Random question... Anyone know where to get information on career opportunities within MINIUSA? I was thinking about this tonight, kind of randomly. As much as I love this car (don't even have it yet!), I think it'd be a blast to sell them, or work within the company in some aspect.

Any ideas?

 

If you want to sell them, apply to your local BMW/Mini dealership. If you want to work for miniusa, contact them and ask. Nobody ever got anything if they didnt ask.

 

I can't see myself in retail sales...

 

Ya. Its hard work.

 

Retail isn't bad. The wierd hours get to you after a while, but the work itself is ok. It makes it so much better, though, if you've got a product that you believe in and can take pleasure in selling.

 

The bottom line is your sales ability...

If you want to sell MINIs, the Sales Manager/General Manager will want to know less about your knowledge/interest/passion for MINIs and, instead, will focus on your ability to bring in and qualify customers (walk-ins, cold calls, social networks, etc.) and your ability to quickly close a deal. You should have experience in these areas through related high-end sales experience and have demonstrated a good track record for generating sales volume. The rest doesn't mean much to most SMs and GMs.

That being said, some dealerships do look for the enthusiasm factor and balance it with the other sales-oriented considerations. Some will take a chance on a less experienced person but usually allow them a fairly short period of time to prove themselves.

In a previous life I sold new cars (Pontiac, Saab, Renault, Volvo, Jaguar) and worked my butt off doing it. I would usually put in 60 hour weeks at the dealership and spend an additional 10 hours a week "networking" with key individuals and Business and Service organizations. The pay was ok, but I wasn't getting rich. I learned that what you're selling didn't matter, it was how you sold it. I am convinced that a person with excellent sales skills can sell anything, since it is about gently manipulating people and not the product.

FWIW,

Theo

 

Theo, your comments about experience may be right-on for other marques, but from the MANY MINI dealerships I've visited across the US, for the most part, the management seem to hire rather young Motoring Advisors.:smile:

In fact, when I had an interim oil change and pre-Dragon check-up for Wanda at Brian Harris MINI in Baton Rouge, LA, I was surprised at how young and inexperienced the MAs were there. And they had never heard of NAM!


Clover

 

Clo --

You're probably right about that. I have visited three dealerships and have had differing experiences with the sales staffs. One of the three had more "old timers" on the sales staff...a little too "slick" for me. The other two had younger folks.

I wound up buying from a dealer with a "balanced" staff (assessed after speaking with three of the four salesfolks). The MA I dealt with was younger, knew his product well, and was very precise with all the paperwork and delivery details.

However, I'm sure they are all paid and judged by their level of monthly sales. This may be a forgiving metric now, due to the MINIs popularity and scarcity of dealers, but should either of those situations change, I have no doubt about a regressive movement occurring. This might put a premium on salesfolks who are more sales professionals than enthusiasts!

Let's hope we get to enjoy this ride a little longer. I'm planning on buying a 2007 or 2008!

Theo

 

Just make sure you are informed. Know as much as you can. I went to a dealership last month and I was very disappointed with the MA. She said the new armrests are standard in all cars and you do not have to pay more for it, what a lie. MAs that misinform people can get people's hopes up for nothing. She also said the new webspokes are not available until '06 models. i would hate to think people believing that and getting dissappointed later on when they discover the truth.

 

>The bottom line is your sales ability...


no, I think it's your patience with your everyday customers. :smile:

 

Ain't that the truth!

Heard one day at a MINI dealership as I was nosing about:

Customer: I've never driven a standard before. I'd prefer an automatic.
MA: I'm sorry but we dont have any MCS models in stock with an automatic, but you could custom-build one for delivery in about 8 weeks.
Customer: No, I'm not really mechanically inclined. Could I buy the one with the 6-speed and have it converted later?

and on it goes...

Theo

 

No good salesman needs to ask - how to get a job. Think about it.

 

wow, there's two sentenses in your sentense. very interesting.
:smile:


theo- exactly!

 

Although this thread took off in a different direction, I assumed you meant working for MINIUSA, not a MINI dealership. They have an office in northern NJ. Somebody has to work there, right? If you're willing to relocate, I suggest you go for it...

 

Theo,

I bought twice from Long Beach MINIs in SoCal, not only because they were the only dealership selling at MSRP, but because I actually liked the two M.A.s there.

They share all the commissions, and work with each other's clients on the other guy's day off. Works out very well. Both were selling BMWs prior to the new MINI's introduction, and were well-trained in preparation for the MINI's kick-off in March 2002. And though they didn't have MINIs right away, they both do now!

If I buy another MINI (so happy with Wanda), I'll buy from them again!

About 05MSCa's initial post: I would be concerned that working for a MINI dealership might turn you off to them! LMAO! Depends on the individual dealership and how well they train you. If you love your dealership, it may be a very good career move for you! :smile:


Clover

 

go for it - i say if a person loves minis then who better to sell them to someone else

if you want it do it - experience is learned right?

 

I personally would love selling MINIs myself and at some point in time considered this career path change, but quite honestly the long and weird hours were a turn off for me. I work to live, not live to work.

 

Saw Crevier MINI posted a sign at their dealer for Motoring Advisor on the weekend before last. They're in So. Cal tho


:smile:

 

just found out that my neighbor works at the bmw/mini factory close by oxford- i didn't even know it existed but there have to be others out there right? maybe there's one in northern va and you just didn't know it! maybe that would be a different route for you to try if you'd like to work for mini

 

You mean Oxford, England correct?

MINIs are only manufactured in one plant and that is Oxford in the UK.

