A Chevrolet salesman is speaking out about how the car sales industry works and why some dealers use tactics that hurt customers. Brent (@brentthecargent), who works at Long-Lewis Chevrolet in Tuscumbia, Alabama, posted a video explaining how salespeople actually get paid. He knows his honesty will upset other car salesmen, but he doesn’t care.
“I’m about to make a lot of car salesmen angry. I don’t care what car you buy. I really don’t,” Brent says at the start of his video, according to Motor1. He focuses on selling more cars and keeping customers happy instead of making the most money from each sale.
Most car salespeople work on commission, which means they earn money based on the profit from each sale. The profit is the difference between what the dealership paid for the car and what you pay for it. This system pushes salespeople to charge customers as much as possible.
The car’s price doesn’t determine how much salespeople actually earn
Many people think expensive cars mean bigger paychecks for salespeople, but that’s not true. Brent explains that he’s made more money selling cheap cars than expensive ones. The real factor is the profit margin, not the sticker price.
“It doesn’t matter how much the car costs. It doesn’t matter if it’s an $80,000 car or a $20,000 car,” he says on his TikTok video. He shares an example: “As a matter of fact, the most expensive car I’ve ever sold, I made a hundred bucks on it because there was no gross left in the deal.”
Brent calls out salespeople who brag about their commission earnings. Stories about Chevrolet owners and their beloved vehicles show how deep customer loyalty runs when they’re treated right. “If you see a car salesman bragging about how much gross they made, I want you to know one thing,” he warns. “They can sell less cars and make more money in certain situations than somebody like me that is out to sell a larger amount of cars and be a better salesperson to you.”
He describes their aggressive approach as trying to “knock your head off,” which means getting the highest profit from one sale. Brent admits he used this method before, but it ruins chances of getting repeat customers or referrals.
His strategy is different. “My job is to earn your repeat and referral business. That way I sell a monumental amount of cars,” he explains. He works under a system that pays him for the number of cars he sells, not the profit from each one.
This helps customers because he’s not trying to overcharge them. While some older Chevy trucks face unique challenges, Brent believes in finding the right vehicle regardless of age or model. “My job is to find the right car for you based off your budget, based off your needs, and what works best for you. Not what’s best for the dealership. What’s best for you,” Brent says.
