When most of us think of dealership sales, we think of new vehicle sales. But "sales" is often broken down into six different departments, each with their own distinctive clientele: New, Used, Commercial (business customers), Fleet (business customers who buy many vehicles), Rentals & Leasing, and Finance & Insurance.
Automobile salespeople are frontline professionals representing the dealership as well as the products' manufacturer. They must have an understanding of the products they sell, finance, provincial and federal laws, warranties and the automobile industry in general.
Salespeople are organized self-starters who can stick to a tough daily routine and prospect for new customers by telephone, mail, and personal contacts. Most important, the sales staff should be excellent communicators who truly enjoy working with people.
In essence, the salesperson's job is to discover the potential customer's needs and priorities, counsel the customer on the best vehicle choice to meet those needs, and influence the customer to buy or lease that vehicle. All this requires excellent product knowledge, listening skills, integrity and the ability to establish rapport and trust.
