Whether you’ve just started a career selling vehicles or you’ve been an automotive salesperson for many years, working in automotive sales can be a challenging, rewarding and exciting job. Below, you’ll find a series of tips and suggestions that can help you close more sales, develop stronger relationships with buyers and become (even better) at selling vehicles.
Read the full article or jump to a specific section:
- No Buyer Is the Same as Another
- Remember: They’re at the Dealership For A Reason
- Always Be Honest
- Buying a Vehicle Is Based on Emotion
- Don’t Trash Other Car Dealers
- Dress for Success
- Avoid Pushing Too Hard For Sales
- When Someone Says They’ll Be Back, Be Sure to Follow Up
- Pay Attention To All Potential Customers
- Know the Cars on Your Lot
- Read Between the Lines
- People Like to Talk — Let Them
- Listen More Than You Speak
- Don’t Be Overly Aggressive
- Always Follow Up
- Final Inspection
- Enthusiasm and Attitude
- Protect Your Inventory
Selling Tips to Improve Your Sales
There are countless tips and good ideas that can help you become a more effective automotive salesperson. Here are some of our top recommendations on how to get more customers as a car salesman or saleswoman:
1. No Buyer Is the Same as Another
Each automotive shopper is working with a different budget, has unique needs and comes from a different background than the previous buyer. If you think every transaction is going to be the same because every buyer is the same, you’re going to lose a lot of sales. Customers have different reasons for wanting to purchase a vehicle, whether it’s new or used. It’s almost never just about the money. Treat each customer as an individual, understand their needs, and it will naturally boost sales.
2. Remember: They’re at the Dealership For A Reason
The number one reason that people visit a dealership is because they ultimately want to purchase a vehicle. It seems straightforward, but whether they buy that vehicle at your dealership depends on you. People looking for a new car or truck can just as easily shop online these days. How they make their choices has less to do with price and more to do with the buying experience. Automotive buyers are looking for a salesperson they can trust to give them a fair deal on a good vehicle, and an in-person shopping experience allows them to get a much better sense of the inventory, service department and more.
3. Always Be Honest
People are typically suspicious of automotive salespeople because they believe you may stretch the truth in order to get them to make a purchase, or dance around answers to their questions. Honesty is the best policy. If you don’t know the answer to a question, tell them that you don’t know but that you will find out for them right away — and then do so. If a buyer has a question, give an honest answer.
4. Buying a Vehicle Is Based on Emotion
Buying a vehicle isn’t just about money. Think about buying a vehicle the way your customer typically thinks about it; a little afraid but a lot of excitement. They want to make sure they get a good deal. Even if your prospect tells you that they are working with a limited budget, that certainly doesn’t mean they’re still not interested in getting a good car. Help them enjoy the car-buying experience. Treat your customers as if they own the dealership. If they have a positive emotional reaction towards you and their relationship with you, it’s more likely they’ll make their automotive purchase with you.
5. Don’t Trash Other Car Dealers
Want to turn off your customers as fast as you can? Spend a lot of time talking about how they can’t trust any of the other dealerships in town. Automotive buyers want to know why they should buy a car from you, not why they shouldn’t buy a car from someone else. There is always the possibility they’ve already visited other dealerships, didn’t like what they saw there and came to you instead. Focus on the positives of getting a vehicle at your dealership in order to build trust.
6. Dress for Success
If you want to impress potential buyers as a professional, dress like a professional and act the part. Wear clean clothes, opting to slightly over-dress. Be confident and positive. First impressions are important!
7. Avoid Pushing Too Hard For Sales
In most auto dealerships, salespeople work on a quota. If you haven’t reached your quota towards the end of the month, you can understandably feel the pressure to sell. It’s best not to convey this to potential customers. Instead, the impression that you want to convey is that you are helping them learn more about the vehicles on your lot, not that you’re pushing to meet a sales quota.
8. When Someone Says They’ll Be Back, Be Sure to Follow Up
Someone who wants to buy a vehicle — but doesn’t want to buy it from you — often will tell you they need to look around more or talk to their spouse, but they’ll be back. While this is true on some occasions, the reality is that most often, they won’t. Experienced automotive salespeople know that people typically say this because they’re not interested. In this case, offering to follow up on a question they had or checking back with them via email or phone can help improve your chances with these types of customers.
9. Pay Attention To All Potential Customers
Very often, a married couple or parents with a teenager will come together to look for a vehicle. Many salespeople make the mistake of only speaking to the husband or the parent. You never know who the final decision maker might be for this purchase, so it’s best to engage with all potential customers who walk into the dealership. Find out who the vehicle is for and ask what each person is looking for out of the purchase. Even if it’s not going to be their car, they may still have expectations and things they need for it to provide to the entire family.
