25 Car Salesman Tips for Selling More Cars
Whether you are new to the car business, selling cars for a living, or have been doing it for years. These car salesman tips will help you sell more cars and make more commissions. Selling cars to the public is unlike any other retail job.
Not everyone is cut out to be a car saleswoman or a car salesman. Some people may already have the skills needed to be a successful car salesman. Others can learn what they need to know to become more successful and make more and larger car sales commissions.
These car salesman tips and advice touch briefly on what you may have already learned when you were taught how to sell cars at a dealership. They were probably included in your car sales training. You need to reinforce or memorize some things to become a more professional and effective car salesman or woman. Keep these tips for car salesmen handy as a reference. Then work on the items or areas where you might need some improvement, such as your car sales closing techniques.
1. Every car buyer is different. No matter who you try to sell, they have different backgrounds, budgets, wants, needs, and desires. No two car deals are the same; if you think they are, you will lose sales. Everyone has different reasons for buying a car; whether it’s a new or used car, it’s always about much more than dollars and cents.
2. People need to have cars and buy them somewhere, so it might as well be from you and your dealership. No matter what they say when you first meet them, they want to buy a car. They didn’t come to your showroom to waste a few hours. They came to buy a car. It’s your job to sell them a car by determining their buying triggers and satisfying their needs while using your car sales techniques and training. This is one of the car salesman tips that salespeople often forget when working with complex and demanding car buyers.
People Buy Cars From People
3. We have all heard the term “Buyers are Liars.” The customer uses lies and deception for a reason. That is to defend themselves from the car salesman commonly known for taking advantage of the average car buyer. They may tell you the truth later after you build rapport, but only if you earn their trust. Overcome their objections and get their commitment to buy. When they tell you that they have to think about it or that they need their spouse before buying, it’s merely an objection you must overcome.
4. Don’t lie to your customers. I didn’t say you must tell them everything you know but don’t lie to them. If you don’t have the answer to their question, tell them you don’t know and that you will get them an answer. If a customer believes you lied to them, you will lose their trust and business for something as simple as a gas mileage rating.
5. Potential car buyers will ask you what seems to be senseless questions when you are working with them. Your first reaction would be to say what that has to do with buying this car? But the real reason for some of their questions is to test you. Customers will test your knowledge and honesty to decide whether to buy a car from you. See sales tip #4 above.
Car Salesman Tips to Make More Commissions
6. Don’t bad mouth the other car dealer. They don’t want to hear how bad the car dealer is across town. Maybe they were there earlier today or yesterday and didn’t buy a car from them. If the other dealer or car salesman were so great, they wouldn’t be talking to you; they would have bought the car from the other dealer.
7. Dress, smell, and act the part. Look like a professional car salesperson, dress appropriately in clean, pressed clothes, and don’t smell like an ashtray. Have a positive attitude and be enthusiastic. You can overcome a poor first impression. However, it just makes things more complicated for you. It affects your salary, so look, smell, and act the part. One of the most often overlooked car salesman tips.
8. Know your product. Product knowledge won’t sell cars independently. But your customer needs to feel comfortable spending money. If they feel that they are working with a car salesman that doesn’t know what they are talking about. They will likely create another “Be Back,” and we all know that be backs won’t be back.
9. The “Be Back Bus” doesn’t stop here. I can safely say that less than 2% of the customers who ask for your business card and tell you they will be back won’t. Yes, some do, but you will never make a good living waiting for “Be Backs.” Most customers who have decided not to buy from you or your dealership will tell you they will be back and need a way to leave without committing.
10. The car buyer can smell desperation. When you are desperate to sell a car, your customer can sense that, like an angry dog can smell fear. Even if you desperately need to sell a car, the customer must believe you don’t need to sell them a car. But are merely helping them gather information. Desperation will turn them off so quickly that you wonder what you did or said. This is one of the most essential car salesman tips that can make a huge difference in increasing your sales and, ultimately, your income.
You Can Always Sell More Cars
11. People like to talk about themselves. Yes, even shy and introverted customers like to talk about themselves. If you can get them to trust you and build some rapport, you can get even the shyest people to talk your ear off. Then they provided you with everything you need to know to sell them a car. So of all the car salesman tips asking questions will help you get them to open up and talk. This will help you learn about them and build rapport.
12. The car buyer wants to feel like they are getting a good or at least fair deal. Whether they made a great deal or not, they must feel like they made a good choice. Almost all buying decisions are made with emotion. So how they feel about you, your dealership, the car, the price, or the deal is critical. Those things will determine your success as a car salesman and overcome objections.
13. Car buyers will pay more for a car than they need to when they believe that the value of your service and the dealership’s value outweighs the price. This is very important car-selling advice, and I won’t type it twice, so read it repeatedly until it sinks in and becomes a part of your being.
