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How to get a Job in Automotive Sales

29-11-2019
Job seeker advice

The perception of car salespeople has drastically changed over the years. Gone are the days of the “wheeler dealer,” the sweet talker who just wants to close a sale.  Businesses across the Motor Trade have spent time and money investing in their salespeople to raise the standards and ensure that customer satisfaction is placed at the heart of their operation.

Working in vehicle sales comes with lots of positives including high levels of job satisfaction, regular training and often, a generous commission package.  Dealerships also provide lots of scope for progression if you have the right attitude and ambition and you’ll usually have additional perks depending on the brands you work with at the Dealership.

However, Car Sales Executive jobs are highly competitive and with businesses now placing significant emphasis on customer service, candidates are required to have specific skills to meet these demands.

Here we share our insights to help you secure your dream role in Automotive Sales:

Qualifications

While there are no formal qualifications required for the role of a Car Sales Executive, it’s usually expected that candidates will have passed some GCSE’s (grade A*-C) or have the equivalent qualifications particularly English and Maths. Communication, both written and verbal is a major part of this role as is basic maths so it’s important that a Car Sales Executive can demonstrate both of these skills. There are also apprenticeships, BTECs and City and Guilds qualifications which can offer a great entry point to the Automotive industry.

Driving License

In our experience, most employers will request that their Car Sales Team have a clean, up to date driving license. The reason this is important is because cars will need to be moved around the forecourt and you will also be expected to accompany customers during test drives. In both of these situations, having a driving license is a legal requirement.

Experience

If you don’t have direct experience within the Motor Trade there are other important experiences that Dealerships will look for when recruiting Sales Executives. Sales and Customer Service Experience are the two top priorities for employers. We’ve already mentioned that Dealerships now place significant emphasis on delivering excellent customer service to their customers so if you’ve ever worked in a role where you can demonstrate this, make sure you include it on your CV and draw on this experience at interview. Similarly, people with a background in sales are also attractive to employers because they will have negotiation skills and are generally good at communicating.

Administration Skills

A big part of a Car Sales job includes completing paperwork whether you are submitting orders, taking contact details and preferences from prospects or carrying out follow up communication. For this reason it is important that you are able to demonstrate your attention to detail and accuracy when carrying out administrative tasks. One way to do this is to draw on relevant past experiences, to ensure your CV and covering letter have no mistakes in them and to make a conscious effort if you are asked to carry out any psychometric tests during the interview process.

Know your stuff!

Like in any industry, an employer wants someone who is passionate and knowledge about the products they’ll be working with. Make sure you do lots of research on the business itself, the brands of vehicles they sell as well as the wider Motor Trade industry in general. The more you know, the more impressed an interviewer will be and the more likely it is you’ll get the job.  Having the internet at our disposal makes researching a business easy and while our Recruitment Executives brief candidates on the job they’re being put forward to, carrying out additional research will only work favourably and reinforce your passion and commitment to the role

Appearance

Automotive Salespeople are front of house, customer facing employees. This means it’s not just your communication and service skills that matter, the presentation of you personally is just as important. Businesses expect their Sales Team to represent their company professionally so most Vehicle Sales people will dress smartly and be well groomed. There might be some instances where the dress code is more relaxed for example if you are selling HGV trucks but for the purpose of an interview it’s always best to make an effort until told otherwise.

Working in Automotive Sales is a rewarding career with lots of opportunities for personal growth and promotion for the right person. If you are looking to kick start your career as a Vehicle Sales Executive or you’re an experienced Sales Executive looking for a new challenge you’ve come to the right place.

Perfect Placement has been helping candidates find their dream Car Sales job for more than 16 years.

Contact our friendly and professional team today to get your job search underway!