Do you have what it takes to be a car salesman? Good question because there are many different aspects to being a successful car salesman. It takes more than a good meet and greet and test drive, you need to be able to walk the walk and talk the talk of a car sales professional.
Learning the car sales steps are quite simple, but how you perform the steps and what it takes to perform them successfully are different things. In many ways you could compare being a car salesman to that of walking a tight rope. It’s all about walking a fine line because you need to be a negotiator, a businessperson, a mediator, an actor, a friend, a politician, a specialist, a person, an employee, a confidant, a mind reader, a detective, a psychiatrist, and a magician.
Sure there’s an unlimited variety of skills and abilities required to sell cars for a living, but the professions listed above are a pretty good sampling of the wide variety of talents you need to successfully sell cars. Some people can take to this career very easily and others have to really work at it to succeed. Either way it takes self-confidence, the right attitude and commitment to be a successful car salesman.
Walking the Car Salesman Walk
Do you have what it takes to look a person in the eye and tell them that is your best price when you know you have room to give them a bigger discount? Many people can’t do it, they can’t look another person in the eye tell them that’s all there is, without looking down or away. Some would say that they are lying and others would say its negotiation. Its just business, but what really matters is how you see the negotiation process.
When a car shopper comes into the showroom and tells you that they are not buying today because they are gathering information do you believe them? Would you give them some brochures, your business card and send them away so you can find a real customer or would you continue to move forward through the sales process and try to sell them a car? Some would say you are being rude or disrespecting the customer, but a real car salesman would forge ahead and sell them a car.
When a customer tells you they saw the same car across town for $500 cheaper would you wonder how the other dealer could be cheaper or would you know that they are trying you on far an additional discount? The true car salesman would realize that they are being worked by the customer and continue to sell the car and close the sale. Some people would say the car salesman is being pushy, but is it really being pushy when the customer is lying to you while they continue to work you for a better price?
You have just spent two hours with a customer. You have done walk-a-rounds, taken test drives and earned their trust. You have great rapport with your customer and may have even made a new friend, but when it comes time to work out the payments they tell you they can only afford $350 a month and the pencil is $475. Would you tell the desk they can’t afford $475 or continue to push $475? Sounds like another pushy car salesman right? Remember this is business and it also determines your salary so you should you believe what they are saying or should you continue until you sell the car? If you are waiting for the correct answer you might need to rethink your decision to become a car salesman.
I said earlier that the car salesman needs to be a businessperson and if you are going to believe everything your customers tell you will be out of business very soon. You need to walk the fine line between lying and negotiating, believing and not believing, being a friend and being a negotiator, being assertive and being rude or being a car salesman and being a successful car salesman.
Walking the car salesman walk is a fine line because the car buyer has no problem lying to the car salesperson, but they don’t want the car salesman to lie to them. Who is right and who is wrong, it’s hard to say, but its just business and if you are going to be a car salesman you need to learn how to walk the walk and talk the talk.
I don’t want anyone to think that I am trying to be negative about the car sales profession because I love this business. However I am trying to paint a real picture of what is required to be a car salesman. If you are uncertain about becoming a car salesman or if you are considering another line of work this may give you some insight into the profession and a simple tip. Hopefully this will help you decide one way or another because there isn’t any room for those that aren’t fully committed to being a car salesman.
Later, Fresh Up on the Lot
KB
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