<ul class="summary-list"><li>The pandemic has transformed jobs across industries - including car salespeople. </li><li>Sales staff now spend more time fielding online chats than waiting for walk-in customers. </li></ul>The stereotypical car salesperson is a fast talker eager to show you around their lot's many models, offer up a test drive, and negotiate on pricing. Those days may be long gone. Jobs across industries have been transformed by the pandemic, and there's a new normal for salespeople at <keyword id="12136668" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="car-dealerships" source="Orion">car dealerships</keyword>, too, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/reviews/out?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fselling-cars-in-the-era-of-the-chip-shortage-online-chats-and-no-more-haggling-11634463001%3Fmod%3Dpls_whats_news_us_business_f">The Wall Street Journal</a> reports. A shortage of new vehicles and frenzied demand has upended the way they do business.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/car-dealership-sales-staff-layoffs-salespeople-happier-2021-10">Salespeople</a> used to spend their days offering test drives to walk-in customers. Now, as car-buying has moved to the web, they spend more time fielding online requests or delivering vehicles to customers who bought their car from the comfort of their couch, The Journal reports. That means today's sales staff need to be more tech-adept and analytical than before, Mark Rikess, a consultant to dealers, told The Journal. Salespeople have also had to become pros at educating shoppers about today's absurd car market, The Journal reports. That means explaining to frustrated customers that there's a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/used-cars-buying-tips-leasing-chip-shortage-experts-2021-10">chip shortage</a> constricting the number of new cars manufacturers can produce. Haggling on price has become a thing of the past, dealers and salespeople <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/used-cars-shortage-prices-dealers-describe-bizarre-world-upended-business-2021-7">told Insider</a> previously. New cars are selling out before they even hit dealer lots, and they're going for MSRP or higher, they said. That also means that although there are fewer cars to sell, salespeople are earning healthy commissions, the dealers said. On average, buyers are shelling out $278 above suggested retail price for new cars, according to Edmunds. Before the pandemic, discounts of $2,000-$3,000 were typical. With used cars in high demand, dealers have also gotten crafty about getting their hands on secondhand vehicles. As inventories started to slow, Cameron Johnson, who runs the Magic City Auto Group's four dealerships in Virginia, had salespeople scour Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and even newspaper classifieds for cars to sell. They'd get $250 for every vehicle they brought in. Are you a car dealer or salesperson with a story to share about selling vehicles in today's market? Contact this reporter at tlevin@insider.com

The pandemic has killed the car salesperson as we know it

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47612004.cms" /> Former Indian PM <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manmohan-Singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword>, who had never been vocal about his own work during his regime, has now all of a sudden started showing his aggressive side by commenting on PM Modi-led government’s work. While earlier, he had attacked PM Modi when his government had just completed a year at the centre, yesterday, Singh once again raised his voice and called the current Prime Minister of India an “adept salesman, event manager and a better communicator” than him. 
 Singh, who was addressing <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword> Chief Ministers at ‘Chief Ministers Meeting’ held in National Capital, also accused the <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> government of repackaging UPA’s policies. He said: “Many of our initiatives are being repackaged…as something new. I have to acknowledge that my successor has been a more <keyword id="2891052" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="adept-salesman">adept salesman</keyword>, event manager and communicator than me. But the UPA story should not get lost and its solid accomplishments should not be forgotten.” 
 
As per the report published in ET, Singh also said that there was an euphoria that GDP growth has started accelerating once again. “But doubts have been expressed both within and outside the government about the validity of the new GDP numbers. This controversy has to be resolved… Whatever the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister might say, our credibility is under question and doubt.” 
 The conference was convened by party Chief <keyword id="689" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi">Sonia Gandhi</keyword> where Vice-president <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> was also present. Addressing the meet, Sonia Gandhi said that the party has learnt a lesson in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and that “we need to vastly improve our communications and marketing skills, particularly in an era of rapidly changing technology." 
 
Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi too suggested party members to focus on just two-three transformational policies and to make them the most excellent ones. 
 
