Buyers have relied on salespeople for centuries—and companies have relied on salespeople to make money. According to the most recent numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 14.5 million workers in our country are employed in “sales and related occupations.” And yet, you’ll be hard-pressed to meet someone who says they went to college and majored in sales. In many cases, if someone does go to college, they’ll stumble into a sales career at some point after graduation.

That means when you hire new salespeople at your dealership, they’re either totally green, or they’ve just learned through first-hand experience over the years. Neither scenario is unfavorable, but it does mean that if you want a team of salespeople that are all on the same page and have similar core competencies, developing and instituting auto sales training programs needs to be a priority.

Auto sales training: New hires vs. continuing education

Your auto sales training program will fall into one of two categories: new hires and continuing education. There are training programs you will want every single new hire to go through so you can feel confident that each salesperson gets the same foundation. Whether they’re seasoned sales reps or total newbies, you want each new hire to understand how your dealership handles sales from A to Z.

The other auto sales training programs you should develop will serve as continuing education for your existing sales team. You may notice some areas where your salespeople could use a little extra training, or you might want to keep them updated on marketing best practices or compliance changes. Either way, your sales team should always be improving their skills.

Programs for auto sales training to start in your dealership

How you decide to deploy these programs will depend on your dealership’s budget, technical know-how, and internal resources. Some dealerships will bring in sales experts to lead training programs, while others have an in-house trainer on staff; some dealerships may be tech-savvy enough to create online learning modules, while others may opt for an old-fashioned two-hour speech.

Adapt your auto sales training programs to what makes sense for your dealership. No matter what you decide, though, prioritize making your training programs interactive. There’s nothing that will bore your staff faster than listening to a trainer talk at them for an entire morning.

Group instruction is good, but find ways to work in role-playing and instituting a buddy system to give salespeople first-hand experience and hold them accountable. Incorporate video by creating your own, or borrowing from YouTube because videos are a fun, easy way to hold a trainee’s interest.

The following are some program ideas to get you started. They are not divided by new hire vs. continuing education because there are plenty of different ways you can set them up so that they cater to either crowd.

For example, the first program topic below is “Compliance awareness”—you could create one version of this program to introduce new hires to essential dealership compliance 101, and then create another version that reminds your existing salespeople about compliance issues and updates them on recent changes.

1. Compliance Awareness

CAN-SPAM Act, the TCPA, Fair Credit Reporting Act, and other areas that compliance is essential.

2. Telephone Training

How to answer different types of incoming calls, making outgoing calls, cold calling techniques, when you can and can’t call

3. Email Training

Email etiquette and grammar, using CRM templates, customizing templates

4. CRM Training

How to leverage you automotive crm software to improve the customer experience and provide more personalized interactions

5. Closing the Deal

Language to use and techniques for sealing the deal

6. About the Dealership

Internal processes, how things run, history of the dealership, current employees, and hierarchy

7. Management Training

An auto sales training program to bring an employee from salesperson to sales manager.

8. The wants and needs of different customer demographics

Getting salespeople to think about how different people may go through the sales process or want to receive information

9. Bringing in Business

If too many salespeople just sit and wait for customers to walk in, teach them how to prospect and market themselves

10. Overcoming Objections

Teaching salespeople how to get past common barriers to a sale

11. Product Knowledge

Details about the makes and models your dealership sells, trends in the market

12. Negotiation

Tips for effective negotiation with customers

Once you’ve developed the content for your auto sales training programs, don’t forget to create test materials as well. Your salespeople will be much more likely to retain information during the training if they know there is a test at the end. Try to make the tests a combination of written questions and applying the learning in the field. It’s one thing if a salesperson can tell you on paper how to close a deal, and it’s another skill set entirely to take that knowledge and put it to work in a real-life scenario.

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Inexperience doesn’t have to mean meager success. With the right car sales training, even your newest reps can make it to the leaderboard.

As with most professions, there’s often a vast divide between the things car sales training teaches a new rep and the things they actually need on the job to be competitive, let alone successful. As a manager, it’s critical to understand that if you’re taking new blood under your wing—which can be a very lucrative thing to do—they probably won’t do very well if you throw them into the water and let them figure out how to swim.

