Well, I’m pleasantly happy to report that not only did all 8 of you read my first newsletter post, but about 65 more of you did too. If this ever takes off and becomes something great, I’ll refer back to this die-hard following as the “OG Confessors.”
Until then, I want to share a story I’ve told pretty much anyone who’s ever asked me, “What was your welcome-to-the-car-business moment?”
That moment came in the fall of 2013. I was a fresh pup out of college who failed miserably entering the job market, so I somehow ended up selling cars (which seems to be a common trend for people who get into the business young).
I worked for a dealer group with two stores side by side. One was Toyota/Honda, the other Ford/Hyundai. Same ownership, same sales team, but I drew the short straw and landed at the Ford/Hyundai store.
Whenever things got painfully slow, I’d wander next door and take an up. And MAN, was it different. It was a VIBE. Busy is an understatement—deals flying, customers everywhere.
One day, as I’m wrapping up a deal, the General Manager says: “Nice job, that one even has a $500 spiff on it.” —-“Spiff? What’s that?” I asked.
When I made more on 1 car that my previous 3 this is how I planned to spend my "Fun coupons”
At that point I’d collected mostly minis and had no idea what he was talking about. He explained it was an incentive to sell a particular car, usually an aged unit.
My mind is racing. I finish the delivery and head back to my store.
The GM asks how it was. Naively, I respond, “SLAMMED.”
Future car salespeople: never tell your GM the store next door is slammed when yours clearly isn’t. Then I made it worse.
“Hey,” I said, “did you know they put spiffs on their cars over there?”
Looking back, 22-year-old me was far too naïve to realize that when his head tilted left and he smirked, this was not a great moment.
I think of this Happy Gilmore scene every time I replay this in my memory.
He said, “Oh? You want me to put a spiff on?”—“Yeah,” I replied. “I think it would help sell some cars around here.”
“No problem,” he said. “I’ll remind myself to bring it up at Saturday morning’s meeting.” I left thinking I’d cracked the code. Everyone was going to love me.
Saturday morning arrives. Before the meeting, I stopped by his office, gave a nod and a subtle point—our little reminder from 24 hours earlier. He gave me a thumbs-up, and in we went.
Five minutes into the meeting, as he’s wrapping up, he says:
“I heard the store next door offers spiffs, and one of you thought it’d be a good idea to have one today. So, here’s a spiff... why don’t you all sell a car and get to keep your fucking job. Does that work for everyone? Great meeting—done.”
Say your seven Hail Mary’s and forgive us for the four-squares we presented. And if you’re 22 years old and thinking about asking for a spiff—just keep your mouth shut.
— #CarGuyConfessions
Reader's Note: I appreciate everyone who reached out and shared some great stories. I’ll be working those into future editions. If you’ve got a good one, send me a DM and I’ll add it to the mix.
This Weeks Insight
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