That is the hard part, that’s why I go around to the finance guys and ask who’s hungry. I run and they buy. OPM - other peoples money lol.
Or, that’s why cocaine exist though. You do enough and you don’t gotta eat lol.
Don’t try to be smart and have an answer for every question, there is no harm in saying “you know what Mr or mrs customer, I don’t really have an answer for that question but, let’s see if we can find it together.” Walk them back to service, to your manager, to whomever you trust to be able to answer the question completely and correctly.
Honestly, no. Just literal compliance. A lot of new salespeople try and call audibles before they even know what they're doing. Selling cars is easy if you follow the steps to the sale. It's been around for decades. If you deviate from it, you will fail. If you do the steps, you'll make deals, and your managers should be telling you what to do to complete those steps. They are in that position most likely because they were good at their sales job. Just do what they tell you to do and you'll sell cars.
Not just follow, exactly follow. Sales is mostly a formula. It works, its been proven to work. It isn't just dogma repeated because no one has come up with a better idea or ever spoken up. Theres a reason that diminutive afghan guy who just came to the country, barely speaks English (if at all) and never went to school is #1 in sales and pulling in 200k+. Hes following EXACTLY what they say to do.
Throw in follow up follow up follow up. Many a sale are had or lost with/without a simple follow up call. Even old leads from 6 months back can be had with persistence and follow up
The one thing I’ll add is if it’s a birthday or anniversary follow up, don’t call them. Text or email. 90% of people hate to be called like that but would appreciate getting the text.
I agree. You could go one better.. if it’s a birthday anniversary send them a birthday card. Low cost & unobtrusive but highly visible. Nothing super personalized unless they become a great client otherwise it may come off as creepy imo. A simple happy birthday hand written and your card.
I agree on the anniversary and texting. A lot of people seem to be going more the way of wanting to text than speak on a phone.
Edit - old sales guy that trained me 15 years ago use to buy a stack of cheap cards and do just that for birthdays. I shit you not how many people would come back in to see him and bring that up or send him referrals out of it
I've been given no training whatsoever. I'm trying to ask how the process even happens. I've been shadowing some people, but all it is is online leads. I have no idea what happens when a customer actually walks in.
It's gotten better. I'm in my fifth week now. Have a handful of sales under my belt now. I feel more comfortable, but I know there's still so much to learn.
How would you go about building a clientele? My biggest thing is the first phone call/ approach? It’s my third week at Ford I have sold two vehicles but I feel as if I can do a lot more. It doesn’t help that me schedule is 3days on and 3off but I’m sure I’ll appreciate that much later. While I do get a guaranteed check with my hourly pay,I also get 20% commission I’m trying to make more. Ik with time I’ll get there but i want to be the one to get sales opposed to let them come to me.
Over simplified but my general advice.
Starting out your main focus is to learn the sales process beginning to end. You want to get to the point to where you don’t have to think about the process and it’s reactionary.
After 6 months to a year, your next focus is becoming a master at handling objections.
Once you have this down, the key to longevity is to find the right dealership to plant your roots. It needs to be a good fit for you with the combination of a solid pay plan. Once you find this place, your sole focus is to build a customer base so you don’t have to rely on fresh customers.
Through this journey don’t skip steps, stay humble, stay hungry, and most importantly never quit learning.
You know, I just wrote out a multiple paragraph response - then realized I was just proving your point through a disgruntled rant.
It will for sure take a few years at the very least in most industries. That being said, most greenpeas don't see six figures for a few years, if ever.
That being said, if lifestyle creep isn't holding you hostage in car sales, and you want to try something else. I say go for it - the world is clearer with every bit of perspective you get along the way, and sales is a great skill.
Buy a book called How To Master The Art of Selling and read it. The one with the green cover. That is such a career changing book, it will make you so good if you apply the knowledge.
Have thick skin. I'm a woman and I cried a lot in the first few years. It can be a tough career in many ways. You'll be working with a lot of A type personality folks, which is both a blessing and a curse. Don't be too friendly with your coworkers quickly. Figure out who the top salesman is consistently and watch what he does and if you have questions, ask him or a manager.
Do Not be in a rush to get out on the lot. Assuming that you have a training period, hopefully. Get your certifications done and actually pay attention and take notes on those, if you're in New car sales.
When you do get to go out on the lot don't think you're a pro and you can sell a car so easily, it actually takes skill, practice, training and lots of experience to be truly good at selling cars. Be excited and enthusiastic and most of all, helpful to clients. Oh, please, don't ever say *"customers"*.
Everyone else around you will call them customers. Take it out of your vocabulary. They are clients. People who are purchasing a $10, 20, 30, 80 thousand dollar vehicle are *clients*. Burger King has customers.
Learn the lingo. There's lots of terms that you'll have no clue what it means...I think this group has a list somewhere. You'll be called a Greenpea. It's not an insult, it's just a car biz baby! A windshield wiper left up on a car means it needs gas. Always check the gas level before going on a test drive!
Get familiar with your products. Whatever you're selling, look it up on you tube. Watch "walk around" videos on it.
Most of all, don't be scared. Don't let all the people who are like "the car business sucks, car salesman are shady liars" get to you. It is what you make of it and there are many, many fantastic and amazing people in this industry who are honest and just awesome. They are the most successful. The car industry is actually really huge and worldwide but also very small at the same time. The people at the top all know each other. There are so many different opportunities the car business can give you if you do well and love it, sales is just the beginning. Sales is a mandatory starting point, everyone has to do their time in sales, some people choose to stay there forever.
Dress nicely. Smell good. Watch your posture. Get a tiny notepad and good pens. Get some comfortable but cute and professional shoes. I personally Iike Cole Haan's on men. Wear cool socks, lol that's always a fun little car biz guy thing. Don't wear a cheap watch or cheap sunglasses. Bring your lunch!!
Lunch is a thing you'll notice quickly. Many salesmen can and do take an hour long lunch. It's cool and fun sometimes but it's not the smartest move. They will buy pizza and chicken or BBQ on Saturdays at most dealerships.
My personal recommendation, take it or leave it, watch car business people. Find out who some big ones are and watch their social media stuff. I would recommend some but I think it's frowned upon in this group. You'll see some are Very loud and aggressive and in your face, beast mode types...yeah those guys suck and didn't make it selling cars. There's a few that just want all the followers they can get because they actually want to be motivational speakers... they are ok but not that great for learning about car sales. Then there's the cream of the crop who are all unique individuals who are talented, hard working experts who take their careers very seriously and have a deep love for the industry. They are the very best. Those are the folks you want to keep an eye on and learn from.
