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BBC2 Wednesday evening - looks like AMS is setting up a second-hand car sales challenge this week for the teams - could be interesting.
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Isn't one supposed to refer to him as "Sir Alan"? Seem to remember some fuss about Ben Kingsley insisting on "Sir Ben" a while ago - yet Sugar even refers to himself as "Sir Alan"!
That's right, Al - proper geezer, in't ya?
Git. Although possibly not as much of a git as most of the contestants...
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If they represent the best aspiring young managers this country has to offer then Lord help us!
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The TV trailer from last week's show would seem to indicate that they're going to be working for Trade Sales in Slough...Will be interesting no doubt.
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I'd like to see how that hysterical woman gets on- I wouldn't buy a car from her.
Anyone remember that series a few years ago called "Faking It"? In one show a rural vicar had to be trained up by a couple of Southend car dealers to see if he could fool a panel of experts into believing he was a genuine car salesman, and he did it too!
One of the dealers was Dom Littlewood, who has since become a bit of a celeb on various daytime tv shows about property trading.
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Yeah ,how do he get that gig,what does an essex car dealer ,know about property?
Has he got out of cars and is selling houses instead!
Or does he have a good agent !!!
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As usual its nothing to do with skill, rather the gift of the gab and that loveable roguesq style
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Well at least in the first series there was one bloke who actually wanted the job and he got it, woudl like to knwo how he's getting on if anyone knows.
This series just seems full of ego maniacs and publicity seekers.
Having spent 20 years working for big oil when I hear the words 'management consultant' I reach for my gun.
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Well at least in the first series there was one bloke who actually wanted the job and he got it, woudl like to knwo how he's getting on if anyone knows.
Just before this series started they did a half hour slot on Tim - the guy who won last year, and they followed about a bit. Appears to have done OK and had his contract renewed by big Al. He was given a task to launch a new product (something to do with wrinkles?) which was a failed old product that they wanted to try again with.
This series is a bit of a let down - I have seen more tallent in a job shop on signing on day - last year the last 5 or six were all pretty good and could have won, but this year I wouldnt give any of them a job
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If they represent the best aspiring young managers this country has to offer then Lord help us!
Here, here. What a load of stupid people. They do not listen to what they are instructed to do, they do not know the basics of buying and selling, they communicate poorly, etc. I would love to see them actually setting up and running their own businesses as I know not one of them has clue what is involved.
Personally I love watching The Apprentice as I cannot believe the fundamental errors they keep making. The worst thing is that they do not seem to learn from these basic mistakes.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
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good telly viewing though,if they were all perfect it would be boring,but i wouldnt employ any of them.
--
\"a little man in a big world/\"
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If this programme is set at the slough trade sale site then its not much of a test is it! At their prices, cars surely must fly out the gate without any hard selling. A real test of second hand car selling would be somewhere like my local Ford dealer who is currently advertising Y reg. used Ford Ka's from 'only' £4995!The same dealer often has brand new Ka's straight from Ford for £4850! Anyone who can sell a 5 year old car for more than a new one can come and work for me!
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A real test would be selling Rovers.
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Jo (the annoying one) used to work for Rover, so if anyone could sell them, she should be able to.
I wouldn't buy any car (or anything else for that matter) from her though...
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He fired the best guy, Ben I think, in the first programme, other than the stocky fellow Paul the others seem like real no hopers to me accordingly I have lost interest.
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The only guy who can sell (so far) is Paul. They spend most of their time having hissy fits - the format does not encourage team-working.
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A guy in one of the sunday papers said they all looked like they work in the business centre of a well known PC retailer
Perhaps they have kept the unhinged woman in just for this episode on cars, but I don't think she was in sales at Rover
If Paul is the slightly tubby one (pot/kettle) with the black hair I think you are correct or maybe the East End Asian guy will do well if he learns to listen
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The Eastender who ordered 100 chickens to make 100 pizzas (some of which had no chicken on them) - no wonder the Titanic restaurant he allegedly managed did the same as the ship and went under very quickly!
Jo worked in HR at Rover.
I must declare a conflict of interest in that I know one of the contestants, but I'm saying no more.
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Oops, yes that will be the same Eastender then
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Jo (the annoying one) used to work for Rover
That explains everything!
