How to Become a Car Salesman: Step-By-Step Guide

Have cars ever interested you? What about business? Well, I am pleased to tell you that becoming a car salesman involves both of these skills and interests. 🚗

A car salesman is someone who sells cars primarily. They are businessmen who excel in the art of marketing and use their skills to sell their products. You have to be very knowledgeable about cars or any other vehicle you might be selling so that you can explain them properly. 🛒

This article is a guide for you to understand how you would be able to become a car salesman and also about their job and responsibilities. I have written carefully to make sure that you understand it. 🧑‍💼

Question and Answer

You might have some doubts about becoming a car salesman and pursuing it properly as a career option. It is completely understandable.

To help you out with this problem, I have put together a few questions that will help you understand the job better and see if you want to do this job for sure.

Am I ready to work for long hours?
Am I ready to face rejection multiple times in just one day?
Will I be able to communicate with the customers?
Can I handle ethical dilemmas?
Will I be able to say no to selling faulty and unethical deals?
Do I have a backup or progress plan?

If you answered most of these questions with a yes, then you are sure to become a very good car salesman.

Now, I’ll start telling you more about the process behind becoming a car salesman.

Who is a Car Salesman?

Car salesmen are also known as Auto sales representatives. They are not just in charge of selling cars but also sell trucks and vans that can be of use to the customers. These vehicles might be for commercial as well as personal use for the customers. 🚘

Car salesmen are trained in skills required to become a good businessman. They become experts in marketing and communication. They meet up with customers, discuss their interests and needs, and then come up with a suitable option for them.

Since you want to help the customers make the best choice for themselves, these salesmen have to keep their knowledge about cars and the market up to date. 🚗

Scope of car salesman

The automobile industry has been around for quite a while, and its profits and growth are surely not going to slow down for a while. About 3 million passenger cars were sold in the States in the year 2022. This is according to reports published by Zippia.

According to the same source, there are about 13,432 automobile salesmen in the United States right now. Adding to this surge in jobs are the profits.

As a car salesman, you will get to work flexibly and set your work hours. You can also get a rough commission to make it through expenses and savings.

Skill Set required to become a car salesman.

There are some specific skills that you need to master in order to make it big as a car salesman.

I have made a list and attached it below to help you realize what skills you need to master to get this job.

You need to have very good communication and persuasive skills.
Customer service should also be polished to perfection.
Get ready to start studying to get in-depth product knowledge.
You need to master time management.
You have to be technologically proficient.
You also need to learn how to dress to impress. 😉

If you want to learn more about customer service, then you should use this course.

How much can a Car Salesman earn?

Any Car salesman can earn well if they get employed at a big company. How much you earn depends on your skill set and experience in the field. The more you gain experience, the more you will get paid. 📈

You can expect a base pay of $78,379 per year. Base pay is what your employer pays you directly, and this is the actual salary. To this, we add the additional pay, which is going to be $22,601 per year. Additional pay is what you get in the form of tips, bonuses, commissions, etc as payments.

The total of these is going to be the average pay you can expect as a Car Salesman in the United States as of June 2023, which adds up to $78,379 per year plus those additional amounts you might get. These salary trends have been statistically proven and are completely up to date.💸

If we talk about hourly rates, then you can expect to get paid $40.78 per hour as of June 2023. 📊

How to Become a Car Salesman? (More Tips)

Below are all of the steps that have been explained in detail for your benefit. You can note them down if you want because these are what you have to do to become a Car Salesman. ✅

Finish your education

The first step is to be done with your education.
Finish the minimum required educational qualifications, which involves getting a high school diploma or a GED equivalent and then a degree in a suitable course.
Use this article to learn more about GED equivalents.
A high school diploma or a GED equivalent is more than enough to get hired for entry-level positions.
But if you want to aim higher and maybe get hired in more advanced positions, such as a sales manager, etc., go for further education, such as an undergraduate as well as a master’s degree. 📃

Get work experience

Gaining experience is extremely important in all career opportunities as employers look out for candidates with more experience.
This experience can be gained by getting internships – paid or not – or becoming an apprentice under more experienced professionals.
This helps a lot since they help out with real-life situations and provide important insight. Using all of this advice will help you stand apart from other candidates. 🧑‍💼
You can do so by becoming more active on platforms like LinkedIn, where you will be able to reach out to professionals for such offers.

Get a license

A lot of states require salesmen to be licensed individuals.
While this might not be a necessity in the region where you live, it is better to get licensed in case you ever get a good opportunity in another state.
Look up the guidelines for your region before setting out to become a professional salesperson. It never hurts to be aware of the rules and regulations related to your job. 📄
Read this guide to learn more about filing sales licenses.

