I was wondering what would happen if used car salesmen were called Wheeltors, and real estate agents were called "used house salesmen"?

Do you think that Wheeltors would stand around at the car dealership wondering why people would lump them in the same sleazy category as some "used house salesman"?

After abandoning my real estate career to join the family business I figured this out: The reason I was (accidentally) so good at selling cars was because I had been a Realtor BEFORE my husband got the crazy idea to buy a car business.

Go ahead. SQUIRM.

I know you don't like thinking that you have any similarity to someone who sells cars for a living.   Selling used houses is far superior different.

But here's the truth: Wheeltors and used house salesmen have a lot more in common than handing over keys at the end of a transaction. 

In both cases:

  1. Customers are nervous because they are making a major purchase
  2. Customers usually must finance this purchase
  3. The world makes judgments about you based on what you drive and where you live. That makes the decision emotional
  4. Buying a house or buying a car is one of the only purchases where there is negotiating. In our culture, negotiating is NOT second nature. It is uncomfortable.
  5. Other than first timers, the old house or the old car has to go away before you can get the new one.
  6. You want to make sure you are not buying a moneypit
  7. You appreciate a pristine presentation from staging/detailing
  8. All that fine print and paperwork makes you crazy.
  9. Secret thought # 1: "Am I paying too much?"
  10. Secret thought # 2: "Does this salesperson have my best interests at heart? Or only his commission?"

Maybe...just maybe... what makes a used house salesman the same as a Wheeltor is much more important than what makes them different.

Maybe respect is overrated. Respect is about what other people think, after all.

But if respect is important to you then understand you don't get it by showing a lack of respect for another hard working soul.

Respect is not something you get by claiming your superiority or by explaining all the reasons you deserve to have respect in comparison to another.

We cannot demand that the world respect our profession.

Respect is a lot like trust. The only way to get it is to earn it.

You do it one set of keys at time.

 

Written by Janet Guilbault, Mortgage Banker, Broker and Direct Lender Based Out of the San Francisco Bay Area

 

 

 
Post is included in group: Realtors®
Post is included in group: The Ninety-ninth Percentile

17 Comments on Why You Should Thank the Next Person That Compares You to a Used Car Salesman

DEC
09
2009
215,770 Points Outside Blog Called Shot Master

What a great post - Great Points

Thanks for sharing!
8:31am • #1
179,907 Points 108 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Thanks Richard. Love your logo. LOL Skip the Bull. That's great.
8:38am • #2
175,524 Points 3 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Love the term Wheeltor. Many moons ago my dad went from being a builder, broker & used house salesmen to becoming a Wheeltor. He never looked back.
8:45am • #3
156,166 Points

A Sales career is challenging no matter what the product is that you are selling.  I have great respect for anyone who has "answered the call" to be a Sales Professional.  Some of the best salespeople I know happen to sell automobiles, while some of the worse sell homes.  It's all about professionalism and how serious one is to match a "client" with a "product" that will best suit his needs and pocketbook.
8:52am • #4
179,907 Points 108 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Tom: Thanks for a great comment. You summed up what I was trying to say perfectly. Based on my experience the sales staff in ANY organization has never gotten the respect they deserve. Those that do selling are not celebrated, they are considered low on the respectablitity scale.

But I agree with you. Selling is not easy. The best of the lot (no pun intended) deserve reward and respect. But I'm okay with just the reward as long as I respect myself.
9:11am • #5
179,907 Points 108 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Julia, while in the car business, I never introduced myself as the owner of an auto leasing company. I ALWAYS introduced myself as a used car salesperson instead.(It was true, we sold our cars that came off of lease)

It was important to me to see their reaction to this, since everyone was far too shocked, and far too polite to say what they were thinking "What the hell is she doing selling cars?"

I learned this trick from my doctor clients. I noticed they all drove beat up old cars and it was like pulling teeth to get them to admit they were doctors.

Obviously they had discovered that people make judgments....good or bad....based on your stated profession.

It helps you see the stuff people are made of, you know?

 
9:18am • #6
495,783 Points 149 Featured Posts Outside Blog Hit Router Called Shot Master

Janet:  Your last sentence summed it up perfectly.  We must focus on the individual we are servicing at the time and earn their business.  For the present.  For the future.  As a professional in any sales position, we earn it one individual at a time.  If we don't, we fail ...

Thanks for the great thought-provoking piece ...

Gene
10:07am • #7
186,996 Points 5 Featured Posts

One of my daughters buying a house told me she has the perfect Realtor, one who listens. I can tell that agent earned her respect!
10:11am • #8
179,907 Points 108 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Gene: The only person's respect that I care about is the one I helped to buy a house. After a long career of being in "sleazy" sales positions I would say this: A lot of the reasons sales people do not get respect is because of they way we are paid, not because of what we do.

In addition, what appears easy to others is NOT easy at all. Time and time again, the people within an organization who criticize the sales staff the loudest, are the ones who fall on their face when they try to switch over to selling.

 

 
10:17am • #9
179,907 Points 108 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Hey Kate: Whenever I am the customer and someone is selling ME something, the number one thing I am looking for is someone who takes the time to listen and the time to understand.

It is rare, unfortunately, to find this in the sales world.
10:19am • #10
878,477 Points 75 Featured Posts Outside Blog Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

When you are in sales it is easy to be classified. The goal is to be classified in the best light possible:)
10:29am • #11
179,907 Points 108 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Bill: I agree..and also to ignore those who seek to classify you in a negative light.
11:25am • #12
254,674 Points 20 Featured Posts Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

The problem with our industry is that we don't respect ourselves enough set our standards higher. I mean in Oregon they talked about making so that in order to keep your license you had to close just one trasaction a year. One.  It died in the committee due to backlash. Sheesh...

Seriously, we refuse to make our entry standards harder, keeping your license harder.  As such we disrespect those professionals that work really hard to build up the profession.  So then we rant about each other and bash other business practices rather than do the hard thing and lobby for tougher standards. It is always easier to point out the ills of other professions, rather than take a long hard look at the ills in our industry.
12:46pm • #13
179,907 Points 108 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Melina: You said it far better than I did. I was very uncomfortable with the recent featured post about used car salespeople.

 You are so right. We do not need to bash. We need to concentrate on raising our own standards.

 
1:11pm • #14
644,325 Points 15 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Outside Blog

This blog was very cleverly written.  I like the used house salesman phrase. 
9:05pm • #15
DEC
10
2009
812,841 Points 243 Featured Posts Localism Sponsor Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Buyers are wrecks. They are stressed and nervous, so they'll be understandably difficult in some cases, and sometimes they'll say unkind things. I've had plenty thank me at the closing for putting up with them. We have to porve ourselves over and over to new people. That's just the business.
4:57am • #16
DEC
12
2009
3 Featured Posts

Janet...I love the post. We're all sales people and agree that the ONLY way to get trust is by earning it. I'm re-blogging this one :) !
9:05am • #17


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