Anyone here a car salesman?
02-19-2008, 08:01 PM
#22
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Unless you live a very expensive lifestyle, or have some kids, $100k is plenty to live a happy life in today's dollars and in this region.
My wife and I together only make $85k, with me as the primary/higher earner, and we're doing fine. All our needs are met, and we both have most of the things we want. My garage is full of cars and our closets are PACKED with her clothes.
No credit card debt, no car payments, and plenty in the bank. But then again, we don't have any interest in big, expensive vacations; or overpriced restaurants/bars. Also, we don't have any kids.
Guess what I'm trying to say is, it's not always about how much you make, but more about what you do with it. Manage your money well, keep some safe investments in reserve, and you can go pretty far making a high 5-figure/low 6-figure income.
My wife and I together only make $85k, with me as the primary/higher earner, and we're doing fine. All our needs are met, and we both have most of the things we want. My garage is full of cars and our closets are PACKED with her clothes.
No credit card debt, no car payments, and plenty in the bank. But then again, we don't have any interest in big, expensive vacations; or overpriced restaurants/bars. Also, we don't have any kids.Guess what I'm trying to say is, it's not always about how much you make, but more about what you do with it. Manage your money well, keep some safe investments in reserve, and you can go pretty far making a high 5-figure/low 6-figure income.
02-19-2008, 08:38 PM
#24
Just because I know somebody who is young, sells cars, and does it well? Where did I say, "Oh selling cars is pie, you WILL be rich." Nope I didn't.
Also yes, maybe some people DO enjoy selling cars and one day they did decide they wanted to sell cars for a living, so what? Thats fine, its a perfectly legitimate career.
02-19-2008, 09:29 PM
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My family is in the car business, so I think I can give a pretty good perspective. My father owns his own Pontiac Dealership. Neither my brother or I am going to go into the business. It is far too rocky right now, and the economy is not in good shape. It is very difficult making a living as a salesmen right now. If you want to stay car oriented, try looking into going to school as a mechanic. If cars are your passion, that is a great opportunity to be involved with them, and the salaries are more competitive than a sales persons. However, as I'm sure you will read on this forum...people hate car dealers, and they hate salesmen. They have the connotation of being downright screwballs. If you are honest and knowledgeable, and have great drive and passion, then you will the the propensity to be successful in that business.
Good luck, but I vote to stay in school. If the car world does not work in your favor, then you've wasted your time and still don't have a degree. It may not be the major as much as it is the school. Its never too late to transfer.
Good luck, but I vote to stay in school. If the car world does not work in your favor, then you've wasted your time and still don't have a degree. It may not be the major as much as it is the school. Its never too late to transfer.
02-19-2008, 10:55 PM
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i would have to say if you are going to sell cars toyota/lexus, honda/acura would be a good choice, gm, ford, mopar products are slowing down for now. i am a tech at a honda dealer and it payes my bills and helped me pay for the camaro build. it looks like the saled dept is usually busy. i would say stay in school tho because it is not all that it seams to be tho.
Last edited by chevyls1; 02-19-2008 at 11:04 PM. Reason: spelling
02-19-2008, 11:02 PM
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I am an ex-carsaleman/sales manager. I left the business about 2 years ago and still have a lot of friends that are in the business now..... I have to say one thing... PLEASE FOR GOD"S SAKE - stay in school until you have at least some type of degree.... I worked for multiple dealers and one was good the others were horrible. .. Of course I'm a chevy guy and worked for them because it was a brand I could believe in. It was awesome money for a while. Then I actually took a kinda pay cut to go to managment. That's when the car market started going down.. Then I moved to a Honda dealer , all in San Diego, but there is no money in Hondas even though in SD they are popular as hell...... Right now is a bad time to be in the car business... The market is horrible - everywhere - no matter what brand... I couldn't sell Hondas very well cause I still believed they were overrated and they were boring..... I will say if you do go toward the car sales try to go towards the used car sales... Thats were the most profit can be and is most of the time.... But I wouldn't recommend cars sales to anyone right now because the market is sooo bad.....
