What do you look for in a salesperson?
After venturing around Kansas City, I’ve heard a lot of negative attributes associated with car salespeople. Too pushy, too aggressive, not truthful and slick. A little disappointing, considering the majority of my family is in the car business, including me.
Car salesmen and women have a bad rap for as long as I can remember, which would be 25 years. The times have changed … the business remains the same. People want to buy cars, we want to sell cars. Now, with the use of the internet, I do think the way people buy cars has changed. But, like any retail business, people want to be treated with respect and honesty.
The women and men that I interviewed had the same response … honesty. It seems like a lot of people have been duped in the past. But I hope that one negative experience would not ruin it for the bunch.
Tell me what you think. What makes a good salesperson? Share any experiences you may have had with a salesperson … Good or Bad?
4 Comments
I have had bad experiences with GM dealerships in the past. The last new GM vehicle I bought in the early 80s was a very high-pressure experience that I would never want to go through ever again!
I am currently looking for a mid-sized pickup truck and have been very happy with the helpfulness of Ford dealer sales people – especially at Metro Ford and Dick Smith Ford. Larry Luther at Metro was sincere in his desire to help me get what I wanted and not what he wanted to sell me.
I have not made a decison on a truck yet & probably will not until the Mahindra TR Diesel-powered PIckup Trucks hit the market in march of 2010.
Thank you for your comments … I’m sorry about the experience you had at the GM dealership, but I’m glad Ford has taken care of you this round!
I’d be curious to know what you think dealers could now learn from your bad experience. Your experience was from the 80’s … the marketplace and how things are handled probably have changed slightly … But that doesn’t take it away from your memory.
Regarding your new purchase — I’m embarrassed to say, but I had to look up the “2010 Mahindra TR Diesel-powered Pickup Truck”. I was not familiar with it. After checking it out, I was wondering your thoughts on the Nissan Titan? To me, they seem like a similar style.
I had this dude name James who sold used cars go way too far out of his way to sell a car to someone i was negotiating for. He bought gas, ice cream, plates, spoons and snacks, along with the 2005 mountaineer he was trying to sell to our apartment complex, he let all the little kids from the complex play in the suv and then he negotiated a decent price and let my friend have the car for an entire weekend. She definately bought that car
Also Honesty makes a good salesperson. I’ve had salesmen refuse to tell me the asking price on a vehicle. If i want to know how much a vehicle costs I shouldnt have to run my credit and fill out all the paperwork to find out. Answer the question that is asked. If i ask the price, tell me that, not how low you can get the payments. One guy even told me a price way lower than what he wanted to finance me for. He basically was going to charge me whatever amount the bank would finance. Then when i asked him to explain he started mouthing off about cash prices and finance price. I believe this was at City Chevrolet.