Do training courses

While this may look like something easy, it is not. Training courses are made especially with the skills you need to acquire as a salesman in need.
These training programs are headed by instructors who have worked in the field and have immense knowledge.
They know their way around sales and marketing. Everything that you learn in these courses is going to be of help in your future career as a car salesman.
You would also get certificates of competition as proof of you learning these tricks and skills. 🧑‍🏫
I have attached some of these in a section below. Do check it out. 😉

How do you get a license to sell cars?

Some states require you to get a legal car dealer’s license so that you become able to start working as a car salesman, and it can be a lengthy process. I have tried explaining the steps in the process below. ⬇️

Learn about the different kinds of licenses.

Understand that there are different kinds of licenses when it comes to dealing with cars. If you are selling old cars you have owned before, then it’s no issue.
But as someone who is selling them as a salesperson or businessman, you do need a proper license. There are different licenses for these people, too. Each state has different requirements and rules for getting a license.
Try to get as much information as you can about these legalities. 📄
Find out more using this guide.

The application process

The application process also has several steps you need to keep in mind while applying.
The first step would be to go through a proper and thorough background check, which will make sure that you have worked within legal boundaries as well.
Next, they would ask you for your plans, which require you to get a license. For this, they would also ask for a general business license if you have one.
Settle all crucial details about yourself while applying, which include your retail address, credit history, etc. 📝
Use this article to understand more about the application process.

Wait for the license

Keep track of your documents and application process.
After the submission of your documents, you would have to wait patiently while your license arrives.
Make sure you keep those documents secure in case you need them in the future. 🤔

Responsibilities of a Car Salesman

People in sales have to be very mindful of their customers. They are people who have to interact with a target audience every day. These customers also place their trust in the salesmen and tell them about their interests and such.

Hence, there is a list of responsibilities of a Car Salesman that they can tackle whenever something like this happens.

Be a good salesman.

To ensure that your customers are happy and keep coming back to you for deals and advice about cars, you have to be a good salesman. There are a lot of tricks you can use so that you become able to become one.
You should always remember the names of your clients.
It might seem like very useful advice, but a lot of times, it might be so that you are flooded with appointments and have a lot of customers and end up forgetting the names of a few.
This can dampen their mood and ruin their impression. Treat every customer equally, and don’t pick favorites. Never let the conversation get boring, either. 🎤

Don’t be rude or dismissive.

There might be times when you face some work pressure and get frustrated or angry. Do not take this out on your customers.
Never be rude or dismissive about their issues or interests. Don’t be pushy.
Wait for them to come up with decisions. Make sure that you don’t use unsuitable language when you’re with them.
Do not disclose any client’s information to any third party either.🗣️

Take care of their interests

Listen to your customers properly and ask them good follow-up questions so that you have an idea about their interests.
This will help you give them the right advice at the right time. And as you keep giving them good advice, they trust you more and approach you as well. 🤝
Use this article to polish your customer service skills and strive to treat your customers better.

Top Car Salesman Courses in the United States

A lot of online resources are nowadays available for use. These just add to your credits and knowledge.

These help you without having to deal with the extra amount of stress one might have about the application process and the location. ⚕️

Car Sales: How to Sell a Car for Beginners and Newbies

This course is offered by the educational platform Udemy and is divided into eight sections, which have 17 lectures each.
The total duration of this course then turns out to be only about 1 hour. The instructor for this course is Kawika Joshua Buttel, a sales professional based in the United States.
Upon completion of this course, you will have learned all about communication with clients, rapport building, and more. 🗣️

Learn How To Buy & Sell Cars Quick To Make Massive Profit

This course is also offered by Udemy and is taught by Dru Bowens. He is an entrepreneur and sales instructor based in the US.
The course is divided into eight sections, which have nine lectures. The total duration of this course is also approximately one hour.
This course wishes to teach the students about car flipping, negotiation, buying, and more tips and tricks when it comes to sales.
Once you purchase this course, you will unlock lifetime access to these resources and will be able to open them whenever you want. 🚘

Car Sales Training for Dealership Staff

This course is available on Motorvise, which offers a car sales training program for the dealership staff to learn. The course is divided into six levels.
The first level is to become a MotorVise Certified Sales Executive, and the second level certifies you as an Advanced Sales Executive.
The third level is to become a Master Sales Executive.
The fourth level helps you become a MotorVise Certified Sales Manager.
The fifth level includes content that will educate you about becoming an Advanced Sales Manager.
The last and sixth level is for becoming a Master General Sales Manager. 🎖️

Keep in mind that these are all at these competency levels, and completion of each level makes you as competent as the post mentioned in each of the levels.

Fundamental of the Sales Funnel

This course is offered by Alison, which is another educational platform. The course is divided into five modules, which are further divided into more content for you to use for studying.
The last module is purely for assessment and checking how much you have learned upon completion of the first four modules.
The total duration of this course is 4 to 5 hours, depending upon how fast you become able to finish them.
The course touches upon topics such as sales, marketing, and fundamental concepts in these fields. 🧐

Top Car Salesman Schools in the World

With the extracurricular courses and licensing out of the way, we should now take a look at proper programs and the colleges that are offering them.

