Does it makes you nervous when a Salesman you are working with wears a Rolex?

[chloebear]

I am in sales and where my Milgauss nearly every day.....Nobody's ever noticed it.

[Fleetlord]

Originally Posted by jets

All of this is in your head. It matters when you're conscious of it. I sell myself everyday being self-employed. It gets old. Just wear whatever and call it a day.

This type of thing used to bother me and now it doesn't. I'll go out on a call and wear a Deepsea without even realizing it now. I just replaced my citizen daily driver for an Omega X33 Skywalker because I just realized no one cares. Wear what you want life's too short. If a client or whoever notices it I downplay it and almost make them feel dumb for commenting on it if I sense there's something behind the comment.

That's the attitude that cost an owner of a sales merchandising agency $20,000,000 and put him out of business, along with drastically changing vendor relations with a major retailer.

Make a long story short, 10 yrs ago, this fellow owned a large agency that represented products nationally in a large home center. Big brands that didn't want their own sales reps. So his company was paid a % of their sales to represent them.

He showed up to a corporate buyers meeting wearing a Gold Rolex Daytona and drove a fully decked out Escalade. Nothing terribly snazzy, but enough to catch the attention of the home center merchant buyers, who began to question how much his company was making off the product representation...and mainly, why they weren't getting a cut of it. This prompted an investigation into exactly how much the vendors were paying this fellow's company to do the work. They were surprised at what they found...and they wanted it.. So....the home center decided to have the manufacturers, as part of their vendor agreement, pay a % of sales to them directly to have a store employee handle the work. If you didn't pay, your product was out of the store. So the manufacturers weren't going to pay 2x the fees for redundant representation, so they fired the third party agency...and he lost everything...

I think if he could do it over again, he would have left the toys at home...

Like it or not, it's reality...that's why the OP's sales manger doesn't like his guys wearing Rolex....Don't assume your customers aren't counting your money....because they know you're making it off of them...

[Macnavara]

It would annoy me that your making too much commision out of selling overpriced Toyotas.

[Brucie D]

At my Porsche Centre I often use watch talk as an icebreaker. I think people like dealing with confident sales staff as long as there is not arrogance mixed in. Cheers.


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[AJC719]

I am in sales. I wear a Rolex everyday. No one notices. The only people who notice are also in to watches, and it's end up being a pleasant conversation.

[Old Expat Beast]

Originally Posted by chloebear

I am in sales and where my Milgauss nearly every day.....Nobody's ever noticed it.

Didn''t you only pick it up last month though? Someone will notice, sooner or later.

[Doug T]

For a salesperson to be wearing a Rolex they likely have been successful at whatever they have been doing. They likely have worked harder at their job than others and have deserved the success that comes with hard work. My preference would be to deal with that successful person as he or she likely has more knowledge about their product. Just my 2 cents worth!

[DrSuperZeco]

I agree with your manager. Plus most of your customers will probably finance their cars and they can't even afford a rolex themselves.

[DrSuperZeco]

Originally Posted by Brucie D

At my Porsche Centre I often use watch talk as an icebreaker. I think people like dealing with confident sales staff as long as there is not arrogance mixed in. Cheers.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I think the cheapest entry level Porsche is still more expensive than many top of the line lexus range. Your customers are different.

[DrSuperZeco]

Originally Posted by Fleetlord

That's the attitude that cost an owner of a sales merchandising agency $20,000,000 and put him out of business, along with drastically changing vendor relations with a major retailer.

Make a long story short, 10 yrs ago, this fellow owned a large agency that represented products nationally in a large home center. Big brands that didn't want their own sales reps. So his company was paid a % of their sales to represent them.

He showed up to a corporate buyers meeting wearing a Gold Rolex Daytona and drove a fully decked out Escalade. Nothing terribly snazzy, but enough to catch the attention of the home center merchant buyers, who began to question how much his company was making off the product representation...and mainly, why they weren't getting a cut of it. This prompted an investigation into exactly how much the vendors were paying this fellow's company to do the work. They were surprised at what they found...and they wanted it.. So....the home center decided to have the manufacturers, as part of their vendor agreement, pay a % of sales to them directly to have a store employee handle the work. If you didn't pay, your product was out of the store. So the manufacturers weren't going to pay 2x the fees for redundant representation, so they fired the third party agency...and he lost everything...

I think if he could do it over again, he would have left the toys at home...

Like it or not, it's reality...that's why the OP's sales manger doesn't like his guys wearing Rolex....Don't assume your customers aren't counting your money....because they know you're making it off of them...

[superdog]

I have struggled with this question for many years. And I have gotten into quite a few heated debates on this forum about it.

