Car Salesman Job Description
A car salesman sells new or used vehicles for a dealership. Car salesmen sell cars, vans, pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles (SUVs), and are expected to be experts in all the vehicles on the lot. They negotiate prices and discuss with customers rebates, warranties and various incentives. Car salesmen tend to work long hours and weekends, fitting their schedules around those of the potential customers.
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Basics
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Car salesmen greet customers and find out what they need. They show the customer the vehicles that fit his needs, and they might go with the customer on a test drive. They also demonstrate a car's other features, such as radios, sunroofs, seats, etc. The success of car salesmen results in the success, or lack thereof, of the dealership overall.
Skills
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Car salesmen must be polite, professional, energetic and presentable, with strong communication and customer service skills. They must maintain focus and a positive attitude, and be resilient in trying to make a sale. Car salesmen must be familiar with all the vehicles on the lot, so they can give customers a number of options. They should be organized and have basic math skills for the purpose of negotiation.
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Background
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Other than a high school diploma, there are rarely an educational requirements to become a car salesman. Most dealerships allow salesmen to learn on the job, although previous experience is helpful.
Prospects
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Opportunities for car salesmen are likely to suffer along with the rest of the auto industry during the next decade. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for car salesmen will decrease from 2008 through 2018.
Earnings
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Since almost all car salesmen work on commission, a salesman's pay is based on his success. According to PayScale, car salesmen earned anywhere from $33,000 to more than $48,000 per year as of April 2010, with sales managers earning nearly $54,000.
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References
- Photo Credit businessman image by Gina Smith from Fotolia.com
