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Stories from the Sales Frontlines

91812 messages,  Last post on May 25, 2013 at 12:01 PM

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What is this discussion about? Car Buying

Messages Page 8969 of 9182

#89674 of 91812 Re: Cheeca Lodge [abacomike] by isellhondas

Mar 07, 2013 (3:03 pm)

Replying to: abacomike (Mar 07, 2013 12:18 pm)
I agree, product knowledge is important but being a "people person" is even more important. The customers have to like a salesperson before they will buy from them.
 
I once had a brilliant college professor who called it Establishing a Climate of Affection.
 
I found that hard to do with immigrants whose culture didn't allow this to happen. If we barely understood each other it was impossible for me to establish much of a rapport with them...usually.
 
Then there were the price shoppers who only cared about price. They really didn't mind being treated rudely as long as they thought they were paying the lowest price. I sold these people a lot of cars but it was never a pleasant experience for either of us. These people were rarely loyal and having a business relationship meant nothing to them.

#89675 of 91812 Re: Cheeca Lodge [isellhondas] by fezo

Mar 07, 2013 (3:07 pm)

Replying to: isellhondas (Mar 07, 2013 3:03 pm)
I don't know hot to take this one - Roy Brown Jr., Edsel Designer, Dies at 96

#89676 of 91812 Re: Cheeca Lodge [fezo] by abacomike

Mar 07, 2013 (3:29 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Mar 07, 2013 3:07 pm)
I don't know hot to take this one - Roy Brown Jr., Edsel Designer, Dies at 96
 
Some people die before their ideas catch on. Others die well after their ideas take hold - success stories! Then there are people who outlive their ideas and die in spite if their ideas. Here is an individual whose idea never quite took hold with the consumer but outlived most!

#89677 of 91812 Re: Cheeca Lodge [fezo] by isellhondas

Mar 07, 2013 (3:37 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Mar 07, 2013 3:07 pm)
Ford tried to elbow another car into an already crowded market.
 
GM had Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Chevrolet.
 
Ford only had Ford, Mercury and Lincoln.
 
So, the Edsel was born! Basically a glorified Ford.
 
Looks are subjective but it was hated by the masses at the time and it's looks were the main reason.
 
Funny, isn't it...now Pontiac and Oldsmobile are gone and I believe Mercury is too if I'm not mistaken.

#89678 of 91812 Re: Cheeca Lodge [isellhondas] by abacomike

Mar 07, 2013 (4:02 pm)

Replying to: isellhondas (Mar 07, 2013 3:37 pm)
Funny, isn't it...now Pontiac and Oldsmobile are gone and I believe Mercury is too if I'm not mistaken.
 
Mercury has been gone for two or three years now. If I remember the Edsel correctly, it looked much like the Mercury Monterey which was a bit redundant. GM cars always looked like one another. When Pontiac finally stopped "looking like" the other brothers and sisters, it couldn't maintain it's niche. I owned many Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs over the years and found the Oldsmobiles to be very excellent riding cars and the Pontiacs were quite powerful like my 1966 GTO. People back in the 60's and 70's were Ford Families, Oldsmobile Families, Pontiac Families, etc. Families were very loyal to their brands.
 
Back then, brand identity was very strong. I remember my Dad always bought Oldsmobiles until he became more affluent and then bought a new Cadillac every other year, whether he needed it or not. Ahhhh, now I know where I got the car buying illness - my Dad!

#89679 of 91812 Re: Cheeca Lodge [abacomike] by fezo

Mar 07, 2013 (6:02 pm)

Replying to: abacomike (Mar 07, 2013 4:02 pm)
The lower model Edsels were basically Fords while the higher trims were Mercurys. By the second year the lower end was all that was left.
 
In addition to the looks, the Edsel suffered from early build glitches. They also got introduced at the beginning of a recession.
 
It didn't help that 1958 was the year that people basically soured on wretches excess designs - tailfins and such - and Edsel took this idea to the extreme.
 
Gee, genetics. Maybe that explains my buying used cars. Throughout my childhood my dad was the king of the $150 car. Eventually things got better and he started picking up cars coming out of the State Farm company cars and finally made it to buying new and for maybe 15 years we has leasing Caddys. His last car was a leased Buick Century which he regretted the moment he did it. He only did that because the Caddys had gotten too big for him. If one of the Caddys was the last car I'd have grabbed it when the lease ran out and run it for as long as I could. It was not to be.

#89680 of 91812 Re: THOUSANDS OF SHARKS SPOTTED OFF DEERFIELD BEACH, FLORIDA [houdini1] by driver100

Mar 07, 2013 (6:36 pm)

Replying to: houdini1 (Mar 07, 2013 3:03 pm)
TELEGRAM ?
 
That's the one!

#89681 of 91812 Re: Cheeca Lodge [fezo] by driver100

Mar 07, 2013 (6:49 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Mar 07, 2013 3:07 pm)
I don't know hot to take this one - Roy Brown Jr., Edsel Designer, Dies at 96
 
Thanks for the article. I remember going to the showroom with my Dad to see the new cars every year, and the Edsel was one that I remember seeing.
 
I think the name killed it. It was a bit redundant because you either got a Ford or you could go upscale and get a Mercury.
 
That designer was born where I am from, Hamilton Ontario Canada....hmm, maybe I should keep quiet about that.

#89682 of 91812 Re: Cheeca Lodge [robr2] by boomchek

Mar 07, 2013 (7:21 pm)

Replying to: robr2 (Mar 07, 2013 1:27 pm)
Management discovered one of their best sales people was doing the same job for another company in a different industry.
 
I don't see what the problem with this situation was unless he had specific clauses in his contract where he was not allowed to moonlight with another company.
 
Otherwise if as you said he was one of the best sales people working at each company, and met or exceeded sales targets in each company, and both companies were not in competition of each other, then what difference does it make if he had two sets of benefits, and two paychecks? He held 2 jobs after all.
 
Unless I missed something here

#89683 of 91812 Re: How they build a car.... [abacomike] by cdnpinhead

Mar 07, 2013 (7:23 pm)

Replying to: abacomike (Mar 06, 2013 5:50 pm)
It's called "working the system." Some people make a career of it, especially politicians, and others prefer to earn what they get.
 
Different strokes. . .
 
The last several years illustrate that working the system has become a cottage industry, especially if the system is the federal government.

Messages Page 8969 of 9182

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