Image: indiatimes

The war is on! Modi vs Manmohan has never been more interesting

'That's Not All!' Kevin Trudeau, The World's Greatest Salesman, Makes One Last Pitch

<ul class="summary-list"><li>If you've gotten really into credit card rewards in recent years, you're not alone.</li><li>Some Americans go to great lengths to maximize points, sign-up bonuses, and cashback.</li></ul>Aaryan Desai picked up a hobby during quarantine: <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/best-credit-cards">researching</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/transferable-credit-card-points-best-rewards-to-earn">credit card</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/ways-to-use-credit-card-points-beyond-travel">rewards</a>.The 20-year-old swipes as much as he can. Right now he's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/how-to-book-free-travel-cheap-deals-credit-card-rewards">banking points</a> for a concert in October and a big trip after he graduates from Georgia Tech.Desai is part of a new generation of credit card users: young, perks-focused, and ready to maximize. Today's credit cards, he said, are like the coupon books of yore. The perks might not always be the right fit, but, if you figure out a good configuration, you can find some big savings.For Desai and other <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/credit-card-rewards-points-friends-fights-brunch-money-payment-venmo-2024-7">rewards hounds</a>, the realization that they can perform a sort of points arbitrage was a real hook."Just using the money that I would be using otherwise or just getting together with friends and that, 'hey, I can just put it on my card and you can Venmo me later,' opening the door to getting 80,000 points from Chase or 175,000 from American Express — it was a new opportunity," he said, adding: "That's what got me into it."If it seems like the whole country suddenly has credit card point mania, you would be correct: An <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/majority-americans-value-their-credit-card-rewards">Ipsos poll</a> of 1,081 adults conducted from April 31 to May 1 found that 71% of respondents have a rewards or cashback credit card, and 68% said that they prefer using their credit card because of the rewards and points that they can earn.The poll found that a fifth of Americans ages 18 to 34 use their rewards to pay for things they wouldn't be able to afford otherwise. Younger Americans are flocking to previously fancy cards like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-express-platinum-card-gold-gen-z-millennial-rewards-2024-6">American Express</a>, willing to shell out hefty annual fees in exchange for perks like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.coachella.com/amex">exclusive access to Coachella tickets</a>.The rewards are a big reason <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/credit-card-rewards-points-friends-fights-brunch-money-payment-venmo-2024-7">credit cards</a> have become a cultural juggernaut among young Americans. As costs rise and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennial-subsidy-uber-airbnb-prices-surge-pricing-dynamic-2024-8">the millennial subsidy fades</a>, credit card rewards help a new generation live lifestyles they may not otherwise be able to afford: first-class flights, hotel rooms, and VIP concert experiences. It doesn't hurt that social media is full of videos and blogs that offer the tantalizing promise of free trips, luxury lounges, and fancy restaurants — if you can cobble together the right puzzle of points and cards without digging yourself into too much debt.<h2 id="124d8b83-ad11-40eb-84a1-249d4ffa65bd">Living the high life on credit card perks</h2>At first, 29-year-old Willem Van Eck thought the rewards game was a snake oil salesman's gambit. Cut to: He's stretched out in a first-class seat, a glass of bubbly in hand."Wow," he thought, "this actually is a scheme that you can leverage with the right flexibility and with the right research," Van Eck, a software engineer in the Bay Area, said.Credit card rewards work as an incentive to get customers to swipe more. They can come in the form of cashback — which means you get a partial refund for a given purchase in the form of a credit on your bill or a transfer to another account. Or they come as points, which are more nebulous but can typically be used as currency for future purchases. And then there are other perks like hotel credits, airline miles, gift cards, and upgrades like Van Eck's.For instance, the Platinum Card from American Express — often considered one of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-reserve-vs-amex-platinum-card#fees">top cards for rewards</a> — will cost you $695 in annual fees. In return, you'll get five points for every dollar spent on flights and a point for every other dollar spent. On average, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/what-are-points-miles-worth-value#amex-membership-rewards">per BI's calculations</a>, an Amex point is worth 1.8 cents. Say you spend $5,000, $2,500 of which went toward flights; you'd net 15,000 points, which could equal around $270 — a significant chunk of the annual fee.In addition, many cards will also offer substantial sign-up rewards. The Platinum Card offers 80,000 points for spending $8,000 in the first six months of holding the card. Those 80,000 points alone could be worth twice as much as the annual fee.Taking advantage of this system requires diligence and restraint to avoid paying more in interest and fees than you gain in rewards. According to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/feds/files/2023007pap.pdf">a paper</a> looking at who this system hurts and benefits, borrowers who carry balances and businesses — which pay a fee on each credit card transaction — subsidize the fun for the rest of us.Pre-pandemic, Van Eck was chasing cards with high sign-up bonuses, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, because they allowed him to transfer points to airlines so he could book business or first-class seats. During the pandemic, he took note of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/airline-cards-lose-luster-as-coronavirus-persists-11606991400?mod=article_inline">beefed-up bonuses and short-term benefits</a> that companies were offering in an attempt to lure customers; his Delta card offered a $15-a-month dining credit, for instance. That's when Van Eck noticed that more of his Gen Z and millennial friends starting to become adept at navigating their benefits.Van Eck is very cautious of lifestyle creep and ensuring that cards are worth his while, especially amid high interest rates, inflation, and recessionary fears.