Automotive dealers are funny people. They never want a story — they just want the bottom line: How many did you sell today, and how much did you make? However, your customers do want the story — and more. That's where you need to learn how to sell yourself. A good auto salesperson will know how to dress and how to speak the auto sales lingo.
To get a car sales job, you do not have to necessarily know the auto industry, but general sales skills are important if you want to be tops in auto sales. Sales jobs in the auto industry have many duties depending upon the size and type of dealership you want to work with. A small dealer may have his car salesperson doing everything from stocking the new and used vehicles to completing the finance paperwork with the customers. Larger dealerships usually have other people who attend to the stocking of vehicles and a finance department that helps people through their contract signing.
Automotive sales jobs will also give you a chance to receive training from the manufacturer about their products. These are not college credit classes, but as you move throughout your auto sales career, such training courses look good on your resume. So, if the dealer you work for offers them, take them!
So, how do you get one of these automotive sales jobs? First, you need to take a good look at yourself. Describe your appearance. Do you dress for success? If not, change that first! Second, how are your communication skills? It is a good idea, beyond having good communication skills in general, to be bilingual in English and Spanish in the United States. Third, you may know the ''what'' you are selling — cars and trucks — but how are you going to sell them? Derive a good marketing plan and utilize all the manufacturer's brochures, tools, training, and co-workers to help you develop the best marketing plan.
If you have these three basic steps, you will be able to land an auto sales job with ease. The auto sales industry is a funny industry in that people are more savvy than they used to be, especially with the use of the Internet. You can expect your auto sales customers to know as much about the vehicle you are selling as you do — including the price! Remember, however, that there are a few pieces of information that manufacturers do not release to consumer resource places, so you do have some advantage there in your auto sales job. For instance, customers will not know what the dealer holdback is on any given vehicle, nor will they know the destination charges or advertising charges that are built into an automobile, so you have those as bargaining tools. Make sure you are aware of all of these (keep available charts close by for reference).
Be informed in your auto sales job. Know what cars both women and men are looking at. Know what colors sell best, and suggest to your dealer that you stock those colors. Be aware of your market area in your car sales job, advertise, and let them know who you are and what hours you will be there to serve them. Invest in post cards and stamps. The cost of stamps for post cards is not as expensive as regular stamps, so you can make an easy post-card advertisement with your business card and a note. Visit local shopping malls and grocery stores and put your business card under the windshield of every vehicle to help you get noticed in your auto sales job. People claim they do not like this sort of advertisement, but they do keep the ones they might need in the future.
Gone are the days of the automotive sales jobs where the person was a fast talker and people were out the door before they knew what they bought! You should be able to clearly understand every option on every vehicle you sell, from the key in the ignition to the trunk lock location. You should be able to maneuver the sunroof and easily show potential buyers how a tourneau cover works.
Promoting add-ons such as service contracts, window tinting, and security coding will also be a part of your car sales job. If the company you work for sells more than one kind, it is good to learn about each one, their features, and what would work best for the customer standing in front of you.
If you think you have what it takes to land a sales job in the auto industry and feel that automotive sales are right for you, visit SellingCrossing.com. SellingCrossing.com, a division of EmploymentCrossing, searches thousands of websites for auto sales jobs and organizes them into one easy-to-search database. You can search the database by salary scale, area, and keyword.
At SellingCrossing, you will also find job profile videos in which experts in the auto sales job industry discuss what skills you need to possess. SellingCrossing also offers numerous articles on automotive sales jobs and tips on getting the job you want now. Check out SellingCrossing today and search for auto sales jobs using keywords to narrow your auto sales job search. Soon, you will be on your way to a great career in the automotive sales job industry!
