Best vehicle for a person who needs to impress customers?

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

This thread is insanely funny. Mostly because most of you are urban/higher end suburban people and you don't have a wide variety of industry experiences.

I realize that there's some sort of aura where someone in sales feels pressured to impress clients and potential clients. Where they need to impress them is with knowledge, communication (and by this I mean the ability to verbally communicate with words other than "uhh, umm, like, reach out, follow up, check the boxes" and any and all other conference-room borne cool phrases of the quarter) and be sincere and have a sense of originality with their approach to the customer.

Saying "let's go to lunch" and then climbing into some shiny, cool, thought-to-be expensive vehicle is the last thing that should be thought of.

I do find all the suggested makes and models funny. I have a variety of vehicles I own and drive. Lexus LX570, RX350, Toyota Tundra and a Scion xB.... I primarily drive the RX350 not necessarily because of fuel mileage but it's got the highest mileage and it is a good "running around" vehicle. I drive to my office and all sorts of construction sites. One site I visit regularly where everyone has come to know me is a small industrial plant where there's a $200M expansion going on. There's lots of 3/4 ton 4x4 trucks, many of them fairly new. I drive up in a Lexus RX350 and people stare and make comments about me driving a Lexus on a construction site and insinuate it's a very expensive vehicle.

It is our youngest vehicle, a 2015. It's got 213k miles on it. I paid $16,000 for it. Those folks who think it's an expensive vehicle are driving trucks they paid $70,000 for (and most are still paying for). I do find it funny the different facial expressions, overall reactions, etc. when I drive my Tundra to these sites versus the RX. I see the different facial expressions, reactions and body language when I'm driving through the site in one versus the other.

It's the same person driving....just different vehicles.

 

[RooflessVW]

It's the same person driving....just different vehicles.

When I worked QC for a solar company I would drive my 911 on Fridays if the weather was nice and leave the company truck home.

I think I paid 14 or 15k for it. Eyes popped out of their heads but most cars on site and certainly the trucks were worth double or more.

 

[CKN]

This thread is insanely funny. Mostly because most of you are urban/higher end suburban people and you don't have a wide variety of industry experiences.

I realize that there's some sort of aura where someone in sales feels pressured to impress clients and potential clients. Where they need to impress them is with knowledge, communication (and by this I mean the ability to verbally communicate with words other than "uhh, umm, like, reach out, follow up, check the boxes" and any and all other conference-room borne cool phrases of the quarter) and be sincere and have a sense of originality with their approach to the customer.

Saying "let's go to lunch" and then climbing into some shiny, cool, thought-to-be expensive vehicle is the last thing that should be thought of.

I do find all the suggested makes and models funny. I have a variety of vehicles I own and drive. Lexus LX570, RX350, Toyota Tundra and a Scion xB.... I primarily drive the RX350 not necessarily because of fuel mileage but it's got the highest mileage and it is a good "running around" vehicle. I drive to my office and all sorts of construction sites. One site I visit regularly where everyone has come to know me is a small industrial plant where there's a $200M expansion going on. There's lots of 3/4 ton 4x4 trucks, many of them fairly new. I drive up in a Lexus RX350 and people stare and make comments about me driving a Lexus on a construction site and insinuate it's a very expensive vehicle.

It is our youngest vehicle, a 2015. It's got 213k miles on it. I paid $16,000 for it. Those folks who think it's an expensive vehicle are driving trucks they paid $70,000 for (and most are still paying for). I do find it funny the different facial expressions, overall reactions, etc. when I drive my Tundra to these sites versus the RX. I see the different facial expressions, reactions and body language when I'm driving through the site in one versus the other.

It's the same person driving....just different vehicles.

Your second paragraph is excellent! Taking a "consultant" approach to sales is exactly what makes one successful-

 

[PandaBear]

So I asked my friend last night what kind of products / services he is selling and the clients. The answer is: think of it as direct to consumer cosmetic technology startup, his job is to convince the clients that the product / service makes them happy (worth the money) and therefore he must look like someone they would pay attention to, have a life they wanted, honest, and dependable. The clients would likely be late 20s to late 30s with middle middle class to upper middle class income, have the money to spend, make their own money (have a career, not a housewife or trust fund baby), but not "old money", "taking over the family empire", or "have a family office". The likely clients drive from 5-10 year old Lexus IS250, RAV4, Mazda CX5, to Tesla Model 3, BMW 3 series, Lexus RX, Mercedes CUV, etc. They don't know much about cars and don't care about horse power, they have minimum a college degree, many have master / MBA. Likely use the vehicle to bring these clients and friends to business lunch, not hauling large equipment around or pickup / drop off to airport.