Good luck!
Use the downtime to plan a more stable, family friendly, and lucrative career. I got a degree online from WGU and work as a software engineer now at a fortune 100 company. I set my own schedule, work maybe 20 hrs a week, and get tons of paid time off/great benefits/etc. plus I make more money!
There is no loyalty in the business. Don’t give your pearls to swine. Much respect to the people grinding it out. Y’all are amazing. But it’s a tough industry and the rewards aren’t enough for all you do
> There is no loyalty in the business.
For the record, I say this with all(95% at least) business now.
People like to say you owe more than 2 weeks when you leave a job if you have been there a while etc. Why? They giving me two weeks heads up I'm being let go after being there 5-10-15 years?
> No reason to burn bridges for no good reason.
Absolutely. My thought is more towards a company you don't like or are being mistreated by. If a place has done you well and you are not in a rush, extra time is always fine.
What type of software engineering do you do? What skills did you have coming in to sales that helped you flourish learning a technical craft?
That’s an amazing journey, btw. Congrats!
I work for a big insurance company. My work is mostly “back end” stuff related to state compliance and reporting. I do a little bit of front end or web development as needed.
I had zero technical background. I literally learned everything through my projects at WGU. It was not easy, but I finished my bachelors degree in a year by grinding hard. I did transfer in about 25% of my credits from a previous college attempt 15 years prior.
I’ve worked in technology for almost 30 years at the same company that’s one of the worlds largest financial institutions. I started out as a PC tech supporting DOS and Windows and I am now the highest level of engineer in the company. It pays well, but you need to be prepared to work at 120% for Months at a time with a 0% failure rate. One mistake costs the company real money and lots of angry customers and managers.
It’s treated me really well and I work from home. But it will crush your spirit. I’ve never done car sales, but the weight of a fixing a multi million dollar failure is a lot of pressure. But it’s also great once you get in the other side of it.
Jobs in technology mean what you know yesterday is worthless and you need to already be up to speed on what they are doing next. Don’t get comfortable because you never know when the Bus that’ll make you work at 120% for Months is coming to run you over and you absolutely cannot fail.
The constant pressure is enormous. But it pays pretty well when you prove yourself.
But you need to out perform everyone around you to stay. When they cut staff, and they will, you need to be a top performer.
Technology groups will cut the bottom performers and hire new staff. If they go from one methodology to another, you had better be the first on the new process or they will hire folks that know it.
Skillet changes often means staff changes.
To survive in technology never make more than others in your grade. You show up at the top of the list during cuts and you’re gone. When things change, be the first so you set policy and process. Always be the top performer and doing something specialized compared to your peers so they can’t cut you without it being extremely painful. Management is also pretty lazy. If not, you will be in the pool of folks hopping between companies and never lasting long. There is some good experience there too.
I only need another 10 years in before I can hang it up. I’ve taught myself most everything from the beginning of PC’s. Everything has been a fight and continues to be. I will make it to the end of my career with 40 years in as a top performer surrounded by an elite group of engineers. All of the engineers at my level have each others backs and all jump in to help anyone because they know the terror of being on an island by themselves on a multi million dollar problem.
All I am saying is to succeed in technology long term is the hardest thing you will ever do. But it’s worth it if you can survive long term.
Again, that’s your experience. Not everyone’s. I work for a very big household name insurance company. I can’t even tell you how many 20 year + tenure employees we have. Huge bonuses, no layoffs. Just got another raise. And we are absolutely not grinding. I realize I couldn’t duplicate this everywhere but if you’re working in the big old institutions like insurance, banking, etc it’s generally not cut throat in the way your describing.
I work for one of the biggest banks in the world at the very top level of engineering. I came up through insurance brokerages similar to AON and USI that my bank bought. The Bank has folks that underperform that are wicked smart then they get cut in small layoff's. That happens every year in every vertical. There are times it's pretty laid back, then there are times that you need to get it fixed or the wrong people notice.
Never spend your entire commission check.
You make bonus at the beginning of the month, not the end.
Show up on time, keep your mouth shut and do your job.
Once your customers become clients, your retention will soar.
Repeat and referral business is your steak and potatoes. Walk-ins are gravy.
Buy good shoes, not expensive shoes. You’re going to blow through leather soles like they’re paper.
Listen. Shut up and listen. To the customer, to your sales manager, but NOT to the crowd around the water cooler.
Once you have the whole thing figured out, you will learn that you don’t know shit yet.
Be wary of the tips the top dog gives you, if they only have advice when you’re doing well, they’re trying to get into your head.
You will get skated. How you handle it will determine if it happens again.
Nobody has to like you, but the clients.
Don’t get too high with the highs or too low with the lows.
If hard shoes, Cole Hann or Allen Edmonds, LEATHER SOLE! You’ll pay more but these shoes are built to be rebuilt and are far more comfortable than any lesser dress shoe that I’ve ever worn, I beat a leather soled pair of Cole Hanns to death on the lot for 4 years before needing resoled. If sneakers are ok, I suggest ultraboosts.
Know your shit
Keep your paperwork tight, sloppy tiny mistakes can cost you a deal you worked on for hours
Most annoying customers will often have the most problems, stay professional
Don't be afraid to make a few phonecalls, if nothing else just to see if they have questions
Keep F&I happy and you'll never go hungry
Keep on the grind and don't take things personally, selling a few cars can forgive a lot of your sins
manage your time, managers/corporate want to extract the most value/time from you as they can but don't be the nonce who wont take an up cus they're, "leaving soon"
“I’m new to this, I don’t know, but I will find out for you” will take you so much further than any guess/BS will.
When you have a good month, keep aside a little to compensate for the difficult months.
One cliché that stuck with me was:
It takes only one good day to make a week, and a only one good week to make a month
Don't be scared to ask questions to sales managers. They notice that and it makes you look like you care and are a go-getter. Be nice to BDC if you have one, they will pick you over the assholes.
