Car buying experiences?
 

So, I just jumped ship from Apple (just kidding, no jumping or ships were involved, my term is just up. I'm graduating, and it's hard to be a campus rep when you aren't a student).

Anyway, I got a job as a "client advisor"--I won't use the s word--for BMW. I'm quite excited about it because I love cars and BMW makes a few of my favorites, so all is good.

But, my greatest fear is coming off as a "car salesman" (*cringe*). So, I wanted to ask if anyone here might be willing to volunteer a story or two about good and bad car salesman you have worked with (or avoided). I'd like to avoid being annoying with my customers if at all possible...

Thanks!

You know how if you are looking at a purchase but you decide it's not what you wanted you try to bow out of the transaction gracefully? I hate when a salesman won't take no for an answer and they keep pushing and finding counter arguments to whatever reason you had for not wanting whatever you were looking at. Know what I mean? The best salesmen are there when you need them, present the facts you're looking for and then give you space to consider your options.

Not in car sales, but I've had a few sales jobs before, and I'm picky about my experiences on the other side of the deal too!

My two cents: It's good to do the "early acknowledgment" of customers. Acknowledge that they are there within a minute/30 seconds /whatever feels comfortable of them arriving. However, keep it to a simple hello, or even a smile and nod. I can't stand sales people trying to involve me in inane "friendly" conversation as soon as I walk in the door. "Hi guys, how you doing? What are you up to for the weekend? Going out tonight?" Blah blah blah. It smacks of fakery and tryhardness. I pity them, because it's probably management that has forced them to do it, but still.

I think genuineness (sp?) is the name of the game. Learn the product really well, and genuinely try to help the customer find the best fit for them.

That and confidence. The same way that people are attractive socially when they are confident and not either too needy, or too pushy, so too are salespeople. The ones that are helpful and responsive, but are confident about their product, and don't come across like they are trying to lock you in right from the start are the ones that usually get my sale.

But it sounds like you are heading in the right direction already, as you have asked this question here, and you like cars and you particularly like BMWs...so you're set! Good luck.

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In my experience, a really good salesman never "sells" anything. He/she allows the customer to purchase, and is happy to guide them on the way. Think about it.
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One more thought, seen from a customer perspective...

Many years ago, I wanted to purchase my first hi-fi. I was ignorant about brands, models and which had good reviews. I thought long and hard before coming up with the following question:

"If you had to recommend a brand and product that you don’t sell, what would it be."

And then I compared notes. :)
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Just be up front and honest. If someone goes into a BMW dealership, they are looking to buy one. Those cars will sell themselves. The last car I bought, I found on line, went to the dealer asked to see it. The dealer just tossed me the keys and asked me for mine and I took it out for a drive. Had a mechanic take a quick peek at it. Then drove it back and bought it.

Coincidentally, I am in the process of looking for a car. Yesterday, I told a salesman why I am replacing mine (due to age, broken tie rod in the front and frame at the rear, at the same time!) and he swore.

One of my pet peeves is feigning camaraderie with casual swearing, which is all too common. It's unprofessional, and loses my trust instantly. I won't spend money at a dealership that employs staff who behave this way.

Well, so far so good. A few of these points are going to take some work I think. For example, product knowledge. I like what blubbernaut says about just knowing the product and genuinely trying to help. I strove to be that way with Apple, I don't think I'd want to have a job that was any different, and it sounds like management here is okay (actually, quite encouraging) of me being that way.

I'll have to remember to keep an ear out for when the customer would like to leave the deal. I'd rather leave a good impression and the possibility of a sale in the future than leave a bad impression and have them walk out on me. To be honest, I'd almost rather do it just because I don't like making people feel pressure, for some reason pressuring people makes me feel bad.

To be honest, that was okay with Apple. Mostly I just told people how awesome the computer was, and if they agreed they bought it. Fortunately for me, a lot of people ended up agreeing... I'd like to think BMW is the same sort of brand. I don't think I could sell them otherwise.

Also, I'll have to keep the casual swearing bit in mind, thanks capitalj. I've developed a bit of a foul mouth lately (not a terribly bad one, but I swear sometimes.) I've been meaning to drop that habit, and there is never a better time than now.

