How I Created a Business Out of Thin Air—At a Car Dealership

byshawn8183

160 followers

3 days ago

Hey fam,

The car that created a business for me
Sometimes, business opportunities don’t come from months of planning or deep research. Sometimes, they show up when you least expect them—like when you’re out shopping for a car.

My wife and I had been looking for a newer vehicle. Her current one was starting to wear down, and she wanted something a little more reliable. So, like any other couple, we headed to a local dealership, browsed the lot, and started looking at cars.

Now, here’s the thing—the car was already sold.

Not officially, but I already knew my wife was going to buy it. This was the exact car she wanted. It had the right features, the right price, and everything lined up perfectly. The final decision was hers—I was just there to sign. The salesman didn’t know that, though.

As far as he was concerned, he still had to work for the sale, still had to push, still had to “close” me. But I knew better. She was going to buy today no matter what.

That’s when I thought to myself:

“If we’re walking out of here with a new car anyway, I might as well make this deal worth my while How I Created a Business Out of Thin Air—At a Car Dealership

Instead of just playing along with the car-buying process, I shifted the conversation. I let him do his usual salesman routine—talking up the car, the financing, the “special deal” he was offering—but then I hit him with something he wasn’t expecting.

I asked:

“How’s business? Are you generating enough leads?”

That got his attention. Instead of focusing on selling me the car, he started talking about lead generation.

Before I knew it, he was venting about how much they were spending—thousands of dollars a month—on outside companies running SEO and paid lead generation. He was frustrated. He needed leads, but the cost was cutting into his commission.

Now, I had him exactly where I wanted him.

I introduced him to Wealthy Affiliate and explained how it could help him build an online business from the ground up. I told him:

✔️ They teach you how to generate leads.

✔️ They teach you how to run ads the right way.

✔️ They teach you how to set up SEO properly to attract organic traffic.

✔️ They teach you how to scale a business efficiently.

I explained that instead of spending thousands each month on lead services, he could learn how to generate his own leads—and even turn around and sell leads to the other salesmen in his dealership.

He was interested—but hesitant.

So, I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse.

The Deal That Changed Everything

I told him:

“I’ll generate leads for you at $100 per lead—no risk, just results.”

He loved it.

But I didn’t stop there.

I negotiated an extra $200 per car sold from those leads, meaning that if someone I send actually buys, I make $300 per sale.

Now, I had two revenue streams:

✔️ $100 per lead—whether they buy or not.

✔️ $200 per sale—if they buy a car.

I told him I’d need about a week and a half to set up the system, build the ads, and start driving traffic. To show him this was the real deal, I even offered a few free leads to start.

Why I Don’t Fully Trust the Dealership (And Why You Should Always Have a Contract)

Now, here’s the thing—I’ve dealt with car salesmen before. They’re great guys, but they’re hard pushers. At the end of the day, their number one goal is making money, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to back out of a deal when it was convenient for them.

That’s why I’m not doing this without a contract.

Right now, I’m drawing up a business arrangement in writing—an agreement that guarantees:

✔️ I get paid for every lead I generate.

✔️ I get my $200 referral fee for every sale.

✔️ I’m covered for my ad spend and time.

It’s not about not trusting people—it’s about protecting yourself in business. Too many people jump into handshake deals and get burned when the money starts rolling in.

A simple written agreement protects both sides—they get their leads and sales, and I get my payment. Win-win.

The Bigger Picture—Why Stop at One Dealership?

After making this deal, a thought hit me:

Why can’t I do this at every dealership in town?

And here’s where it gets even better.

When I start approaching other dealerships, I’m not just walking in empty-handed. I’ll be bringing proof of results.

I’ll take copies of:

✔️ My ad spend reports

✔️ The actual leads I generated

✔️ How many cars were sold from my leads

This way, I can walk into the next dealership and say:

“Here’s what I’ve already done for another dealership in town. Here are the results. I can do the same for you.”

Now, I don’t have to convince them—I have data that speaks for itself.

What’s Next?

Next Thursday, I’ll be sitting down to sign the contract and collecting my first commission check for the ad spend and my time.

I wanted to write this blog to help anybody that may be struggling to make a little bit of money.

Maybe in your town, there’s a car guy struggling.

Maybe you’re great at generating leads but don’t know where to find customers who need them.

Here’s a prime example. Feel free to use this all you want.

That’s why I post stuff like this—the more I can help others learn and make money, the better it helps me too.

Thanks for letting me share. I hope you guys take a lot of value from this blog.

You’re all awesome—keep up the great work, and hopefully, this can help someone else down the road.

Cheers!

Shawn