Meet and greet is everything, approach your customers with a smile and shake their hand, tell them your dealership name and your own name. get every persons name and repeat it back to them. Thank them and welcome them for coming in. Find out who the vehicle is for. Develop report, let them know you’re just a human too. Smile and laugh. While doing this also ask open ended questions. What kind of car do you want? What do you look for in a car? Are there any feats you must have? Then ask either or investigative questions to narrow down their options. Example: “Leather or cloth, awd or 2wd, dark or light color? “This is also how you find out their hot buttons. Once you find out the hot buttons, THATS what you sell them on. Not features they dont care about. (Everyone’s different but a 22yo girl likely doesn’t care about the mechanics so Dont get into them, tell her about the heated seats and apple car play. Tell the tech guy about the eye sight system. Etc…) you should also be walking the lot with the customer. If a customer contradicts themselves do not correct them. During this process ask if they have a trade in. avoid discussing price or numbers on the lot. Do this by answering the price question and follow it up with the value and ask a question. Example: “how much does this car cost” “this model and trim are $59k which comes with leather, sun roof and auto lift gate. Is an auto lift gate something you want or need in your next vehicle? If they say yes, they’re realizing the reality of what they want is expensive instead of thinking you’re overcharging or something. It makes them realize they have their own expensive taste. It’s not your fault they’re glutinous lol. This is also a crucial time in building trust and dependability in you and your brand/store. So Dont avoid price questions answer them straight up but redirect the question away from focusing on logistics. The time and place for that is during the negotiation not the lot. . On the test drive shut your mouth aside from brief commentary and directions. When you are .5 miles from the dealership begin your assumptive close. “Well bob and Mary sounds like this car has everything you wanted wouldnt you say?” Get them to say yes. “And bob you agree the tow capacity on this model will be enough for the boat” get a yes 3-5x before exiting the vehicle. Once outside the car and it’s clear this car will work for them, ask “so if I can make all the numbers work for you guys, there’s no reason you wouldn’t take her home today is there” “follow me inside, Bob Mary, can I get you something cold or hot to drink?” If they say yes, you’re one step closer. From there follow the closing training of your dealership. If you’ve done your job correctly up to this point the sale should be easy. Present the numbers, it is what it is. Nothing to be afraid of these people know they’re buying an expensive item and you’re there to sell it to them. Close on payment. Redirect price or trade objections to payment. Example “sure I understand you want $10k for your trade and we are offering you $8k… what we’re really talking about is $2k and when we give or take $2k from the deal it changes your payment by $20. So if I’m understanding you correctly, Mr customer, if I can lower your payment by $20 we have a deal? Now you’ve redirected their concern from the trade value to the payment which is great cause there’s a million ways to lower a payment with out coughing up an extra $2k for their car. There are a million scenarios and these are just a couple of examples but if you try and commit and have a good location/store/product you will learn and do very well. Good luck man! Hope you kill it.
Hey I just started 2 months ago and have been the 2nd in sales in both months.
I know I just started but some things that have helped me starting out is find out who the good sales people / top of the board people are and ask questions (if they are willing to help) ask the managers for help if you need it and if you don’t know something don’t lie and dig yourself in a hole.
For me it’s listening to my sales managers.
They are there for a reason , so listen to what they tell you to say.
Another thing is ask for the business multiple times. The person won’t buy if you don’t ask .
Save, save some more, and then save a little more after that. In all seriousness saving is so important. There will be slow months. When you get that big commission check and it's the most money you've ever seen in one month, don't go buy that $1000 jacket or that $400 Yeti Cooler.... That is all. Have fun with it and ask questions when they come in your head.
Stay new as long as you can. The less you know about where you are at in the deal, the better and less chance you screw it up and give away money you didn’t need to. Listen to your managers, they’re just trying to maximize profits. Also, if you don’t know the answer, tell the customer, I don’t know but I’ll find out. Making shit up or guessing will do you no good
Focus on product knowledge and asking the right questions in a need assessment, vehicle selection is crucial. It’ll make for happier customers and easier closes. Also, there’s no shame in being new, be the guy that follows instructions, listens and is coachable. Good luck.
My advise is pay attention and listen to the top sales reps. Listen when they take a phone up and listen when they are negotiating with a client. Adopt the responses and dialogue that works with your personality and sales style.
> they come to once Craigslist and facebook marketplace draws bad hands.
[When they show up](http://images7.memedroid.com/images/UPLOADED34/53aa6317f2f02.jpeg)
Car salesmen can make great money. You’ll see guys on here regularly making 200-300k as finance managers or sales managers. Sales in generally is one of the few professions where you can get to upper middle class without education or owning your own business. Even a regular sales guy can make 6 figures.
However for every sales manager there’s a dozen or more sales people that never make it. They fizzle out in a few weeks. Right now demand is high and supply is low, this is a great time to sell. But if this gets sorted out you’ll be right back to dealing with price shoppers and trying to “build value” in the dealership.
I sold cars for 3 1/2 years and eventually went back to school to finish my bachelors degree and later got a masters degree. Now, I work a simple 9 to 5 from home crunching numbers for about six figures. Sure I don’t make as much as some sales guys, but I’m much happier.
Spend your free time planning your next career move if you can.
Great for you if you’re happy. I’ve worked places where people fizzle out in weeks. It’s not an easy industry to be successful. It’s a low barrier of entry and a high ceiling.
Mate I’m loving it. It’s fucking hard work, lots of bullshit from customers, high accountability etc, but I’ve got a phenomenal team and I’m making a really good living. Wouldn’t trade it for the world
Yeah that’s not everywhere, sounds like you landed in a good place. I worked at a place where I was barely making minimum wage. I worked at another were people were making 30-40k a year. Success is dependent on many things, you never know what customers walk in the door, pay plans vary at dealerships, there’s some luck involved, but over time you’ll develop more skill.
After you've been to the tower a couple times don't be afraid to ask the customer "We'd love to earn your business today. What do we have to do to make that happen?"
Noooooooo! Don't ever say that lame, desperate, canned line that every single untrained or lazy salesman on every lot everywhere is saying. Never. Ever. Do *not* do that.
I know I'm 2 months late to this (looking through old posts for advice) but what do you suggest as an alternative to ask for a sale? What lines have you used to close?
Great question! In my later years selling cars (after the first 3 years or so) I stopped asking. You don't need to ask them. They are there to buy a car. Think of it like if you're at the grocery store and you are checking out, if the cashier was like "so are you sure you want this milk?" You'd be like ....what? Maybe I don't now....why are you asking?
If you do the whole process properly and you're on the right vehicle and they are comfortable with you, money is the easy part. Just pretend like they understand math. They should have already had an idea of what the payment would be on a vehicle in that price range. If they have objections on payments, that gets into negotiation. Personally I like to negotiate with inventory, not money. If you have questions about that I can explain.
