PaulieWalnuts

Here's the problem. You walk in the dealership door and "pushy" salesguy asks you a few questions like "are you planning on buying something today". When he sees you're not serious, he walks away or you decide you don't like him and try to find the "nice" salesguy. While the nice sales guy is busy spending all of his time with you (a person who 'might' be ready to buy in a year) another prospect walks in the door and is ready to buy now. Pushy salesperson has free time from not wasting his time with non-serious buyers, gets this prospect and makes a sale while nice guy doesn't. And on top of that, most buyers will still shop around for the best price and forget the nice guy. Or if they do remember the nice guy, I guarantee the nice guy probably will not be there when they go back in a year because he got shitcanned for low sales from not spending enough time with qualified prospects.

I hate dealing with car salespeople but I understand their situation. The only time I go into a dealership is when I've picked out a car, know what a fair price is, have been pre-approved for a loan, and am ready to move forward if the dealer meets my requirements. And when I tell the salesperson this, they roll out the red carpet, coffee, donuts, etc. If they try any closing BS, I give them one more chance and then walk out.

What do you expect? They don't make money by spending time with buyers that aren't serious and just want to go for a spin.

TODreamer

Well I beg to differ....see hes not necessarily a "niceguy", hes just an excellent sales person that can sniff out a sale whether it is today, tomorrow or 2 years from now..... THATS a real sales person. I may not be ready to buy now but i don't see myself as a waste of time either as i do have intentions of purchasing this car in the near future. I'm definitely a future sale.

what you are suggesting about the pushiness is very poor sales tactic....they keep that up and everyday for the rest of their selling life is gonna be a mad dash for the next dollar. This "going for everyone's jugular" thing doesnt work and its something only shitty sales people do anyways. It'll just be a matter of time before they get tired or are unlucky and drop off.

selling is not quite the pushing game like many seem to think it is (well it is and it isn't). To be a successful sales person you just gotta have a nose for selling, know how to read people and always think about the future (i.e generating future sales, referrals...... this doesn't come with being pushy).

PaulieWalnuts

What are you basing your definition of a "real salesperson" on? That you think they're a good salesperson or their track record of being successful. Buyers normally think a good salesperson is the one that does whatever the buyer wants and doesn’t question the buyers intent. What you're talking about is corporate sales and in that environment I agree with you 100%. IMO, in car sales it's different. I know three people who were in car sales and they all say the same thing. The aggressive salespeople were the ones who made the most money and held their jobs the longest. The nice guys moved around a lot or got out of the business. The aggressive ones may be difficult to deal with but I bet they make more sales than they do offend people. And in the end to most dealerships, sales is what matters most. Some sales managers tell their salespeople "the next person that walks in that door do not let them out without making a sale or you're fired". Imagine being that salesperson.

I don't really agree that you're "definitely" a future sale. In between now and the time you plan on buying, anything can happen. You can lose your job, take a pay cut, file for bankruptcy, have a child and get a minivan instead, and on and on. This could mean you postpone your purchase indefinitely.

I'd be interested to hear from any car salespeople here on this. Formula420?

chuckb

I feel your pain as well. Here I am getting ready to move, I own a full size truck (2001 Ram 1500 QC) getting waaay worse mileage than the 8 could get, and I made the mistake of driving an 8 last week. I cannot get this car outta my head!!! I test drove a WRX also, just to make a handling comparison, but I am flat out in love with the RX-8 :D Oh well, maybe after I get settled in I'll have the chance to purchase one. Until that day, I'll just have to dream I guess...

Josh

Im in that same position except mine is a 2000 Quad Cab sport and I have the finances to back me, but I have to take a 5k loss on the Dodge... that would assume that for a fully loaded 8 with all the wheeling and dealing I can muster and with the a-plan ill still be looking at 35k!!! oof. What to do what to do...

AQA101

Very, very true. :D

Whoever sits down in it is already endangered. Whoever drives it is helplessly lost. After my test all I could say was "damn, they got me".

Phlash

Damn it's nice to see other Dodge ram 1500 folks in here...I have been watching this for um for two months now feeling like a trader.....1500 QC Hemi here....man oh man I would love to get out of this thing. This is the first domestic I've ever owned and not soon enough to be the last. I thought, "maybe, Just maybe the domestics have their sh@! together"..... Now living with it am finding fit, finish and general QC are really poor. I am on my third set of front rotors and complete brake set ups, second O2 sensor, third door gasket, and second complete ECU.