Any more advice?

Oh, and one quick question. Do you guys like being driven around by the salesman at all? So he can show you things? Or would you rather just drive the car yourself? Would it change if you were being driven around a test track?

When I drive a car by myself or with a good friend in the car, I relax and enjoy the car. When I drive a car with a salesman present, I drive over-cautiously, and do not get a good sense of things like how well or poorly the car can accelerate, handle, recover, etc.

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. When I encounter that kind of salesman, I consciously switch to answering questions in absolutes. For example instead of saying "Oh, I'd like to check out a few other cars first," or a soft answer like that, I'll say "I won't be buying this car today". It's very difficult for someone to argue with an absolute. They can't very well tell you that no, you WILL be buying the car today. A firm "no" goes a long way with this particular type of salesman.

Trevor

mmm...interesting question. I think being driven by the salesman would be kind of like being driven by your father while you're meant to be learning how to drive - it would make you feel untrusted and belittled a bit. It would be fine if that was just Step 1, and Step 2 was you get to drive the car yourself. That would be totally ok, cos it's like here: I'll just quickly show you the ins and outs, then I'll leave it to you to experience it.

I remember when I sold my beloved MGB (sigh), I drove it briefly for the buyer, just to show him a few quirks, but especially to show him how hard he could drive it, without feeling weird about thrashing someone else's car! It was about two minutes tops, then we swapped places and I totally let him go for it and even encouraged him when he was a little timid with revs etc. We came back after ten minutes and he bought it on the spot, top dollar, first person to look at it!

So I guess the moral of that story is to make them feel comfortable with how they want to drive it. (disclaimer, he was a guy in his mid to late twenties. Technique might change if its say a woman in her seventies!)

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Don’t be so sure about that! Two years ago there was a wonderful story about a Norwegian woman who treated herself to a red BMW convertible when she retired. After being stopped by suspicious police officers more that a dozen times, she voiced her frustrations to the press.

PS. And, no, she wasn’t driving recklessly – or too slowly for that matter. :cool:
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You'd think so wouldn't you. One time I found my wife filling in her details on some website. Some banner that told her she had won a free holiday. She was filling in her credit card details but one look at the site and I told her to stop and just close the page. Unfortunately she had already submitted name and phone numbers before I saw what she was doing. Next day my wife gets a phone call "Hi we got your details but you forgot to fill in your credit card number. We need it to give you your free holiday." My wife was a bit worried after I had told her it looked like a scam so she passed the phone to me. I said that I wasn't happy with the deal and we wouldn't be going ahead. Next thing I was put through to the supervisor "What's the problem, how can I put your mind at ease?" Gives me this big spiel about how fantastic the holiday was and how lucky we were. I said thanks but no we wouldn't be accepting the deal. Then he turned it up a notch. After ten minutes I just said thanks but no thanks and hung up because he just wouldn't give up. He rings back that afternoon and asks for my wife but I recognised his voice and said we were firm in our position. He said hey it's a free holiday what could I possibly object to? I just told him flat out that it seemed too good to be true, that it smelled like a scam and just chalk it up to my suspicious nature. He then turned around and asked me if I was calling him a liar in such a way as to force me to either accept his deal or forego social conventions and call this 'innocent' person a liar based solely on my suspicions. I said frankly the site looks dodgy, it sounds too good to be true and I was going to trust my instincts so goodbye. A bit of Googling later it seems they make their money by taking a 'deposit' from your credit card to secure your 'free' holiday and then pile on all these hidden expenses until people just back out and lose any money they have put in up to that point.

Anyway kind of OT but it's just the high pressure sales taken to extremes.

When saying no to a telephone salesman won't make them go away, then you ask them to remove your name from their list and never call again. If they call back after that you start alerting the authorities, the press, and/or your attorney.

But this is for salesman who have called you. If a car salesman is that pushy on a car lot, it's easy enough to walk away.

Trevor

If you call a potential client on the phone, be prepared to leave a message. Most people I know will not answer the phone if the caller ID doesn't show a name/number they recognize.

