15 tips to help you be a better car salesman

Do you want to increase your income as a car salesman? While selling cars can be challenging, this career offers you plenty of opportunities to earn extra cash. From making customers feel welcome to developing your listening skills, there is a range of strategies you can use to increase your success rate. Read our blog post for fifteen tips that you can use to advance your career as a car salesman. If you’re looking for a job in the automotive industry, visit Job Mail today.

1. Always make customers feel welcome

A friendly and professional attitude helps potential buyers to feel welcome. Customers who feel comfortable during their visit to your dealership are more likely to purchase a vehicle.

2. Remember their names

Remembering the names of potential buyers help to develop rapport and build trust. Once you know how important it is to remember names, you can put effort into learning techniques to improve your memory. Using the person’s name straight away will help you to remember it. After you’ve used their name during the conversation, you can repeat it silently to yourself numerous times. Make a record of the potential buyer’s name after they leave.

3. Know what questions to ask

Knowing what questions to ask can increase your chances of securing a sale. It’s advisable to ask questions that will give you insight into the requirements your customer has. Understanding your customer’s budget and context will help you to match them with a vehicle that meets their needs.

4. Building rapport is important

Interpersonal skills are vital for any car salesman and the ability to build rapport with your customers can increase your success rate. Notice when your customers are feeling disengaged from the conversation and ask them general questions that make them feel comfortable again. Non-threatening questions, such as inquiries about your customer’s hobbies, can help you to develop a good relationship with potential buyers.

5. Listen more than you talk

You’ll need superior listening skills to be a successful car salesman. Don’t be wary of short silences as gaps in the conversation allows potential buyers to share valuable information with you about what type of vehicle they’re looking for. The better an understanding you have about your customer’s needs, the easier it is to show them a vehicle they’ll love.

6. Treat potential buyers equally

Treat men and women equally when you’re showing potential customers around the showroom. Don’t assume that the husband will be the one making a decision and buying the car. If you’re showing a husband and wife the vehicles that are on sale, ask them both the same questions.

7. Don’t belittle or criticise other dealerships

While you want to make your car dealerships stand out from the crowd, badmouthing other dealerships is not the right strategy to use. Rather than putting down other companies, give your customers more information about the advantages of purchasing a vehicle from your dealership.

8. Don’t pressure potential buyers

While you want to encourage people to buy a car at your dealership, making your customers feel pressured can cost you the sale. A car salesman who comes across as pushy is less likely to secure the sale.

9. Consider eye contact

Looking directly into the eyes of potential customers for a few seconds can help to portray a confident and friendly attitude. Holding your customer’s gaze for a few moments helps to build your relationship and create a sense of trust.

10. Don’t use phrases that make you seem unreliable

An important aspect of selling cars is your ability to build trust with potential buyers. The language that you use will impact whether you come across as reliable or not. Phrases that come across as a sales pitch rather than a genuine conversation can discredit the information you share with your customers.

11. Delay price discussions

The price of the car shouldn’t be the first thing that you mention as a car salesman. Delay talking about the price until near the end of your conversation, when the potential customers already know all the benefits of owning the vehicle.

12. Don’t get bored

Avoid boredom by using downtime to develop your skills and to learn more about the latest developments in the automotive industry. Your passion for your work will help to keep potential buyers engaged, which will increase your chances of making a sale.

13. Remember to follow up

Ask potential buyers for their contact details before they leave the dealership. The best time to ask for their number is before you set off on the test drive. Once you’re finished showing them the vehicles that are available, let them know when you’ll be giving them a call. Use the follow-up conversation to address any concerns or questions they have about the vehicle.

14. Walk customers to the dealership exit

After your customers are finished looking at the vehicles that they’re interested in, walk them to the door. This ensures that they see you on the way out, which creates a more memorable impression.

15. Don’t let past bad training get the better of you

Review your training and disregard any advice that is having a negative impact on your sales success rate. If you’re relying on outdated training, it may be time to learn new sales techniques that are more effective in a modern environment. A successful car salesman looks for opportunities to develop their capabilities even further.

Give your career a boost by looking for car salesman jobs on Job Mail!