I drove the eight a month ago and can say , with love mind you..."I hate you all......you made me do it." Now I lay awake at night trying to decide on tit gray or red. The resale on the Dodge is soooo freakin' bad I hate to think what i would cost me to get out of it.....


Dodge owners...I feel your pain......

Meowloud

I would have been the last person that would have looked at a Mazda, but my hubby made me do it. We took one drive and were sold!! We had been looking for a car for a couple of weeks and had the car salesman 'shield' up. It was quite sad how we go in the dealership and just bellied up to them! :D

By the way, we are in Chattanooga as well! Jon has a ti. He wishes I got the red instead of the silver though. We contacted Jim Ellis in Marietta and got a LOW price. Then we went to N.GA. Mazda in Dalton and Gray Epperson in Cleveland. Jon and Robert at Gray Epperson, met and even BEAT the lowest price! Those guys are awesome!! :D Gray Epperson also had triple the inventory than Dalton did!

Phlash

I've seen about a half a dozen Chattanoogans in here....issue that I have had is that Epperson followup and follow through on stuff I have asked them has really sucked and I have started talking with the dealer in dalton.

When I finally do do this....we'll all have to get together....

93rdcurrent

I originally wanted an RX-7 back in like 92 or 93. I loved the look and they were pretty fast cars to boot. I ended up getting an MR2 instead. I was going to get an '04 M3 but heard something about the RX-8 coming out and decided to test drive it. It may not be as fast as the M3 but it's just as fun! I'm still trying to figure out how to get the **** eating grin off my face since October when I picked her up! :D

Meowloud

Be careful of Dalton. They will tell you anything to get you out the door. Just be careful about their Service dept.! EEEK! They sell so many brands (especially domestic), that they have no mazda specialists. The uniform guy swears that they did something to his Miata when he took it in for an oil change just as it went out of warranty.

Try Robert Stephens at Gray Epperson. Tell him Jen and Jon told you to call. He is the General Manager and also RX-8 Club member/fanatic. They know a LOT about the 8 :D
EDIT: (Bob, if you see this... please help the guy out. Maybe PM him about who his salesman is?) :D :D

TODreamer

Well yes car sales isn't quite corporate sales but remember, these guys are selling products worth 10s of thousands of dollars. If you want to make a carreer out of it, there are some aspects of successful car selling that are similar to corporate sales. there aren't gonna be many JasonHamiltons walking in saying "I need a car NOW" lol. Most people arent gonna buy a car because the sales person is pushy...annoyed? yes.... Buy? no. Would you let a total stranger jossle you into dropping 50Gs? I know i wouldnt'
If a manager were to pressure his sales people like that...then hes a shitty manager and someone is unfortunately losing their job....

ok well if you want to be a "word lawyer", since nothing is definite, no I'm not a "definite" future sale.... I'm a very strong and highly probable future sale....hows that?. but then again that applies to just about anything doesn't it?? c'mon Paulie

As for the child and the minivan....not gonna happen. Thats actually part of the reason I want an 8.....Everybody stays happy. I'm happy because I have the car i want, wifie is happy because it can accommodate our family....baby included. :D hehe

PaulieWalnuts

Same here. I've been hoping for a Utility Sport Vehicle (USV?) and Mazda finally made one. :D

Minivan...? ARGHHHHHH!

Josh

Here's a cross-thread post for you Dodge guys and anyone else who wants to offer anything..

https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...threadid=29561

Atacdad

Hehe, give it up, you're toast....

PaulieWalnuts

Regarding the 2+2 joke, I think most people who are not familiar with the 8 think the same thing. My neighbor who has a G35 thought the same thing until I explained it to him.

Although it's good Mazda is doing TV commercials and other advertising, I think their marketing is missing getting the message accross that the back seats are actually real. This is one reason I think sales will climb slowly as more people find out it's a real four seater.

chuckb

Fortunately, I'm in better shape on my truck than you were, Josh. I owe less than the retail trade-in on it right now. But I am looking at another 6 month wait possibly until I can probably purchase, so I'll be hit with another 6 months worth of depreciation...