Sales is a tough career choice. One month you're at the top of the world, and the next you're barely scraping by. Toss the unforgiving competitive nature of the occupation into the mix and you've got a recipe for a high-risk, high-reward, and high-stress lifestyle.

But, many of the difficulties that come with being a salesman can be resolved through proper training. When running your dealership, your salesmen shouldn't be chasing the numbers with no regard for the customers who give you their money.

They should be respectable, honest employees of your establishment. But, sometimes you have to teach these values in the industry.

Let's take a look at what you can do.

1. Listen, Listen, Listen

When it comes to customer interaction, listening to what they actually want is a vital part of the process. There's nothing worse than going to a dealership with a specific need in mind and then having salesmen aggressively try to offer you vehicles or deals you never even asked for.

Your salesmen need to understand that many customers know what they want, and it's the sales team's job to give it to them. Obviously, you will have some leeway when customers are just browsing, but never discredit the statements your buyers make when they declare what they're looking for.

2. Be Patient

Pressuring someone to make a decision before they've had time to fully think about it can be very off-putting to customers and may deter them from going through with a purchase. Patience will not only allow the negotiation to move forward smoothly, but also increase the chances that your customers will tell their family and friends about your establishment.

To help with this, your salesmen should give buyers time to themselves so that they can deliberate without having someone hover over their shoulder. In some cases, your buyers may even need to take the rest of the day/evening in order to think about their potential purchase.

While it may seem like a bad idea to let a customer leave the property before your salesmen have closed a deal, it can actually benefit you in the long run. It will you give them the time they need to make up their mind, you'll also gain their respect for treating them like people and not sales numbers.

3. Send a Personalized Follow-Up Message

One of the most important things that your business can do is establish itself as a place with transparent, accessible employees. Some people tend to distrust salesmen right from the beginning of the negotiation. But, your team can present themselves in a manner that conveys how trustworthy they are.

A great practice to incorporate is to have your sales team send personalized follow-up messages to your customers. To accomplish this, it's important that the employees at your dealership include details about your buyer's visit. Throwing in a question about one of their hobbies or acknowledging one of their personal anecdotes is a solid method to make them feel valued as customers.

You can also offer them resources, such as an auto loan calculator, that can help them figure out a payment plan before they move forward with their transaction.

People love to make purchases, but not everyone likes to feel like they are being sold something. The more honest and straightforward your dealership is, the more likely you are to form long-lasting customer relationships that will be mutually beneficial in the future.