Boiler Room...

Had a chance to watch an older movie this week entitled 'Boiler Room.' The flick is a clear homage to Glenngary Glenross and Wall Street with its focus on flashy sales tactics and the greed that drives them. Two things that struck me about Boiler Room was how captivating it can be to witness the sales process when it is conducted by a pro. The second thing was how sales ability isn't always connected to a valuable product, as in Boiler Room where young, greedy men are selling stocks that don't exist. Who knew that Vin Diesel could actually act?

Renovating an image...

The used car salesperson often labours beneath caricitures that are less than flattering especially when compared to other professions. The influence of negative stereotypes is obvious to me sometimes when I first encounter customers on our lot. What I try to impress upon my customers are the ways that Strickland's progressive approach protects them entirely from the negative features of 'old school' car sales.

VOLUME VS. MARGIN: The buying power of Strickland's means that often times we are able to sell our vehicles for what smaller dealerships pay for them at auction. As a result we advertise our lowest prices on the windshield, prices that beat the competition even when they roll theirs back. Our philosophy? Make a little on alot of sales, rather than alot on a few. By proudly displaying our lowest price at the beginning of a person's search we take the hassle out of the process and ensure that the focus is on finding the right vehicle rather than playing games with money. In traditional sales the salesperson works with a profit margin and aims at making more by discounting less. At Strickland's we make the same amount on each vehicle which takes the bias out of the process, thus making us an ally with the customer!