as an Internet Director at an up and coming Nissan store.

I must admit, I have my love and hate relationship with the industry. However, every time I think of the negatives I always remember the rewards and the friends that I made. The same friends that helped keep me strong and motivated when I was in the job market just a few months ago.

Ive worked in quite a few industries, in many regions and a couple countries, mainly in customer service related fields, and mostly with high end clientele. Ive just finished my second week in the Auto Service industry.

Lets start with the good stuff. I like it. I like the variety, and the people Ive worked with so far. Its fast paced and hectic, and for some strange reason I like fires. Not the real kind, I like fixing things, be they physical, or logistical. So this industry has a lot to offer a person like me, lots of challenges.

On to the dark side, now remember Ive only been in THIS industry for 2 weeks, but damn have I seen some ugly paradigms.

I have questions, questions about stereotypes like "mechanics are always bitchin and prima donnas".
Well maybe they are, has anyone ever asked why? and what can we do to change that?

Do service advisors realize that their behavior and attitude is reflected right back at them by their customers? If the SA is in a state of panic, rushed and impatient, then the their customer is going to be.

I just see lots of little things that I think would make a big difference, and be simple fixes. Its a little frustrating because Im at such a low level I know that it is probably pointless for me to bring them up.

I can already tell that in this industry for some reason there is a knee jerk "we dont do it that way" reaction to new ideas. Why do I think that? Because I see things being done the way they were 30 some years ago when my Mom and Dad were dragging me into dealerships when I was a kid. I come from a long line of car people. Not only that Ive talked to some of my co-workers and many of the ideas I currently have they had long ago, but they never saw their ideas bear fruit so I think they just gave up trying to change things.

I'll give you one example. How about restricting all mechanic and SA interaction to the shop, away from the customers? I'll hold off on the reasons why because there are quite a few and I know you guys arent as interested in the service side, so I wont bore you.

Thats just one example, lets just say I agree with VOLKER, we do have our work cut out for us, and not just in marketing and sales.

But Im up for it! Thats the nice thing about DR, I can discuss ideas, make a fool of myself, and "probably" wont get fired for it.

Jaeckel, heck no man - you work for CoBalt! Just kidding with you. CoBalt actually does a fantastic job at recruiting great people!

Yeah, there is definitely a lot of work to do.

@ Alex and @ Philip - I hope you guys see me as a 1%er. I believe we have a lot work to do and it will be not easy.

Thanks for the affirmation Alex. I choose my friends wisely because in business and in life you are who you associate yourself with and I am proud to be associated with you and DealerRefresh! After all, what are friends for!

I don't think most of the people on DealerRefresh are reflective of the norm Phillip. That is the sad thing about this post - the other 99% of the industry will never see it....especially not the intended audience.

Hi Jeff and Alex,

Well, maybe I am not reflective of the norm but I come from a business family and my attraction to the car business was drawn on my respect for the diversity of an auto dealership as a combination of a wholesale and retail business operating in multiple verticals. The combination of challenges - and opportunities - as a sales business, service business, real estate business, banking business, parts business, and all of the associated HR needs combined with the ties to community events, B2B opportunities and local/national politics was the ultimate business model and opportunity that fit perfectly into my career goal to be a "businessman!"

I of course understand that many people saw the money as the draw to the car business, however, if that was the only attraction then being a drug dealer may have had more appeal. My point is that the true professionals that have survived in the auto industry are the circle of friends and associates that have earned the title "car salesperson" and/or that can define themselves as "car guys/gals" and they are the ones that will relate to my reply. As for the others, maybe being a drug dealer would have been a better career choice after all!

To be happy or grumpy is a choice, and its a choice you make every day, all day.

Its your brain.

Interesting post Alex...

While I'm not a true car guy and not in the thick of the sales world, the online business development end of things is an important element...I never anticipated working for a dealer.

I'm not sure how long my stay would have been in a different environment. However, this is the only place I can see myself at - hopefully it'll be my last stop...

If you're doing what you love and you're making a difference, its definitely not a job, it surely could become your career - but it ultimately should be something you truly look forward to doing every single day.

If not, why the hell are you doing it?

Eric

I think every biz has its own share of people coming and going. The car biz may have a few more than others because it looks easy from the outside (and it is not!) as well as it is easy for younger people to get in.

First off, I love the car business. I better after 27 years. You are right, however, that it was not my first choice. I graduated college with a degree in Psychology and was going to go for my Masters in Social Work when my best friend opened up a dealership and told me about the money he was making so I decided to give it a shot instead of going back to school and I fell in love with it. We had fun and enjoyed what we were doing. I think that's the difference between then and now. We all got into the business not necessarily by choice but we embraced it! Nowadays people are always looking for the greener grass and even though they may never find it they are preoccupied with looking. I for one really enjoy what I do and have always had the support I needed to grow. I started on the eCommerce side of things ten years ago and I absolutely enjoy every day. I wish I could say the same for most salespeople. They just seem, in general, to get by with as little effort as possible and hope for the best. They don't follow the procedure unless forced to and will skip steps if they can get away with it. I doubt there's really greener grass out there for these types of people but it doesn't stop them from looking. I seriously wish that our business could shed some of the negativity that we have and recruit quality young people to embrace this business and help us move into the future with our heads held high! This is a great business and I, for one, will never leave!

