car salesperson tips for all salespeople

Part One of 100 Car Salesperson Tips

Even the best car sales professionals could use some of these car salesperson tips. Over time you get conditioned because you do the same thing every day. However, on average, your customer only buys a car once every 3-7 years. All they remember is that it’s like going to the dentist. But at least when they leave, they get to drive home in a new or new to them car. Whether you have been selling cars for twenty years or just started yesterday, these car sales tips will serve you year in and year out.

1-Two People Meet, and One Gets Sold 

When I started in the car business, a General Sales Manager that spent his entire life in the car business pulled me aside and gave me this first of many car salesperson tips. Every time two people meet, one gets sold, and one buys. He told me to think about that the next time I was with a customer. Then I should decide which one I would be, the buyer or the seller. That saying has stuck with me since I first heard it and has served me well in my car sales career.

The saying “Two People Meet, and One Gets Sold” can apply to any situation. When it comes to selling cars, it’s even more critical because you are the one that is selling, not the one that is buying. Customers will tell you practically anything as a defense tactic. They are on unfamiliar ground and will say anything to keep you at bay. If nothing else, keep this saying “Two People Meet and One Gets Sold” in your head every time you work with a customer. I hope it will serve you as well as it has done me. To this day, I still remind myself of this saying when I’m working with a customer. These car salesperson tips help me keep on track when they try to sell me why they’re not buying today.

2-They’re All Just Looking Car Sales Tip

One thing you will learn quickly when you sell cars for a living is that they’re all just looking. They don’t tell you that they are looking for a car sales professional to sell them a car. Everyone is just looking when it comes to buying a car, furniture shopping, or shopping for clothes. The standard response from customers is we are just looking. I’m sure you said it before, and I know I’ve said it before when a salesperson in a store greeted me.

They came to the car dealership to buy a car. They may not be planning to buy it from you here and now, but they plan to buy a car. Customers will tell you all kinds of things; just looking is one of the most common responses you will receive. You better get used to handling rejection because it’s part of the car business. This is one of the most basic car salesperson tips you need to realize.

You Can’t Sell Them a Car Before They Look

Every day I see Green Peas, Newbies, and Seasoned Veterans approach customers, and the customer says they’re just looking. Then you can see the expression on the salesperson’s face change; they go from being excited to sell a car to here we go again, somebody else to waste my time. They’re all just looking. Get used to hearing it because they are just looking. That is until they come across a true car sales professional that will give them all the reasons they need to buy today.

If I can see the salesperson’s expression change from across the showroom, you can imagine what is going through the customer’s mind. This potential car buyer is standing right in front of that salesperson. That’s right; they’ve already begun to second-guess the reason for visiting your dealership.

Research tells us that the car salesperson influences the consumer’s purchase decision. Therefore, treating each customer like they are buying a car today is essential. Learn how to control your expressions, demeanor, and body language. Don’t let the words just looking or we are not buying today change anything you do. Treat the terms “we are just looking” like we are just buying as soon as you give us a reason to buy today. You may not use all of these car salesperson tips, but this one should be right at the top and never forgotten.

3-Attitude – More Than Car Salesperson Tips

Maybe you’re sick of hearing about attitude when selling cars. But your attitude will significantly impact your income more than any other factor. When you’re working with a customer, and you have anything less than a 100% positive attitude, you run the chance of losing a sale. I can’t stress this enough; I had a conversation with the General Manager of a dealership the other day, and we both agreed. The salesman’s attitude has more to do with making the sale than anything else. 

When you don’t feel good about selling cars, the dealership where you’re employed, or even the product you’re selling, you need to justify it, change it, or make changes in your life. These car salesperson tips will have a limited impact on your success when you have a poor attitude. If you come to the dealership daily to sell cars with a chip on your shoulder. Maybe you have issues with management or the dealership. Your sales will reflect your attitude and, ultimately, your income. Face it; we are in the car business to make money. There is plenty of money to be made selling cars for a living, but you won’t do it with a bad attitude. With the right attitude and enthusiasm, you can make some big money selling cars for a living. A six-figure income is possible with some work.

Attitude – The Most Important of all Car Salesperson Tips

Perhaps you have a problem with the dealership, or maybe a problem with your commissions, management, or other staff. But you need to address the problem and find a way to resolve it, or it might be time to change dealerships. Whatever it is, you need to fix, change it or move on because all you will do is hurt yourself and your bank account. It can be hard some days to have a positive attitude, we all have those days, but you have to do your best to shake it off and keep your head in the game, which is moving metal and making money.

tips for car salespersons

4-Two Ears and One Mouth

Many people think being a car salesman means you need to be Mr. or Mrs. Personality, and that’s not the case. Most people that love to chit-chat and blab with everyone they meet are less productive when selling cars than those that don’t. When I say two ears and one Mouth, I am not talking about an anatomy lesson. I am talking about the proportions in which you should use your ears and Mouth.

You should be listening twice as much as you are talking because you gain the knowledge you need to sell them a car when you’re listening. If you listen close enough, your customer will tell you exactly how to sell them a car. Once you get them talking, they will tell you about past car-buying experiences and other things. That information will give you the insight you need to sell them.

Knowing when to talk and shut up is essential for selling cars. When a customer talks about anything, they provide information that will guide you to closing the sale. People love to talk about a past car-buying experience, especially if it was a negative experience. They will tell you things about the salesman, the sales manager, or anyone involved in their experience, which can help you sell a car.

They Will Tell You How to Sell Them If You Listen

I see it practically daily; the customer tells the salesman what interests them. But the salesperson only hears part of what they are saying. They will push them into a vehicle they think they want but not the one they want. Then the salesperson doesn’t understand why they’re not buying.  They would know why they’re not buying today if they had listened closely and read between the lines.

Pretty soon, they’re asking for your business card and telling you why they must go. The real reason they’re not buying and have to go is that the car salesman did not listen closely to what they were saying and how they were saying it. Granted, it requires some experience to catch all the nuances the customer provides. However, this separates the average salesperson and the top producers. Stop talking and ask questions. Listening closely to their answers, you will discover what you need to do to sell them a car today.

5-Be Backs Won’t Be Back

For the benefit of you reading this that are just starting to sell cars, there is a term in the car business known as ”Be-Backs.” This term comes from customers telling the car salesman I have to go, but I will be back. The potential car buyer is no longer interested in dealing with the car salesman and/or the dealership. Let alone buying a car at this time because their experience was going south. So they tell the salesperson they will be back, but they won’t be back. They are probably heading down the street or to the other side of town to go to a different dealership. Where they will buy the car that they were planning to buy at your car dealership.

Be Backs Won’t Be Back

The newer and less experienced salespeople will often believe customers or buy what they’re selling. They are selling them on them being back, but they won’t. The customer can put on a very good show and sound very believable. However, they only want to get out of the dealership as quickly as possible. We often give these newer salespeople a hard time about having be-backs. We tell them not to worry because the mythical “Be-Back Bus” will bring all their be-back customers to buy cars, so go wait on the curb.

When customers tell you they will be back, you must recall everything that happened during their visit. Try to figure out what happened and how you could prevent it from happening again. Learn from your mistakes and move on. Ok, I know that some people will come back that have left for any number of reasons, but for the most part, Be-Backs Won’t Be Back! I will cover more about be-backs and selling cars in one of the other car salesperson tips that follow.

Coming Soon – Continue to Part 2 of 100 Car Salesperson Tips