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Do you have what it takes to be a successful car salesman or saleswoman? Take the quiz and find out.
Car sales aren’t what they were a decade ago. The car sales industry has always been fast-paced, but new technology has turbocharged the sales engine. That means today’s successful car salesman or saleswoman has to be tech-savvy. But there’s a lot more to it than just the latest app or the fastest network, though that can certainly help.
Every successful salesperson, in any industry, establishes a set of habits that help them win clients, close deals, and put money in the bank. Some of these are what you might call the scenic route. They’ve been around a while, they go a bit slower, and there are some nice views. And while you may not reach your destination as quickly, you can stop and enjoy an ice-cold root beer on the way.
Combine these two, and you have a powerhouse. You have the luxury seats, the smooth shifting, and the sleek design. The question is, what are these habits and do you have them?
The ultimate successful car salesman and saleswoman quiz
Let’s begin at the beginning – back when sales was as simple as a handshake.
1. Do you make it a habit to treat everyone fairly? This might seem like a ridiculous question, but think hard before you answer. Are you more eager to chat with the guy in the suit than you are the twenty-something wearing an old sweatshirt?
2. Do you make it a habit to prepare for meetings? If you know in advance that a customer is coming in to close a deal, be sure you have everything ready to go. Make it an easy process or you could end up empty-handed.
3. Are you organized? Do you send follow-up emails or make follow-up calls when you should? Do you keep a list of clients looking for specific vehicles? Are you double-booking meetings?
4. Do you know your product? This is key for any industry, but it’s especially true if you want to be a successful car salesman or saleswoman. You may get a little slack if you sell a variety of vehicles, but if you specialize in one or two brands, you really need to know the ins and outs of every vehicle on your lot.
5. Do you make it a habit to actively listen to your prospects? You never know when that little snippet of information will come up that could change everything. 
Now let’s go over the digital habits of a successful car salesman and see how many you already have in practice. These aren’t necessarily habits, but in the digital world, they can certainly seem like they are.
6. Do you have an automated email system? Customers and leads want some acknowledgment that you know they exist. An automated email or text reply is the perfect solution. It’s a way of letting people know that you are busy, but you did get the message and you will get back in touch with them as soon as possible.
7. Do you have a personalized email system? Automated emails are great, but they aren’t the same as personalized emails. A successful car salesman or saleswoman will have an email newsletter as part of their digital sales strategy. It’s even better if you can segment these to go to people based on their interest or their status. For example, you might send an email about service deals to a recent customer and an email about new arrivals to someone interested in buying a vehicle.
8. Can you make a deal right on the lot? Or do you need to go back into the office and dig out paperwork? If you have the technology to give a customer a vehicle history, a price, and details about a vehicle while you’re standing right in front of that vehicle, it’s like you’ve moved over to the HOV lane and traffic pretty much disappears.
9. Can you reach your customer even when you aren’t on the lot? Running late to close a deal? At an
auction and found the perfect vehicle? You’ll be steps ahead if you can reach your customers without having to get into the office.
10. Are you active on social media? This is one habit of a successful car salesman that you can’t skip in this digital age. Your customers and leads will look for you on social media to catch up on your new vehicles, service specials, or general automotive information. If they don’t find you, they’ll almost certainly find your competition.
When you dig into it, success in the automotive sales industry is really about being organized, being efficient, and treating people well. It really can be that simple.
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