mass27

delete

djcxxx

Car sales is an often nasty business where deception and manipulation are SOP. The sales agent, the guy the customer sees as the face of the dealer, is typically the guy on the very bottom of organization whose comission is the most vulernable, and who has the least authority over the terms of the sale. These guys are often bounced around by the dealership management as much as the customer. There is no benefit to be gained from squeezing the guy on the bottom unless that's how you expect to be treated in return. There are many who would never accept the percentage profit in their business they demand from a car dealer. I believe in a fair price which everybody can accept and take home a living wage. It does takes some homework, persistence and honesty. There is something to be said about buyers who try to make the unaffordable otherwise by hoping to chisel down the price. Porsche built a lot of cars in the last 10 years that had to be sold and many customers were not as solidly affluent as Porsche would like the the world to believe. The often bitter complaints about depreciation (knowable prior to sale) speak volumes about underlying financial anxieties. Poseurs come in many flavors.

westlaker

What a myopic idiot. If I took this approach with my clients I'd be finished already. NEVER state your problems. In business it's all about the customer.

points

Thats the eleventh commandment.

DocTock993

So if I understand the OP's assertions (and yes, what follows is an oversimplification to make a point):
You, as a dealer of high-end cars have expenses on each vehicle that are approximately 10% over COST.
That sounds reasonable to me (I'm not in the car biz so, no idea if this is reality).

What doesn't sound reasonable to me is the following:
It's a crappy sales market; these are expensive cars; however, if your buyers (yes, actual buyers, not the tire-kickers and time-wasters who I'm certain you deal with in all the time no matter the state of the economy) don't want to pay far more than 10% ABOVE your break-even point you are dismissing them.

Huh?

Epic fail in sales for you.

You, along with every other ignorant, greedy business person, will have a painful education handed to you in this economy. Last time I checked, profit is still profit. Sometimes you make more, sometimes less.
Stop your whining and improve YOUR business practices/ attitude/ perspective/ anticipation of making tons of profit on each and every sale. It's not 2005 anymore...

Ucube

This thread is amusing. When the economy warranted much higher prices, the buyers were told not to complain about supply/demand. Now that the economy warrants much lower prices, the dealers are whining and full of indignation? What's wrong with this picture?

John NY-Naples

I may be one of the dumb people who don't "get it", but I really don't understand the point of the OP's thread. I agree people in business should be permitted to make a living by selling cars at a price above his/her cost. What I don't get is the rant that really goes to how people negotiate the best price. The fact of the matter is, the auto dealership industry has created a dynamic where the dealers mark up the price of the car and people negotiate for the best price. How one goes about negotiating the best price is what it is, and I don't think there is a whole lot of room for debate on the methodology one employs. As for complaining about inquiries by people who are incapable of purchasing a Porsche, again, it is what it is. But, an internet forum filled with people who already own Porsches probably is not the right forum to rant about such annoyances.

As for the lousy market, yes, it's pretty bad, even in Greenwich. The OP, however, probably didn't help his cause based on the reaction of many posters here. Good luck.

Charlie C

Very well said!

Gundo

Having been in your dealership for service and when shopping for a 997 C2S Cab, I can say that I quickly left.

Service was okay, but for buying, I simply found the team at Fairfield, led by John Resnick, to be much more approachable.

And yes, they were willing to quote me a fantastic price on a fantastic car. The sticker on my car was over $100k. I bought it for 16% less than sticker. Including a clear bra and lojack.

Life is tough all around these days, and given the nature of PCNA's dealings here in the U.S., PAG's ill-advised debt-burden, I'm guessing things are going to get worse before it's over.

number9ine

I'll bite. May I suggest that we're approaching the point where a Porsche is a commodity good? OP's frustration with tire-kickers is understood, there are things which stress me out about my job too. But Porsche is selling more cars, which brings down resale values regardless of the state of our economy. Asking for discounts at the dealer doesn't reduce resale value, that happens when the dealer accepts the discounted offer. How about this: take the offers that keep you in business, politely present a reasonable counter-offer for all others.

Be prepared and willing to sell to anyone at a fair market price, and you will maximize your sales. Every call, every person in the door, every lowballer, they're all a potential sale (yes, even the 12-year-old, given some years). Buyer's or seller's market, a Porsche dealership is past the days where specific etiquette applies to the transaction. This is an on-demand economy, and the only barrier to ownership of a P-car is money. Not attire, not attitude, money. The last vestiges of car-buying snobbery can be found at your local Ferrari, Bugatti, Roller, and Bentley dealerships.

gt68, the nice thing about the internet is you can say what you like, where you like. It's on you to pick your battles though, and in my opinion it's poor form to troll the people who buy the product that pays your bills. If I walk into New Country and ask for your "best price," your failure to accommodate me with a number (even a number I don't like) would be foolish. And if I offer you 70k on a 98k car, be prepared to respect my offer and give me a counter-offer without taking offense. Perhaps I'm ignorant of your profit margin, perhaps I'm just an ******* cheapskate, either way you're not selling me a car unless you play ball. If I'm rude about it, kill me with kindness and take my money--the best revenge you can get, and certainly better than whining to potential customers.

Best of luck,
M.

OCBen

His point was very simple. And many people have missed it, and continue to miss it.

He was venting, people. . . . . Hello?

Who here hasn't been frustrated trying to get something done under difficult circumstances and suddenly felt the need to just vent?

It doesn't mean you're looking for people to agree with you. In fact, it's not a subject matter for agreement or disagreement at all. Venting is simply that. Venting.

Everyone here is entitled to vent, for whatever reason. That's what forums are for. To have a platform for speaking your mind, and sometimes for getting things off your chest. It doesn't mean that what you say must be right or wrong just because you feel a need to vent. It just means you feel like venting.

allegretto

Ben, i'll reluctantly agree with much of what you said. but this guy didn't stop at one shoetop in his mouth, he gobbled up both feet and half way up to his a$$.

venting is one thing, making the North end of a Southbound horse of yourself is completely different. especially when you have, or may have potential clients among those whom you are venting to.

i dunno, in this case i think his attempt was counter-productive.

OCBen

Yep. Usually is when emotions get in the way.

MLindgren

He said business was only off 9-10%. In this market I'd say that's a huge success. He ought not start bitching and instead go back to doing what he's been doing.

OCBen

Maybe that's what he took away from all this. That he's actually doing better than most.

In which case it was good for him to vent, to realize the reality of his situation, that he's actually not doing bad at all compared to all the others. Maybe this lifted his spirits some, who knows?