Car Salesperson Interview Questions

"I think my last manager would describe me as someone who is incredibly goal-oriented. I always try to hit my quarterly targets. My last manager would also say that I have great interpersonal skills and can build relationships with any customer that comes into the dealership. Last, I have fantastic negotiating skills. The reason I'm able to hit my targets is that I always try to negotiate the best price for my dealership."

"I have worked in a range of different dealerships, but I will say that I was consistently selling expensive vehicles while working at the BMW dealership in downtown Toronto. Because of the location, the dealership was consistently busy, so I was making at least 3 sales a month. The most expensive car I sold for BMW was the 8-series Gran Coupe."

"I find negotiating is primarily about listening to you customers. Listening helps to build trust and if they trust you, they are more likely to listen to you. I had a customer who came in that was looking for a particular car. After listening to what they wanted and looking for I convinced them to get a more expensive car by referencing back some of the key characteristics they were looking for. They did try bringing the price down but I stayed firm and, in the end, they paid full price."

"Every quarter I get energized by the prospect of hitting a new target. I make sure to break down the amount I have to sell to determine how many cars and add-ons that will be. I then calculate how many sales I need to make a month. Once I do it makes it easier to manage and hit the small targets consistently."

"I have used customer relationship management software in every job I've had in car sales. I'm quite comfortable learning new programmes. In my current job, we are using DealerSocket CRM but in my last position, we used Dominion Sales centre CRM. I found both to be user friendly and easy to learn."

"Whenever I meet a new customer, I learn as much about them as I can. I always try to make personal connections with other customers, it's the best way to build a relationship. Once I have built a genuine relationship with the customer I find that they trust me more and are more likely to buy from me than going to another dealership."

"I have a list of former clients that have a tendency to buy on a semi-regular basis. I also keep track of who bought cars when and what clients may need a new car soon. This allows me to get ahead of other promotions and reach out to them on a more personal level about some promotions that my dealership has."

"In my first 30 days, I will shadow my colleagues. I always find this is the best way to learn about the add-ons and interesting aspects of the cars. In the next 60 days, I will perfect my sales speech and how I work with customers that come into the dealership. I always ask my manager for feedback in those first 90 days as well."

"Having worked for your competitors for several years I have been watching how successful this dealership is. To me, this dealership is a natural next step in my career. I'm always interested in working for the best companies because I believe I can perform to their standards. I would love the opportunity to prove that to you."

"Unfortunately, every so often this happens. When it does, I spend a day or two looking over my numbers and trying to see where I can improve. I then usually focus my time and energy on selling more expensive product because it means it will take less time and fewer cars to reach my target."

"I always sit down with them and run through the numbers and what they are looking for. People who are looking for the newest and flashy cars are better off leasing. Someone who is more budget conscious and will use their car for a longer time is much better off buying a car. Going through the numbers really helps the customer understand the financial difference and if it makes sense for them."

"First, I listen to what the customer is complaining about. I find simply listening to their concerns is the best way to help them. If their concerns are valid and I can do something about it then I try my best to do so. If it is something beyond my control, then I will either inolve my manager or head office to try to solve the problem."

"I am definitely a people person, and I think that helps when building relationships with customers and getting sales. When I build relationships and get to know my customers, it helps me when negotiating the right price for a car. I always make sure that my customers are happy and satisfied with the service they are receiving from me. This helps to ensure they will be repeat customers in the future."

"I had customers come in that were expecting their first baby soon. They were budget-conscious but also wanted to make sure they were getting the best safety features for their car. I worked the numbers with them so that they could afford the safety features they wanted without blowing their budget."

"When this happens, I show them all the colours that we have available in the store. If they are still convinced that they want the unavailable colour then I get the sale but write in the contract when they are going to receive the car. If you let the customer leave the property, they are far less likely to return. Having them sign the contract with the promise of getting the colour they want as soon as it's available, keeps them happy. If this still doesn't work, I will offer them a small discount for signing that day."