<iframe title="Average credit card rates" id="datawrapper-chart-XWFOp" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/XWFOp/1/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="454"></iframe>"I've seen most of my peers, including me, reevaluate the value proposition of the cards," he said. Every year, he goes through his list of cards to see which ones paid for themselves without him changing his behavior. If one doesn't, he'll cancel it.But not everyone is as prudent as Van Eck. In the high-paying tech industry where he works, Van Eck still sees people changing their habits to maximize rewards, which he doesn't think is smart. This could be why delinquencies have been on the rise in recent years, with the youngest borrowers leading the pack. After all, credit cards are fun to use. No, really. Contrary to the belief that we overconsume with credit cards because they ease the pain of spending, <a target="_blank" href="https://mitsloan.mit.edu/experts/how-credit-cards-activate-reward-center-our-brains-and-drive-spending">research finds</a> that their bigger appeal is that they make our brains feel like we're getting a reward. All that stands between you and access to that first-class airport lounge are a few taps or swipes.<iframe title="Transition into serious credit card delinquency by age" id="datawrapper-chart-P6oZS" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/P6oZS/3/" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" height="500"></iframe><h2 id="0f454fca-2571-4637-a3e5-c54130cda971">Nothing good lasts</h2>Credit card companies aren't just giving away rewards for free.As Lulu Wang, an assistant professor of finance at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management <a target="_blank" href="https://insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/who-pays-generous-credit-card-rewards#">finds</a>, many businesses will pass on their costs to customers. For example, say you use a 1% cash back rewards credit card at your favorite local coffee shop on $100 worth of coffee for you and your friends. The shop pays a 2% fee on the transaction — $2 — to your card issuer. Then, your card issuer would use some of that 2% fee to give you your 1% back. To cover their fee, the shop might raise their prices."In some sense, when you benefit from those rewards, you're taking that money from some mix of the merchant and other cash and debit card consumers out there in the economy who are then not benefiting from those rewards," Wang said.Perks aren't always a great deal for everyone. Will Springer, a 41-year-old in Indiana, uses his Chase Sapphire Preferred and Amex Platinum cards primarily for perks like travel insurance and car rentals. Since he lives in a more rural area, an Equinox gym membership benefit is moot, and he can't really use the Uber benefit offered — he sometimes converts it into food delivery credit for Uber Eats.Other loyal credit card point users say you can't bank on your favorite perks sticking around. Brandon Zemel, a 32-year-old music producer in Las Vegas, puts pretty much everything on a credit card. He has two cards, the Chase Sapphire Reserved with a higher annual fee that's more travel-catered, and the Chase Freedom Unlimited, which has a fairly flat return on points. He said his travel card shaves hundreds of dollars off of his expenses, and he loves to use his points to get himself onto seat upgrade lists.But Zemel recently lost a hugely useful travel benefit: a "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-reserve-card-ending-priority-pass-restaurant-benefit/">priority pass</a>" that could be converted into a $28 dining credit for both him and a guest."It seems to be a thing these days that every year, two years, three years, these companies devalue their product or their perks provided by their product," Zemel said. "And I guess to some extent it's to be expected, but it does kind of remind you that the things that you currently enjoy are not necessarily going to be here long term."As Zemel has seen during his time as a cardholder, the rewards craze has basically "grown exponentially," propelled by popular blogs and TikTokers. That can also dim the appeal of previously exclusive perks, like overcrowded airport lounges."People got really used to anyone with a pulse basically having some kind of access to the lounge at the airports," he said. Now, Delta has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnn.com/travel/delta-ceo-bastian-skymiles-changes/index.html">recognized</a> that it had too many elite cardholders — leading it, in some cases, to restrict access to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/credit-cards/delta-sky-club-credit-card-access">lounges</a> to higher spenders.It's what Wang says is an example of "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-money-cant-buy_b_1442128">skyboxification</a>" — an increasing stratification of life among haves and have-nots, like a baseball stadium that's divided between crowds in the stands and richer fans in box seats."I can totally understand this looming dread that society is getting splintered into those who have access to this kind of stuff and those who don't," Wang said.I can relate to this sentiment. At a music festival this summer, I learned that my Chase Sapphire credit card would let me skip the line and access an air-conditioned tent with free water.However, when I arrived I learned a hard truth: I actually needed the card one tier above mine to get in. For one brief moment, as I gazed at the sparse crowd inside, I thought about applying on the spot. But I ultimately decided it wasn't in my best interest to incur a higher annual fee and open another line of credit.And yet, as I stood among the packed and sweaty masses, waiting nearly an hour to get food and water, I felt haunted by the skybox appeal. Would a new credit card do anything positive for my finances? Most likely not. Would it make me feel like a VIP at this event? Definitely. Maybe I'll try to get the Sapphire Reserve before next year's festival.Are you passionate about your credit card rewards? Have you gotten into debt trying to play the points game? Contact this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:jkaplan@businessinsider.com">jkaplan@businessinsider.com</a>.

