the_saint said:
What exactly does it take to be a [new car]salesman?
Not sure, because I have never been one.
I know that in other sales professions, it helps to know your product inside and out, and never let the customer educate you. Also, the competition should be viewed with respect, and it should never be insulted by a professional salesperson. Customers are not stupid people en masse, and have avenues to research things far more than in the past. Many times, a customer comes into a dealer with a few cars in mind. They are stopping in to shop, simply look, or possibly to be convinced to buy the car that you sell. If you really like the GTI, but enter a Subaru dealer just to compare vehicles, and you ask the salesperson what they think about the GTI and they say, "Pffft...this 2.5L 2006 engine in the WRX will walk all over that thing, you don't want one of those", I can guarantee that you would get offended and start crossing that Subaru off the list.
Many a salesperson has lost many a sale to me because there was something I didn't like about either their demeanor, knowledge level, or presentation. Often times, I already know what I want, and I am just looking for the right person to hand me the item. One of my first questions when am I car shopping is what colors the car comes in, and the horsepower of the engine. If the salesperson doesn't know, you can probably bet that they don't know the actual fine details that will become important later in the deal. Believe it or not, many of them won't know these two basic things, especially if the are a large dealer with brand saturation.