Yeah, I've seen car salesman do this. I was with a friend who was thinking of buying an SUV from Dodge (he's a geologist who spends a good 70% of his time miles from the road, he actually needs it...) I came a long to be the "backbone" for him, he isn't very good at telling people off.

Anyway, this guy kept coming at him with the most ridiculous things, and it was very similar to what you said. I hate it when I'm forced to be "rude", but I'm more than capable. I told the salesman we were not interested, and when he tried to dodge around me I simply reiterated my point, turned to my friend and told him we were leaving. I left the salesman in stunned silence ;).

It's moments like this that direct most of my thinking on car sales. I hated the experience and I would never recommend anyone deal with that particular associate. Why would I want to make someone else's life hard? Forcing someone to be rude is just a terrible thing to do, especially for money. I'm going to do everything I can to avoid it.

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I think any salesman worth his salt is grateful for customers who say “No”!

What I mean by that, is that clarity is a wonderful thing. :) And the salesman can then be spared wasting time and effort on someone who isn’t going to purchase -- but who isn’t able to muster the “rudeness” of an unequivocal “NO!”
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I have no car stories at all. However, here is a salescritter story. I used to deal with the Yellow Pages people, buying entries in the print and online editions. These were nicer when the telephone company was state-owned; subsequently, it is a private near-monopoly that changes its name and logo every few years, and I distrust companies that do that, for I suspect the effort has siphoned off labour and resources from the core business.

Anyway, the salesmen used to come round once a year to "review" my account and try to upsell me. I got so that I let them in the door with a warning that I was not going to be upsold, didn't help. They seemed to be obsessive-compulsives who lacked the control over their mouths not to upsell. So I started letting them in with a warning that upselling attempts would mean immediate departure. Again they exhibited a lack of self-mastery. A species of Tourettes? Nah, just commission hunger. (I would prefer to see all salesmen on a salary. The broadband company of the same Group here is notorious for interpreting tentative enquiries as a firm order and mailing the router; the salesperson gets the commission upfront, and apparently doesn't lose it when it turns out that the order was his own fabrication; cf banker's bonuses.)

Finally, one year I had a complaint about service, and the salesman not only refused to accept it, he raised his voice to me -- in my own apartment. I threw him out, prepared to inflict physical injury if he didn't go, and terminated all my business with the company, both divisions, now and until the heat-death of the universe.

So would most people, but that isn't in the best interests of the Corporation. Ever notice that lots of companies are constantly hiring sales people no matter what the economic conditions? That's because in good times and bad, most sales people won't earn enough to live on. More importantly to the company, they make a few sales and then go away, reducing any potential higher costs to the company. This is why you often see sliding commission scales. You start out low, then as your sales volume goes up, your commission rate does too. This has the effect of keeping people in as long as they can, with the hope of reaching a livable pay. Most won't make it though, so the company never has to pay the real cost of selling.

It's yet another corporate scam, and it's why sales people need to be so pushy.

@cwtnospam -- There's a thread for corporate rants if you want to make one, otherwise, please recount experiences you've had with salespeople, thanks.

Noted. I don't understand why people feel a need to be pushy (especially to the point of raising ones voice). Frankly, even if you are on commission, you're cutting into your own sales. As you have stated, people tend to get upset when you manipulate them. As far as I can tell, upset people are significantly less likely to buy whatever you are selling.

Any other bad experiences anyone would like to share? I'm under the impression that if I keep hearing all these horror stories it will more firmly imprint in my mind, and I'll be less tempted to ever be pushy. So, here's a great opportunity for all that anger you have locked up inside to actually be put to good use. Just don't be too mean... :D.

I'll be interested to see if you still feel the same way after six months on the job. I suggest you pay attention to the number of new people you see at work each month, versus the number who've been there for years. This is from experience not only with sales people, but having worked as one. ;)

This "programmed" response in sales training is insidious. A friend decided she actually wanted a set of Encyclopedia Britannica for the children to use. This was in the days of paper books sold door-to-door. She contacted the distributor who sent a salesman.
Instead of simply writing out the order and taking the money he went through the whole spiel. Special offers if you bought today and all. Inducements, closes, the lot.

Always remember, as a buyer the salesman is at your mercy. His salary this month is going to depend on him selling so many cars. The GFC isn't on his side.