How do they earn their salary at all

[MercedesDriver]

I have sent 5 enquiries to different MB dealers for W212 estates and have received only one callback which resulted with an offer. 4 dealers obviously didn't find it important that some prospect customer intend to transfer some money to their employer bank account.
Are they really so full that customer became just unnecessary and unwanted nuisance which has to be avoided?

 

[chriscls]

I have found this to be a common ignorance now. No matter what I have been looking for lately, be it a car or even a nice house, people do not want my money.

I walked into a showroom, clearly interested in a car, not one sales person approached me within 5 minutes. As I was walking out, I went to the guys desk and asked "have you ever seen £30,000 walk? ", his reply laughed and said no, I said your about to and walked out.

It is ignorance and laziness, their base salaries are too high you see, make them work for it and they might make an effort. If only some people knew how greasy the pole really is.

 

[paneraiseeker]

As I was walking out, I went to the guys desk and asked "have you ever seen £30,000 walk? ", his reply laughed and said no, I said your about to and walked out.

.

He's probably thinking " Never mind i have just seen £100k walk in''.

 

[RWDpetrol]

I have found this to be a common ignorance now. No matter what I have been looking for lately, be it a car or even a nice house, people do not want my money.

Same here, booked a test drive with MB and salesperson didn't bother to come to work that day. Told her manager "I want to do a deal today" and he dumped me onto another salesperson taking little interest. They weren't serious anyway as they didn't even bother to look at my C63 for part ex and wanted me to get a CLS although I wanted a C w205.

Similar at BMW. Several enquiries and the dealers furthest away from me responded first albeit slow. In the end bought from Park Lane who are the only dealer owned by BMW - amazing service and best deal by far.

Oh, and I'm now getting lots of call backs from the others...

I think the laziness is down to collective targets rather than individual.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

It is ignorance and laziness, their base salaries are too high you see, make them work for it and they might make an effort.

If you are generalising, you're wrong it that assumption; their base salaries aren't that great and some of their targets are that unattainable that at times they won't bother attempting them.

 

[chriscls]

He's probably thinking " Never mind i have just seen £100k walk in''.

Was empty on a Sat morning, but my point was bigger than this, where was the motive for a sale, or even at the very very least, a respect to meet and greet.

Fundamentals are missing, and it is strange given that this is a recent thing.

 

[chriscls]

If you are generalising, you're wrong it that assumption; their base salaries aren't that great and some of their targets are that unattainable that at times they won't bother attempting them.

I am making an assumption based on facts. If a sales person does not bother to sell, they are likely on a good base salary. Beyond this, they are lazy for not even trying. When I was in sales, I used a x5 rule, aim for x5 the kpi, never worked but its a bloody good attempt.

 

[John]

Similar at BMW. Several enquiries and the dealers furthest away from me responded first albeit slow. In the end bought from Park Lane who are the only dealer owned by BMW - amazing service and best deal by far.

Funny that. I bought a 325i back in 99 from MLG Chiswick (which is now Park Lane) and they were excellent back then.

Did loads on the price, I forgot to mention some serious damage to my car which they didn't care about and to top it off, they replaced a fob FOC which my local dealer wanted £120 for as it was not covered under warranty. They even underwrote investigation work for the clutch which was a known issue in those (not strong enough).

Now that is what I call a great dealer!

 

[markjay]

A friend in the finance sector once told me that he envies people like me - who actually like what they do and take pride in it.

He said that in comparison, most bankers he knew did what they do for one reason only, money, hated their jobs and would not have dreamt on doing them if the pay was not (very) good.

I think the same applies to salespeople. If you like to meet and talk to people, if you enjoy the process of sharing your knowledge of the product, and most of all if you have a passion for cars, you will make a good salesperson.

But those who drag themselves out of bed in the morning and go to the showroom just because they need the cash, while absolutely hating dealing with Joe Public and have no interest whatsoever in cars, will just yawn through the day until they (and their bosses) realise they are not cut for the job and should move on.

 

[chriscls]

A friend in the finance sector once told me that he envies people like me - who actually like what they do and take pride in it.

He said that in comparison, most bankers he knew did what they do for one reason only, money, hated their jobs and would not have dreamed on doing them if the pay was not (very) good.

I think the same applies to salespeople. If you like to meet and talk to people, if you enjoy the process of sharing your knowledge of the product, and most of all if you gave a passion for cars, you will make a good salesperson.