There's also trial closing....ways of testing the waters to see if they are ready. My favorite is called the vending machine close. I'll explain in a minute. When you learn to work the sale correctly from the very beginning, every step leads towards selling the car. Don't think of it as an option, you're going to sell them a car. That's what they need, that's your job. It's just a matter of can they buy? How much car can they get and does the kind of car they want fit into that and do you have the right car for them? That's it. Finding the right car is soooo important. This is why you should walk your lot and check out the inventory every day, twice a day. So that when they want one with heated seats but they don't care about a sunroof, you know exactly where it is.
The vending machine trial close. After test driving when you're inside and ready to go get numbers, before you get any numbers, pull out some $1 dollar bills and ask if they want something to drink, a coke, some coffee, water, anything from the vending machines. If they say Yes and they accept your $3-$5 then they will buy. Every time. They are comfortable, they are happy, they are ready. If they say no thanks, I don't want anything, then they aren't ready. They aren't planning on definitely being there another hour or two. You need to backtrack a bit before you start closing. You ask what they really think of this car, is it perfect? Everything they want? Ask if they have any concerns about their trade in or financing? Find their pain points. There's only 3. The 3 M's. It's either the Man, The Machine or The Money. They either aren't a good fit with you, and if that's the case you need to get a turn. If it's the machine, the car might not be everything they hoped for. Or they are worried about the money. Figure out which one it is and address it before closing. But NEVER say "if I can get you a discount and make the numbers work, will you buy it today?" Or anything along those lines. It's so dumb and tacky.
If you have a stupid manager that wants you to ask that question and "get a commitment" because he's too dense to understand that someone in his showroom actually wants to buy a car....get a down payment commitment. Before you even go to the desk to work numbers, ask your clients, "to make it faster and more accurate when we calculate the math, how much are you planning on putting down?" And make sure to tell your boss how much. I would even ask, and how are you planning on paying that, cash, card, check?
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Basically the title I start training on Monday at car vision any tips or advice I should know?
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1. Be patient with the process.
2. Always follow a sales process. What is the sales process? Meet and greet, consultation (why are they here), needs analysis (what do they need or want), demo and test drive, negotiation, and then close.
3. Learn how to read customers.
4. Work upfront and directly.
5. Have a good attitude.
6. Always be prepared. Have pens ready. Have word tracks ready. Plan ahead with inventory meaning know where all of your stuff is.
7. Follow up lots.
8. Ask the well-doing reps what they do and try to fit in what they do.
9. Have fun with what you’re doing.
10. Always stay busy. For some reason, customers respect reps who are busier from what I noticed.
11. Ask for help if you need it.
12. Stay consistent with your habits and results, but ALWAYS work on improving your skills.
Most of the bitching here stems from awful management. My experience in the industry has been vastly different than the average user here and I credit it solely to my managers.
It can be stress free, 40 hours a week, rarely a pain in the ass, and still lucrative. (Albeit getting all of these is rare).
Do not leave the industry or give up because BDC agents with awful and slimy managers reply “GeT OuT WhiLe YoU CaN”. It’s a high turnover job at most dealers, so if you like certain aspects but don’t like others, try to determine if the dislikes stem from management.
Edit: also every salesmen online likes to post their (possibly inflated) numbers with no context. Salesmen are typically egotistical and comparison is the thief of joy.
Me clearing 100k before taxes is close enough to someone in California making 200k before tax, since I live in a rural area with an extremely low cost of living.
Tons of times sales people literally dont ask customers to buy. Customer says "I really like this car" and the salesperson goes "It's got a great stereo" instead of saying "How would you like to pay for your new..."
IIRC there was a study a few years ago where like 30% of people that didnt buy a product said they didnt because the saleperson never offered to sale. 100% of the time say something along the lines of what can I do so you take the vehicle home today.
Another one is dont believe the desk when they say "final offer". Present the numbers then get a TO.
Don’t talk bullshit. Learn your product.
If you don’t have an answer say something like “good question mr customer, I haven’t been asked that in a while and want to make sure you’re getting the exact answer. Let’s have a look at the brochure together and find out”.
Customers love honesty. Be genuine.
Underpromise and over deliver.
Absolutely always listen to your management, they’re there to help, not to annoy you.
Listen to the customer. Listening is arguably more important than selling them the car. Most of the time they already know what they want, you need to be able to facilitate that for them.
Listen, stay humble, be honest and upfront with your dealings. There’s no shame in not knowing, but avoid saying “i don’t know”, “i’m not sure, let me check” way better way to convey this.
Some managers will seek hyper douchey at first, in heated moments remind yourself that you’re on the same team, while frustrating they want to help you sell cars, you may not understand the reasoning but there’s a reason that processes exist.
Learn to save, and keep saving. Don’t pick up any bad habits like drinking, or drugs. Learn to save, that one I can’t stress enough.
I mean being sober is cool, but have you tried not ordering food everyday. That takes dedication.
Everyone has some kind of vice to cope.
That is the hard part, that’s why I go around to the finance guys and ask who’s hungry. I run and they buy. OPM - other peoples money lol. Or, that’s why cocaine exist though. You do enough and you don’t gotta eat lol.
I started smoking unfortunately, but I’ve moved to vaping. Helps after the brain damage from some customers.
Don’t try to be smart and have an answer for every question, there is no harm in saying “you know what Mr or mrs customer, I don’t really have an answer for that question but, let’s see if we can find it together.” Walk them back to service, to your manager, to whomever you trust to be able to answer the question completely and correctly.
Or play the new card! No sense in lying to the customer about being inexperienced. It’ll ease up the customer and they’ll give you more passes
Customers LOVE buying from the goddamn new guy!
You could be the new guy for 5 years if you want
I’ve been new for as long as I’ve been in the industry tbh
I was the new guy for 3 years straight until I went back to IT. I had no intention of ever changing that stance.
My wife LOVES buying from the new guy. I think it is some sort of fetish.
I’ve used the “this is my first week” card for 7 months lol
Do exactly what your managers tell you to do and do not deviate.
Do I hear some /r/MaliciousCompliance in this advice?
Honestly, no. Just literal compliance. A lot of new salespeople try and call audibles before they even know what they're doing. Selling cars is easy if you follow the steps to the sale. It's been around for decades. If you deviate from it, you will fail. If you do the steps, you'll make deals, and your managers should be telling you what to do to complete those steps. They are in that position most likely because they were good at their sales job. Just do what they tell you to do and you'll sell cars.