New car sales professionals may think they know what it takes to succeed, but frequently they discover that closing deals isn’t as simple as they may have thought it would be. Fortunately, with a little ongoing car sales training, they can quickly learn some of the tricks of the trade that may have taken others months or even years to figure out.

Here are some things a new hire may not yet know, but probably should.

11 Car sales training tips your new salespeople need to succeed

1. Name that customer

Perhaps the first thing that car sales training should mention is to learn and use a customer’s name. People appreciate—often unknowingly—being called by name. It creates a closer connection, drops some of the formalities of professional transactions, and helps them put down any guards they may have up.

2. Be an active listener

One of the most common mistakes made by new car sales reps is that they talk when they should be listening. Remind them not to assume they know what a customer wants or needs. They should ask questions, listen carefully to the answers, and steer the conversation from there.

3. Don’t skip the small talk

To that same end, make small talk skills part of a new hire’s car sales training. They should forget about the sale for a minute and focus on getting to know the customer. What motivates them? What interests them? The better they know a prospective customer as a person, the better a sales rep will be able to serve them.

4. Solutions, not sales

Though it may seem counterintuitive to them, teach your new reps to focus on solutions, not sales. What does a customer need? What are their pain points? Solve for those, and the outcome will frequently be not only a sale but a sale to a happy, potentially-repeat customer.

5. Be a product expert

New salespeople will take a little time to become complete experts on your products, but the quicker they can do this, the more success they’ll find on the lot. The fewer times a new hire has to pause a conversation to get an answer from a manager, the more confident a customer will feel.

6. Understand pricing

A lot of car sales training will focus on price models, but it doesn’t necessarily teach the new rep that they’ll need to research their local markets. Inventory often dictates price, as does locale, so knowing what’s competitive, what’s fair, and what kind of wiggle room they may have for negotiation is critical to seeing more people driving off with new wheels.

7. Use technology

Between the changed work world of the pandemic and the fact that incoming salespeople will likely already be quite tech savvy, a new hire’s sales training program should include a run-down of your auto dealer CRM. Using a system like AutoRaptor will help put even your greenest sales reps at the head of the competition.

8. Practice honesty

Encourage your sales reps to always be honest and never make promises they can’t keep. Dishonest sales tactics are an unfortunate stigma of the pre-owned vehicle industry, and perpetuating that—even if it does result in a sale—will surely be less lucrative in the long run.

9. Focus on the positive

It can be tempting for a new hire to disparage competitors to make your dealership look better. Address this in car sales training. Teach them, instead, to focus on the positives of what you have to offer, and never refer to a competitor unless doing so is necessary to respond to someone adequately, and even then, tell them not to throw competitors under the bus.

10. Follow up

Just because they’ve made the sale doesn’t mean they can forget the customer. In fact, it’s common to close deals with existing customers, and often easier to do than with new customers. Teach new hires to follow up after a sale and to stay in touch for the next one.

11. Keep learning

Finally, it can be helpful to remind new reps that their car sales training will never be finished. They should always be learning, always be willing to learn, and always looking for opportunities to add to their talents and skillsets. There’s no profession where someone starts in their 20s or 30s and then doesn’t have to adjust their processes regularly throughout their careers. The world changes faster and more frequently than it did in past generations. Staying on top of those changes, embracing them, and building on them may, in fact, be the very best way to always—whether experienced or not—be a closer.

Add even a few of these to your car sales training and your new reps will flourish. 

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Proactive auto inventory management is essential for used car dealers. Enact these simple tips to ensure you have what your customers are looking for.

Managing inventory at a previously-owned car dealership has always been tricky. You never know what might show up on your lot or at auction on any given day. Having the right cars at the right time requires research, understanding and anticipating customer needs, and getting the best value for your dollar. And we can’t ignore the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has added to the challenges of auto inventory management and changed the way we do business. It’s safe to assume we will have fewer in-person interactions, more virtual auctions, and fluctuating demand for years.

The good news is that the demand—fluctuating or not—is still out there. With new cars getting increasingly expensive, people turn to used cars as they continue to avoid public transportation in favor of independent modes of travel. That’s why it’s perhaps more important now than ever that you stay on top of your auto inventory management.

Easy enough, right? Here’s a little guidance on keeping your inventory up to date and in demand.

