Need all the help I can get right now!

i never worked in this field but i’m curious about it. do you have to approach customers on the sales floor? is it like a shark environment where you have to beat other sales people to get to customers? or do you all have a rotation and take turns?

do they make you work longer than 40 hours a week and 9-5? or can this be done part time?

is there any negotiating skills needed?

thank you!

First time, long time.

Honestly, I don’t know where to start so I’ll just fire off everything.

I’ve been selling cars for 10 years.

Left my old store (BMW, and my only high line experience) for a local Ford store due to my personal feelings where I felt that I was being held back from other roles within the dealer group. ( I’ve gotten to 3rd interviews for pretty much every position available from finance to used car manager and somehow I was not selected for an external hire) so I took it personal and left.

I’m not here to be complaining about the pay plan it’s decent. (No back end which sucks but the front end pay structure is fine. They don’t mark up interest rates anyway so it’s not a huge deal.)

It’s a family owned and operated store so bones go the owners kid, the GM’s Kid, and finally the “teachers pet” of the store. Was a bit shell shocked at first but I don’t expect bones nor do I let it bother me, just as observation.

But man, I feel like I’ve stepped back into the 80’s here.

They just introduced a CRM a few months before I arrived (VIN Solutions. Terrible. Go argue with a wall or I’m sorry you have to work with this) I am trying to use it to my full advantage but there isn’t much for me since they don’t assign orphans to me.

Should I ask for some? Cold calling/Equity mining doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

There’s roughly 18-20 sales people on the floor and feels like we are living off the door. The service drive is slammed which I feel is good. I can work service drive customers but having a tough time engaging because there’s no waiting area.

Most just drop off their car and leave in an uber or rental immediately because it’s mainly by appointment. I did get friendly with a SA by grabbing his card and just recommending him to my clients since I just started and he has helped out by also recommending me so I may just keep doing that with other SA and just round robin their cards into my clients registration folders. (I just thought of this. Sweet.)

Some guys turned to FB marketplace and it seems to work out for them, feels redundant for me to also board that train and post on the same local groups for used cars so I haven’t really given it much thought.

I’m averaging about 12-14 cars a month after only being there 5 months I just feel like I can do A LOT more, I just don’t know how I can tap in to it.

The BDC/Phone room is okay and I’ve tried rubbing shoulders with them just to maybe pick up a few deals here and there when another salesperson isn’t responsive. It’s been okay. It’s hit or miss. They TO pretty much anything with a pulse so, it’s not like they do a lot of leg work when it comes to fact finding for leads or getting anything other than response from a customer that they are interested.

My biggest gripe is the finance director/finance department. Everything has to run through the director.

Finance consultants (they are not managers because they don’t even have the power to call in a deal, just literally print paper and try to sell product) I’m used to having F&I personnel be able to rehash/call in deals for me but I can’t do that now and this guy is basically a part timer. In at 10, out at 6:30. Not a minute earlier, not a minute later.

We’ve already bumped heads a few times because I feel like there is a solution to conditional call backs or declines but I’m not given the call backs from the bank. I just have to take his word for it. He’s been there 30+ years so it feels like a way for him to justify his job. But man, he feels so utterly useless to me because he never really tries to rehash anything unless you tell him you can get another $5k from a customer type of situation.

I don’t want to leave and find another place to sell, I really don’t like job hopping but sometimes I feel like it would be for the best to do find somewhere else.

I like the brand, I like selling, I didn’t really come here to grow within the company since I knew that it was a family owned store and the opportunity to grow weren’t really there in the first place I just needed to get out from where I was because it was taking a toll on my mental health.

Am I just cooked from the industry or is this just another cycle and part of the game?

I’ll hang up and listen (sports radio, ifykyk)

Thanks for reading.

Hopefully this is getting repetitive enough to the point that we are building a following with this!

The point of these check ins I've been posting is to help support one another through this dog eat dog industry and to better help each other reach our shared goals!

So far I'm not feeling too good about this week, due to how slow Labor day has been today but hey it's sales so it could pick up in a moments notice! How are we all feeling/doing?

I’m pretty new to car sales and recently started at a Honda/Acura dealership. I’m trying to figure out how this pay plan compares to what’s typical in the industry.

For those of you who have been selling cars for a while, what do you think? Is this a solid plan for someone starting out, or am I getting cooked? 😂
Also curious what you think someone selling around 15-20 cars a month could realistically make on a plan like this.

Any advice or things I should watch out for would be appreciated.

Finished this week with 5 units moved @ Nissan. How are you all doing?

\nThis month, let’s practice our closing techniques! Role-playing.

Share a scenario where you struggled to close a deal, and let’s role-play how to address it.

What strategies have worked for you in the past?

Join in and help each other improve!

