Selling Cars….Again.

Well, after bouncing around and around, I am back to selling cars at a “big store”, not some pot lot, but a big recognized dealership. I fought against this for a long time, as I really hate the micro-management, rules, and overall tough atmosphere at a “big store”. This one, however, is different. It is owned by one of the biggest names in car dealerships in the southwest, but the brand and the big name pretty much leave us alone. Or, the GM, who is a really good guy takes the heat from above and keeps it away from us. Either way, it isn’t a bad place to work. It could be a lot worse… and has been in the past.

Right now it is tough to sell cars, the only customers we get are people who “have to” buy. Either they have a child who needs a car to get started in the workplace, or their car was wrecked and they need to replace it. Either way, it isn’t a market where people get tired of a car and trade it on a whim.

The economy is tough, gas is WAY up, so the big SUVs aren’t selling as fast as they once were. We have supply chain problems, so vehicles are few and hard to get. (It is getting better as of this writing).

Overall, I think I have found a home to stay instead of bouncing around. This is good, as I have bounced around in sales jobs for years and years, never building up vacation time, or building up a good 401k. I always was looking for a better deal, or a business of my own, which I did start a few times only to fail miserably…. I always deluded myself that it wasn’t my fault, it was the economy, competition, etc, etc, a million reasons why I didn’t make the big time in my small business. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS TO YOURSELF!

I really wanted to be my Dad, he worked hard, bought out his boss, and had a successful business until he sold it, and retired. He was a very comfortable guy, traveling in a small motorhome with my Mom, and having the time of their lives. I wanted to be that and thought I could. I thought my natural charm, intelligence, and great sense of humor would carry me there. NOPE. It didn’t, and I forgot the hard work and long hours part. However, I did work long hours, etc. But the sales world changed, it wasn’t the “Glad-hand, hail-fellow, well-met” kind of world that my Dad sold in. (He was a master at it, though.) I lament not getting more education, (I have an associate's degree, but big deal, everyone requires a bachelor’s to do ANYTHING anymore).

Looking back is easy to spot the problems in my life, looking forward is the hard part, to pick out how to make the rest of one’s life work well, and retire with some sort of dignity, grace, and a little money so as not to worry about having to work till 99 and be carried out of the dealership in a box.

Kinda morbid, well, I have seen it happen. I had a friend, a really good person who at 87 years old was standing at a car dealership, and had a massive stroke and died right on the showroom floor, waiting for an “up”. I really hated to hear that about him, he was one of the only people who would help a new guy get his bearings and do well at that dealership. ( Miss you, Colin)

I don’t want that for anyone, especially me. So as I write this I am also working on some passive income things that Mom and Dad left me, I am trying some internet ideas that my good friend Mike Lamb, (you should check him out here on Medium), has tried to map out for me, I am struggling a bit with those, but they will come around. I will write and let everyone know how things go, I promise.

Please feel free to contact me if you want, I have a radio show on Sky7music.com, from noon to three daily, and you can hear me spinning classic rock on the “Only Classic Rock” channel. The email for me is: deanbensonrocks@gmail.com

You can also get there from my website: www.deanbensonrocks.com

Hope to hear from everyone soon!

Dean Benson, The Dean of Rock & Roll!