Find out how your auto inventory management can keep your lot stocked and ready to meet the needs of your customers.

1. Expand your reach

Perhaps the most straightforward auto inventory management tip is to look for used cars beyond your usual borders. Expanding used car searches by even a few miles can yield significant results. Obviously, it still has to be worth your while in terms of travel and getting the car to your lot, but spending a little extra to find those high-demand vehicles will likely pay off in the long run.

2. Leverage your CRM

Just because a customer isn’t actively on the market to sell doesn’t mean they won’t be interested in the right trade-in deal. If you’ve kept good tabs on your customers and leads in an automotive CRM like AutoRaptor, you can use this information to help you find high-demand vehicles and offer a trade-in. You might be surprised at how many people will take you up on a deal, especially if you can add significant value at little-to-no cost for your dealership.

3. Double down on virtual auctions

Sure, you’d prefer to go to auctions in person and visually inspect vehicles before you bid on them. But that’s not always possible. For better or worse, the pandemic expedited a technological revolution that was already in motion for the used car business. Discounting virtual auctions is no longer an option. In fact, it could be a valuable way to increase your territory in looking for vehicles.

A few words of note: Make sure you’re working with reputable auction houses, just as you would for a traditional auction. If you don’t participate in the auction yourself, send a seasoned representative in your place, someone who knows the market, knows what’s hot in your area, and what reasonable prices are. These considerations are even more critical for virtual auctions and will help ensure that you’re getting the best vehicles for the best prices.

4. Get the word out

Relying primarily on auctions and trade-ins may have been sustainable ways to handle your auto inventory management. Still, this may be an excellent time to use some other traditional methods, namely, advertising.

Direct mailers and email campaigns are excellent ways to reach people, the latter being preferable since you can better measure your success. Boosting your social media presence can also help you engage with people who want to sell, especially on sites like Facebook that promote discussions and may even have groups you can join to network with potential sellers. (Note: Make sure your dealership website is updated, usable, and detailed!)

5. Incentivize

The best advertising, of course, is word-of-mouth. How do you get people talking about you? Give them incentives. Whether it be free services, discounts, or other referral bonuses, incentives are a sure-fire way to help you chip away at the crowd until you find the people who have what you’re looking for. Offer irresistible deals to those willing to make a trade-in as well, so anyone on the fence will be likely to lean your way.

6. Hire an inventory manager

If auto inventory management is taking up too much of your time, it may be worth the investment to get someone who is solely dedicated to the job. Having an inventory manager frees you up to focus on other important aspects of your business while still allowing you to maintain the freshest, most attractive lot of pre-owned vehicles to meet the needs of your diverse customer base.

In a time of contactless auto sales, virtual auctions, and an ever-shifting approach to buying and selling cars, auto inventory management can be a tremendous asset to your business.

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In today’s digital world, many businesses overlook the importance of automotive phone training. Here are some ways that using the phone can still help to grow your revenue.

It’s easy to think that people don’t use the phone very much these days. With texting and social media messages acting as the medium for a lot of sales and customer service conversations, you could be forgiven for thinking that there’s no way phone sales would work – especially auto sales where people want to see the vehicle in person. The thing is, if you think that’s the case, you may want to rethink your sales strategy. Some research indicates that 92% of customer interactions still happen over the phone, and 41.2% of salespeople say that the phone is the most effective sales tool at their disposal. So much for a dying strategy.

Yet even when presented with those figures, many dealerships don’t provide automotive phone training for their employees. With metrics and automation making digital interactions more attractive to businesses, training employees to be effective on the phone seems to be an afterthought at some dealerships.

The reality is that phone sales are alive and well, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where many customers can’t or are hesitant to shop in person. But as any phone salesperson will tell you, sales calls require different techniques and skills to be effective. That’s why it’s essential to regularly include automotive phone training for all salespeople, even seasoned veterans.

5 Valuable automotive phone training tips to help you build a foundation for an ongoing, revenue-enhancing sales strategy

1. Take advantage of call scripts

Most people don’t initially like the idea of reading off a script during a sales call, but research shows that what you say in a sales call can make a big difference in closing the deal. If your team doesn’t use scripts, those words and phrases that turn prospects into customers can be challenging to remember. Besides that, a call script helps a salesperson stay focused and respond to objections without the need to think on their feet—something that can make all the difference between meeting a customer’s needs and losing a sale.

