- Apr 7, 2009
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Seeking innovative pay plan ideas for internet sales managers
- Thread starter tbullard
- Start date
- Apr 7, 2009
- 4,463
- 1,961
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- 10
- First Name
- Joe
Joshua,
All but 2 of my 40 reps use templates to respond to emails. IMO, this is one of our weaknesses. DO you use templated emails? Do you write a personal email every time? Have you made your own templates?
Thnx again, I'm takin' notes and studying like finals are tomorrow!!
Until last month, I wrote every single email, everyday. However, with Toyota starting to shop us and requiring certain things, I use a template for the initial response right now. I really only use that if they submit on a specific car, I try to be as personal as possible whenever answering people. I can't stand boring and I feel templates are boring, automated and really nothing special, so why would that make me any different than anyone else?
They are following the Lexus model. We are required to use a template which was designed by a committee of, get this, dealers. It is time consuming which hurts your response time and IT DOESN'T SELL!
Lexus has terrible websites (that are required), these templates, a set of very strict guides that they call the Lexus "covenant" that all seem to be designed as roadblocks to a sale. If you are found out of compliance, it costs the store a lot of money. I'm not suggesting that we do anything unethical. I just want to do smart business.
I would love to work for Lexus. We have two lexus stores. One manager runs both of those and our preowned outlet, mostly because they are relatively slow. She keeps a 10% conversion ratio at her stores, and is very good what she does.
I just want an IS350 really bad. I leased a 2012 SE V6 Camry two months ago, because it was the closest I could get. And my payment is HELLA cheap.
We have several Master Certified Lexus salespeople and Lexus pays part of their lease.
Getting in on this a little late, but if I learned anything so far here, it is that these threads go on for a long time and always seem to build up a great deal of info. I have also been wondering what is realistic and expeted compensation for my position. I thought I may as well add to this discussion, and hopefully get some feedback also. I have been in and out of Sales for about 7 years now, all with the same smaller dealership. I came back about a year ago now in my current position, as Internet manager/IT/Marketing/whatever else. I have tried a few styles since I got back and all of them are with me making initial email contact and then handing off the lead to a salesperson for follow up and appointment setting. Depending if I get a response, I may carry on further, and deal with them til they are in the door. It is a work in progress at this time. I am salaried at $500 a week plus $20 per sale of any internet leads. My problem is our store volume is aprox. 30 new and 20 used per month, so the opportunity to gain a good comission is pretty limited. In the short time I have been back out site traffic has almost tripled, and leads from our site, almost double. This is in a big part to this site and the people on it. We spend very little with autotrader, and use dealix for both used, and new leads. those are really our only expenses in the digital area besided cobalt. We still use a lot of conventional media, and my opinion on that will not change it. I can see most of you rolling your eyes, and saying jump ship, but the owners are like family, and I would like to try to improve it somewhat before I do that. Also no CRM, and no real process of selling a car for the salespeople. I think I would like to be accountable for all the digital costs and then be paid my comission on a basis of 5% of the net for cars sold from those products after 10 sold. Then 10% after 20, and 15% after 30. I know this would take forever to get to the 30 point but gives me a huge goal. Wondering everyone's thoughts, and trying to add a little to the discussion
- Dec 2, 2009
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- John
My first pay plan after sales was very similar to what you have now. It was based on us producing 20 or so internet sales a month.
Within a couple of years, we were doing 100 internet sales a month.
You have an INCREDIBLE opportunity to make a big Impact at your store: If You Build It, It Will Come.
1st "It" is Volume, Second "It" is Income. Make a difference in your store, and you'll get paid. Don't worry about splitting hairs.
Within a couple of years, we were doing 100 internet sales a month.
You have an INCREDIBLE opportunity to make a big Impact at your store: If You Build It, It Will Come.
1st "It" is Volume, Second "It" is Income. Make a difference in your store, and you'll get paid. Don't worry about splitting hairs.
John,
Thanks! Good to hear. I agree. Just have to keep getting the tools that produce, and show results, and Pay should come after that.
Thanks! Good to hear. I agree. Just have to keep getting the tools that produce, and show results, and Pay should come after that.
What John is telling you is all fine and dandy, but if you're taking a department from 20 cars to 100 cars, you need to negotiate your pay plan by the time you hit 30-40 cars. Waiting too long can be worse than asking for it upfront. I don't mean to be an ass, but I look around the business and see a lot of people working for free and don't know it.
Every manager concentrates on results, few concentrate on results and expectations. For all you know, you could slave bell to bells for a couple months to double production, only to make it look too easy and now everyone thinks you should be selling 50-60 as a baseline.
Set expectations, beat expectations, ask for money, repeat.