Most here will say: "no one ever notices your watch anyway".

This I vehemently disagree with. Personally, I notice everything. And if I do, so do some other people.

I have always been nervous about wearing something too nice as I don't want people to think I am making too much money off of them. The truth, is that I am not. I am making a fair margin on just about all of my sales. I just make a whole hell of a lot of sales.

As I get older, and maybe more confident/comfortable with myself, I am less worried about wearing something nice. I am very much OK with showing up in a Rolex.

However, I would probably not show up to a meeting with a gold Rolex on. In a few years? We will see. For now, I like to keep it looking nice...but not too nice. Showing success, but not too much.

I am the same way with my cars. I prefer to show that I am doing well, and can afford a nice car, but not too nice. This is at 41...maybe in a few years I will be OK with it showing a bit more.

I am of the school of thought that everything we do is a sale. How we groom ourselves, the clothes we wear, even how we take care of our health. In my eyes, it all matters.

In regards to your specific situation, no, I think the vast majority of people coming in to buy a nice car want to deal with a professional. I was recently in a BMW dealership and the staff were mostly kids. And they dressed and acted as such. I was mildly put off. I would have preferred to deal with someone more professional.

Anyone buying a car today knows damn well that the margins are tight and the competition is tighter. If you are doing well, it is because you are good at what you do and you are making a lot of sales. It's that simple.

Show success, it will instill confidence. Just don't show too much.

[Mfrankel2]

Originally Posted by Vdub1776

I am a Master Certified MB Service Advisor. I started off in the car wash more than a decade ago while in H.S. at the same dealership and worked my way up. Back in the day the dealership use to reward you with a brand new SS Rolex of your choice after 10 years of dedication. Unfortunately they no longer do this. This year I celebrated my 10 year venture and my wife assisted me with picking up my Rolex BLNR that I have wanted ever since its release at Baselworld. I wear it daily with pride and appreciate what it stands for. Hard work and determination really do pay off if you put your mind to it. I have had a few clients notice my watch and have had nothing but nice compliments on it. When I tell them my story, they are delighted they have been part of my success.

Thanks for sharing. Sounds to me like you have a great job that you love, are very good at what you do and have a wonderful and supportive wife. You earned that BLNR even more so than if your dealership had given it to you on your 10th anniversary and hopefully that makes it that much more enjoyable to look down at throughout the day

[hbi]

I'm in software sales, selling mostly to manufacturers in the Midwest. Over the years, I've come appreciate their taste in professional attire and conduct. Some of them live from paycheck to paycheck, while others own lakefront property, cabins, cars, boats, watches, etc. but you would never know that from how they conduct themselves in a professional setting. Another useful lesson learned is to never one-up your customer, or at least not be seen or perceived to be doing so.

[Qtip.416]

Has no influence on me. When it was time to buy my car (or any big purchase) , I did enough research about it to make an informed purchase. The sales person was there to give me the price I wanted or I'd move to the next dealer. I went to 3 dealers and knew more about the car than a couple of the sales people.

The way they treated me far supersedes what watch they are wearing.

[doubleinfive]

I would rather deal with a salesman wearing a Rolex than one who is wearing a toupee (yes, I can tell). Sales is about perception and if your customers think you're not being straightforward, they will go elsewhere. Your manager asking you to tone down your watches while at work so as not to give the wrong impression is a bit deceitful to me.

The gentleman who served us breakfast at a resort in Palm Springs was wearing a gold Daytona and he's had it for years. The lanscaper who trimmed my tree was wearing a DJ II. They both did a great job and that is what's important.

Wearing a Rolex is no indicator of wealth or success, so let's not kid ourselves.

[Mystro]

The average Joe thinks of Rolex as a status of wealth. Rolex spent decades of targeted advertisements to promote that image.

Originally Posted by doubleinfive

I would rather deal with a salesman wearing a Rolex than one who is wearing a toupee (yes, I can tell). Sales is about perception and if your customers think you're not being straightforward, they will go elsewhere. Your manager asking you to tone down your watches while at work so as not to give the wrong impression is a bit deceitful to me.

The gentleman who served us breakfast at a resort in Palm Springs was wearing a gold Daytona and he's had it for years. The lanscaper who trimmed my tree was wearing a DJ II. They both did a great job and that is what's important.

Wearing a Rolex is no indicator of wealth or success, so let's not kid ourselves.

[onlysteel]

If the sales person wears a rolex, it tells me he knows the product or might have more decent knowledge of it as compared to some one not wearing a rolex. As we all know,
most rolex sales people do not know that much as compared to people on this forum..

[doubleinfive]

Originally Posted by Mystro

The average Joe thinks of Rolex as a status of wealth. Rolex spent decades of targeted advertisements to promote that image.