Welcome to credit card points mania

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59b9498d9803c5df008b5506-700/1-t5pc1id5m30w3hhs-fqjgq.png" alt="Heart of Texas" data-mce-source="Screenshot/Facebook" />Screenshot/FacebookThe memes posted in the group contained typos, grammatical errors, and a general unfamiliarity with basic English phrases. Many didn't make any sense.</div></div></div>A Russia-linked Facebook group asked a Texas secessionist movement if it would participate in a series of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-group-russia-texas-anti-immigrant-rallies-2017-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">anti-immigrant, anti-Hillary Clinton rallies</a> it was planning to hold across the state last November, the group's president told Business Insider on Thursday."When they decided to start doing all these 'Texit' rallies, they reached out and wanted us to participate," said Daniel Miller, the president of the Texas Nationalist Movement. "And we said 'thanks, but no thanks.'"The Facebook group,<a href="https://extranewsfeed.com/how-russia-created-the-most-popular-texas-secession-page-on-facebook-fd4dfd05ee5c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> called Heart of Texas,</a> had over 225,000 followers as of last summer. It was shut down last week as part of Facebook's takedown of accounts and pages "affiliated with one another and likely operated out of Russia," a Facebook spokesman told Business Insider on Wednesday.Russia has a long history of working to cultivate Western separatist groups. The group Yes California, for instance, <a href="http://www.yescalifornia.org/statement_opening_culture_center_in_moscow">set up a makeshift embassy</a> in Moscow <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yes-california-moscow-embassy-russia-2016-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">in December</a> in partnership with <a href="http://anti-global.ru/?p=19183&amp;lang=en">far-right</a> <a href="http://anti-global.ru/?p=19183&amp;lang=en">Russian nationalists</a> who enjoy Kremlin support while promoting secessionist movements in Europe and the United States.But the revelation that the Texas Nationalist Movement - which<a href="https://texasnationalist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> says its mission</a> is to "secure and protect the political, cultural, and economic independence of the nation of Texas" - was contacted to participate in widespread protests by a page Facebook believes to be linked to Russia marks a significant escalation in the Russians' efforts to influence the United States' political climate. Miller said the group had heard from the Heart of Texas Facebook page before. He said an administrator had reached out via Facebook messenger when the page first launched several years ago. Miller said a "gentleman living north of Houston" who seemed legitimate "identified himself as the admin of the page," which at the time was just posting "a bunch of Texas pride memes.""The character of the page changed over time," Miller said. "It got very political."Miller would not provide names of the Facebook users who contacted the Texas Nationalist Movement claiming to be Heart of Texas administrators. But he said their accounts, which had photos of their family members and friends, "didn't seem" fake.As The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/13/us/politics/russia-facebook-election.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported this week</a>, however, entities believed to be Russian have become highly adept at impersonating real people.After the Times determined that a profile of someone named "Melvin Redick" was fake, a 36-year-old salesman from Brazil stepped forward and confirmed that his family photos had been stolen and used to create the "Melvin" persona. The online version of "Melvin" spread Russian propaganda on Facebook and was shut down as part of the company's purge. Several signs pointed to the Heart of Texas page being a Russian influence operation, including a lack of contact information and ads and a corresponding Twitter account created in November 2015. That was right around the time Facebook experienced a surge in Russia-linked, fake accounts, said Russia expert <a href="https://twitter.com/cjcmichel?