14. People can buy cars from any number of different car dealers. Especially new cars because they are a commodity no matter where you buy them. Therefore the real difference is you, the experience you provide, and your dealership.
Car Saleswoman and Car Salesman Tips Training and Advice
15. Treat all of your customers like they own the dealership. When you treat your customer like they are the best customer you have ever had, they will return to you in many ways. They will send their friends and family to buy cars and want to buy more cars from you in the future. Plus, they will give you a great C.S.I. score or Customer Satisfaction Index. That may mean a bonus if your dealer uses that as a compensation measurement. One of the most powerful car salesman tips for building your referrals and earning repeat customers.
16. Know your inventory. Whether it be new or used car inventory, you should have a good idea of what you have in stock so you can switch them to another car if needed. There can be any number of reasons, so knowing what to suggest or show them can put you ahead of your competition. It’s said that 80% of all car buyers will purchase something different from what they came into the dealership to buy. Take advantage of this car salesman’s tip and up-sell them.
17. Leave your problems on the curb. You must have your head in the game when you get to the dealer. Selling cars for a living requires always having your head in the game. You need to have the answers, ask the questions and always be ahead of your customer. Learn to leave your problems at the curb, and you will sell more cars.
18. Shut up and listen. You have two ears, and one mouth, so listen twice as much as you talk and learn when to shut up. See Shut-up a Car Salesman Tip in the post. The power of knowing when to talk and when to shut up can make a huge difference in your car sales commission. When negotiating, there is a saying in the car business that the first to speak loses after a proposal.
19. Look them in the eyes. If you tend to look away when people look you in the eye, you better get over it. Most people do, but it feels sincere when you don’t look your customer in the eye when you speak. You can also pick up on their level of commitment and sincerity when you look them in the eye.
Car Sales Tips and Tricks for the Good Life
20. Sell your customer, not the desk. The sales manager has been in your shoes and has a pretty good idea when you are selling them why they should take the deal. Stop selling the sales manager and sell the car buyer. Remember, two people meet, and one gets sold. Will you be the one doing the selling, or will your customer?
21. Don’t forget the extras. Whether it’s your dealership’s policy or not, you must sell the extras to earn more income and sometimes qualify for bonuses. No matter how hard it was to close the sale or how tight the payment was to reach, you might be able to sell them accessories or options. Some car buyers are conditioned to buy the extras. And you will lose an opportunity to make more money if you can’t sell them some extras. You might be surprised who will buy the extras if you give it an honest pitch. Following this car-selling advice, you can turn a “Mini Deal” into a good deal with some extras.
22. Don’t leave money on the table. If you don’t get the extra money from your customer, the F & I Manager will. If your car dealership has a good F & I Department, they will get the money and commission you left behind. I don’t know about you, but I like money in my pocket too much to give it up to the Finance Manager, so don’t give up too easily.
23. Follow Up. Follow up on everything, whether it is sold new car customers, used car customers, “Be Backs,” or customers you sold a year or more ago. Stay in touch through your “CRM” (customer relationship management tool) and ask for referrals because these car buyers can provide you with future sales and income. Take advantage of your “CRM” to prospect new customers whenever you have downtime during the day because this is one of the car salesman tips that can get you a few more monthly sales and increase your salary.
24. The Delivery. The last person your customer sees before they leave the dealer is you. Thank them, show them all about their new car, inspect the car with them, and ensure they are happy after the F & I Manager has been grinding them for a warranty, insurance, and service agreement. Make them happy so the last thing they remember when leaving is you and the great experience you provided at the car dealership so that they will send you referrals. This car sales tip can bring you future business and referrals, which is the secret to a successful career.
25. Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm sells cars when your customer feels your enthusiasm. Make them feel that you are happy to see them, happy to meet them, and so glad to help them. Be enthusiastic about the car, the dealership, and everything they have to say. Don’t be phony, or they will sense it. Be excited when you have a customer that wants to buy a car.
Let’s Move Some Metal and Make Some Money
These car salesman tips might not help you become the world’s most excellent car salesman, but they will help you sell more cars. They have come from some of the top car salespeople I have known, including myself. You can make a six-figure income selling cars for a living if you follow this time-tested car sales advice and guidance. Thousands of good car salesmen and car saleswomen make a perfect living as successful car salespeople.
These car sales tips are not necessarily for Chevy, Ford, Toyota, or Dodge buyers, but these tips will help you move more vehicles. Whether you sell new, used, or Certified cars, it doesn’t matter; car buyers are still people, and people like to do business with people they want. You can learn how to be a good salesperson. And even become a great car salesman because there is no such thing as a born car salesperson. If you have more tips for car salespeople, please add them to the comment box below, and I will add them to the list.
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Later, Fresh Up on the Lot
K.B.
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