I was inspired to write this based on the video that was posted on here, "Long day at the car dealership."

Salespeople selling vehicles in a car dealership can work some long hours as we all know. A 40 hour work week is unheard of for salespeople in this business (there are exceptions to all the rules). 50, 60, or even 70 hours a week is more the norm. A 70 hour work week combined with a paycheck that is less than an hourly employee at McDonalds equates to a quick causality, and another “turnover” in terms of salespeople.

Most salespeople will complain about the hours and how long they have to “work” in order to make a decent paycheck. But my question is always, “How much work are you doing?” The answers are always, “Well, I worked 65 hours last week. But the week before that I worked 70 hours. Hell, I never work less than 60 hour work weeks.”

Then I’ll ask, “So give me an example of a couple of days that you worked.”  The answers are all pretty much the same or a variation of the following: ” I got in at 9:00 AM. I made my follow up calls and sent out my emails out. I caught an “Up” and tried to sell a car.” Maybe they caught two ups and sold one. Or maybe they didn’t catch any ups for the day. But the days for most salespeople are all the same. They might be at the dealership for a 12 hour day or an 8 hour day, but how much time did they really “work?”

Is waiting outside the dealership for an Up really work? In my opinion the answer is a resounding NO! Is talking to fellow salespeople about last night’s game work even though it’s while you’re scheduled in on the floor? Nope! Is studying product considered work? Not in my opinion. What about reading a non fictional motivational book on closing deals while you’re scheduled on the floor? Another “no” in my book.

So how do I define work? It consists of two little actions; no more, no less. You’re either face to face with a prospect trying to sell a vehicle, or you’re trying to get face to face with a prospect to sell a vehicle. Reading books, walking the lot, doing product knowledge or waiting for an up doesn’t qualify as “work” in my book. You don’t get paid for showing up as a salesperson in a car dealership. You don’t get an hourly paycheck or a salary. They get paid for results; sales combined with gross profit. The only way to do that is to be in front of a prospect face to face, or tying to get in front of a prospect face to face.

If a salesperson is scheduled for a 10 hour day by the above definition of work, how much time does a salesperson really work on an average day? Two to three hours maybe during the week, and that’s probably generous. How many salespeople work a 12 hour day during the week and don’t work at all or very little? Too many in my book. Multiply that by the entire sales staff and you’ve got a plethora of wasted hours, and an underperforming store.