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Inteligent, quiet, thoughtful, understanding, managers who achieve results by motivitaing, empowering and valuing staff dont make good television.
Brash flash harry's and hariets who scream and cry do.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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good television.
>>
Do you really think the current lot make it good television?
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They are so awful that - Yes they do.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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"Sir Alan.....you're fired!"
Someone needed to say it and I dared to be the one.
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LMAO!
Sir Alan about Jo: "She worked at MG-Rover teaching directors (of all people) to sell. No wonder they're skint!"
I would just like to add that I took great pleasure in her sacking, although her "HellOOOOO" will haunt me forever....
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>>Someone needed to say it and I dared to be the one.>>
So how much do you have in the bank in comparison?
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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They've got Dracula.
They've got the pink fluffy beard from the last season.
They've got Psycho Jo.
And that Brummie bloke off Working Lunch.
Whats not to like?
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I've got to ask.
What the hell....?
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the apprentice.
Physco Jo is the Ex Rover one who got fired.
Quote sir Allan: "No wonder they went bleedin bust"
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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The Apprentice Adam. Sir Alan sacked the annoying brummie. Just slimey Syed left then it only normal(ish)people...
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Ahhhh! I thought I'd been looking at a computer screen too long!
Stop telling me about good things on TV. I can't be distrac....oooh a new email!
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Car connection?
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they were selling cars at Trade Sales in Slough
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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Ooops, the filter didnt like the word I used to describe that boss Neil! I was asking if all the staff at these places are as slimey as him?
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I watched the apprentice last night and lo and behold the sales manager...blond guy.. sold me a car several years ago! I thought the teams did well to sell about £170,ooo worth of stock. A mate of mine used to sell Audis and he reckoned it was long hours and high pressure.
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I think a lot of you guys are missing the point. Having been MD of a couple of companies in my time the last thing I wanted on the Board was a load of "yes" men. Chairmen, MDs and even Sir Alan can make mistakes and what you very much need is someone on the Board with the b*lls to stand up and say that you are wrong. The only one of The Apprentices who I could see standing up to Sir Alan was the lass who he sacked last night. The reason she lasted so long was that Sir A recognised this. Unfortunatly she was rubbish at every other aspect of the job so he had no other option but to sack her this time.
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Yes,I could not believe that hyena laugh she used when approaching punters,no wonder they were running away.
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Yes,I could not believe that hyena laugh she used when approaching punters,no wonder they were running away.
i would say she ran at them like an animal trying to make a kill ,funniest part of the programme for me was her sniffeling to sir alan i honestly fell of my chair at the sheer cras of the (woman?)
--
\"a little man in a big world/\"
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Lets try and Keep the trhead alive, so lets keep it to cars. I quite liked the no rubbish approach of the girl who sold the most.
She realised it was a car supermarket with limited time with clients so she qualified and sold, you didnt pass the qualify you didnt get any of her time.
I would have told her to go forth myself which is why I dont buy from people or places like that. Or if i do I have done my research sorted out my car and price and walk in to buy it off the shelf.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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What was particularly interesting was the fact that the two teams alone sold £170,000 worth of cars in just 10 hours.
Just two inexperienced teams.
Now add on the rest of the Trade-Sales staff (total unknown) contribution and multiply it by (almost) 365 days...:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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170k with a tiny margin on each. Trade sales operates wafer thin and has to shift them by the bucket load.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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>>Trade sales operates wafer thin and has to shift them by the bucket load.>>
I was really trying to convey what the sales income figure might reach over the course of a year.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
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And then subtract the massive overheads and salaries........
Its not the value of the cars sold that counts , its the profit margin made and it was very interesting to see how the task revolved on the profits made on the showroom extras and not the cars.
Any fool can sell a car or anything else for that matter - the trick is to sell at the right price - Trade Sales pile 'em high and sell 'em cheap - I would say they probably only make 5% profit on that £170,000 then thats only £8,500 , even 10 % is only £17,000.
When you have the vast overheads , salaries etc that they must have on their site you have to generate an enormous amount of turnover - don't forget what you saw was a busy sunny Saturday - but what is it like on a wet Monday in December.
Paul will win the apprenticeship IMO.
