Would you like your OWN business selling cars?

I have good news for you! If you are a sales consultant at an auto dealership, you are already set up to have your own business. You can grow a book of loyal customers – and profit from it - without having to pay rent, utilities, or the salaries of a support staff.

Working in car sales is not for everyone. You need to have an entrepreneurial mindset to succeed. Here are some critical steps to get you started on the path to success.

Let everyone know what you are doing.

I have a friend who is a realtor who is constantly surprised when people she knows contract with other realtors when buying or selling their home. When she confronted them, they would answer her, “Oh, I didn’t know you were a real estate agent!”, or worse - ”I forgot that’s what you do.”

You need to tell everyone you know what you are doing – family, friends, former coworkers – everyone. Hand out business cards (another no-cost perk provided to you by the dealership) and say, “I am working at XYZ Auto. If you know someone who needs a new or used vehicle, please send them to me. I will take good care of them. And if YOU need a car, I will take GREAT care of you!”

Promote yourself constantly.

Social media is the most efficient way to inform people beyond your tribe of what you are doing. You can choose any platform where you are active, but setting up a Facebook business page may be the most effective. Title it, “John Smith at ABC Auto.”

You don’t need to post a lot; two or three times a week is fine for starters. Your dealership has content on its page that you can share. But remember, this effort is to promote you. Take pictures of your customer and the vehicle they bought. Video yourself doing a walk around. Probably the most powerful content you can post is a video testimonial. This is called “social proof” and shows your audience how happy you make your customers.

Ask for referrals.

Everyone you sell a car to has their own network of friends, family, and coworkers. This is a great opportunity to sell even more vehicles, and you should not pass it up. When I sold cars, I ended every sale telling my customer, ‘Who do you know who needs a new car? I would appreciate the referral. If they are even half as nice as you have been, I know I will enjoy helping them!”

In many states, including my home state of Pennsylvania, a referral that turns into a sale will net the person who sent the new customer a $100 referral reward. In my many years at a dealership, I knew several people who turned this into a very lucrative side hustle! Make sure your customers know of this benefit if it’s available in your state.

Stay in touch!

Imagine that you worked really hard to sell someone a car, and four years later, they return to the dealership and don’t remember who their salesperson was. This can only happen if you view car sales as transactional vs. relationship building.

You need to stay in contact with your customers. Follow up with a call, text or email, making sure they are happy with their purchase. Keep them abreast of service schedules and recall notifications. Send out an occasional email to your entire list describing what you’ve been up to and what’s new at the dealership. Most importantly, develop a personal relationship by sending birthday and holiday cards. I always preferred handwritten cards, and still do. This becomes especially effective if you also know the names of their spouse and children!

Your ultimate goal is to have your name be top of mind and to develop a book of customers for life.

These are some basic tips I teach new sales associates in my training classes. If you’d like to learn more, or if you would like me to come and train at your dealership, I can be reached at larry@careerchangersusa.com or 215-407-5174. You may be surprised to learn that I answer my own phone!