They really don't want me to tell you this, the real 7 figure + per year car salespeople or boat salespeople etc. I brought this up in a lot of my sales meetings at the stores I ran. I maybe should've started an auto-brokerage before I wrote this. They will love me for sharing this secret. All in all, there isn't any real threat towards the real 7 figure earners because like Tony Robbins always says, most of you will never do any of the things I am about to share with you, even though it really is 1 simple secret.
I won't keep you in suspense, and experienced automotive professionals will tell you this isn't really a secret. That is actually confirmation that I gave you the true information on how making 7 figures as a vehicle salesperson is done. I believe it is a secret though, because when I see trainers and coaches etc, they focus on getting better at closing to earn 7 figures selling cars. Of course this is important to do, but if you don't have the goal of being a fleet department, you won't make 7 figures. That's what you MUST do in order to earn 7 figures consistently, year in and year out, and at the same dealership selling cars, boats or motorcycles. That is the secret: You must plan to become a fleet department. I'll lay out how to do this as this is exactly what I would do if I gave up on my company and all management positions. Some may say, "I made 7 figures." Maybe they did. They didn't do it for a decade, let alone 2 which is what I have seen with this strategy unless they used this strategy. I've had the pleasure of working with and of course interrogating not 1 or 2 but 3 consistent over a decade + 7 figure earners inside franchise car dealerships that basically have salesperson titles. Now if you have ever met one of these 7 figure earners, then you know they also have a ton of say about what goes on inside their dealerships. In some cases they basically control the GM in the store they work for and even have influence of the hiring of the GM, say one leaves. These people are usually known by the manufacturers they work for, and very well. But, in actuality, they are salespeople. They all have teams that work just for them, assortments of delivery specialists, internet managers and assistant salespeople. Once again, all the people I would call legit, that I've ever seen. You can make 7 figures much easier, shooting for the GM chair if you are just starting out; However, if you are a highly advanced finance manager or a GM or a great desk guy already, you already possess the knowledge to drop back down to sales and make this happen much more quickly than you would just starting in our business fresh.
Either way here goes...
I wouldn't advise to do this in a way you may consider the right way. You read that right. You probably, after reading this, would go apply for a fleet position at a car or boat or motorcycle or power sports dealer, right? I wouldn't. The 7 figure earners I'm discussing basically never leave openings at dealerships. They can, but it almost doesn't even make a difference because they take their broker contacts with them. If you are hired as a fleet manager and you don't already have your book of brokers you built up etc, its probably not going to work out. You don't have anything to bring the dealer just yet. If you do know brokers and actually do the deals with them as a fleet manager or a desk guy and not just a few, then you can get hired as a fleet manager and go from there.
I would advise to find a dealership that likes your plan and wants to help you. Your plan should be: I'm going to sell cars here as a salesperson, but I'm going to out invest everybody else with my time, attitude, work ethic, drive etc, and you will see that you want to put your trust in me to run a fleet department. Or you can go completely rogue, I advise this too, seriously. It all depends on your personality. Rogue would be: just getting hired in sales, if your an ex finance guy or GM, just tell them you are retiring from management and you just want to go to the line and they are lucky to have you as they will have zero issues and a new top producer, because you aren't playing around either. You just really like to work and thats all you want to do. Man I wish that guy would come to me lol. Then do your thing and grow comfortably. When I can actually deliver an idea rather than talk about it, I'll either just do it or go ask for permission. Talk is cheap. Thats why I'd go rogue.
Either way again..
The ultimate play is going to be to develop relationships with brokers. You need to 10x everything else like I wrote above. You need to blow everybody out of the water. Do something savvy like having advertisements at your local carwashes, a billboard, I don't know, you know your market brand etc, the point is to think outside the box, go a little wild and go hard. On top of just being a badass workaholic salesperson you need to now find your local brokers. Every 7 Figure earner salesperson I ever met, and Ive met more than a few, well they bust their asses non-stop, duh. Your location will depend on how many auto brokers exist in your area. Heres a giant secret. As far as I know, you need to be inside of a large market. A major city period. To be a long term 7 figure per year earning salesperson. They are all in Miami, LA and Chicago as far as I've personally seen or heard about. I know they are elsewhere, I'm kidding, but the large city isn't a joke. I don't see you selling 200 cars out of any type of store yourself in a rural area. Just have to keep it honest. Is it possible? Hell Yeah it is! I can't wait to see you do this in Southern Mississippi too! haha. I love Mississippi! I would love to see that happen!
So, it is possible, seriously. I would just rather throw reality of what you are up against and what I've seen done for real. I've been around, before I launch you out in to a rural area to execute this, when most of the dealerships in rural areas barely break 100 units by themselves. Another secret: Every 7 Figure per year earning salesperson I ever met sold around 200-300 cars a month, themselves, well with their team.
So there you pretty much have it... You gotta plan to be a fleet department. Start with your end goal in mind. This is the only long-term sustainable way I've ever witnessed a salesperson consistently make 7 figures per year working inside and for an auto dealership.
It's basically about building your own business inside a dealership. Again, the only way I've seen the 7 figure mark get broken. I know some making that a couple or a few times over again. Its always with the use of brokers, basically being a fleet department.
Inevitably, what will happen, when you build a big business inside a dealership is: You will max-out your potential in and around your market which will inevitably include auto broker relationships.
Happy Selling!
Philip
