Selling a Ferrari is like selling a dream. After all how who would not want a shiny red V8 Italian stallion parked in their garage. But what does it take to sell a Ferrari and more so with Ferrari making close to $100,000 on each car they sell, how much money does one stand to make doing so? Owen Jones answers this intriguing question.
I should start by saying that these folks are highly skilled at networking and staying in touch with their clients. I’ll also say that my top Bentley sales people earned more than I did as general manager. That’s how it should be in my opinion. The difference is that they aren’t guaranteed that much – EVER. If they stop working hard, they stop earning. It’s a constant thing. They have to attend relevant events in our area – anything to do with ultra high end furnishings, cars, clothes, vacations, hotels etc- you have gotta be there. You have to be aware of ALL things luxury. The salespeople that understood this always earned the most. In terms of commission, each car paid them anywhere from $400 to several thousand, in some cases. When news of a super rare, special edition car was released, it was the person with the biggest “Rolodex” that always took the deposit first, and that was the key. You can become know to your clients as someone who can deliver on those “promise” cars, and word spreads in those circles. The super wealthy always like to brag about “their car guy/gal” who can get anything.
The long and short of it is that these sales people didn’t drift in to this career. It took dedication and hard work, not to mention a very broad knowledge base. They deserve every penny they earn as they really do earn it. I’ve delivered car many hours drive away, I’ve driven 6 hours round trip to deliver a key to someone who’d forgotten theirs, I’ve collected cars from beach houses, I’ve even collected a customers “other car” and delivered it to his wife on vacation. You just do what you have to, to keep your clients constantly thrilled with you. It’s normally more effort-based than financially expensive. They already have plenty of money so it’s service that is important to them. The stuff that money can’t buy.
Bottom line, top sales people in high end car sales can earn $250,000 per year. Year in and year out. There is usually only one or two like this at a dealership because there aren’t that many of the new cars to go around. The used car market is far more lucrative.
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