As a car salesperson, what is the best way to learn about a car brand so I can hit my sales target?
As a former sales manager who worked with a few good salespeople, I'll tell you that the best all did the following:1. They never forgot a car and/or a face. You don't have to remember names, but you've got to be able to recognize cars and/or faces.2. They were organized. One of the great salespeople I worked with (sold 20 cars month in and month out) had a sophisticated filing system in his desk. Another one (who typically sold 30-40 cars a month) had a full-time assistant he paid out of his own pocket. Both people were very organized.Organization is key to success, as it means you never forget to follow-up with a prospect, touch base with your former clients, etc.3. Work the phones. The phone is a salesperson's best friend. Email is too passive, and walking the point is too random. Phone calls, however, give you the best chance you have to sell a car short of having a buyer in front of you.4. Never pre-qualify - talk to everyone. Don't assume the guy in the service area is "just here for an oil change." Talk to him. Don't assume the young couple looking at the brand new $60k SUV can't afford the payments. Don't assume the disheveled-looking man has bad credit. Etc. You never know where a deal may be lurking.5. Get people to like you; Find a way to make them laugh. The best car salespeople I've worked with weren't great at closing (most of them were average), didn't know much about the product (one guy was famous for having no Earthly idea about features or content...couldn't even tell you if a car had a V8 or a 4-cylinder), and didn't subscribe to any specific sales process or method.Instead, they just tried to make a friend. They were funny, they were kind, they were good at listening, etc. They were likable. That was their greatest strength.6. Hustle. Great salespeople never sit at their desk and read the paper. They never kibitz with the other salespeople about a recent up, never goof off in service or parts, etc. They just come into work, hit the phones, make appointments, and do paperwork. They don't waste any working minute.7. Don't be greedy. Greed is bad...it convinces you to do things that hurt your relationship with customers. It encourages you to treat a "mini" differently, to ignore opportunities that might generate a sale (and a lifetime customer), etc. One of the great guys I worked with always talked about pigs and hogs...pigs get fat, but hogs go to slaughter. Just be a pig - don't be a hog.Good luck!
How can I become a good car salesman? I want to understand everything about cars and make sales.
Think of yourself in the “people” business, not the car business. With the internet, your customers will come in knowing more about the car than you - the product knowledge expert.Listen to what’s important to them. I mean really actively listen to them. You have 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason. They will tell you how they want to be sold.Follow the steps to the sale; this is tried-and-true. Don’t skip steps. Don’t be scared nor distracted when a customer says “I’m just looking” or “I’m not buying.” Keep moving forward. Sell on your feet and close on your seat. Be bold. Be fearless. Most importantly, be persistent.I was in F&I and the new car sales manager at a Mazda store for over 3 years; my top producer consistently made $110K each year. At a MAZDA store! He was a monster. He was relentless. Every now and then he would piss off a customer. And he would piss me off when he would take an “up” at 9pm on a Saturday night! I knew I’d be there (with him) ’til midnight.But this is what it takes to be a top producer. You don’t have to piss people off. But you will have to do things that others won’t want to do. And you’ll have to say/ask things that others won’t want to say/ask.Find yourself a real mentor. This can be and F&I guy or a sales manager in your store. You should role play with this individual. And/or find yourself a virtual mentor. Grant Cardone is a guy that I follow. He’s a pro’s pro. Read his books, listen to his podcasts, watch his YouTube videos. Most importantly, implement what you learn!Lastly, sales is all about initiative. Even though you may be a W-2 employee, you need to have the self-employed mindset. It’s about doing everything you can ethically do to get the job done. This cannot be taught. It has to come from the inside. Read “A Message to Garcia” by Elbert Hubbard. It’s all bout initiative.Good luck!
How can I become a good car salesman at 20 years old?
The keys to be a successful sales person are the same no matter what the product.Get to know your customer. Learn why they came into your business, what problem they are trying to solve, and only then suggest a couple of possible solutions that would work for them.Pay attention to the verbal and nonverbal signals. Every sale runs through four stages - collecting information (what do I want to buy?), establishing credibility (why should I buy from you?), agreeing on price/terms (how much will I pay?), and establishing the post-close relationship (how do I engage with you for service, and would I recommend you to the next potential buyer?). Every buyer moves these four steps at different rates and has different buttons that either make the experience positive or negative. Don’t rush the buyer, but definitely lead them through all 4 stages.Develop comfort in being told “No.” They usually are not rejecting you, but rather the product you are offering - it just isn’t right for them, or not right at this specific moment. Most customers get input about 3–8 different solutions before settling on the one they will purchase. So, in normal circumstances, you’ll face 2–7 rejections for every successful close. Get over the rejections quickly and realize sales is a volume game, where the number of people you engage is most important, not what percent of the time you close.Be knowledgeable and passionate about your product, but have humility. Often, your customer walks in knowing more about the product than you do, just from studying the specs and looking at competitor offerings. She will likely know more about competitors than anyone in your office. If you can get to know the competitor offerings, do so. That way you can highlight the advantages that are relevant for this customer at this time. And when your customer already knows what you want to tell them, go back to point one above - find out why they are in your office today.
Q 1: Consider yourself as a salesperson, How will you treat skeptic and aggressive customers?
I would love to know your product or service. In addition I would have like to have known if the salesperson is having difficulties on occasion or more often then not. Telemarketing or cold calling is key also. So without having all the details my answer would be… take several steps back and evaluate the salesperson’s knowledge of the product/service and how he/she relates to all walks of people. Also evaluate how the salesperson presents him/herself and the company. You create skeptical and aggressive customers, it’s very rare for them to start out that way! The question should be “How do you prevent a customer from becoming skeptical and/or aggressive?” If you send me the details I could give you clear steps how to solve the problem.
Why do most car salesmen have a reputation for being total dirtbags?
Scott made alot of good points. Both buyers and dealers can be to blame and there are plenty of times a customer goes into a dealership with some hot headed attitude and guess what, they get that treatment right back at them. Some of these so called advice websites tell customers to basically go into dealerships trying to demand things that they aren't entitled to. They aren't non profit organizations and things like holdback and dealer cash is to help them keep the lights on in their place of business. I think before anyone starts bashing car sales, try doing it. Go into a job where people instantly stereotype you, treat you like a crook and then go home and raise your family with a smile. There are plenty of those dealerships that sell cars at the 'lowest price' going out of business everyday, so don't worry. Soon enough, all the good sales associates will leave the business and you will be buying cars from high school and college kids who don't know a thing about the car they are selling. There are alot of good sales associates out there and there are crooks. Its the same in every business that runs off commission based pay. But if you go into a dealership to try negotiating and go for the so called best deal, more than half the time, you end with a car you didn't even want. Then you become a statistic 9 months later when you try to trade out of the car and realize that maybe you should have bought the car you wanted in the first place, rather than buy from the dealership that took off the most money from the sales price.
Should I go into car sales now? Or try it after college?
Hi folks, I need some advice here. I'm a 20 year old college student (2nd year) and have really started to make some career choices. I'm a finance/accounting major at a community college, with plans to transfer to a four year school after next semester. I'm considering car sales as a potential career. My father is a general manager of a Hyundai dealership. He makes good money, but hates the hours and the people. He thinks, based on my personality, that I would do very well. And, if I do well enough, he wouldn't hesitate to let me become a finance manager (big $$$). So what should I do? Should I try it now and put a hold on school? Or graduate school and if I can't find a better paying business job, then go try and sell cars.