2. Be positive

Since customers are frequently on the defensive when receiving a sales call, it’s important that you remind your team to start each call with meaningful positivity, like referring to a common interest with the customer, mentioning fun weekend plans, or talking about something good that happened in sports or entertainment recently. Doing so will usually get the customer to lower their guard a little, giving your salespeople a chance to make their pitch and hopefully convert to a sale.

3. Stand up

This might sound a little ridiculous, but there’s science behind standing up during sales calls. It not only does wonders for you physically, but standing up can actually boost your confidence, which will come through in your voice. This works best with a hands-free headset so your salespeople can essentially have a phone conversation in much the same way they would have an in-person one. Try it for a month. It may feel silly at first, but when those numbers start picking up, you’ll wonder why anyone would ever sat in a chair to call customers.

4. Be concise

Your sales team could be the nicest, most interesting people on the planet, but your customers have busy lives. They aren’t usually interested in a lot of small talk. When putting your automotive phone training together, stress the importance of getting to the point. Open the call with a short anecdote or positive comment, but then state the reason for the call and briefly explain the benefits of the call for your customer. By some estimates, the first five seconds of the call are essential to earn five minutes of someone’s time. That means really honing that opening phrase into the perfectly crafted piece of sales art.

5. Listen actively

We usually think that we’re listening to people when in conversation, but in reality, many sales reps are already thinking about their next words while a customer is talking. Automotive phone training will teach your team how to listen actively. This practice is so important because it’s impossible solve the customer’s needs without knowing what they need! Encourage your team to listen to them, listen to their objections, and respond accordingly rather than trying to win them over with smooth sales talk that they’ll likely see through.

One caveat to all this: it’s easy to get discouraged with phone sales. Something useful to include in your automotive phone training are these statistics: Sales reps must make six calls to close a sale, and on average, only one in eighteen calls will eventually convert to a sale. The moral of this story is perseverance. Don’t get down if the first, second, and third calls don’t seem to go anywhere. Remember that phone sales require at least as much if not more persistence than other forms of selling. If rejections pile up, help your team remember that it takes time, effort, and creativity to take care of a customer’s needs.  Let success, not rejection, motivate you and your team through automotive phone training that will lead your dealership into the future.

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F&I Manager training has always been encouraged, but how much time and money do dealers need to invest to make their efforts worthwhile?

It’s not that much of a stretch to suggest that the business office is the pulse of any car sales operation. It’s also the first place to fall victim to overpriced and ineffective educational endeavors. Hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars get invested into F&I manager training each year with the hope of increasing profits and avoiding fines. Dealerships will do just about anything to simplify their daily routines, but find they can’t when they’re faced with new obstacles.

The average business manager has to observe guidelines from:

• Department of Transportation (rules vary by state)
• The Internal Revenue Service (state and federal)
• Financial Institutions / Lenders / Floorplan Companies
• Extended Service Providers
• Federal Trade Commission

Remember, not every organization sends policy change notifications, either.

Car dealers can’t claim ignorance as an excuse, so it’s important to find time during the week to study current car sales requirements. The upside is that there’s no need to pay a third party company to organize F&I manager training when most of the information necessary is right at your fingertips.

4 Ways to fuel inject your F&I Manager training

1. Make it a priority to stay informed.

• Read all notices obtained by lenders and financial institutions.
• Visit the state DOT website to check for policy changes and current registration and lienholder guidelines.
• Review applicable DOR and IRS guidelines and perform self-audits to ensure compliance with state and federal laws.
• Check dealer association websites for bulletins. NADA (National Auto Dealer Association) and NIADA (National Independent Auto Dealer Association) offer useful dealership training resources.

2. Create and maintain a reference binder.

Even with sufficient training, the list of car dealer compliance rules is so extensive that it’s almost impossible to remember them all correctly. Reference binders are useful for managers of all experience levels, and they’re a great place to store rate sheets, contact information, and funding stipulations.

