Automobile salesperson (United States)

The automobile salesperson (or salesman) is a retail salesperson, who sells new and/or used cars. Unlike traditional retail sales, car sales are usually negotiable.

Types of salespeople

A salesperson negotiates deals with private buyers and corporate buyers. An internet salesman or manager may handle advertising and leads that come through the internet, or distribute leads to floor salesmen. The "fleet manager" markets to corporate or institutional customers who buy several vehicles at a time at a discounted, set price, and does not deal with the general public. A "closer" is often a senior salesman who assists in negotiation. The floor manager sits in an office which usually has a sales board listing appointments and recent sales activity by salesman. The salesman brings offers to the manager who can accept or make counter offers. The manager makes decisions as to what final negotiated prices will make business sense under current market conditions.

Negotiation

The price of a car, unlike many retail sales, is often negotiable. New cars will have a factory window sticker called a "Monroney" listing equipment and options, and the suggested retail price. A second window sticker is sometimes used which lists dealer-added equipment and any additional markup. Some scarce popular models may readily sell for prices above suggested retail, while some dealers claim that they are friendly by not having any second stickers. Few buyers will pay the asking price without negotiation. The dealer will rarely sell a car at a price near or below the cost charged by the manufacturer, or paid for the used vehicle. The salesman is paid a commission, rarely a fixed salary but usually based a percentage of profit, so a deeply discounted price results in a very low commission for the salesman, some of whom may sell fewer than a dozen cars a month.

Popular culture

The automobile salesman, particularly the used car salesman, has often been a source of characters, often negative, in movies and television shows and cartoons. History and fairy tales often characterize peddlers(people selling goods) as negative influences, or outsiders out to take advantage of people.

* In the "Muppet Movie", Milton Berle plays Mad Man Mooney.
* In "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory", Leonard Stone plays Mr. Beauregarde, Violet Beauregarde's father.
* In "Fargo", William H. Macy plays Jerry Lundegaard, a salesman at an Oldsmobile dealership in Minneapolis, Minnesota.