If you're that good of a student than stay in school .... You can always go to get a crappy job that you will always feel you are better than and hate everyday.... Car sales is a nasty business and there are a lot of scummy backstabbers that you will have to deal with.....
But take it from me who is working full time and going to school to finish my degree, stay in freakin school .... It's so much harder to go back to school once you have taken on some adult debt.. It took me 10 years to get back to school affter working the most stressful jobs to make the bills meet... You can go so much further with any type of degree... And remember you can always find a car sales job...... They are always hiring because people are always quitting........
If you're that good of a student than stay in school .... You can always go to get a crappy job that you will always feel you are better than and hate everyday.... Car sales is a nasty business and there are a lot of scummy backstabbers that you will have to deal with.....
But take it from me who is working full time and going to school to finish my degree, stay in freakin school .... It's so much harder to go back to school once you have taken on some adult debt.. It took me 10 years to get back to school affter working the most stressful jobs to make the bills meet... You can go so much further with any type of degree... And remember you can always find a car sales job...... They are always hiring because people are always quitting........
02-19-2008, 11:26 PM
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There is no money in selling cars today unless you are at certain high end dealers. I have multiple friends who have sold cars for a living and all of them have gotten out of the business into other sales jobs that are much more lucrative.
02-20-2008, 11:26 AM
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I also work at a car dealership, im in the service department and its not much better than sales. With as slow as the economy is right now its a bad choice. 5 years ago we had salesmen making well over 100k a year now that same guy is maybe making 50 IF THAT. I myself was also considering sales but decided to stay planted in service until school is over with in may. If the guys take a draw up front and then dont make enough to cover it, well, take a guess how that feels
Yes there is the opportunity to make money, Yes it can be good money, No it's prolly not the best time to do so.
Yes there is the opportunity to make money, Yes it can be good money, No it's prolly not the best time to do so.
02-20-2008, 12:04 PM
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well let me give you my .02.....i have been in the business for 16 years now....i graduated from iu....with a business degree/ mgt degree....started selling cars in bloomington my junior year.....came back and went into a "office" job at a accounting firm as a jr. processor....left that job after 6 months and started selling cars again...
the secret is to not hop from one dealer to another....if you are a "subpar" salesman you will make 30-40 year...good 45+ and so one....my weakest salesman on my floor right now make 40....my top makes 165k....he has been here ten years.....in this business like life you get what you put in...invest in yourself and be proud in what you do and you will do fine....i run a multiline gm store now we do 125-140 new and used a month..and my salespeople live a good life and they love thier jobs....there are ups and downs in the car business....i have no saturdays off...i have friends that work mon-fri and have the weekends off...i do not know what that is like....but when i pull into my 6500 sq ft house 1100 sq ft garage and look at all my toys i think well they can have there weekend off and drive thier taurus sel....
i will take my lifestyle...
good luck in your decision...
BUT STAY IN SCHOOL AND GET YOUR DEGREE!!!!!!
the secret is to not hop from one dealer to another....if you are a "subpar" salesman you will make 30-40 year...good 45+ and so one....my weakest salesman on my floor right now make 40....my top makes 165k....he has been here ten years.....in this business like life you get what you put in...invest in yourself and be proud in what you do and you will do fine....i run a multiline gm store now we do 125-140 new and used a month..and my salespeople live a good life and they love thier jobs....there are ups and downs in the car business....i have no saturdays off...i have friends that work mon-fri and have the weekends off...i do not know what that is like....but when i pull into my 6500 sq ft house 1100 sq ft garage and look at all my toys i think well they can have there weekend off and drive thier taurus sel....
i will take my lifestyle...good luck in your decision...
BUT STAY IN SCHOOL AND GET YOUR DEGREE!!!!!!
Last edited by kdogc5; 02-20-2008 at 12:10 PM.