But those who drag themselves out of bed in the morning and go to the showroom just because they need the cash, while absolutly hating dealing with Joe Public and have no interest whatsoever in cars, will just yawn through the day until they (and their bosses) realise they are not cut for the job and should move on.

Summary is spot on!

 

[MercedesDriver]

If you are generalising, you're wrong it that assumption; their base salaries aren't that great and some of their targets are that unattainable that at times they won't bother attempting them.

But even a base salary has to be earned. In my business if you don't hit the target twice in a row you're out.

 

[RWDpetrol]

if you enjoy the process of sharing your knowledge of the product, and most of all if you gave a passion for cars, you will make a good salesperson.

Sadly, most have very limited knowledge of their products and zero passion. A bit like the guys in eg Currys who when you ask them a question will pick up the display card and read it out to you.

 

[MercedesDriver]

A friend in the finance sector once told me that he envies people like me - who actually like what they do and take pride in it.

He said that in comparison, most bankers he knew did what they do for one reason only, money, hated their jobs and would not have dreamed on doing them if the pay was not (very) good.

I think the same applies to salespeople. If you like to meet and talk to people, if you enjoy the process of sharing your knowledge of the product, and most of all if you gave a passion for cars, you will make a good salesperson.

But those who drag themselves out of bed in the morning and go to the showroom just because they need the cash, while absolutly hating dealing with Joe Public and have no interest whatsoever in cars, will just yawn through the day until they (and their bosses) realise they are not cut for the job and should move on.

Two years ago just for fun I have sent my CV to MB, and I'm in sales business for 25 years. HR was very polite and called to inform me that I don't have enough of specific skills in car sales?! What are those skills? dragging from bed or sending an offer to someone who wish to buy product you sell?
Something is very wrong in MB sales management then.

 

[John]

Always remember a few years ago asking in Comet for an extension lead for a PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse.

They said they didn't sell the Playstation 2.

WTF.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I am making an assumption based on facts. If a sales person does not bother to sell, they are likely on a good base salary.

That's your opinion, do you know how much these salesmen earn as a base salary?

Beyond this, they are lazy for not even trying.

Maybe not so much lazy, they might have just hit all their targets for the month and then you've wandered in.

This is, I agree, a terrible attitude from a customers point of view but it's the reality of the job of main dealer sales.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

But even a base salary has to be earned. In my business if you don't hit the target twice in a row you're out.

What's your business?

And I bet that really encourages sales ; two strikes and you're out...

 

[chriscls]

Always remember a few years ago asking in Comet for an extension lead for a PS/2 keyboard and PS/2 mouse.

They said they didn't sell the Playstation 2.

WTF.

I'll better that:

Walked into caffe nero last week. Hi could I have an espresso? so the guy got it from machine, looked at it and said " looks a bit short, sure you dont want milk". Saying this to an Italian is a bundle of laughs and 100% daft coming from a Barista.

 

[John]

I'll better that:

Walked into caffe nero last week. Hi could I have an espresso? so the guy got it from machine, looked at it and said " looks a bit short, sure you dont want milk". Saying this to an Italian is a bundle of laughs and 100% daft coming from a Barista.

Work experience week at Café Nero!

 

[MercedesDriver]

What's your business?

And I bet that really encourages sales ; two strikes and you're out...

Machine tool business

 

[prprandall51]

Two years ago just for fun I have sent my CV to MB, and I'm in sales business for 25 years. HR was very polite and called to inform me that I don't have enough of specific skills in car sales?! What are those skills? dragging from bed or sending an offer to someone who wish to buy product you sell?
Something is very wrong in MB sales management then.

I can identify with this. I used to be in software sales and I have always been mystified by car sales as a profession as the level of ignorance often shown in dealerships would have you sacked within the first week in a professional sales organisation.

Last month I was in an Audi showroom and asked about the difference between the S6 and RS6 as - on paper - they are very similar, but they manage to have (after discounts) a £30,000 price difference - an extra chunk of money that you would think the salesman would have wanted to get his hands on by up-selling. After some umm-ing and ahh-ing and going to consult with his colleague (who "knows about this sort of thing") he reported back a number of supposed differences that I knew to be false, my knowledge merely being based on having read the brochure before going into the showroom. The salesman then went on to demonstrate complete ignorance of a number of performance car technologies that should have been his area of expertise. Hopeless.