KR Newspapers: Women Salespeople Finding a Place in Auto Showrooms

From a copywritten story appearing in KR newspapers. They hear the refrain daily: "Um ... I was looking for a salesman." Some reply with a polite "I'm a saleswoman, how can I help you?" Others use the opportunity to make a joke - "Congratulations! You've found her." They're women, and they sell cars. There aren't many auto saleswomen. Around the country, only 7.7 percent of sales staff at franchised dealerships are women. But auto industry leaders say that's changing, if slowly. It has to, they say. Women's buying power is stronger than ever before, and still growing. The industry estimates that women buy about half the cars sold in the United States -- and that women have significant input into as much as 80 percent of all car purchases. The number of women buying cars has risen in recent decades, those in the industry say. That's due to several factors, including more women entering the work force, women's growing earning potential and more multiple-car families.