Coins For The Car Gods

By L James Johnson

L James Johnson

Contributing Writer BIO

L. James Johnson joined the automotive industry after winning recognition as a radio & TV journalist and running three thriving, fast-growing small... More

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2 653 views Sep 27, 2010

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When I was a “green pea” in the car business (a rookie, still being trained), I noticed spare change strewn across the pavement near the front entrance of the dealership. Pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters were scattered for 20 to 30 feet out and away from the front doors. When I asked my training manager what was going on, I couldn’t have been more surprised by his answer.

A superstitious bunch

“Car salespeople are superstitious,” John said. “They come to work each day not knowing if they’ll make a sale. Tossing spare change out the front door is their attempt to appease the car gods and survive another day.”

It’s true that selling cars at a major dealership is a tough way to make a living. You’re paid on commission and if you don’t sell, you don’t get paid. In this economic downturn, sales have become fewer and farther between.

A personal perspective

Some major dealerships throw their new hires directly onto the sales floor without any training to see who will survive. Those who make sales have a job; those who don’t are handed their walking papers. Pity the consumers who have the misfortune to work with these untrained newbies to the car business. They understand first-hand how painful inexperience can be. Deploying sales staff with a lack of knowledge and inability to provide substantive customer service is an industry-wide self-inflicted wound. It’s responsible, in part, for the industry’s negative reputation.

I was lucky. I started in car sales at a dealership that made a conscious decision to invest in training new sales staff. In fact, before I could work with customers, I had to complete an extensive training program that culminated in becoming certified by the manufacturer to sell their cars.

Added pressure

I also became accustomed to life at the dealership. I arrived for work each day hoping that a friendly face would walk through the door, someone who wanted to buy a car. Too often, I grew to identify intimately with that gnawing, desperate need to make a sale. It wasn’t just to earn money and hit my sales figures—though those thoughts never drifted far from my focus; car salespeople are under constant pressure to sell, sell, and sell some more.

I felt added pressure because green peas carry the burden of proving themselves worthy just to swim in the shark tank of dealership sales with the other big fish. It’s survival of the fittest, and God help the new salesperson if their customers, other sales staff, or managers catch a whiff of fear, weakness, or an inability to ask for the sale.

A tough life

With a downturn in the economy, I’m sure there are lots of coins in front of most dealerships across the country. Have a look next time you stop by. And remember that as difficult as it can be buying a car from a major dealer— car dealers have a bad reputation for good reason—it can be worse if you’re sitting on the other side of the sales desk.

These days, too many salespeople know first-hand what it’s like to try to survive by selling cars in a shark tank. They’re under constant pressure from customers, they have to watch their back when around other sales staff, and depending on the dealership, they regularly get beaten up by a management team that’s following old school, and some would say, Neanderthal rules. It’s no wonder that a little investment in the car gods isn’t a bad idea in this kind of an environment.