I want to be a car salesman.

by Carlos Rivera
(Margate, FL)

Question: Hello, my name is Carlos and I am going to college in pursuit of a bachelors degree in architecture or business.

About myself, as of right now my job aside from school is a loss prevention officer making $10.75 an hour working roughly 24-32 hours a week. I love cars and actually know a lot about cars (various makes), from Nissan to Chevrolet.

It's to the point where my girlfriend calls me obsessive with cars she would joke. And I figured being a car salesman would really be great for me considering that I love cars and I have 4 years of sales and customer service. And why not make more money working part of something you love?

Now I'm applying at a dealership that sells new Nissan's, Pontiac's, GMC's, Honda's, Buick's, Kia's, and certified used vehicles. I see cars all over the place driving that were purchased from this dealer.

Now my question is, is it a good decision to make the change? Is this dealership considered high-end? Will I make money working there? And will my knowledge and passion for cars benefit my performance and/or make me a better candidate for the job?


Answer: Hi Carlos,

Ultimately, the decision to make a change is going to be up to you, but you can certainly make more than what you currently make selling cars.

Your passion for cars and your past customer service and sales experience are certainly a bonus, but selling cars is probably a bit different than what you are used to.


Being a car salesman typically means long hours and a bunch of pressure to sell cars now! It's a fine line you walk with customers as you don't want to come across pushy, but you always want to be moving the sale forward.

You'll also want to be highly self motivated and disciplined. Sitting around the water cooler and talking about the latest car show, or what team is going to make it to the playoffs is a sure way to go broke fast.

On the other hand, if you stay focused on your goal each day, to sell a car(s), then you can blow your current earnings out of the water!

The dealership you are applying to would not be considered a high end store and "high end" stores would be something you could consider after you have a couple (possibly more) years under your belt.

All in all, car sales can be very profitable, but most salesman don't make it, or a better way of putting it, don't make it as good as they could. If you haven't already taken a look at my car salesman salary page, I'd suggest you do as this will give you a better idea of what it takes to make it.

If you decide to go for I'd say good luck, but it is really not luck, but applying proven sales techniques and keeping an upbeat, positive attitude.

Take care,
Justin