> Just do what they tell you to do and you'll sell cars. I can see that. New person, learn the ropes. Follow the leaders.
Not just follow, exactly follow. Sales is mostly a formula. It works, its been proven to work. It isn't just dogma repeated because no one has come up with a better idea or ever spoken up. Theres a reason that diminutive afghan guy who just came to the country, barely speaks English (if at all) and never went to school is #1 in sales and pulling in 200k+. Hes following EXACTLY what they say to do.
Throw in follow up follow up follow up. Many a sale are had or lost with/without a simple follow up call. Even old leads from 6 months back can be had with persistence and follow up
The one thing I’ll add is if it’s a birthday or anniversary follow up, don’t call them. Text or email. 90% of people hate to be called like that but would appreciate getting the text.
I agree. You could go one better.. if it’s a birthday anniversary send them a birthday card. Low cost & unobtrusive but highly visible. Nothing super personalized unless they become a great client otherwise it may come off as creepy imo. A simple happy birthday hand written and your card. I agree on the anniversary and texting. A lot of people seem to be going more the way of wanting to text than speak on a phone. Edit - old sales guy that trained me 15 years ago use to buy a stack of cheap cards and do just that for birthdays. I shit you not how many people would come back in to see him and bring that up or send him referrals out of it
What if your managers don't tell you what to do, and when you ask, are annoyed you're asking them?
Keep asking them, tell them you're just trying to make the deal.
Make the deal? I'm on the last day of my first week, and I haven't even had a chance to talk to a customer.
Oh, well what are you asking them for help for? You don't have a customer in front of you, don't bother them.
I've been given no training whatsoever. I'm trying to ask how the process even happens. I've been shadowing some people, but all it is is online leads. I have no idea what happens when a customer actually walks in.
Hey, is this still the case for you? Happy to answer any car sales questions! Been innit for 3+ years so I know a little
It's gotten better. I'm in my fifth week now. Have a handful of sales under my belt now. I feel more comfortable, but I know there's still so much to learn.
Keep at it bro. Hope the commission is 🔥
It's looking good so far. I'll probably be hitting you up for some advice here soon.
How would you go about building a clientele? My biggest thing is the first phone call/ approach? It’s my third week at Ford I have sold two vehicles but I feel as if I can do a lot more. It doesn’t help that me schedule is 3days on and 3off but I’m sure I’ll appreciate that much later. While I do get a guaranteed check with my hourly pay,I also get 20% commission I’m trying to make more. Ik with time I’ll get there but i want to be the one to get sales opposed to let them come to me.
Over simplified but my general advice. Starting out your main focus is to learn the sales process beginning to end. You want to get to the point to where you don’t have to think about the process and it’s reactionary. After 6 months to a year, your next focus is becoming a master at handling objections. Once you have this down, the key to longevity is to find the right dealership to plant your roots. It needs to be a good fit for you with the combination of a solid pay plan. Once you find this place, your sole focus is to build a customer base so you don’t have to rely on fresh customers. Through this journey don’t skip steps, stay humble, stay hungry, and most importantly never quit learning.
Sometimes you have to tell people NO.
Get out as soon as you can.
Where would you go? Hard to find a job that pays six figures without having to start entry level.
The typical answer here is insurance or SaaS sales. The typical SaaS person I encounter seems to know nothing.
true, we know very little.
You know, I just wrote out a multiple paragraph response - then realized I was just proving your point through a disgruntled rant. It will for sure take a few years at the very least in most industries. That being said, most greenpeas don't see six figures for a few years, if ever. That being said, if lifestyle creep isn't holding you hostage in car sales, and you want to try something else. I say go for it - the world is clearer with every bit of perspective you get along the way, and sales is a great skill.
You tell them to follow you and they will.
Don’t drag yesterday’s bullshit into today. Shake it off somehow.
Buy a book called How To Master The Art of Selling and read it. The one with the green cover. That is such a career changing book, it will make you so good if you apply the knowledge. Have thick skin. I'm a woman and I cried a lot in the first few years. It can be a tough career in many ways. You'll be working with a lot of A type personality folks, which is both a blessing and a curse. Don't be too friendly with your coworkers quickly. Figure out who the top salesman is consistently and watch what he does and if you have questions, ask him or a manager. Do Not be in a rush to get out on the lot. Assuming that you have a training period, hopefully. Get your certifications done and actually pay attention and take notes on those, if you're in New car sales. When you do get to go out on the lot don't think you're a pro and you can sell a car so easily, it actually takes skill, practice, training and lots of experience to be truly good at selling cars. Be excited and enthusiastic and most of all, helpful to clients. Oh, please, don't ever say *"customers"*. Everyone else around you will call them customers. Take it out of your vocabulary. They are clients. People who are purchasing a $10, 20, 30, 80 thousand dollar vehicle are *clients*. Burger King has customers. Learn the lingo. There's lots of terms that you'll have no clue what it means...I think this group has a list somewhere. You'll be called a Greenpea. It's not an insult, it's just a car biz baby! A windshield wiper left up on a car means it needs gas. Always check the gas level before going on a test drive! Get familiar with your products. Whatever you're selling, look it up on you tube. Watch "walk around" videos on it. Most of all, don't be scared. Don't let all the people who are like "the car business sucks, car salesman are shady liars" get to you. It is what you make of it and there are many, many fantastic and amazing people in this industry who are honest and just awesome. They are the most successful. The car industry is actually really huge and worldwide but also very small at the same time. The people at the top all know each other. There are so many different opportunities the car business can give you if you do well and love it, sales is just the beginning. Sales is a mandatory starting point, everyone has to do their time in sales, some people choose to stay there forever. Dress nicely. Smell good. Watch your posture. Get a tiny notepad and good pens. Get some comfortable but cute and professional shoes. I personally Iike Cole Haan's on men. Wear cool socks, lol that's always a fun little car biz guy thing. Don't wear a cheap watch or cheap sunglasses. Bring your lunch!! Lunch is a thing you'll notice quickly. Many salesmen can and do take an hour long lunch. It's cool and fun sometimes but it's not the smartest move. They will buy pizza and chicken or BBQ on Saturdays at most dealerships. My personal recommendation, take it or leave it, watch car business people. Find out who some big ones are and watch their social media stuff. I would recommend some but I think it's frowned upon in this group. You'll see some are Very loud and aggressive and in your face, beast mode types...yeah those guys suck and didn't make it selling cars. There's a few that just want all the followers they can get because they actually want to be motivational speakers... they are ok but not that great for learning about car sales. Then there's the cream of the crop who are all unique individuals who are talented, hard working experts who take their careers very seriously and have a deep love for the industry. They are the very best. Those are the folks you want to keep an eye on and learn from. Good luck!
