As many of you know, I’ve been in the car business all my adult life, some thirty-eight years and counting. In my time “on the line” I’ve weathered many economic storms: the gas lines of 1974 and 78, the super high interest rates of the late 70’s and early 80’s, a couple of recessions. I’ve been present at the closures of more than one dealership. I’ve experienced both good times and bad.
But I’ve never seen anything like this.
These are, my friends, evil times for Car Men. I don’t care if you sell Fords or Toyotas; things are tough out there. These are times that separate the men from the boys and the girls from the women. It’s the Storm of the Century as far as I’m concerned.
Now, I’m not one to give advice; it’s against my sensibilities, but I feel that as one of the Grand Old Men of this business (if you don’t mind me saying so), good ‘ol Uncle David if you please, it’s time for me to say something. It’s easy to panic, especially if you’re a salesman. Shit rolls down hill in this business. The dealer grinds the GM, who grinds, the GSM, who grinds the deskmen, who grind the closers (if you work in a T.O. house) who grinds the salesmen. Somebody has got to blame somebody, and unfortunately that someone is often you.
It is my hope that those people in upper management understand that everyone has been caught up in this mess, and that pounding on the troops, although it might feel good, is very counter-productive. If you are a leader, lead. Or as an Iranian sales manager I once worked for would say, “If you want to be pro, be pro!” (I truly hated this guy.) If your salesman is loyal to you, be loyal to them.
So here’s my advice. The rules of this business, assuming you were taught them correctly, are there for good reasons. The steps to making a deal we’re carved out by generations of Car Men. They are tried and tested. They work. And the fruit of their labor has been handed down to you. They can be summed up in one sentence: resist the temptation to shake short cuts.
Like a baseball player who goes into a slump and then screws things up more by altering his swing, you must resist the temptation to alter the way you were taught to sell cars. The buyers out there are the same; there are just less of them. So this means that each “up” is precious. You must work them properly. As I like to say, make those people glad they met you, but take no prisoners.
If you’re fundamentals work, stick with them. Work each buyer the same way every time! Do not alter your swing! Remember that it isn’t what you say to that goofball in front of you; it’s how you say it. A true Car Man has the ability to grind the crap out of someone without them being aware that they are being beat up. Be pro!
Now keep in mind that the crazy people always come out. They are a static population, easy to take when times are good but maddening when times are bad. Learn to recognize these people early in the process so you don’t use your energy on someone who had no intention to buy a car. Resist the temptation to resort to firearms or fisticuffs, no matter how good it would feel!
Now is the time to follow up fiercely and make the most of your owner file. (I must admit to you that this is the weakest part of my sales process.) If you made the people glad they met you once, perhaps they’d like to meet you again.
As the late, great Pete McKissick used to say to me, “Don’t get your dabber down.” Whatever the hell that meant.
It’s time to hunker down as the expression goes. It’s time to trust your training and instincts. It’s time use the talent God gave you. And remember this: if you can survive this, I promise you can survive anything!
Talk to you later,
David
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