That's because Rolex is in sales...

[onlysteel]

Originally Posted by doubleinfive

.... The lanscaper who trimmed my tree was wearing a DJ II. .....

OK ... a landscaper trimming your trees is wearing a Rolex? That would
make me think rolex has become ordinary and mainstream....----

[jhe888]

I think this thread shows that some of us think entirely too much about how others view us and how our possessions affect how others view us. And that some of us think entirely too much about others in terms of their possessions.

[REDiesel]

Originally Posted by Desibaba

I am a Lexus salesman and many of my managers and coworkers are watch fanatics. We had a discussion at work where one of the sales managers thinks that us wearing Rolex and APs etc intimidate customers because they think we charge too much for our cars. He jokingly said we should wear G Shocks to work and leave the nice ones for when we go out (I have a two tone Bluesy sub 16613). My rebuttal was that if someone is buying a $50k luxury car they would feel more comfortable buying from someone who is successful at what they do. I understand this isn't the same if I was selling Kias at some mom n pop location but we are the world's largest volume lexus dealership. What do you guys think? Do our watches turn off customers? We wear suits to work.

Last time I bought I car it was a Mercedes and the salesman was wearing a hulk or anniversary sub (something green). I told him I liked his watch and he indicated that he liked my GV milgauss. Having a common interest usually helps build trust.

[Mystro]

Yup, no different than any of the top luxury cars. Image is everything.
My only issue is if the product doesn't live up to the hype.

Originally Posted by doubleinfive

That's because Rolex is in sales...

[Mystro]

You are going to loose the fight with that idealistic view. We live in a more consumer driven world each generation. You can choose not to play but that doesn't mean the game doesn't continue to go on around you and grow in popularity. The selfie, for example is not viewed as a shameless form of vanity but celebrated and a tool used to get attention.

Originally Posted by jhe888

I think this thread shows that some of us think entirely too much about how others view us and how our possessions affect how others view us. And that some of us think entirely too much about others in terms of their possessions.

[doubleinfive]

Originally Posted by onlysteel

OK ... a landscaper trimming your trees is wearing a Rolex? That would
make me think rolex has become ordinary and mainstream....----

The landscaper is the business owner and you're correct, Rolex has become ordinary and mainstream because it is an affordable luxury.

[superdog]

Originally Posted by jhe888

I think this thread shows that some of us think entirely too much about how others view us and how our possessions affect how others view us. And that some of us think entirely too much about others in terms of their possessions.

i think it shows significantly more than that.

as per this forum, and any comments section in any regard, there are many different viewpoints.

and depending on who you are dealing with, you will be right sometimes and wrong sometimes.

in some situations, someone will give you the sale because you are presenting success. a meeting later that day, with someone else, might very well end up the exact opposite because they think you are making too much money.

i think the moral of the story, and every story, is decide what is comfortable for YOU (as in the global you) as a person. and do that. sometimes you will win, sometimes you will lose. but if you are comfortable with who you are, you are always winning.

[locutus49]

It cracks me up when waiters at restaurants wear Rolex. I've had waiters wearing nicer watches then me (Sub), usually TT DJ. Most appeared to be genuine. Of course, we tend to eat in upscale restaurants.

[Desibaba]

Originally Posted by Macnavara

It would annoy me that your making too much commision out of selling overpriced Toyotas.

On average I make about $200 per car and I spend about 3-5 hours with that customer to get the sale. Of course I sell a lot of cars so I get my volume bonus, etc. You think $200 for spending 5 hours with you (sometimes outside in the hot florida sun showing multiple cars) is too much money? Just Curious.

[Mystro]

My buddy in college sold BMW's and it is brutal work with long hours to make a career out of it. I am a car guy and love to talk shop with a knowledgeable salesman.

Originally Posted by Desibaba

On average I make about $200 per car and I spend about 3-5 hours with that customer to get the sale. Of course I sell a lot of cars so I get my volume bonus, etc. You think $200 for spending 5 hours with you (sometimes outside in the hot florida sun showing multiple cars) is too much money? Just Curious.

[douglasf13]

While not exactly a sales guy, the gentleman who took my payment at the Mercedes Service Center today was wearing an Explorer II, and he asked about my Perlon strap on my Sub. It was a nice little conversation, and it didn't bother me at all that he was wearing it.

[mjclark32]

No. What if he owns the dealership or shop. What if he/she received it as a gift. What if it was an heirloom. What if their family started Dupont etc etc.
I've got enough to worry about...
As long as the deal I'm getting is fair or in my favor, I don't care if they're walking around in diamond studded Gucci's...