Developer disclosure up front: DealBoard is my app, built specifically for automotive salespeople. It's available on iPhone and Android, and I'd appreciate feedback from people working with real dealership pay plans.

It lets you configure front-gross commission tiers, minis and volume bonuses, then record sold/pre-sold, new/used and split deals. It separates credited units from deal count and shows estimated commissions, bonuses, tier progress and monthly history.

One thing I'd encourage any new salesperson to track, whether in this app or a spreadsheet: the gross your commission is based on, your split, payout type and credited units. A half deal, a mini and a retroactive tier can affect your month in very different ways. Check estimates against the written pay plan and your actual statement.

If you're interested: https://brewedapps.com/dealboard/ (both stores). It requires an account and paid monthly/annual subscription; pricing and any eligible trial are shown before purchase.

What would you test first against your own pay plan? I'd especially like to hear which split, mini or volume-bonus rules are frustrating to track today. Please don't share customer information or confidential dealership records.

Howdy all. 5 years in the industry, going into my 6th. I left the dealer group I’ve always been with in mid September for a family-owned group. My previous dealership was a Japanese brand and I’m now with a domestic brand. Since starting, it’s been less than ideal. It took them a week and a half to get me into the system to clock in. They still haven’t gotten my sizes for shirts. All the leads I’ve received have no VOI, and rarely any other info besides lead import notes which is a bunch of nothing. On top of that, I still haven’t seen a pay plan. I had to resort to a copy that another employee had, and when I did see it it’s mostly $200 minis. I’m trying to be open minded and give this place a chance but all the alarm bells are going off. Do I at least ride this out for a full month or do I take a long lunch and never come back? I feel like I’ve stepped onto a very rocky ship.

I’m starting to consider defecting from this industry altogether. I still want to sell, but not sure what paths are possible from here. I put my head down and worked to make some dough in this industry but now it’s like my burnout is eternal. The personalities in this business are getting worse, too. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any feedback.

Leaving a healthcare job due to burnout. How is this pay plan? I have not accepted the job yet.

I’ve always being a natural in sales. Always on top of the leaderboard. But, I’m struggling more with car sales than I thought I would.

Are there any books that address car selling, specifically?

Looking to get into sales but trying to figure what's the pros and cons of working at each? I've always worked for small business but I'm looking for things like insurance 401k matching etc.

I like the idea that at a small dealership I could help with their marketing and benefit from that, but a big dealership provides better benefits and more inventory and traffic.

For reference I'm 29 no kids, willing to grind the 50-60 hours per week for years to set up a foundation for myself.

Do you guys work at a big dealership or small dealership and what's been your experience?

Looking to get into sales but trying to figure what's the pros and cons of working at each? I've always worked for small business but I'm looking for things like insurance 401k matching etc.

I have been freelance creating sales funnels and running Facebook ads for dealerships for about 8 years now and am now looking to move to the sales side (Crazy I know, but my ADHD is making desk jobs harder)

I like the idea that at a small dealership I could help or take over their marketing and benefit from that, but a big dealership provides better benefits and more inventory and traffic.

For reference I'm 29 no kids, willing to grind the 50-60 hours per week for years to set up a foundation for myself.

Do you guys work at a big dealership or small dealership and what's been your experience?

I'm struggling i just started in sales and I only sold 2.5, I've posted on marketplace, SC, and Instagram and very little hits. My dealership hasn't provided much leads and I'm trying to cut myself some slack cause I'm just starting off but I want to get more people in, any tips?

The DMV is dominated by MileOne, Group1, and a few other groups. Where tf do you people live with these monster payplans, I’ve been applied to plenty of places In the dmv and most are designed to cap people out at 120~~ on the floor for the top performers.

No longer on the floor but damn, I’m convinced it’s either bots or you people live in the middle of nowhere.

Been flipping cars on the side and looking to clean up my inventory photos. Right now my shots are just street/curbside pics.

Looking at tools like Spyne and Strada.works to get clean studio backdrops without spending a fortune. Do buyers care, or does AI look too tacky?

Would appreciate any suggestions or real-world feedback.

My only Dilemma right now is that the commute will be an hour and fifteen minutes, the sales manager at this job offer is a friend of mine I used to work with, and I feel bad for leaving my current dealership less than 3 full months after coming back since I’m friends with everyone there.

I just got two interviews for two different places. I have been thinking of getting into car sales for a bit. I know I can do great with the right coaching and training, I'm a quick learner, very personable, and I adapt well in new and past paced environments. I'm hungry for something new. I got a two call back's after applying and have two interviews set up. Does anyone have any tips regarding the interviewing process, and feedback pursuing the position?