It would be better for you if you find a good school to get hands-on training, as marketing and sales tactics are best learned and demonstrated offline. The courses suitable for you would include business, marketing, and finance. 🏫

University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin offers a marketing, economics, or business program for students interested in pursuing a career in these fields.
With a median salary of $52,200 per year six years after graduation, this program promises a financially stable future for its students.
The acceptance rate of this university is 38.52%. If you want to enroll in this program, you need a Sat score of 1367 and an ACT score of 30.
The tuition fee here is $78,232 for residential candidates and $90,742 for non-residential candidates. 🤠

University of Pennsylvania

Located in Philadelphia, USA, the University of Pennsylvania offers you a business program readily. The university was founded in 1740 and is one of the oldest educational institutions in the United States.
It is a private IVY League university and has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1.
What this means for the students is that there is one professor for every six students in the college. Financial aid is also available for students when it comes to the admission process.
The median salary you can expect six years after graduating from here is $91,200 Per Year.
The acceptance rate of this university is 8.41%. If you want to enroll in this program, you need a Sat score of 1492 and an ACT score of 34. The tuition fee here is $55,584. 📈

University of Southern California

With a promise that the median salary is going to be $61,400 per year after six years of graduating from here, the University of Southern California’s business, social work, or communication programs provide promising career opportunities for its students.
The acceptance rate of this university is 12.96%. If you want to enroll in this program, you need a Sat score of 1445 and an ACT score of 32. The tuition fee here is $56,225. 😄

University of Georgia

The University of Georgia promises that you can expect to get $45,200 Per Year after six years of graduating from here.
It offers its students a marketing or business program at its premises located in Evanston in order to avail of this salary.
The acceptance rate of this university is 48.63%. If you want to enroll in this program, you need a Sat score of 1345 and an ACT score of 30. The tuition fee here is $11,830. 🧐

University of Maryland

The University of Maryland offers you a business, finance, or economics program at its premises in Binghamton.
The median salary you can expect six years after graduating from here is $50,100 Per Year.
The acceptance rate of this university is 47.16%. If you want to enroll in this program, you need a Sat score of 1390 and an ACT score of 31. The tuition fee here is $10,595. ✔️
It is crystal clear after looking at these fee structures that the quality of the courses being offered will be great without a doubt. Make sure that you sit down, take your time to think about it, and choose the best one for you properly, which will form your future as a car salesman. 💻

Where can you find Car Salesman job opportunities online?

Searching for dream jobs has become so much more simple thanks to the increase in online job-hunting platforms.

It is necessary for you to create accounts on all these websites (which are usually free for everyone), after which you simply need to sit back, relax, and start applying for your preferred job opportunities. 🛄

Indeed

Indeed is the go-to job-hunting website and is a credible source for millions of people to find their dream gig.
There are numerous options available for use, and you can explore a plethora of job opportunities on it. The nature of the jobs makes no difference.
You can find remote jobs, work-from-home, part-time, or full-time jobs; all you need to do is enter your list of preferences, and Indeed will help you find the best option possible for you.
Once you have made yourself an Indeed account, you will immediately get to access all of the available resources. 💻

LinkedIn is a good source for job-hunting. Together, we have discussed previously how networking is a necessity in today’s world, and LinkedIn is one such platform that focuses specifically on building professional relationships and expanding one’s network. It is unlike other platforms.
While the rest focus on filters, LinkedIn helps you reach out to employers of your choice after checking their background.💻
It is going to be extremely helpful for your career because people in sales greatly benefit from building networks. On this platform, you would be able to find and reach out to prospective clients. 🧑‍💼

AutoNation CareersAutoNation Careers

AutoNation Careers is an online platform made especially for people involved in the automobile business.
Anyone who has a job in this field – from engineers to salesmen – can find the job of their choice on this site without any hassle.
They can offer assistance through 30+ centers and let you choose the job of your choice with the help of certain filters. You can choose the place you want to find a job in and also the company of your preference.
You become a part of their community when you apply and get access to their resources. 🚗

Kinaxis

One more online platform specially made for people in the automobile business is Kineaxis.
This also has resources that are specially made for people who wish to become a part of this field and seek guidance for becoming able to do so.
They operate worldwide and offer guidance and employment opportunities in several big companies in the market. Just like in AutoNation Careers, you gain access to exclusive benefits as a member of this community.
Some of them include Health and wellness programs, Flexible vacations, Employee Share Purchase Plans, and more. 🤝

Conclusion

I recommend that you take up this job if you are immensely interested in cars and are sure that you would be able to talk about cars with customers at length.

Someone with proper knowledge and dedication would be able to climb up the ranks and land a good job offer easily.

And if you are someone who loves cars, this would be ideal for you because you would be able to see more cars and talk about them with bigger clients (sportspersons even). Your salary won’t be an issue either, and you will have more than enough to sustain in this economy.🤑