Commission or Salary?

[whiteshark]

I finally got a job. As of Monday I will be a GM car dealer :D It's a pretty big place, does alot of business so hopefully it'll be pretty cool. But there is a delima, the first month they give you a choice of working on salary or diving right into commission. Salary is $500/wk which is plenty for me to live on so I should probably take it. But then my greedy side comes out and thinks well all I have to do to make 500/wk is to sell 3 cars over the course of an entire month which they say is usually no problem for beginners. I'm usually not much of a gambling man, but what would you do? Take the safe but maybe less profitable road, or go for the $$$.

[jola]

i've never been a salesman or anything, but i'd probably go with the salary at first, and then switch to commision once you know you can sell cars. is it a long time until you have another choice between commision and salary once you choose?

[whiteshark]

You just get the choice for the 1st month. 2nd month is commission.

[jola]

personally, i think i'd go with a salary, but that's moreso because i don't know how well i'd be able to sell a car. if i had some confidence in my power of persuasion, then i'd be all over that commision.

[Loochy88]

oooh, oooh, do you get the employee discount too?!

id go salary

[fbirdgt01]

I sold cars for 2 years, go salary...it's not as easy as you think. Trust me.

Selling cars is not for everyone and I'll tell you that right now. You're either great at it, or you suck plain and simple there is no in between in the business. It is by far the most stressful job i've ever had, and forget your life if you have one of those. Working 60+ hours a week will now be your life. I'm putting it like this because that is the way it is. Sales managers sugar coat it when you start because they are selling you a job, they're salesman, remember that.

Good luck, and I hope you kick a$$ at it!

[KBeezy]

lol - if you can sell you can sell. If you cant, you cant. If you think you can sell, then go commission. If you ask me, going Salary makes it so you can be lazy, when you get 3 cars where the motivation to go for more? If you're commission you'll force yourself to work harder, because its up to YOU to make bank..


Car Sales isn't as hard as fbirdgt01 makes it. Sure, theres some long hours, but you're usually out by 6pm except for your late night(s), get sunday off, and are usually out by 5 on Saturdays. Whats wrong with that? Maybe its because my family has lived in the car business-- I turn wrench (used to do retail so yes I know sales), my old man sells cars and is rated one of the best in the state, my uncle is lead engineer for Daimler-Chrysler performance & precision parts, my grandfather used to build/rebuild cars as well as design and invent machines to built parts. Both of my parents used to drag race their old cars [img]smile.gif[/img] So yes, I do have a history in it, but trust me -- its not that hard. Go for the commission.

[kristen]

i say better to be safe than sorry, well while you get to learn the job anyway

[BLLDOGG]

i'd personally take the salary to be safe but i have seen a new guy sell more than 3 a month.... but we do sell alot of cars so its just up to your gut

[fbirdgt01]

Originally posted by KBeezy:
lol - if you can sell you can sell. If you cant, you cant. If you think you can sell, then go commission. If you ask me, going Salary makes it so you can be lazy, when you get 3 cars where the motivation to go for more? If you're commission you'll force yourself to work harder, because its up to YOU to make bank..


Car Sales isn't as hard as fbirdgt01 makes it. Sure, theres some long hours, but you're usually out by 6pm except for your late night(s), get sunday off, and are usually out by 5 on Saturdays. Whats wrong with that? Maybe its because my family has lived in the car business-- I turn wrench (used to do retail so yes I know sales), my old man sells cars and is rated one of the best in the state, my uncle is lead engineer for Daimler-Chrysler performance & precision parts, my grandfather used to build/rebuild cars as well as design and invent machines to built parts. Both of my parents used to drag race their old cars [img]smile.gif[/img] So yes, I do have a history in it, but trust me -- its not that hard. Go for the commission.

Ummm.. don't know where you're living man, but we worked at least 3 12's which were mandatory and this was at 2 different dealerships, one being the 3rd largest toyota dealership in the US. ;) The upside is yes, if you're good at it, like i am, you'll do great. But, if you suck you're in the poor house. I moved onto other things, because i wanted a life. Being 19 years old, and making 45k a year is awesome which is how old i was at the time, but being 19 and having bills to pay since you weren't living with mommy and daddy, can be stressfull on those not so good months.

Words of advice, be confident, know your product, and don't come off as a coniving salesman and you've got it in the bag. Being too confident, too outspoken, and trying to be in control of someone else's decision and leave you on your a$$.

[Big Tymer]

comission, imo asking for salary just means you dont think that you can sell well..... 500 a week isnt that much money... i make that in my hourly job as a rentacop

[slow6]

excuse me, 500/week is alot to some self-motivated Homeless fast food worker that works his a$$ off to just get by.
500 is alot in the streets too( some people would kill you for 500)

dallas is higher cost( & a little better pay) of living though

[KBeezy]

3 late nights a week? Sheesh, that blows. I personally work 7:30am to atleast 5pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.. And 7:30am-8:00pm Monday & Thursday.

My old man works Monday & Thursday 8am-9pm and 8am-6pm all the other days... Sunday they are open 12pm-5pm..


45k a year is nothing in comparison to what you can make. And I worked at, my dad sells at, the 3rd largest dealership in the nation - period. Actually, its one of the largest in the world with 1500 USED cars and trucks, plus the couple hundred NEW cars and trucks. Over 12 acres alone on the main lot... [img]smile.gif[/img]

[FireFighter]

I sold cars for a while, it sucked big time. I wasted almost 5 months of my life doing it. I only made good money one month, then they took 33% in taxes out of it.

[fbirdgt01]

Originally posted by KBeezy:
3 late nights a week? Sheesh, that blows. I personally work 7:30am to atleast 5pm Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.. And 7:30am-8:00pm Monday & Thursday.

My old man works Monday & Thursday 8am-9pm and 8am-6pm all the other days... Sunday they are open 12pm-5pm..


45k a year is nothing in comparison to what you can make. And I worked at, my dad sells at, the 3rd largest dealership in the nation - period. Actually, its one of the largest in the world with 1500 USED cars and trucks, plus the couple hundred NEW cars and trucks. Over 12 acres alone on the main lot... [img]smile.gif[/img]

yeah, 3 nights that were mandatory, i generally worked from 7:30am to 9pm and most of the time later than that.

all i hear is Daddy this daddy that....

... do you want a f*cking cookie? :rolleyes: