So last week I head over to Toyota to get a new oil filter. So I go in and get one and figure while I am there I would stop and look at a Yaris. I have not seen in upclose yet. So I park the tC and head over and comes a salesmen from Toyota. He walks up to my car and walks around it for a second and says something. I couldnt hear him cause I was over by the Yaris. So I said what? He said that is the nicest Celica he has seen. I laughed and said it is the Scion. He kinda got quiet for a second and said " I guess I dont even know my own cars very well huh"?

I just laughed and continued to look at the Yaris. Pretty sad though.

Not even 10 minutes before that I was at a light and a guy on a bike pulled up next to me and asked what kind of car it is? He couldnt figure it out either. Oh well Keep em guessing huh?

 

Tell them it's the new Bentley

 

it appalls me how little some dealers know about their own cars. went with a friend to go test drive the new Lexus IS, and the lady couldnt even tell us what the EPA mpg was.

 

I think its my past time I always go to dealships knowing more than the salesmen and I just drill them with question I know they couldn't asnwer. It's soo fun to see their faces..."uh I guess I don't know..."

It makes my day, for instance I asked the salesman is the throttle a "fly-by-wire" or cable type and they didn't know what either was. Hell I bet he didn't know what the throttle was!

 

^^ We had people ask stuff about Scions like that all the time...That's what I was good for.

 

car salesmen usually aren't "car guys". They are salespeople first and their job is to make profit for the dealership. They (usually) only know enough about the car to make it look like they're not a noob - features, options, models, and that's about it.

 

why cant i be a salesman? i know tons about scions...

 

I realize that but it’s just so funny, and if they really wanted to be good salesmen they would know the answer to most general questions about the innovations that that car has. it's like the cardinal rule in sales... know your product.

I know in my field (Consulting Engineering) when salesmen come to discuss their products my co-workers drill them with questions and if they don't answer most of them they are not going to be specified in our jobs.

 

You probably can. A dealer actually called me to ask if I would like to work for them.

 

^Its because they go through sales people like you change your underwear.

Knowing about cars is only half of the job. You have to be willing to rip your mom and dad off.....seriously..

 

I just HATE it when they say "Hey look at that Skyon..."

 

Tell them it is a scionari "scion / kaminari" and wait for that WTF look hahaha

 

your not alone

 

When i got mine, the guy told me it had the TRD chrome exhaust and it was the 6 cylinder sports model!!! I just looked at him with that, "are you fuking serious" look, and then he rethought what he said and checked and it was not a TRD exhaust,(which i knew by looking at it) and oh yeah scion only makes 4 bangers moron!

I actually started to tell him more about the car, and he was amazed at what i knew. And it was just simple ****!!

KNOW THE PRODUCT YOU ARE SELLING!!! just a rule of thumb

 

I tried a few years ago to get a job as a saleswoman at a Pontiac Dealership. I had owned a Sunfire for like 5 years and knew practically every bolt size on the car. I pulled into a Pontiac Dealership, parked my car and went over to look at this BEYOOOTIFUL Trans Am sitting there. A Salesman comes out (and I'm guessing he didn't see what type of car I pulled into the dealership in), and he says "Can I help you with something?". I replied "Yeah, I'd like to take a look at this Trans Am here". He goes:

"Well that's sold, and might have a little too much power for your needs anyway, how about we go look at these really nice Sunfires down here".

Too much power?!?!?! HA!!!! So that had ticked me off, so we walked down to look at the Sunfires to humor him, and I start asking him questions. I started grilling him about horsepower, torque, etc.. etc... all of the numbers he totally made up. When I had enough of his BSing or trying to, I pointed over to my car...



"That's the car I drove in, which btw I did all the work on myself, including mixing and spraying the custom color paint. Why don't you do me and everyone else a favor, and do your research because every number you gave me was total BS. The hp is this, the tq is this on this model whereas the other models came with this..." etc... etc. "And btw, a Trans Am is NOT too much power for me... FYI". (Hey he ticked me off. Who says chicks don't know anything about cars? LOL

And walked in to use the restroom. The manager asked me how things were going, I told him of the experience I had... and come to think of it... I don't think I seen that salesman in there since.

Knowing the product is the most important thing when it comes to sales.