I got in the business in 2004 because I wanted to help run a business, so my wife and I joined her father's independent used car dealership on the operations side. I quickly jumped on internet advertising, so I've come to terms with the fact that I'm in sales! Before, I was investment analyst and consultant to pension and 401(k) plans, and there was plenty of money there, but I just wasn't feeling "Corporate America" of sitting in cubicle looking at numbers all day and just traveling too much. Our dealership is actually quite the contrarian: turnover is very low because we hired former business owners that are loyal and appreciative of the opportunity; our profit margins are way low because we'd rather have customers walking out feeling that they got a great deal instead of feeling hassled and worked over and that is why they keep coming back; and our approach is very laid-back and honest. So yeah, we could get more aggressive sales guys, but it would be the revolving door you speak of and we don't want any "attitudes" spoiling our reputation.

BRAVO Alex - BRAVO Jeff:
You hit the nail on its head, right on. You won't believe how many Real Estate Agents or Mortgage Brokers I had seen "flying by" the dealerships. Answer: "Well I need to make some money until the house market is back-up again".
Are you kidding me, what do you think car dealerships? May be a Starbucks or Crazy Wings Cafe, where normally part-time students bumping up their living standard for $8/hour?

We suck (as stated absolutely right in the post) because we are not taking proud in what we are doing. Alright! Here now is my story:

I came in 2001 to the U.S. to marry my American Soul mate and to execute some consulting business for a German subsidiary. This was early September 2001. Then 9/11 occurred. The world seemed to be on a stand-still and my coaching-consulting assignment was cancelled. Wow, no American degree, German accent, newly-wed and living in Michigan - sounds like a jackpot to me...
After a couple days of thinking I decided to make my biggest weakness into my strongest asset. I called up Williams AutoWorld in Okemos, MI and told the President of the company "Mr. Williams - I think it makes sense to have a real German guy, with a real German accent selling your real German cars (BMW, Mercedes, Porsche). It worked and after 8 months I received the honor to be Top-sales person for the Auto Group and be named in the Top-20 for CSI in the Market 42.
I had found my passion, selling cars and decided from there on to focus on handling things like "Internet inquiries" (which by the way nobody of the sales staff wanted because in their words “they are time-wasters).
My book of business grew rapidly over time, I changed dealer groups due to relocations and I honestly can tell you that no car dealer I've worked for ever let me down.

My recipe is - Be happy and appreciate that you are able to handle, show and demonstrate pretty things (a car), see how your customers are happy and feel good about their decision to have bought form you (CSI), following up how they are doing with their new ride and if they had earned compliments (referral), and stay in touch not only to at Christmas time (repeat business).
When you don’t feel a passion about the things you do, you need to change – not the attitude but your employer and field of work. Believe me the success will come, when you are fully dedicated to your dealership and your job. Focus on your job with the promise a) to make someone coming in your dealership happy – every day – b) become an expert on your particular Make you are selling – c) when Internet sales, commit to be different than your competition, study the competition, find their strength and observe and last but not least build your strength on their weakness.
Please, decide to make the Automotive Retail World a Better World and commit (German free translation: “Komm mit” – which means “Come with me”) to your career.
Yes, CAREER – I never in million years would have thought that I will be in the U.S. and selling cars. I knew about the reputation of car sales people but I decided to put my head down and work, didn’t allow listening to any bias and knew that I will be one day one of the Best in my field.
Huge thanks to America, which is really the land of opportunities and a big Thank You to the American Car Dealers, who have given me the opportunity to be successful. Last advice I like to share: When you show you can do it and you are successful more opportunities will arise out of it. Believe, I am just experiencing it.

Major issue is the fact that cars industry is changing. Oil is coming to it's end and all this 'economic meltdown' is because big financial institutions are moving their capital from this industry and others that are not perspective any more. Just look around, stupid LukOil is buying gas stations while others are moving their capital from something that will be dead capital in 15-20 years or even sooner. Transport will change dramatically soon and new technologies should be rolled out and new wave will come... so be ready to jump into sales on time.

Lack of money certainly got me started in the car business - no question about it. I've been here for years though, and don't see myself "getting out" for awhile yet. That being said, I don't intend to stay in the car business forever. But I will make the most of it while I'm around.

This advice is crucial, and I think *every* person in the car business should read it. I know tons of folks at my dealership could benefit from it.

Jeff thanks for all the content, I read this stuff every day, its a part of my routine. It's always good to slow down and reflect. Improvement is vital to the daily grind we all put in.

On a more personal note. I think I may have found a way to figure out who's coming in off my website or my vendors like Auto Trader.com or cars.com

Jeff,

I make it a point to stop on here and read comments and articles atleast once a week. This is a great resource. I can say that after making the contacts I have through here and other social networking sites, I am a better ecommerce director now then I ever was.

Jeff

I think DR is the best dealer blog/social network out there. Way to go! Keep up the good work!.

Andy

Rerun, Dewayne, and Raj - now those 3 guys would be great in the car business!

Jeff,

Congrats on keeping the momentum going with so many valuable topics for the community...

Eric

Also gmail deliverability is awesome too. We use a private label version of it for our business and have yet to have any problems with our messages being treated as spam from an isp.

gmail by far has the best email service. I've seen articles saying that gmail will be the #1 email provider in a few months as it continues to rapidly grow.

Everyone wants to be the next AutoTrader. As a vendor who sends data to virtually every 3rd party there is, we get contacted regularly from start ups that want to be the next AutoTrader.

Websites like Craigslist, Vast, Oodle, Backpage, EveryCarListed, EasyAutoSales and others are all free. Websites with free listings, supported by advertisements, seem to be the future, or at least viable alternatives anyways.

I've heard rumors in the past that even eBay is trying to go to a model of not charging for listings and only charging for leads or sales.