No matter how robust your dealership marketing is, you’re ultimately going to need a sales team to help close the deal and facilitate conversions. Not all sales reps are created equal, of course—so how can you identify the real stars? In this post, Get My Auto will highlight six of the most important traits of skilled used car sales professionals.

Are You an Effective Used Car Sales Rep?

1. Great reps understand that all buyers are different. Your buyers will arrive at the dealership with different needs, varied pain points, diverse goals, and myriad budgets.The way you win over one buyer won’t necessarily work with the next. It’s always important to tailor and personalize your sales techniques, and to respect the diversity of your clientele.
2. They also understand that the people in your dealership want to buy a car. In today’s world, most people truly need cars—and they may as well buy them from your dealership. If someone comes down to your showroom to shop, it’s because they fundamentally want to make a purchase. Your job is simply to help them get to a yes.
3. They recognize the importance of online research. Today’s used car consumers do plenty of online research before they ever visit a dealership—so most will probably know what kind of car they want and how much they can expect to pay for it. Sales reps need to acknowledge that today’s buyers tend to be very well-informed.
4. Effective sales reps are always honest. If you don’t know the answer to a question, be willing to admit it. And if you know your buyer is going to have to wait for half an hour while you talk to the finance team, don’t tell them it will just be 10 minutes. The minute you lie to a buyer, you lose their trust—plain and simple.
5. Good reps are ready to be tested. Some buyers may ask you questions that seem pretty random—and that’s because what they’re really doing is testing you. Make sure you know your inventory inside and out—and again, if you don’t know an answer, be honest about it, then ask someone who does know the answer.
6. Good reps build relationships. There are plenty of dealerships where your buyer can find a cheap, used Honda Accord—so why should they buy from you? Because you take the time to establish trust and to foster goodwill. Because you take seriously the relationship you have with each buyer. That, ultimately, is the sign of a smart used car sales rep.

As you consider ways to step up your sales game, keep these hallmarks in mind. To learn more about empowering your sales staff with a robust marketing strategy, reach out to the experts at Get My Auto today.