Ken Reffsin has been a sales manager at Joe Perillo BMW for more than a decade. He recently sat down with Windy City Times to talk about everything from his dream car to being out on the job to the Chicago Auto Show.
Windy City Times: What does being an Internet sales manager encompass?
Ken Reffsin: That means that if you go to Perillo's website, I generally will get that lead. If you go to Edmunds.com or KellyBlueBook.comif you're going anywhere on the Internet to search for a new car and you submit a request for information, it's going to come to my mailbox. I used to not take sales off the floor; it would just come through the Internet. But now I take them off the floor, through phone callsany way I can take it.
WCT: What do you like about working here?
Ken Reffsin: I love the clientele. I love the product. I love the location. I love the people I work with. It's all fun.
WCT: Is there a down side?
Ken Reffsin: The down side would be that it doesn't leave a lot of time for other thingsbut I wouldn't want to spend time doing anything else. Yesterday was my day off, and I was here, which took me away from running some important errands. There's always something going on.
WCT: What's your background? How did you come to be at Joe Perillo?
Ken Reffsin: I went to the University of Arizona, where I majored in psychology and fine artsactually, a lot of things that are connected with selling cars.
I really came here out of a midlife crisis. I'd been in the apparel business for 12 years ( in the late '90s ) ; retailers were shrinking and going of business, and business methods were changing. So I had a showroom in the Apparel Center, closed that. Then, I worked for a couple of Internet companies trying to put women's clothing manufacturers online. Unfortunately, we didn't make any money, and that Internet bubble burst.
I didn't work for some timeI went through headhunters, psychotherapists, career counselors, you name it. I even bought Tony Robbins CDs. At dinner one night with my friends, I mentioned that I had bought these CDs, and a good friend asked, "How much were they?" I said, "$210." He said, "You ought to have electroshock therapy. You're returning those discs." I had no money so I had no business spending $210 on these CDs, so I returned them.
I've always had a passion for cars; I knew everything about them. I lived around the corner from here, so I got the balls together, walked in here and walked right up to Joe Perillobut, at the time, I didn't know it was him. I asked if Joe Perillo was here and he said, "I'm Joe." I asked if he had anyone doing Internet sales. We sat and talked for five minutes, and he said, "You're hired." Then I said, "Oh, I don't know that I want this." He said, "If you show up on Monday, I'll know that you took the joband, just for the record, I don't care if you come to work in a candy-striper uniform." That was him letting me know that he knew I was gay and that he didn't care.
It's a very gay-friendly showroom and I'm very out here. We have a gay clientele. It doesn't matter [ who you are ] ; if you want to buy a car, I will sell you a car.
WCT: In this economy, how are you doing?
Ken Reffsin: Excellent. There was a timein 2008, when the economy was tankingwhen we sold more used cars than new cars. Luckily, my boss had foresight and bought every used car he could. BMW has auctions all over the country so he bought as many [ as possible ] . We have the largest selection of used cars anywhere so when the economy tanked we never really skipped a beat.
As the economy has rebounded, and manufacturers need to sell new cars, we have great support deals. BMW is very proactive when it comes to selling cars. Everyone wants a deal, and now is a great time to get one. So if you have cash and credit, now's a great time. I'll sell anythingAndrew, I'll put a "For sale" sign on you right now. [ Laughs ]
I primarily focus on new cars. There is a strong used-car business, but someone else primarily handles those leads. That's a whole other business because used cars are so individual that no two are alike.
WCT: I can't imagine that it's a pleasant thing having to tell someone that he or she doesn't qualify.
Ken Reffsin: No, it's not a pleasant thing but they typically know what they're trying to do and that they may not qualify. The interesting thing is if someone doesn't qualify, then why are you trying to buy a BMW? You should be trying to buy a lesser brand. There's nothing wrong with that, but if you have damaged credit you don't need a BMW right now. It's better that you buy a lesser-brand car, pay for it for two or three years and establish your credit; then come back and you'll have a better chance of getting a higher-end car.
WCT: I think it goes back to something I heard Suze Orman say once: People buy things to impress people they don't even know.
Ken Reffsin: That's very true. But it also fuels their own desire: Who wouldn't want a BMW? It's the ultimate driving machine.
WCT: That leads me to my next question: What is your dream car?
Ken Reffsin: My dream car would probably be a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SE 3.5 convertible. But it's funnyI used to like cars a lot more before I was in this business. It's like an interior designer whose own house may look like a shambles or a dentist who may have rotten teeth but who makes everyone else's teeth look beautiful. Now, in the car business, I'm more about fulfilling other people's desires than my own.
WCT: You've been to the Chicago Auto Show. What's been really memorable?
Ken Reffsin: I love that you can see every make and model. It's lots of fun to go see the sightsthe cars and the people alike.
WCT: Is there anything you wish to add?
Ken Reffsin: It's a great time to buy a car, and BMW makes a great product. The Perillos have actually now bought the Gold Coast Bentley dealership, and have Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini and Bugatti.
See www.PerilloBMW.com .