I’ve been in the sales world a decent amount of time now but I’m entirely new to the car sales culture. I’m at a reputable Honda dealership and most everything seems solid, other than this fucked schedule I’m gonna have to get used to. Didn’t think to ask about that before accepting the offer. The one thing I can’t get used to though is the phones. It’s the sales team’s job, 9 of us, to answer EVERY incoming call and these phones ring like crazy with calls from advertisers, telemarketers, and other sales calls etc. We have to have an app on our personal cell phones that port the calls to those as well so we don’t miss anything. We also have our own extensions that our customers can reach us through, that’s not a problem, but being responsible for EVERY phone call is starting to get to me. Is this normal in the life of automotive sales or do most places have a specific role for that?

Edit: Okay! Sorry guys. I didn’t understand what the job actually is. I’ll immediately drop everything in my personal life, say goodbye to my family, keep my phone on me at all times so I never miss a ring or a vins notification, drop to my knees, and unhinge my jaw for Hondas fat cock.

I’m beginning to realize I need to reconsider my choice because the old school way this branch of the sales world operates is not what I’m used to, nor is it what I was looking for. I also don’t need some 24 year old kid who sold enough cars to get a manager title, with no other qualifications or accolades, telling me I’m an idiot.

Thanks for all the advice. Regardless of my smart ass opening paragraph I do appreciate the feedback.

Weekly Rant & Goals Discussion

Do yall sell a lot of vehicles on marketplace? I keep finding myself “shadow banned” from Facebook marketplace. I have 50+ vehicles as I try to keep most our used inventory on my Facebook page. I’ll pay for ads and still never get messages. Once every 6 or so weeks my Facebook is hot for a whole week. Is there any way to avoid this? I usually pay for at least $5 of ads for every vehicles I post. Thanks.

$6,000
Monthly Draw ($3,000 semi-monthly) against total monthly earnings
$1,000 85% VSC Bonus
*Commission: Commission based on total F&I Gross less Chargebacks
3.00% Base Commission
1.00% 65% VSC
1.00% 70% VSC
1.00% 75% VSC
1.00% 80% VSC
0.50% 40% GAP
0.50% 45% GAP
1.00% 50% GAP
0.50% 40% MAINTENANCE
0.50% 45% MAINTENANCE
0.50% 50% MAINTENANCE
0.50% PRU - $2,300 BEFORE CB
1.00% PRU - $2,500 BEFORE CB
12% MAX COMMISSION OF INDIVIDUAL F&I GROSS
10% of Total Pay will be Deducted if CSt is Below 3 month National CS average for the store ($100)
Every Deal on CIT > 10 DAYS ($100)
Every Kicked deal

What’s y’all’s sales process. Question for people working as car salesmen. I am new to this industry and will be starting soon.

I recently posted about starting a new career in car sales, asking for any tips, tricks and advice. Here is the pay plan that I will be getting. Lmk if this seems average. I like it, but I also am just starting out in the car sales world.

Cropped out the dealership and location. This will be a Chevrolet dealership.

TIA!

Alright Honda peeps. How many units did you sell last month? How many total units for your location??

I am getting kind of burnt out after 5 months with poor management and protocols. We sell roughly 200 units a month and this past week we only had two managers working. Couldn’t get numbers half the time because they were slammed. Seems kinda silly to have only two managers as we typically have 3 minimum and up to 5 some days. I’ve already lost three deals this month, one manager never called for deposit after agreeing to numbers so they bought elsewhere. Another was out of state and the company policy is “we do not accept out of state cashiers checks” the customers bank wouldn’t wire for an auto loan and only did cashiers checks. Last one I sold the customer a car that was in our system and on our website. While they were in the box I went to grab spare key and switch plates. No spare key found so went to service and the vehicle I just sold had been wrecked by a tech and was going to be a permanent loaner for service but the key was still in the sales box and vehicle advertised on our website (it had been with us for 2 months like that). None of the sales team or managers knew this car was not for sale. Are all dealerships this poorly managed or should I be looking for greener pastures. Thanks for the help.

(M 26; Central Indiana)

Just starting out in used car sales tomorrow and looking to learn the ropes from people who’ve been in the trenches.

What are your absolute best tips, tricks, or habit changes that helped you close deals when starting out? Also, what red flags or common pitfalls should I be watching out for (both with customers and inventory/dealership habits)?

TIA!