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Lets try and Keep the trhead alive, so lets keep it to cars.
>>
An interesting fleet back at AMS pad.
I wonder when does he get time to drive any of them?
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An interesting fleet back at AMS pad. I wonder when does he get time to drive any of them?
AMS doesn't drive any of those cars......the chauffeur does.
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I think a lot of you guys are missing the point. Having been MD of a couple of companies in my time the last thing I wanted on the Board was a load of "yes" men. Chairmen, MDs and even Sir Alan can make mistakes and what you very much need is someone on the Board with the b*lls to stand up and say that you are wrong.
All directors and managers *say* that, but the reality is that it (generally) isn't true. They pretty quickly turn against people who disagree with them.
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You need to be confident in your own ability otherwise you will see everyone with a different opinion as a threat. The firms with the biggest potential problems at Board level are family companies who tend to be very scared of outsiders on the Board. I think that you will find that quoted companies are far more switched on than you think. If you look who is on the main Board at Sir A's company I think you will find quite a few who you certainly would not call "yes" men. Anyway, this is getting slightly off the thread. It still makes interesting viewing and I wonder how many of us could sell cars for a living. Think I'll stick to my present job thanks very much.
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I can understand people buying cars at such places but not part exchanging; surely the p.e. price offered must be well down on what they could get by other means? Perhaps it's just the sheer simplicity of the combined deal.
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Agree with thallium point on the part ex. £3k for a T reg Explorer? ouch!
I was a bit puzzled because the people who bought then pulled out of the manager's special Corsa wanted to part ex an Impreza worth twice as much. Or was it clumsy editing?
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I had to delay watching this until last night - what about the last sale - the Merc? Guy walks in and says I'm looking for a Lexus - next minute he's signing up for a Mercedes! If I was spending £17,000 on a car I'd at least expect to have a good idea of what I wanted.
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If I was spending £17,000 on a car I'd at least expect to have a good idea of what I wanted.>>
This is the fascinating thing! Whilst we all agonise on the BR about every minute detail, the average punter just fancies a change of car and is easily persuaded to go for the "I've got just what you're looking for" line. I reckon they must represent a good percentage of the car buying public.
_______
IanS
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If I was spending £17,000 on a car I'd at least expect to have a good idea of what I wanted.
I think the car was for the wife (well at least she seemed to sign all the paperwork)......and most of us would've had experience of the shopping trip with SWMBO to buy "A" and coming home with "Z"
;-)
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The Merc sale was great.
"I want a lexus"
sales (eyes light up glittering) "Wow Have I got just the thing for you, much better a Mercedes come and look at this" -
No lexus in stock so it gets rubbished and the punter thinks they are going one better.
In the car
"look at this, leather, electric phalus, etc etc"
Toys Toys Toys
Toys, looks and image sell cars.
She hit two of the three buyer buttons and bingo.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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To be fair he did say a Lexus or a Mercedes.
Dracula also said he would hire Ruth. She was very good but missed the point that the money was in the extras not the main product. The people who work in a certain electrical appliance retailers all know this which is why they never stop pressuring you to buy extended warranties. Big miss on that teams part, last minute Mercedes sale or no.
As said by others none of them seem capable of listening to instructions or sizing up the realities of a situation and formulating a plan or working as a team and I have to add that the women seem entirely incapable of working in any sort of team. Ruth took over, maybe she needed to but thats not working as a team.
Pretty much grade one pink fluffy lepricorns one and all which is what Surrallen says he hates.
Finally, without veering totally off topic. I spent my career working for major multinationals. Not one manager I ever had was anything other than an egomaniac and all they wanted to do was employ yes men or women. Managers always say they want to be challenged blah blah blah and in my experience its nonsense. Yes a little occasional demurring only to be won round quickly by their intellectual brilliance but only occasionally. Quickest route to the top was always by brown nosing. Just my experience...
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Quickest route to the top was always by brown nosing. Just my experience...
Doh - thats not a PC term these days.
Its called "Selling Yourself" or "Projecting your potential"
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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People, it's television, it's entertainment, it's not real. Those of you who run your own businesses ask yourselves, would you actually let complete strangers have direct contact with your customers with so little training? Just out of interest have a look at the number of product placements in next weeks episode.
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