Car sales manager: job features, requirements and responsibilities
A car sales manager is a fairly widespread and prestigious profession, which both boys and girls can get into. This position does not provide for special education, and a former teacher, doctor, economist can become a car seller, having learned sales skills. Young people go into car sales for big earnings, which depend on the premium interest paid for cars sold.
What is a car sales manager?
The profession of a sales manager for new or used cars, passenger cars and trucks is one of the most in demand in the labor market. Most often, people who already have a certain skill in the field of sales come to a car dealership for such a position., since the profit of the company depends on the knowledge and qualifications of the seller.
The position of a car sales manager involves communicating with a large number of customers, so it is worth working for those who have good communication skills.
Requirements
When selecting candidates for an interview, both a boy and a girl can be invited. Automotive sales skills are a significant advantage among applicants, but sometimes car dealerships recruit young people with no work experience as trainees.
The main requirements of employers for applicants for the position of a car sales manager are:
- higher education, preferably technical, automotive, economic direction;
- the presence of a driving license of category B and driving experience from 2-3 years;
- confident computer skills and knowledge of the MS Office software package;
- skills in accounting software 1C: Trade or VLSI;
- initial skills in office work and knowledge of the legislation in the field of sales;
- the ability to draw up reports, financial documents, possess the skills of business correspondence;
- understanding of the process of interaction with the traffic police, customs service, insurance company, credit institutions, banks;
- understanding of the processes of tender, leasing, credit;
- the ability to operate with large amounts of information, analyze the car sales market.
In addition to the list of mandatory requirements, the candidate must have a presentable appearance, high culture of speech and business etiquette. It is not bad if he is aware of the characteristics of various car brands, erudite and resourceful.
Job responsibilities
The job of a vehicle sales manager is focused on interacting with customers. It is important not only to interest the buyer by telling him about the advantages of the equipment he is interested in, but also to fulfill a number of other duties:
- search for potential customers through personal meetings, telephone conversations, participation in specialized exhibitions, through social networks;
- create and maintain up to date a customer base with customer data entered into it;
- carry out consulting work with clients in the sales area, conduct a test drive of the selected car, provide assistance in choosing the modification and configuration of the car;
- draw up an agreement on making a deposit, on the sale of a car, on the provision of additional services;
- help the client with the choice of payment method, recommend him various options in the form of leasing, credit;
- inform the client about the degree of pre-sale preparation or the receipt of the car ordered by him on advance payment;
- carry out the registration of shipping documents and work on the transfer of the car to the buyer;
- after the sale is made in a week, a month and a year later, the manager must maintain contact with the buyer, asking his opinion about the purchase and operation of the car;
- assist the client in purchasing spare parts for repairs and assist in performing maintenance on the vehicle he has purchased.
Over time, each manager has his own personal best practices and techniques in sales techniques. Experienced salespeople keep in touch not only with established customers, but also with potential customers, informing them about new products, inquiring about their preferences.
Such feedback and attention to the client will necessarily produce results, which have a positive effect on the salary of the manager and the profit of the car dealership.
Personal skills and abilities
An auto sales specialist must know everything about the product that he offers to the client. The questions of the buyer can be the most unexpected, and personal resourcefulness combined with good knowledge will always come to the rescue of such a seller. When working with an expensive product, a manager must be able to find a common language with any customer, be polite, attentive and have the ability to build communication in such a way as not to impose his own opinion on the client.
An important and necessary personal quality of a manager in the field of car sales for work is his high level of stress resistance. A very large volume of communications that such a specialist has to deal with is only possible for people with a certain temperament. Non-conflict and friendliness are the properties that the seller should first of all have.
The working day of a car sales manager is spent in a car dealership and often it is irregular. To tell and show the advantages of technology to every buyer interested in a car is not only mental, but also physical stress. Therefore, a car dealer must be highly efficient and always be active and vigorous.
For the successful implementation of sales, a specialist also needs to have a certain set of psychological skills. He should be able to see a potential and truly interested buyer, distinguishing him from the idly strolling visitors to the car dealership. Often, in order for the sale to take place, the manager has to look for various compromise options and make concessions for the client agreed with the management of the salon. Such flexibility and loyalty allow not to lose a customer and bring profit to the company.
Average salary
As a rule, a car sales manager works according to a piece-rate bonus payment system. He usually receives a fixed salary and earns himself a certain bonus as a percentage of the cars and additional services he sells. The basic salary in such organizations is small, it can be 10-15 thousand rubles, and each car dealership sets its own premium percentage. There are companies where managers are paid only interest on sales.
The cost of cars in car dealerships depends on the exchange rate of the euro or the dollar, so the prices for this product are flexible, which means that the percentage of sales is calculated in currency terms. For example, for every car sold in the middle price segment, the sales manager can be charged from $ 25 to $ 50. For the sale of a luxury car, the premium payment can reach from $ 100 to $ 200. And if an employee manages to sell an illiquid product that has been in the warehouse for several months, then the bonus, by the decision of the management, can also be paid with an additional bonus.
For each manager, the management sets the task of fulfilling a personal sales plan. In addition, the final work on the implementation of the plan by the car dealership as a whole is taken into account. If the plan is fulfilled, the manager will receive a monetary reward, and if it is not fulfilled - a fine. The amount of earnings also comes from the sale of additional equipment or services provided by a car dealership. The manager can receive a certain percentage if the client purchases a car on lease or on credit. In addition, the seasonality also affects the level of income - it has been noticed that the peak of sales occurs in the spring and summer, and cars are sold worse in winter.
The average salary of a manager in a car dealership is 50-60 thousand rubles. To do this, he will need to sell about 15 cars of the middle price segment and a fairly large number of additional equipment or services. A similar level of earnings is typical for car dealerships in large cities, in regional companies the income of such specialists is more modest - from 30 to 40 thousand rubles. This trend is associated with a decrease in the purchasing power of the population, while 10 years ago, car sales managers could earn up to 100-150 thousand rubles a month.