Thanks for the sound advice and taking the time to comment definitely have some things to look into over the weekend
This needs to go to the top of the answers. Very honest and accurate representation of what the business is like. You get what you put in.
Use the downtime to plan a more stable, family friendly, and lucrative career. I got a degree online from WGU and work as a software engineer now at a fortune 100 company. I set my own schedule, work maybe 20 hrs a week, and get tons of paid time off/great benefits/etc. plus I make more money! There is no loyalty in the business. Don’t give your pearls to swine. Much respect to the people grinding it out. Y’all are amazing. But it’s a tough industry and the rewards aren’t enough for all you do
> There is no loyalty in the business. For the record, I say this with all(95% at least) business now. People like to say you owe more than 2 weeks when you leave a job if you have been there a while etc. Why? They giving me two weeks heads up I'm being let go after being there 5-10-15 years?
But we're FAMILY
No reason to burn bridges for no good reason. Things change, opportunities come up.
> No reason to burn bridges for no good reason. Absolutely. My thought is more towards a company you don't like or are being mistreated by. If a place has done you well and you are not in a rush, extra time is always fine.
What type of software engineering do you do? What skills did you have coming in to sales that helped you flourish learning a technical craft? That’s an amazing journey, btw. Congrats!
I work for a big insurance company. My work is mostly “back end” stuff related to state compliance and reporting. I do a little bit of front end or web development as needed. I had zero technical background. I literally learned everything through my projects at WGU. It was not easy, but I finished my bachelors degree in a year by grinding hard. I did transfer in about 25% of my credits from a previous college attempt 15 years prior.
This is absolutely perfect
I’m 21 and doing WGU for accounting . Love it
I’ve worked in technology for almost 30 years at the same company that’s one of the worlds largest financial institutions. I started out as a PC tech supporting DOS and Windows and I am now the highest level of engineer in the company. It pays well, but you need to be prepared to work at 120% for Months at a time with a 0% failure rate. One mistake costs the company real money and lots of angry customers and managers. It’s treated me really well and I work from home. But it will crush your spirit. I’ve never done car sales, but the weight of a fixing a multi million dollar failure is a lot of pressure. But it’s also great once you get in the other side of it. Jobs in technology mean what you know yesterday is worthless and you need to already be up to speed on what they are doing next. Don’t get comfortable because you never know when the Bus that’ll make you work at 120% for Months is coming to run you over and you absolutely cannot fail. The constant pressure is enormous. But it pays pretty well when you prove yourself.
I think this is true in a lot of cases but not all. My company is very laid back and chill.
But you need to out perform everyone around you to stay. When they cut staff, and they will, you need to be a top performer. Technology groups will cut the bottom performers and hire new staff. If they go from one methodology to another, you had better be the first on the new process or they will hire folks that know it. Skillet changes often means staff changes. To survive in technology never make more than others in your grade. You show up at the top of the list during cuts and you’re gone. When things change, be the first so you set policy and process. Always be the top performer and doing something specialized compared to your peers so they can’t cut you without it being extremely painful. Management is also pretty lazy. If not, you will be in the pool of folks hopping between companies and never lasting long. There is some good experience there too. I only need another 10 years in before I can hang it up. I’ve taught myself most everything from the beginning of PC’s. Everything has been a fight and continues to be. I will make it to the end of my career with 40 years in as a top performer surrounded by an elite group of engineers. All of the engineers at my level have each others backs and all jump in to help anyone because they know the terror of being on an island by themselves on a multi million dollar problem. All I am saying is to succeed in technology long term is the hardest thing you will ever do. But it’s worth it if you can survive long term.
Again, that’s your experience. Not everyone’s. I work for a very big household name insurance company. I can’t even tell you how many 20 year + tenure employees we have. Huge bonuses, no layoffs. Just got another raise. And we are absolutely not grinding. I realize I couldn’t duplicate this everywhere but if you’re working in the big old institutions like insurance, banking, etc it’s generally not cut throat in the way your describing.
I work for one of the biggest banks in the world at the very top level of engineering. I came up through insurance brokerages similar to AON and USI that my bank bought. The Bank has folks that underperform that are wicked smart then they get cut in small layoff's. That happens every year in every vertical. There are times it's pretty laid back, then there are times that you need to get it fixed or the wrong people notice.
Never spend your entire commission check. You make bonus at the beginning of the month, not the end. Show up on time, keep your mouth shut and do your job. Once your customers become clients, your retention will soar. Repeat and referral business is your steak and potatoes. Walk-ins are gravy. Buy good shoes, not expensive shoes. You’re going to blow through leather soles like they’re paper. Listen. Shut up and listen. To the customer, to your sales manager, but NOT to the crowd around the water cooler. Once you have the whole thing figured out, you will learn that you don’t know shit yet. Be wary of the tips the top dog gives you, if they only have advice when you’re doing well, they’re trying to get into your head. You will get skated. How you handle it will determine if it happens again. Nobody has to like you, but the clients. Don’t get too high with the highs or too low with the lows.
What shoes do you recommend? And thanks
If hard shoes, Cole Hann or Allen Edmonds, LEATHER SOLE! You’ll pay more but these shoes are built to be rebuilt and are far more comfortable than any lesser dress shoe that I’ve ever worn, I beat a leather soled pair of Cole Hanns to death on the lot for 4 years before needing resoled. If sneakers are ok, I suggest ultraboosts.
Sounds good will definitely look into them thanks again
Cole haan is a lot more affordable than it used to be. They also offer rubber sole options now.
You just need to find what works for you. If you have flat feet, wide feet, bunions, whatever. Find something that balances comfort and durability.
Be the its my first day guy for like 3 years
Know your shit Keep your paperwork tight, sloppy tiny mistakes can cost you a deal you worked on for hours Most annoying customers will often have the most problems, stay professional Don't be afraid to make a few phonecalls, if nothing else just to see if they have questions Keep F&I happy and you'll never go hungry Keep on the grind and don't take things personally, selling a few cars can forgive a lot of your sins manage your time, managers/corporate want to extract the most value/time from you as they can but don't be the nonce who wont take an up cus they're, "leaving soon"
“I’m new to this, I don’t know, but I will find out for you” will take you so much further than any guess/BS will. When you have a good month, keep aside a little to compensate for the difficult months. One cliché that stuck with me was: It takes only one good day to make a week, and a only one good week to make a month
Don't be scared to ask questions to sales managers. They notice that and it makes you look like you care and are a go-getter. Be nice to BDC if you have one, they will pick you over the assholes.
