By Mak

Any salesman knows that selling used cars isnt as profitable as it used to be. In the past you could drop out of high school and easily be making $100,000 a year, as long as you had a little personality and could get around moral roadblocks. I once heard a joke about used car salesmen. A parrot is flying around and lands on a rich looking guy.

The parrot inquires, What is your IQ? 170, the guy says. The parrot says, You must be a successful lawyer?how many trials have you won? He keeps flying and spots a very wealthy-looking lady with designer clothes and jewelry. He asks her, What is your IQ? 180. She replies.

The parrot wants to know, How many operations have you done this month? The parrot flies off to find someone even wealthier. He spots a man in an expensive Italian suit, surrounded by bodyguards, next to his fancy sports car. Whats your IQ, rich guy? The parrot asks him. The man grins and answers, 80. The parrot has one question for the man: How many cars have you sold this month? Today, however, its rare to meet a salesperson making over $50,000 a year.

Even honest dealers are hurting the unscrupulous salespeople by allowing customers to purchase vehicles and do everything at once from their computer and over the phone. Dealers like Used Cars in Oklahoma are making it harder for high-grossing salespeople to earn their living. The Car Salespersonas Greatest Asset It is ironic, but in this age of information where consumers have access to just about everything that the car salesperson knows, there is still one major flaw that can be exploited. There is TOO much information out there! Everything has a spin. A salesperson who really wants to make money will find those websites that help them overcome the intelligent Internet shopperas objections.

Here are some tips when dealing with an Internet shopper: 1) If theyve got a trade-in, visit trade evaluation sites to find out what their car is worth. Print out the lowest quote to show them. 2) If they think the new car costs too much, look at the evaluation sites again and bring out the highest estimate for the car youre selling. 3) Communicate via email. Calling to let them know when youve sent an email is particularly effective.

4) If they find something negative on the history report, search for articles that debunk the history reporting system and print them for the customers so they know that vehicle history reports are not accurate. 5) If the Carfax looks good, but the customer has an article that debunks the accuracy of a vehicle history report, point to the disclaimer and tell them that Carfax guarantees accuracy. 6) If they say that the Internet price was lower than the price you quoted, tell them that someone has been hacking into the system. If they are persistent, sidestep the question or switch them to a different car. 7) Have someone make a website that spreads rumors about your competitors. When a customer comes in and says they want to go to or have been to a competitor, show them the website you had created depicting the competitor as evil.

8) Using a fictitious name, post bad things about your competitors to blogs and chatrooms online. If you claim that Dealer A sells lemon cars and Dealer B sells illegal drugs, people will accept it as fact. Most people believe whatever they see on the Internet. 9) Visit a free vehicle classified site and register for an account, then list fictional cars comparable to yours for a much higher price. Print out the ad to show to customers. 10) If they have any other objection having to do with the Internet that isnt covered here, telling them that a virus is responsible for any misinformation should quiet their objections.

The battle isnt over yet, unscrupulous used car salesmen of the world. You can fight back with these tactics and continue to reap profits, even in the age of the Internet. If youre an honest salesperson or an outraged consumer reading this, please ignore what youve just read. Its only meant for entertainment purposes.
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posted by Gene Farmer @ 4:43 AM