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Permalink Reply by Sue Brief on July 13, 2010 at 10:20pm

Elizabeth,
Welcome to the car business.I wanted to say a few things but you have gotten such good advice here I am not sure what to add. I can tell that being a woman has always been a big plus in the business for me. I have no idea why but people seem to distrust women less. I was always told that it was because men think they are smarter than you and women feel a kinship. That may very well be, however, after all these years I have come to the conclusion that women break the typical "car salesman" image. Professionalism is always the key.People appreciate being treated with respect which is an esential part of becoming a professional. As has been said, know your product, understand how it works, what advantages it holds over the competition. Speaking about the competition, do not ever sell by putting the competition down, it leaves a bad taste in the customer's mouth. Just represent your dealer and your product the best way you can.
When interviewing, if anything the manager says makes you uncomfortable, if they imply they are the best at taking money from a customer, run, do not walk away. If you do your job right, you will earn your customers business and have no need for games and tricks. As has been said repeatedly, stay away from the negativity, it will eventually wear you down and harm your attitude. There is always going to be a small percentage of the sales staff that complain about everything. Personally, I wonder why these people continue to work in this business. If I was as unhappy as they seem I would find something else to do. The reality is they just enjoy complaining. I have never met a successfull sales person in any industry that thrives on negativity a positive attitude is a must.
The one thing I have not seen here is anyone suggesting that you learn the ins and outs of the Internet. It is the future.More than 90% of customers do some research on the web. There are multiple sites that provide pricing information on new and used, trade in values, model reviews, dealer and sales person reputation information, the list goes on and on. Learn to welcome the educated consumer and shun those in the dealership who resent those types of customers, they are stuck in the past. Provide your customers with an email address that you reserve just for customer contact, they will appreciate an additional way to contact you with questions. Once you have made the sale, ask them to post positive reviews on sites like CarFolks.com, Edmunds.com and others. Potential customers will see them, it is kind of a modern evidence manual and it will serve you well moving forward. Make it easy for them by sending a thank you email with links to the sites where they can place those reviews. I have found that even the happiest of customers with the best of intentions, will let things ike this slip if you dont make it easy for them to do. By the time you hit your 3rd year you should be getting 20 to 30% of your business from repeat and referral business and that will only grow with time.
I have had many years of joy doing this, I truly enjoy it and sometimes regret that my success has taken me into management. There are times I do miss working directly with customers and I do allow myself to do it now and then just to keep my skills sharp and remember how to help and train my sales people. I wish you the best in your coming career

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