 

[Pew]

So I asked my friend last night what kind of products / services he is selling and the clients. The answer is: think of it as direct to consumer cosmetic technology startup, his job is to convince the clients that the product / service makes them happy (worth the money) and therefore he must look like someone they would pay attention to, have a life they wanted, honest, and dependable. The clients would likely be late 20s to late 30s with middle middle class to upper middle class income, have the money to spend, make their own money (have a career, not a housewife or trust fund baby), but not "old money", "taking over the family empire", or "have a family office". The likely clients drive from 5-10 year old Lexus IS250, RAV4, Mazda CX5, to Tesla Model 3, BMW 3 series, Lexus RX, Mercedes CUV, etc. They don't know much about cars and don't care about horse power, they have minimum a college degree, many have master / MBA. Likely use the vehicle to bring these clients and friends to business lunch, not hauling large equipment around or pickup / drop off to airport.

A white Tesla Model 3. Nobody wants to sit in a car that's bouncing around while having a meeting where they have to yell at one another or the person over the phone can hear the road and wind noise. I'm not sure why people here are equating middle age 30 females buying cosmetics to an industrial client that's buying Crown cranes or something.

 

[PandaBear]

It's the same person driving....just different vehicles.

Think of it this way, it is an opportunity to use the vehicle to your branding advantage: same product but now you can make your product more attractive with the right sales person and vehicle.

 

[Pew]

Think of it this way, it is an opportunity to use the vehicle to your branding advantage: same product but now you can make your product more attractive with the right sales person and vehicle.

Thinking about it a bit more, an early/mid 2010 lexus RX350 would be a good idea too. It's new enough for modern creature comforts but old enough that it shows the target clientele that your friend is mature enough to keep their vehicles longer than normal and not waste money while being good at their job.

 

[Hyundai Respecter]

Hyundai Tucson

 

[Torrid]

Tesla

As an owner I assure you that you’ll receive a response, it’s just not always positive.

 

[SC Maintenance]

So I asked my friend last night what kind of products / services he is selling and the clients. The answer is: think of it as direct to consumer cosmetic technology startup, his job is to convince the clients that the product / service makes them happy (worth the money) and therefore he must look like someone they would pay attention to, have a life they wanted, honest, and dependable. The clients would likely be late 20s to late 30s with middle middle class to upper middle class income, have the money to spend, make their own money (have a career, not a housewife or trust fund baby), but not "old money", "taking over the family empire", or "have a family office". The likely clients drive from 5-10 year old Lexus IS250, RAV4, Mazda CX5, to Tesla Model 3, BMW 3 series, Lexus RX, Mercedes CUV, etc. They don't know much about cars and don't care about horse power, they have minimum a college degree, many have master / MBA. Likely use the vehicle to bring these clients and friends to business lunch, not hauling large equipment around or pickup / drop off to airport.

I know nothing about direct to consumer sales. However I wouldn't run out and buy a car for a new job at a startup.

Polish up something he already has and get at it.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

So I asked my friend last night what kind of products / services he is selling and the clients. The answer is: think of it as direct to consumer cosmetic technology startup, his job is to convince the clients that the product / service makes them happy (worth the money) and therefore he must look like someone they would pay attention to, have a life they wanted, honest, and dependable. The clients would likely be late 20s to late 30s with middle middle class to upper middle class income, have the money to spend, make their own money (have a career, not a housewife or trust fund baby), but not "old money", "taking over the family empire", or "have a family office". The likely clients drive from 5-10 year old Lexus IS250, RAV4, Mazda CX5, to Tesla Model 3, BMW 3 series, Lexus RX, Mercedes CUV, etc. They don't know much about cars and don't care about horse power, they have minimum a college degree, many have master / MBA. Likely use the vehicle to bring these clients and friends to business lunch, not hauling large equipment around or pickup / drop off to airport.

LMAO

How many of these clients are there? The criteria tells me that in 2023, there might be 3 out of every 10,000 people?

 

[vavavroom]

One friend of mine recently got his professional license and is a customer-facing sales rep. The main customer base is women in their 30s.

Nothing screams success like a Dunham Corvorado. I do not dare post a color picture because I don't want to cause severe retinal burns.

 

[SC Maintenance]

LMAO

How many of these clients are there? The criteria tells me that in 2023, there might be 3 out of every 10,000 people?

So that leaves 300,000 people in the US. Presume his territory is 1/100th of the total market - likely 1 rep in every major city. Since its one on one sales they can probably make 5 calls per day max. So he can see 1/3 of his targets once per year at best.

Sounds like a possible market to me, assume your selling something a reasonable number of them will buy.

 

[PandaBear]

LMAO

How many of these clients are there? The criteria tells me that in 2023, there might be 3 out of every 10,000 people?

I don't know about the quantity, but from what I heard the "client" are the decision makers or "influencer" to the decision makers, so you only need maybe 50 of them to lead to the company's growth (next round of funding, for example). Again, it is not buying a lipstick here and there, but selling them something so they can help steer the decision making process. In dollar per customer sense think of it as plastic surgery would be the closest thing I can guess.

Come to think of it, pharmaceutical sales frequently take doctors to lunch, maybe that's the right way to think of it.

 

[andrew_j]

My (successful) friends who are in similar roles (architect and financial advisor) use certified used Acura and Lexus. The cars age well.