BMW has other plants in Northamerica but for BMW products only like the Z4 convertible and the X5 SUV. I believe the Z4 is currently manufactured in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

 

Yeah the hours are very long... days off few and fair in between. But the money can be good.

 

The two years i obsessed over minis before buying one (now obsess over my own, and get to drool on other people's without looking weird ) I decorated my office in minis, and every time someone asked me for advice at work on buying another car (i'm a LITTLE tomboyish) i'd always make up a list of cars with things that would appeal to them, and fit their families well. Everytime i throw down MINI in with the sedans or vans

They curiously ask me why the mini, and i name off half a manual's worth of information on the mini. I was told on many occasions i need to get my fix by working at the dealership. i wanted to SO bad. I dont care if i don't make much more than i am now, or don't get a discount. i truly enjoy the car, and love speaking with people that feel the same... and nothing's more fun than convincing them the mini is perfect for everyone in some way When it was time to buy my own, i had an AWFUL time. The salesperson knew nothing about the mini. Infact, i corrected him, and then went on to explain what the other features were he didn't get to yet! (he tried to convince me the gauge light dimmer was cruise control)

I dont like to work alot, and i hate working weekends, but to work at a mini dealership while i still love them to death, and talking to people about them all day? I wouldn't mind atall I hang out there all the time while my mini is serviced twice a month as it is I forgot to mention one of my co-workers is sold on the mini from what i explained to her and she took home to him. When he saw mine, he wanted one bad. But she refused to let him buy it after she saw a ford explorer behind me in traffic one day. "the front bumper could plow through the back window and decapitate my kid in the back seat!" "The safest place for my kid is the middle of the back seat, and there IS no middle back seat" I haven't won them over YET :P

 

You know I felt the same way about selling them. So much so, that I got my salesman license and went to work for a non-Mini dealer to get some experience. I didn't last there long. It was a depressing dealership... one I would never buy any car from.

I have tried to get hired at a Mini dealer, but they seem to hire only young guys who know little about the product. I went in and tried to sell them on the fact that a person who actually owns the product they are selling, is going to do a better job.

Now I have decided to sell at a dealer that does major volume sales of another popular brand. Looking at the bank account has made reality set in. I figure selling something popular, at a high volume place will certainly be easier. I had to look at the niche Mini market... let's face it... it's not a car for the masses - and decide to go where the money is. Not as fun as talking about and selling Mini's all day. But selling Mini's is not an easy sell, especially if the dealer is not selling at MSRP.

My bank account won't know the difference. Hopefully, larger earnings will (in time) overcome my exciitement to want to sell Mini's.

 

My dealer would have taken me in to be part of their sales staff if I had wanted to and made the commitment to dedicate every waking hour of the day to the job. My dealer sells at MSRP and has had the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the nation among US MINI dealers in 2003 and 2004. face it, these cars are not marketed to the "herds" or masses but they practically sell themselves. It is not an overly difficult product to move out the door. MINIs sell virtually without TV/Radio ads. It is a "word of mouth" product that sells to a demographic that is mostly enthusiast, loves cars, is smarter/better educated/more affluent and wants a distinctive product that is a cut above the rest. The typical Chevy/Toyota/Honda/Ford, etc customer will not set foot in a MINI dealer, at least not that easily.

Upon accepting the position, I would have been flown to another major US city for immediate training, plus hotel, meals, etc all paid by the dealer. But in exchange for all of that, my full commitment is required to keep the job. this is not something to try to see "what happens", either you take the plunge or not.

Aside from the long weekly hours, the distance played another factor in deciding not to do it and also at this point in my life I have other educational goals that would be very difficult to achieve putting 60+ hours a week in the showroom. May be in the future I will revisit the possibility, but for now I am more than happy to talk about and help others in NAM and elsewhere about their MINI questions.

 

I was in the lot waiting for my mini to get out from being detailed after service, and HAD to check out every mini. The salesguy came over and asked if i needed any help, and saw my LY/W mini lapel pin He immediately asked where mine was, and i said in the back.. waiting for them to finish up.

He told me that from the time i dropped my mini off that morning, until i picked it up that afternoon, they sold 4 minis. One was to a guy who paid 25k in CASH for an MCSC for his daughter who was doing great in school.

I'm disappointed at some of the sales people who don't know squat about the car they're selling, and go so far as to make up what the functions do.
If i had a dealership, and was looking for the most qualified applicants, i'd look at what a TRUE enthusiast of the car has to offer. If i didn't know everything on the mini before stepping into the dealership about to sign away thousands for a car i only test drove around the block (because i never drove a 5spd mini), i would NOT have bought my car. Not to mention, the car was missing a few things from the paperwork they showed me stating my features. I refused to buy the car until they gave me an ashtray (i'm paying for it, and it looks hot). Rather than having them order one, one of them had a spare laying around that didn't match my car (but looks so much better) and handed it to me to shut me up

ANNNNDDD if it wasn't for my dad noticing, i wouldn't have gotten a tire replaced the next morning (there was a nail in the tire... the salesman tried to say he'll give me a WEEK warranty on the CURRENT tire, and if it POPPED some point on my 80 mile daily commute, they'd replace it) and the windshield fixed (nice crack right in front of my face) He THEN said he'd get the dealership to inspect my car, and SOMEHOW passed me with a broken wiper motor. I was sobbing on the way to work one morning a week later in a floodish rainfall with wipers stuck right in my line of vision only 4 miles into my 35 mile commute (note: i bought the car the day i wrecked my miata in a bad rainfall, i was terrified of rain still ). They're lucky i want this car so bad :P I know after my experience how hard it is to sell the car and keep the buyer happy (heck i worked retail almost 3 years) But some people just don't act like they care.