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Casey Michel</a>, who tracked the group over several months.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59baef6f9803c5b3308b5a06-639/1-sg8y9qzvieuin15iipikbg.png" alt="heart of texas" data-mce-source="Screenshot/Facebook" />Screenshot/FacebookAnother meme created by, and posted in, Heart of Texas.</div></div></div>Its "about" section read only: "Texas's the land protected by Lord."Perhaps the most revealing clue that Heart of Texas was not a project spearheaded by dissatisfied Texans was the language: The memes posted in the group contained typos, grammatical errors, and a general unfamiliarity with basic English phrases.Miller said he didn't notice any typos in his interactions with the administrators "beyond what you'd expect in a Facebook conversation."But he said that while the Facebook user that reached out to the his group several years ago seemed to be a legitimate Heart of Texas administrator, the user who contacted the Texas Nationalist Movement about the rallies in November claimed to be asking on behalf of an administrator."I wound up handling the first inbound message" about the rallies, Miller said. "It was someone new that we'd never heard from before." But his group decided to take a pass, he said, because while they "ostensibly were Texit rallies, no one could really tell us who was organizing it, or anything about the logistics.""And anyway, Texans are not big rally-goers," Miller said. The Facebook group transformed from a nativist, anti-Hillary Clinton meme machine into an organizing force in late October, when it created a Facebook event for a "Texit statewide rally" titled "Get ready to secede!"The event called on Texans in major cities like Fort Worth, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, and Austin to protest "establishment robbers" and "higher taxes to feed undocumented aliens." It further claimed that a "Killary Rotten Clinton" victory would lead to an influx of "refugees, mosques, and terrorist attacks."The page also created "an approximate map" for the rallies and explained, in awkward English, "what will be happening" at the event."Signing the petition, delivering speeches, Texas flags and signs waving, open carry, getting media coverage, producing photo and video content to spread on social media," the post said. "This is how we'll bring more awareness about our real needs. God bless y'all!"The group said it would pass along the rallygoers' information to the Texas Nationalist Movement. But Miller said the group never followed through on that. In any case, he said, the Texas Nationalist Movement was never inclined to coordinate with Heart of Texas to begin with. "Anyone can set up a Facebook page," he said. "It doesn't impress us." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-touts-1986-tax-law-called-same-law-disaster-1991-video-footage-joan-rivers-2017-8">Trump touts the 1986 US tax reform law as 'something special' - here's footage of him calling it a 'disaster' in 1991</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/uwYNtWv6-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

You Searched For "adept salesman" and got 6 results

The pandemic has killed the car salesperson as we know it

Tim Levin

The war is on! Modi vs Manmohan has never been more interesting

BI India Bureau

'That's Not All!' Kevin Trudeau, The World's Greatest Salesman, Makes One Last Pitch

Aaron Gell

Welcome to credit card points mania

Juliana Kaplan

Texas secession movement: Russia-linked Facebook group asked us to participate in anti-Clinton rallies

Natasha Bertrand

Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran reveals how getting dumped for her secretary and sending 1 gutsy email helped turn her into a business mogul

Daniel Richards,Alyson Shontell