What Are the Duties of a Buy-Here-Pay-Here Manager?

• Buy-Here-Pay-Here Car Stores give people with little or no credit an opportunity to buy a car. Stockbroker/Valueline/Getty Images

  Buy-Here-Pay-Here (BHPH) is a growing part of the auto dealership industry because of the economic downturn. BHPHs sell and finance the buying of used cars and will give credit to almost anyone.

  It is a challenging job that can be satisfying by helping people to reestablish credit while also providing the consumer with a means of transportation. Opportunities for management positions exist in both single location car lots and national BHPH chains.

Responsibilities of BHPH Manager

• For many, the only way to buy a car is through a BHPH used car lot. full parking lot image by Aaron Kohr from Fotolia.com

  Businesses exist to make a profit. Every decision a manager makes, in the end, has to meet the goal of profitability. Therefore, the paramount goal of a BHPH manager is to increase profitability by managing well. Profit and loss (P/L) is the responsibility of the manager. This means keeping expenses down and income up. Profit is the difference between the two.

  Besides a good stock of cars, the most important asset a dealership has is its employees. A BHPH manager hires staff, motivates the staff and provides them with continuous training.

  Although the manager must be profit driven, she has to make every attempt to help sales staff reach their sales goals. One way of doing this is to set and enforce achievable telemarketing, prospecting and sales appointment goals for the sales staff.

  The manager of BHPH operation has to supervise and check lot activities. This means making sure cars are well displayed and kept clean. The manager also has to observe on-going lot activity and if needed assist a sales staff member in closing a sale.

Qualities Employers Want in BHPH Manager

• To fulfill the responsibilities of a Buy-Here-Pay-Here Manager employers seek certain qualities in a candidate for this position.

  She has to be a hands-on leader who can sell and is willing to when times are busy. Being a hands-on leader places the manager in a position to be a great motivator and trainer.

  Most employers want to hire a manager who has experience, at least at the sales manager level with a auto dealership. Buy-Here-Pay-Here experience is preferred.

  As profit is so important, the manager must be able to read and understand a financial statement.

  The manager must be patient and able to mentor the sales force and have the ability to monitor the staff and make needed improvements.

  The BHPH manager must be aware of the corporate culture and adapt her management style to follow corporate selling processes. She must be able to work within the existing management structure.

The Real Business of BHPH

• Selling cars is not the "real" business of Buy-Here-Pay-Here car dealerships. Financing the cars is. These lots buy cheap but serviceable used cars and sell at a profit. However, the real money in the business is in self-financing. Interest is high, usually the maximum allowed by law. This is where the most profit comes from. Hence, while BHPH managers must know cars and how to sell them, she must also excel at evaluating risk.