Sales in 1976, what has changed in 2008?

In 1976 I moved from New York to Chicago and worked for a domestic dealer who sold 7000 vehicles a year. Different time and culture but some things never change. We would spot 40 units on a slow Saturday and the box is where all the money was made, not in the sale but in the after sale.  The Finance Manager was king and every one would leave as a customer.
The Sales Person had twenty minutes to get a commitment or T.O. to the closer who got the job done. The pressure was to make the sale since, follow up; relation based database, let alone digital CRM’s did not exist.  Make the sale now at all costs. We had control of the process and the consumer.  The methods used then would put you in jail in today’s business world but were common practices in the sixties and seventies.
What has changed is the informed consumer; the Internet, but a large percentage of dealers still operate mentally the same way we did thirty years ago. Make the sales person go back and forth and try to wear the consumer down and then bring in the closer. We are afraid to empower, train and nurture the Sales Person so that they can handle the sale from the beginning to where they turn over the client to the Business office. How many still don’t follow up?
With all the technology that is available we still have allegiance to the philosophy that the Desk must control the sale. Wrong the Desk and the Sales Person can control the sale with the right process and system that helps empower the Sales Person. Add a strong work plan process that Manager and Sale Person together follow and you will succeed in changing your business forever.