Essential regulations to keep on file:

• The Disposal Rule
• Form 8300 (reporting cash payments more than $10,000)
• Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act including the Financial Privacy Rule and the Safeguards Rule
• Red Flags Rule
• The Used Car Rule
• Any other regulations that are difficult to remember

3. Save money by reducing travel expenses.

Training seminars and conferences used to be one of the best options for dealers looking to expand their knowledge, but that was in the past. Today’s dealers can’t afford to send their managers out for days at a time, nor do they want to pay excessive travel expenses. It’s become a lot easier for finance managers to maintain their education thanks to the digital tools and online classes that are now available.

Remember that yearly dealer association fee?

Make the most out of membership costs and see which F&I manager training materials are included with your dealer association subscriptions.

Always ask the following questions before taking a new course:

• How much time will it take to complete training?
• Is any travel required?
• Can the information help prevent costly fines?
• Have I already taken a class like this before?
• Could this information be found for free somewhere else?
• Will this training help remedy a current dealership issue/reoccurring problem?

4. Analyze the effectiveness of current training practices before even thinking about new ones.

Even when you eliminate expensive seminars and travel costs, training can still be quite the investment for most car dealers. Free courses still require business managers to sacrifice valuable work hours, putting a significant strain on the rest of the sales team to pick up the slack while they’re away. There’s also the risk of taking a class and walking away without any useful resources to help maintain compliance. Each dealership has different goals or issues to address, so consider all the factors when you evaluate F&I manager training. Do your research to decide which methods will work best for you, but as long as you make strides towards increased efficiency and profitability, you can be confident you’re moving in the right direction.

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Do you feel like your sales meetings are lacking that little something extra to get your team motivated again? One of the best ways to get out of a slump is to get inspired by great sales quotes.

Motivational speakers, sales training coaches, auto company founders and CEO’s are all fantastic resources for words of wisdom. They’re driven, prosperous, and have all done what you want to do: succeed in the automotive business. Taking a little time out of your day to read great sales quotes will inspire focus, drive, and the mindset you need to sell more cars.

These quotes are full of wisdom from some of the most respected professionals in the auto industry. The next time you or one of your colleagues feel unfocused, read some of these great sales quotes. Don’t forget to stay organized with automotive crm software like AutoRaptor.

10 Great sales quotes to inspire and motivate your auto sales team

1) “I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.”

Elon Musk, Founder, and CEO of Tesla has been quoted many times before, but this piece of advice is key to the success of any automotive professional. Car sales is not a place to get too comfortable because as you may know, you can be on top one minute, and having a hard time the next. Continually ask yourself what you can do to improve your approach. Even the experts believe there’s always room for improvement.

2) “Value the relationship more than making your quota.”

Jeffrey Gitomer is another top sales training coach, and he’s spot on about focusing on the client relationship more than your monthly quota. Five-star ratings and online reviews are playing a significant role in a client’s decision to buy a car which makes the dealer-customer relationship more meaningful than ever. First class customer service goes a long way in car sales, especially when there are thousands of possible clients reading your reviews online.

3) “Approach each customer with the idea of helping him or her to solve a problem or achieve a goal, not of selling a product or service.”

Brian Tracy is a Canadian American motivational speaker and life coach. While he may not specialize in the auto business, he does know his stuff when it comes to sales, and this quote makes an exceptional point no matter what you’re selling. If you can help a customer solve a problem, or achieve a goal, the product will practically sell itself.

4) “If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.”

Bob Hooey is a Sales Strategist, and his quote is a reminder to stay on top of your game. Competition is high in the car sales world, and this is more reason than ever to use a CRM tool to ensure you efficiently tackle every lead that comes your way.

5) “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.”

Henry Ford was a pioneer, and this piece of advice is one every salesperson should follow. There are many moving parts during a car sale, which leaves opportunity for error. Some mistakes can lead to hefty compliance fines, so it’s important to take your time to do the paperwork right. Take pride in your sales process, and your customer will appreciate you even more.

6) “As sellers, if we are going to be successful landing the big ones, we have to expand our thinking about what’s possible.”

Jill Konrath, is a sales strategist with a reminder to think outside of the box. Get creative with marketing and communication strategies to gain client interest and offer exciting programs to keep those clients engaged and interested in your dealership. A little creativity goes a long way in car sales.

7) “My definition of ‘innovative’ is providing value to the customer.”

