Our columnist reflects on the ‘old days’ of selling cars and how things have changed for the better
The car business has gone through incredible changes over the past few decades. I started changing oil just over 40 years ago, when I was only 16, so I’ve seen several iterations.
Let’s put it in reverse and back up to look at how things used to be. For the accuracy of the era, I’ll use the word “salesmen” in this article because that’s what they were, though even typing that word feels strange today.
Market share: At its peak, General Motors was so enormous the U.S. government considered antitrust action against it for being “too big.” GM literally drove America. With nearly a million employees and tens of millions more in its domestic supply chain, GM’s combined divisions commanded almost 60 per cent market share. It was said that the “U.S. economy’s blood was blue.”
GM was, however, more focused on competing against its own divisions than other car companies. The oil crisis of the 1970s killed gas-guzzler sales and opened the door for Asian and European automakers to enter the North American market with their smaller, fuel-efficient engines.
Showroom theatrics: The best salesmen were often the best performers, larger-than-life figures in their communities. The TV, radio, and showroom were their stages. Bold suits, loud shirts, gold jewelry, and colourful language helped them stand out.
It wasn’t uncommon to see a salesman sing, tell jokes, or dance before bringing in a charismatic, cigar-smoking closer who would take the keys to the customer’s trade and have someone park behind their car. Upon closing the sale, they might share a drink with the buyer from the wet bar most sales managers kept in their office.
Gatekeeper salesmen: Decades before the internet or car review sites, the salesperson was the buyer’s only source of product knowledge, pricing, policies, and financing information.
Everything from technical details and competitive differences to pricing, warranty, and bank relationships rested on the salesman’s shoulders. The entire sale depended on their ability and desire to close. Deals often took hours, with confusion and exhaustion used as sales tactics. The longer the sale, the higher the profit.
With so much control in their hands, some unscrupulous salesmen took advantage, sometimes to extremes. There were no disclosure regulations, minimal paperwork, and warranties were rare. Most deals ended with a handshake.
Today, we enjoy deep manufacturer support in countless ways. International competition has driven everyone to build beautiful, well-equipped, reliable vehicles.
Used car reconditioning: When I was a detailer at 19 at a Chrysler store, the goal was to do as little as possible while making the car look as good as possible.
Our best tools were spray paint and undercoating in dozens of colours, used on fenders, floorboards, and wheel wells to hide rust. Paints and dyes covered carpet stains coming up from the underpad. Patch welders sealed rust holes. We used Q-Tips to oil vents and dashboard details, Varsol to bring back paint colour before waxing, elastics to secure loose door speakers, and even gum to stop leaking engine blocks. Putting lipstick on a pig was a literal description.
New car announcements: Before drone footage and social media, new cars were tested in secret. Photos were released only when automakers decided. The newest models often arrived at dealerships overnight, pulled into showrooms with newspaper covering the windows to build curiosity. Dealer ads then drove traffic from the community to see the new cars in person.
Awards banquets: With the car business being the backbone of local and national economies, celebrations for top salesmen were extravagant.
To get a sense of the atmosphere, watch The Wolf of Wall Street or the upcoming TV show I’m involved with, The Sicilian, about Joe Girard, the world’s number-one new car salesperson. I probably shouldn’t share the Rated R details in this nice professional publication!
Writing this article was both cathartic and fascinating. I found myself moving from nostalgia to relief that those days are behind us.
Today, we enjoy deep manufacturer support in countless ways. International competition has driven everyone to build beautiful, well-equipped, reliable vehicles. Women now play key roles across all levels of the industry. Lenders and protection providers offer a wide range of products that benefit both consumers and dealers.
Full disclosure rules have smoothed out the rough edges. The internet lets customers do much of their research and decision-making at home, saving us enormous time and effort. Dealership services and customer satisfaction have never been higher, and customer retention remains the backbone of our outstanding incomes.
Some things really are better left in the rear-view mirror.