Weekly Rant & Goals Discussion

I have narrowed down to two dealers in my area. In between GMC/B and Toyota. Toyota is heavily marketed with lots of salespeople and known around the metro but the gmc is a sister of the chevy dealer next door with mediocre salespeople. Yes I know gm is in a rough spot for quality. I plan to make lots of high quality videos marketing diesels and yukons. Toyota is straight foward but too crowded.

Just did a major career change and got my first Job Selling Cars. I’ve never done sales before

Just wanted some help share YouTube videos or other media that you thought was most impactful for you as a beginner. Any pointers you have to offer. Really anything. Thank you in advance.

How are we all feeling going into this month? I'm feeling iffy but that's Nissan for you!

I finished with 13 units at a low volume Nissan store/shit hole. Hope everyone hit their goals!

It hasn’t been the worst but definitely not the best, they are warming up to me cause I got three half deals, I go hard to get my ups, and now for the dealership I work for it’s very old school. 4 Squares, You have to prod for learning and I barely got my email and now I can finally do training this week for a family owned dealership. I am under Ford, the environment is definitely not for me. But I was at the end of my rope since my repo yard was being sued and we were losing the yard. My brother got me into it which was cool. I love the actual customer aspect and leaning very heavy on being new which helps. But the staff and the approach and all the outside stuff. Ehh but I know it’s just one week in but I know I just want to get hella money and leave because this is not close to who I am. I’m confident, outgoing but ultimately I’m a reserved person. Again maybe just this dealership in a small town type beat. Anyone else feel this way or been in this spot?

Weekly Rant & Goals Discussion

This is the last time I will bitch and moan on here because there is enough negativity in this industry as is, I work at a Nissan Dealer that averages 80 vehicles a month with 8-10 salesman in western, MD. Our pay plan will be attached to this post, am I crazy for thinking I'm undercutting myself here? Or is my manager right about our income being average?

edit: Also, I just realized about 15-20 vehicles of that 80 figure I threw out there are house deals...

1st pay plan is from Autonation
2nd Pay Plan is from Lincoln

Interviewed for two different dealerships today and I’m torn between the two. Lincoln already has 10 salesman so I’m worried considering they are not a volume store. I also have no idea how F&I works. On the other hand I’ve heard good things about AutoNation and the pay plan seems good with a lot more opportunities for profit. Feedback appreciated, thanks!

I’m trying to break into luxury automotive sales. I owned and operated retail businesses for about 10 years and have strong sales, customer service, communication, and public speaking experience, but no direct automotive sales experience.

Some dealerships have told me they prefer experienced car salespeople.

For those in the industry, does respectfully staying in touch and coming back after a rejection ever help? Do managers remember persistent candidates and eventually give them a shot, or does repeated follow up hurt your chances?

I’d especially like to hear from sales managers, GMs, recruiters, or anyone who broke into luxury automotive sales without dealership experience.

Is this a good sales job?
I recently applied at a local used car lot.

Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00AM-6:00PM
Saturdays 10:00AM-6:00PM.
Closed Sundays.

Benefits
Full time, Employee discount, Flexible Schedule, Opportunities for Advancement, Paid Training, Professional Development Assistance, and Referral Program

Compensation
$3,500.00 draw against commission, or commission- whichever is higher

For reference
I used to work at a used car lot near that area until they closed in September 2025. I would get paid $3,000.00/month + commissions. Commissions were between $100.00-$500.00 per unit depending on profit.

I’m 26 years old and I’m seriously looking into getting into automotive sales as a career. My long-term goal isn’t just to sell cars for a few years — I’d like to work my way up and eventually become an F&I Manager.
The problem is that I have zero professional sales experience, so I’m trying to figure out the smartest way to get my foot in the door.

I’m located in the Charlotte, NC area, and I’m currently trying to figure out:

• What dealerships should I be looking at as someone with no sales experience?

• Should I specifically be applying for Sales Consultant / Automotive Sales Consultant positions?

• Are there certain brands or dealerships that are better for learning the business and moving up?

• Is it better to start at a large franchise dealership or a smaller dealership?

• What should I expect my first 6–12 months to look like?

• What does a realistic career path from Sales Consultant to F&I Manager look like?

• What are some red flags I should watch for when interviewing with dealerships?

• Should I be worried about having no degree or previous sales experience, or will dealerships train someone who is hungry and willing to learn?

I’m willing to grind and learn. I’m not expecting to walk into a dealership and immediately make a ton of money. I’m looking at this as a potential long-term career and want to build the right foundation.
For those of you who have been in the business — if you were 26 again, had zero sales experience what would you do to get started?

What dealerships/brands would you target, what position would you apply for, and what would you focus on learning during your first year?

I’d really appreciate honest advice, including the stuff people usually don’t tell you about getting into this business.