Anyone sell cars for a living?

[G-Body_Vet]

I've been offered a sales position at a Chevy dealership and I'm really leaning towards taking it. They move about 200-225 cars a month and are short about 5 salesman right now. The only thing that I'm worried about is transitioning into the job and making enough money to cover my expenses until I really get the ball rolling there. I've been told the yearly income ranges from $40K to $120K depending how motivated you are to sell.

They haven't taken much of a beating from the economy because they're located near a few upscale burbs where it's common to find $200K income homes. Just wondering what you guys think or if you know anyone in the business. I don't make terrible money now, but the job sucks to a point where I can't stand going there anymore. The hours I work are worse than the dealership hours and I never have weekends or holidays off either. This new job is only 6 miles from the house, compared to the 18 miles at the other one. I won't have to deal with expressway traffic anymore either.

 

[RITTER]

I tried selling cars for a wHile and I was no good. You have to have a pushy sales attitude to do it. I was just too nice to push somebody to spend $25-50,000 on an automobile :|

 

[pontiacgp]

I'd do it, with the feelings you have for your current job money can never compensate you. We spend more time at work than at leisure so if we don't like what we are doing we are wasting our lives. Plus kids are smart and don't think for a minute your daughter doesn't understand how you feel about your job and that could affect her outlook on the future. You owe it to yourself and your daughter to try something different and if it doesn't work out the skills you have added from that job could open up other doors.

 

[G-Body_Vet]

I don't think you necessarily have to be pushy, I think you just have to know how to bs with people and develop a good rapport. When I worked retail parts years ago it wasn't uncommon to double and triple my weekly quota. I know this is whole different ballgame though.

 

[G-Body_Vet]

I'd do it, with the feelings you have for your current job money can never compensate you. We spend more time at work than at leisure so if we don't like what we are doing we are wasting our lives. Plus kids are smart and don't think for a minute your daughter doesn't understand how you feel about your job and that could affect her outlook on the future. You owe it to yourself and your daughter to try something different and if it doesn't work out the skills you have added from that job could open up other doors.

That's kinda how I'm looking at it. Right now I'm a Public Safety Sergeant at a University in the city. Not only am I babysitting 18-21 y/o's, but the people I supervise are another story altogether. Then there's the drunks, the robberies, sexual assaults, batteries, pissed of parents, weapons violations, unruly faculty members, giving kids rides all over campus because they're lazy, and then you're treated like the arm pit of the school. It's also really easy to get fired for the dumbest sh*t. I started that job for the free tuition and now I just absolutely hate it. It's not my line of work at all and I need to get the hell out of there.

At least working at a dealership gets me back into the automotive industry and there's potential to make money and advance. I'm topped out where I am now and nobody is retiring any time soon.

I'd like to get out of Chicago some time soon and at least this is another skill I could take else where if I had to.

 

[CHRIS.O]

If you hate your current job that much then ya gotta find something else. No sense in working yourself to death all stressed out not enjoying what your doing.

 

[tc1959]

I worked in GM dealerships all my life and the one thing I can tell you is selling cars is a lousy way to make a living.
The "Sales Manager" is usually an Idiot and no matter what you sell It will never be enough.
You will work all kinds of weird hours.As the new guy you will get the worst ones.
If you do sell the required amount of "units" and BS aftermarket Insurance policies ,security systems ECT.
They will change your pay plan every time you get close to your goal.
You will have to sit through endless hours of sales meetings,and put up endless Crap.
You will never get to make any decisions unless "Your Manager" approves it.

 

[G-Body_Vet]

I worked in GM dealerships all my life and the one thing I can tell you is selling cars is a lousy way to make a living.
The "Sales Manager" is usually an Idiot and no matter what you sell It will never be enough.
You will work all kinds of weird hours.As the new guy you will get the worst ones.
If you do sell the required amount of "units" and BS aftermarket Insurance policies ,security systems ECT.
They will change your pay plan every time you get close to your goal.
You will have to sit through endless hours of sales meetings,and put up endless Crap.
You will never get to make any decisions unless "Your Manager" approves it.

I appreciate the insight. One major thing that's deterring me is an unpredictable paycheck. As much as I dislike what I'm doing now, I do know how much I'll get paid. The one thing that didn't sit well with me during the interview is that they couldn't give me an idea of a rock bottom base salary. I talked to 4 different people too. Otherwise, most of the sales guys I observed walking around "appeared" fairly happy. The few that introduced themselves to me seemed to really like what they do.

The information packet they gave me isn't very clear, other than a few percentages and spiffs per sale level. I'm really on the fence with this right now.

 

[RITTER]

The car salesman pay is different everywhere. The dealership that I worked at put you on $400/week salary for the first 90 days (no commission, unless you earned more than $400) I didn't make it past the 90 day trial/training time (only sold like 3 cars) so I can't really explain the other payment

 

[tc1959]

I worked in GM dealerships all my life and the one thing I can tell you is selling cars is a lousy way to make a living.
The "Sales Manager" is usually an Idiot and no matter what you sell It will never be enough.
You will work all kinds of weird hours.As the new guy you will get the worst ones.
If you do sell the required amount of "units" and BS aftermarket Insurance policies ,security systems ECT.
They will change your pay plan every time you get close to your goal.
You will have to sit through endless hours of sales meetings,and put up endless Crap.
You will never get to make any decisions unless "Your Manager" approves it.

I appreciate the insight. One major thing that's deterring me is an unpredictable paycheck. As much as I dislike what I'm doing now, I do know how much I'll get paid. The one thing that didn't sit well with me during the interview is that they couldn't give me an idea of a rock bottom base salary. I talked to 4 different people too. Otherwise, most of the sales guys I observed walking around "appeared" fairly happy. The few that introduced themselves to me seemed to really like what they do.
Let the games begin You just got the first "RED FLAG"
The information packet they gave me isn't very clear, other than a few percentages and spiffs per sale level. I'm really on the fence with this right now.