Patsy Lou Buick-GMC in Flint Twp, MI was the nation's (and the world's) top-selling Buick dealership in 2005, with sales of 1,283. This was the dealership which, at one point, hired Buickman to help them. Click here for the full article.

It goes to show how important salespeople are to a dealership. The West Coast Dealers need to spend more time on their salespeople and their advertising then maybe, just maybe GM could make a come back. Without the East and West Coast they'll just suffer.

I think another major problem both GM and Ford are having is the aging of the dealer's themselves. Many of the dealers were built up in the '50s and '60s and now are facing a turn over of ownership - or the spawn of the original owners are taking over and treating the place like their own petty fiefdoms.

Some dealer principle' and/or general managers treat their sales staff like hired slaves. Don't forget: they don't actually pay a salary, so they can call as many meetings, send sales staff off to as many training/seminars as they want because they don't actually pay them to do it.

When I was in management in my previous life I had to pay each of my employees a minimum of 3 hours (as per Canadian law) just to show up and that came out of my hours budget - so you can be assured that I made those meetings count. They were structured and had real content.

Most people I talk to tell me what a waste of time sales meetings are and how the managers huff, puff and slam their fists down.

You folks out there have no idea how some dealers are pressure cookers. Sales staff can even be fired for not talking to the sales manager before a customer leaves. Something to think about for all you tire kickers out there that just want to grab a brochure and go.

With due respect CARBIZ- in studying post-war Pontiacs dealers, the -vast majority built up in the '50s & '60s had changed locations/ names and/or owners by the close of the '80s. This was revealed via a compilation of dealer codes, which will change when any of those 3 change (possibly exception: short-distance location change).

You are right tho- 'handed-down' dealerships can stagnate over time, tho they also occasionally elevate customer service to a higher level...

It goes to show how important salespeople are to a dealership.  The West Coast Dealers need to spend more time on their salespeople and their advertising then maybe, just maybe GM could make a come back.  Without the East and West Coast they'll just suffer.

Remember that the majority of the Buick sales at this dealership are to GM employees, retirees, suppliers, or "friends n' family."

I don't consider this any sort of significant "sales" achievement.

Yep, not impressed at all. Just GM employess getting theire 'cheap car'. If they were not GM owkrers, they wouldn't bother.

Id like to see 'Buick Man" try selling in CA or AZ.

Yep, not impressed at all. Just GM employess getting theire 'cheap car'. If they were not GM owkrers, they wouldn't bother.

Id like to see 'Buick Man" try selling in CA or AZ.

haha... here in cali... our dealership sold about... 2800 new chevys last year...

we could use some help from GM in some manner... we have lost a lot of the salespeople that made the store so reputable... and the new salespersonel are lazy... soo... at my dealership as any dealership could use a helping hand...

EDIT... I am wrong i'm quite sure... we sold 2800 units of 2005 year models, but i dont know how many units were sold throughout the entire year.

Edited March 1, 200620 yr by Newbiewar

I think another major problem both GM and Ford are having is the aging of the dealer's themselves.  Many of the dealers were built up in the '50s and '60s and now are facing a turn over of ownership - or the spawn of the original owners are taking over and treating the place like their own petty fiefdoms.

  Some dealer principle' and/or general managers treat their sales staff like hired slaves.  Don't forget: they don't actually pay a salary, so they can call as many meetings, send sales staff off to as many training/seminars as they want  because they don't actually pay them to do it.

  When I was in management in my previous life I had to pay each of my employees a minimum of 3 hours (as per Canadian law) just to show up and that came out of my hours budget - so you can be assured that I made those meetings count.  They were structured and had real content.

  Most people I talk to tell me what a waste of time sales meetings are and how the managers huff, puff and slam their fists down.

  You folks out there have no idea how some dealers are pressure cookers.  Sales staff can even be fired for not talking to the sales manager before a customer leaves.  Something to think about for all  you tire kickers out there that just want to grab a brochure and go.

i understand the pressure of your management, however, its the customer that rules (becuase they have the $$$$$ to spend). If the customer just wants to look and grab a brochure.....then that's what the DEALER (be it the saleman, or manager or owner or whatever) should be happy with. Maybe the dealers need to adjust their own business models and get with the CUSTOMER program.

Patsy Lou Buick-GMC in Flint Twp, MI was the nation's (and the world's) top-selling Buick dealership in 2005, with sales of 1,283.    This was the dealership which, at one point, hired Buickman to help them.  Click here for the full article.

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Jim Dollingers name has been dragged through mud...now that my name has been I can completely agree with where he comes from.

We're BOTH car guys.....we BOTH have the true intention of GM within our cross hairs.......it's too bad others do not see it that way, but Dollinger makes &#036;h&#33; happen....and look at that.....sold the worlds most Buicks in 1 single year.

Jim Dollingers name has been dragged through mud...now that my name has been I can completely agree with where he comes from.

We're BOTH car guys.....we BOTH have the true intention of GM within our cross hairs.......it's too bad others do not see it that way, but Dollinger makes &#036;h&#33; happen....and look at that.....sold the worlds most Buicks in 1 single year.

dollinger if he doesnt beat out joe gerard, he sure is close... and he's doing it part time now...

hes a good salesperson... i've had a chance to speak with him, hell i've got him on speed dial on my phone...

Hes a great guy, and hes got good intentions, but we will never know if what he has lined up for GM would accually make a difference. product seems to be difficult problem comsumers are raving...

Jim Dollingers name has been dragged through mud...now that my name has been I can completely agree with where he comes from.

We're BOTH car guys.....we BOTH have the true intention of GM within our cross hairs.......it's too bad others do not see it that way, but Dollinger makes &#036;h&#33; happen....and look at that.....sold the worlds most Buicks in 1 single year.

actions speak louder than words...though Josh I do think comparing yourself to Buickman is doing yourself a great disservice.

Edited March 1, 200620 yr by Croc

Imagine that. A Buick dealer in the middle of "Buick City" selling a lot of Buicks.

i guess thats like longo toyota here in So Cal selling 24,000 Toyotas last year as the worlds best volume dealership...

Edited March 2, 200620 yr by Newbiewar

Imagine that. A Buick dealer in the middle of "Buick City" selling a lot of Buicks.

Remember, Chris....I lived there working for Buick for 5 years.....

There's like 5-6 Buick dealers in the Flint area.....an area with a population of less than 500K....(Genesse County statistics.)

Trust me...it's all GM business. In fact, I'd wager that of the GM cars purchased in the Flint area, 100% of it has some sort of GM employee/retiree/supplier/friends 'n family discount attached to it.

hey, maybe Buickman would accept a challenge and go seel Buicks in LA or maybe Seattle or something........

Here's the problem though, with a dealer based strategy:

Now I'm not saying that good salespeople don't help, because they do. But the problem is that salespeople are a shared and tradeable commodity.

Toyota can just as easily look at what GM is doing in terms of dealers and salesmen and copy it, or they can just hire away the good salespeople.

That's why a salesman based strategy like Buickman suggested won't work, because the average salesman is just out there to sell cars and has no particular loyalty to GM.