My Pesonal Story As A Used Car Salesman. Confessions Of A Used Car Salesman.

Personally, before I was in the business the only thing I cared about in a vehicle is if it would get me where I wanted to go. I am not a motorhead in any way nor have I ever been interested in cars. It was twenty years ago that my daughter was born, I had been employed since I was sixteen and all of a sudden I found myself unemployed at a time when I needed a job the most.

I saw an ad for Vanson Leathers hiring stitchers. Stitcher, me? well I needed a job really desperately and they were willing to hire and train me so I accepted the offer. Up to this point in life I had been a martial arts instructor as well as a bouncer in local bars so the idea of being a stitcher kind of threw me off.

The stitching job was a piece rate job meaning I got paid more the more I produced. This got my attention and five years later I was earning close to $50.00 an hour. After all these years my hands started giving me pain so much that I was unable to perform my duties.

I knew I wanted to change careers but the idea of going back to hourly wages depressed me no matter how hard you work your income is capped. I have not earned an hourly wage for over twenty years.

While I was working I used to listen to talk radio on my headphones. I was so inspired by Rush Limbaugh during the early nineties discussing personal responsibility and starting your own business taking control over your own life that I went into a dealership to answer another help wanted ad for salesman "make $75,000 a year" something like that in the ad.

I was interviewed and due to the fact that I have always been somewhat of a people person I was hired on the spot as long as I showed up with a collar and tie. I started the next day, I was shown the keys, I was shown the cars, then I was told the next thing I should do was start shaking hands. "you will either sink or swim" was what the manager told me.

I actually sold the first customer I met with a little help from an experienced salesman. That was when I realized the cutthroat business I had entered as half my commission went to the veteran for coming over and talking to my customer for a few minutes.

I have tried leaving the car business several times over the years I tried selling home security systems, I gave advertising a shot, I gave selling commercial cleaning a chance, I even tried selling Acrylic bathtub liners. The thing I learned from all these different ventures was that nothing beats the used car business.

Moving away from new car stores was the best thing I ever did, new car buyers are anal grinders who think they hold lordship over you because they know the manufacturer will be sending a satisfaction survey. You earn mini commissions on new cars and literally would have to juggle if that is what it would take to get a perfect survey.

Since I have been in the strictly used car industry life is much more relaxed I work for and answer to the business owner I do not have to climb some kind of authority ladder to say what I want. We have fewer customers every month creating a great relationship with the ten to twenty customers a month compared to hundreds at the new car stores.

Overall this industry has been good to me, I am not nor Have I ever claimed to be a superstar salesman or some kind of sales guru. My philosophy is simple I walk the walk that's it no talking just keep walking the walk.