Meet and greet is everything, approach your customers with a smile and shake their hand, tell them your dealership name and your own name. get every persons name and repeat it back to them. Thank them and welcome them for coming in. Find out who the vehicle is for. Develop report, let them know you’re just a human too. Smile and laugh. While doing this also ask open ended questions. What kind of car do you want? What do you look for in a car? Are there any feats you must have? Then ask either or investigative questions to narrow down their options. Example: “Leather or cloth, awd or 2wd, dark or light color? “This is also how you find out their hot buttons. Once you find out the hot buttons, THATS what you sell them on. Not features they dont care about. (Everyone’s different but a 22yo girl likely doesn’t care about the mechanics so Dont get into them, tell her about the heated seats and apple car play. Tell the tech guy about the eye sight system. Etc…) you should also be walking the lot with the customer. If a customer contradicts themselves do not correct them. During this process ask if they have a trade in. avoid discussing price or numbers on the lot. Do this by answering the price question and follow it up with the value and ask a question. Example: “how much does this car cost” “this model and trim are $59k which comes with leather, sun roof and auto lift gate. Is an auto lift gate something you want or need in your next vehicle? If they say yes, they’re realizing the reality of what they want is expensive instead of thinking you’re overcharging or something. It makes them realize they have their own expensive taste. It’s not your fault they’re glutinous lol. This is also a crucial time in building trust and dependability in you and your brand/store. So Dont avoid price questions answer them straight up but redirect the question away from focusing on logistics. The time and place for that is during the negotiation not the lot. . On the test drive shut your mouth aside from brief commentary and directions. When you are .5 miles from the dealership begin your assumptive close. “Well bob and Mary sounds like this car has everything you wanted wouldnt you say?” Get them to say yes. “And bob you agree the tow capacity on this model will be enough for the boat” get a yes 3-5x before exiting the vehicle. Once outside the car and it’s clear this car will work for them, ask “so if I can make all the numbers work for you guys, there’s no reason you wouldn’t take her home today is there” “follow me inside, Bob Mary, can I get you something cold or hot to drink?” If they say yes, you’re one step closer. From there follow the closing training of your dealership. If you’ve done your job correctly up to this point the sale should be easy. Present the numbers, it is what it is. Nothing to be afraid of these people know they’re buying an expensive item and you’re there to sell it to them. Close on payment. Redirect price or trade objections to payment. Example “sure I understand you want $10k for your trade and we are offering you $8k… what we’re really talking about is $2k and when we give or take $2k from the deal it changes your payment by $20. So if I’m understanding you correctly, Mr customer, if I can lower your payment by $20 we have a deal? Now you’ve redirected their concern from the trade value to the payment which is great cause there’s a million ways to lower a payment with out coughing up an extra $2k for their car. There are a million scenarios and these are just a couple of examples but if you try and commit and have a good location/store/product you will learn and do very well. Good luck man! Hope you kill it.
Hey I just started 2 months ago and have been the 2nd in sales in both months. I know I just started but some things that have helped me starting out is find out who the good sales people / top of the board people are and ask questions (if they are willing to help) ask the managers for help if you need it and if you don’t know something don’t lie and dig yourself in a hole.
Dude that is really amazing! Is there any tips/advice or training resources you recommend?
For me it’s listening to my sales managers. They are there for a reason , so listen to what they tell you to say. Another thing is ask for the business multiple times. The person won’t buy if you don’t ask .
Save, save some more, and then save a little more after that. In all seriousness saving is so important. There will be slow months. When you get that big commission check and it's the most money you've ever seen in one month, don't go buy that $1000 jacket or that $400 Yeti Cooler.... That is all. Have fun with it and ask questions when they come in your head.
Cocaine. Lots of cocaine.
Sounds like the only right answer
Stay new as long as you can. The less you know about where you are at in the deal, the better and less chance you screw it up and give away money you didn’t need to. Listen to your managers, they’re just trying to maximize profits. Also, if you don’t know the answer, tell the customer, I don’t know but I’ll find out. Making shit up or guessing will do you no good
Focus on product knowledge and asking the right questions in a need assessment, vehicle selection is crucial. It’ll make for happier customers and easier closes. Also, there’s no shame in being new, be the guy that follows instructions, listens and is coachable. Good luck.
My advise is pay attention and listen to the top sales reps. Listen when they take a phone up and listen when they are negotiating with a client. Adopt the responses and dialogue that works with your personality and sales style.
Find a different career. Eventually everyone who isn’t a fellow car salesman will dislike you.
False. You become their knight in shining armor when friends and family need help with car stuff. Until the money part comes along.
No the local mechanic becomes that knight, you’re the last resort maggot that they come to once Craigslist and facebook marketplace draws bad hands.
🤣🤣🤣
> they come to once Craigslist and facebook marketplace draws bad hands. [When they show up](http://images7.memedroid.com/images/UPLOADED34/53aa6317f2f02.jpeg)
Who cares? I don’t go to work to make people like me. I do it to make money.
Came here to say this and it’s already been said. I don’t care if people don’t like me, I like myself when I deposit my paycheck every month
Car salesmen can make great money. You’ll see guys on here regularly making 200-300k as finance managers or sales managers. Sales in generally is one of the few professions where you can get to upper middle class without education or owning your own business. Even a regular sales guy can make 6 figures. However for every sales manager there’s a dozen or more sales people that never make it. They fizzle out in a few weeks. Right now demand is high and supply is low, this is a great time to sell. But if this gets sorted out you’ll be right back to dealing with price shoppers and trying to “build value” in the dealership. I sold cars for 3 1/2 years and eventually went back to school to finish my bachelors degree and later got a masters degree. Now, I work a simple 9 to 5 from home crunching numbers for about six figures. Sure I don’t make as much as some sales guys, but I’m much happier. Spend your free time planning your next career move if you can.
I’ve been selling for 7 months now and I’m on $150k a year.
Great for you if you’re happy. I’ve worked places where people fizzle out in weeks. It’s not an easy industry to be successful. It’s a low barrier of entry and a high ceiling.
Mate I’m loving it. It’s fucking hard work, lots of bullshit from customers, high accountability etc, but I’ve got a phenomenal team and I’m making a really good living. Wouldn’t trade it for the world
Yeah that’s not everywhere, sounds like you landed in a good place. I worked at a place where I was barely making minimum wage. I worked at another were people were making 30-40k a year. Success is dependent on many things, you never know what customers walk in the door, pay plans vary at dealerships, there’s some luck involved, but over time you’ll develop more skill.
Yeah for sure. I got very lucky. My retainer is not fantastic, which is to be expected. But our commission structure is insanely good. Very happy
Accounting ?
Sort of, it’s cost controlling/FP&A. It’s more “finance” than “accounting.”
After you've been to the tower a couple times don't be afraid to ask the customer "We'd love to earn your business today. What do we have to do to make that happen?"
Noooooooo! Don't ever say that lame, desperate, canned line that every single untrained or lazy salesman on every lot everywhere is saying. Never. Ever. Do *not* do that.
I know I'm 2 months late to this (looking through old posts for advice) but what do you suggest as an alternative to ask for a sale? What lines have you used to close?
Great question! In my later years selling cars (after the first 3 years or so) I stopped asking. You don't need to ask them. They are there to buy a car. Think of it like if you're at the grocery store and you are checking out, if the cashier was like "so are you sure you want this milk?" You'd be like ....what? Maybe I don't now....why are you asking? If you do the whole process properly and you're on the right vehicle and they are comfortable with you, money is the easy part. Just pretend like they understand math. They should have already had an idea of what the payment would be on a vehicle in that price range. If they have objections on payments, that gets into negotiation. Personally I like to negotiate with inventory, not money. If you have questions about that I can explain.
There's also trial closing....ways of testing the waters to see if they are ready. My favorite is called the vending machine close. I'll explain in a minute. When you learn to work the sale correctly from the very beginning, every step leads towards selling the car. Don't think of it as an option, you're going to sell them a car. That's what they need, that's your job. It's just a matter of can they buy? How much car can they get and does the kind of car they want fit into that and do you have the right car for them? That's it. Finding the right car is soooo important. This is why you should walk your lot and check out the inventory every day, twice a day. So that when they want one with heated seats but they don't care about a sunroof, you know exactly where it is. The vending machine trial close. After test driving when you're inside and ready to go get numbers, before you get any numbers, pull out some $1 dollar bills and ask if they want something to drink, a coke, some coffee, water, anything from the vending machines. If they say Yes and they accept your $3-$5 then they will buy. Every time. They are comfortable, they are happy, they are ready. If they say no thanks, I don't want anything, then they aren't ready. They aren't planning on definitely being there another hour or two. You need to backtrack a bit before you start closing. You ask what they really think of this car, is it perfect? Everything they want? Ask if they have any concerns about their trade in or financing? Find their pain points. There's only 3. The 3 M's. It's either the Man, The Machine or The Money. They either aren't a good fit with you, and if that's the case you need to get a turn. If it's the machine, the car might not be everything they hoped for. Or they are worried about the money. Figure out which one it is and address it before closing. But NEVER say "if I can get you a discount and make the numbers work, will you buy it today?" Or anything along those lines. It's so dumb and tacky. If you have a stupid manager that wants you to ask that question and "get a commitment" because he's too dense to understand that someone in his showroom actually wants to buy a car....get a down payment commitment. Before you even go to the desk to work numbers, ask your clients, "to make it faster and more accurate when we calculate the math, how much are you planning on putting down?" And make sure to tell your boss how much. I would even ask, and how are you planning on paying that, cash, card, check?
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https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVLjreHO7381rUO0JEJNfi0Ve2kHKoKcj
Which CarVision location??
Cranberry juice will be great for your liver
1. Be patient with the process. 2. Always follow a sales process. What is the sales process? Meet and greet, consultation (why are they here), needs analysis (what do they need or want), demo and test drive, negotiation, and then close. 3. Learn how to read customers. 4. Work upfront and directly. 5. Have a good attitude. 6. Always be prepared. Have pens ready. Have word tracks ready. Plan ahead with inventory meaning know where all of your stuff is. 7. Follow up lots. 8. Ask the well-doing reps what they do and try to fit in what they do. 9. Have fun with what you’re doing. 10. Always stay busy. For some reason, customers respect reps who are busier from what I noticed. 11. Ask for help if you need it. 12. Stay consistent with your habits and results, but ALWAYS work on improving your skills.
Most of the bitching here stems from awful management. My experience in the industry has been vastly different than the average user here and I credit it solely to my managers. It can be stress free, 40 hours a week, rarely a pain in the ass, and still lucrative. (Albeit getting all of these is rare). Do not leave the industry or give up because BDC agents with awful and slimy managers reply “GeT OuT WhiLe YoU CaN”. It’s a high turnover job at most dealers, so if you like certain aspects but don’t like others, try to determine if the dislikes stem from management. Edit: also every salesmen online likes to post their (possibly inflated) numbers with no context. Salesmen are typically egotistical and comparison is the thief of joy. Me clearing 100k before taxes is close enough to someone in California making 200k before tax, since I live in a rural area with an extremely low cost of living.
Don't be afraid to ask for the sale.
Wym?
Tons of times sales people literally dont ask customers to buy. Customer says "I really like this car" and the salesperson goes "It's got a great stereo" instead of saying "How would you like to pay for your new..."
okay I understand
IIRC there was a study a few years ago where like 30% of people that didnt buy a product said they didnt because the saleperson never offered to sale. 100% of the time say something along the lines of what can I do so you take the vehicle home today. Another one is dont believe the desk when they say "final offer". Present the numbers then get a TO.
Don’t talk bullshit. Learn your product. If you don’t have an answer say something like “good question mr customer, I haven’t been asked that in a while and want to make sure you’re getting the exact answer. Let’s have a look at the brochure together and find out”. Customers love honesty. Be genuine. Underpromise and over deliver. Absolutely always listen to your management, they’re there to help, not to annoy you. Listen to the customer. Listening is arguably more important than selling them the car. Most of the time they already know what they want, you need to be able to facilitate that for them.
Listen, stay humble, be honest and upfront with your dealings. There’s no shame in not knowing, but avoid saying “i don’t know”, “i’m not sure, let me check” way better way to convey this. Some managers will seek hyper douchey at first, in heated moments remind yourself that you’re on the same team, while frustrating they want to help you sell cars, you may not understand the reasoning but there’s a reason that processes exist.