Mary Barra is the CEO of General Motors, and she understands the importance of value to a customer. GM dealers offer the Preferred Owner Program to their customers which is a rewards system that encourages loyalty. Whether your dealership uses this program or something like it, it’s important to reward loyalty to promote customer retention.

8) “It’s not the end of the world. It’s the beginning of a powerful, all-new world.”

President of Audi America, Scott Keough is right. The world is evolving, and the car industry continues to change. Smarter cars, better CRM tools, and artificial intelligence are just the beginning. A lot is changing, but the end of one era just brings the start of a new. Embrace all the latest technology, and you could be pleasantly surprised by how it improves your performance.

9) “I’ve learned the real keys to success in sales are: CLEAR GOALS – EDUCATION – SKILLS – DISCIPLINE – INTEGRITY.”

Just about every salesperson knows Joe Verde. He has run a successful automotive sales training company for many years. Joe knows the foundation of great success is through continued education. In an industry that changes with the wind, it’s important to stay focused on new trends and techniques.

10) “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.”

Another great sales quote from Henry Ford. Almost the same as Einstein’s famous line, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” and it’s true. You have to change your approach if you aren’t finding success in your current routine. You are only as successful as you are focused, and you have the potential to succeed.

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These car salesman tips are just what you need to help train new hires.

It doesn’t matter who you employ; both experienced and amateur salespeople need training, and it’s your job to give them car salesman tips that will help them succeed at your dealership. Your approach to training can have a significant impact on their success as an employee, and on your dealership as a whole.

Every hiring manager has their own set of car salesman tips, but we think these are some of the most important.

7 Car salesman tips every new hire needs to know

1. Dress affects success.

Your dealership may not have a dress code, but it should, and it’s best to present it when you first hire someone. A first impression is powerful, and appearance is a big part of that. Whether your dealership chooses suits or casual-professional attire, choose a neutral color palette. Clothing should be clean and pressed, and team members need to maintain a neat appearance. Comfortable, but professional work shoes are essential, especially with all the walking involved. It’s better to keep a simple dress code. The only thing that should shine is a salesperson’s ability to connect with clients.

2. Memorize your inventory and lot set up.

Sold units, auction purchases, and customer trades all change a dealer’s inventory. Staying informed of the stock is crucial to a new hire’s success and is one of the first things they should learn. Whether they walk around the lot and study the cars in person, or monitor their inventory through your CRM tools, it’s important to know what they have to offer before they even talk to a client.

3. CRM tools are a salesperson’s best friend.

CRM tools have come a long way since their introduction to the auto industry. The best CRM tools are invaluable to your sales process. They can assist with client research, scheduling, team accountability, and client communication. It’s essential to train your new salesperson how to use these tools so they can work efficiently. When you teach your team to use CRM tools in their daily routine, they can ditch the clerical work and focus on what matters: selling more cars.

4. Enhance efficiency by using a CRM mobile app.

The use of a CRM mobile app can help your team stay connected, even when they’re out of the office, or making a delivery. Mobility is especially helpful for new hires looking to familiarize themselves with the inventory or CRM communication features. When you use technology in your day-to-day, it’s important to train new employees on these processes from day one.

5. The office isn’t the only place to worry about compliance.

Compliance mistakes happen in every department, and sales is no exception. When training, make sure your team has all the resources they need to stay up to date on current laws and ever-changing compliance guidelines. Whether it be the new Buyer’s Guide changes or laws regarding vehicle titles and sensitive client information, it’s vital to educate your team, or your dealership could face substantial fines.

6. Customer retention matters.

While new leads are fabulous, repeat customers are incredibly cost-efficient and the foundation of any good dealership. New hires need to be aware of any retention programs available to customers. It’s also important as a manager, to share any car salesman tips you have that might help your new hire’s customer service skills. Don’t forget that their success, means better dealer ratings and reviews for the entire dealership.

7. Continuous education is critical.

Car sales is a business that continuously changes. With all the changing processes and compliance guidelines, it’s essential to encourage continued education for all your team members. If you’re signed up with an association such as NADA or NIADA, then you have access to relevant dealer training and compliance resources to help keep you up to date.

Taking the time to prepare your approach will save you and your trainee lots of frustration. It’s easy to create a binder or spreadsheet with the necessary online training resources and car salesman tips. By creating training instructions, your trainee can focus on their education even when assigned trainers are busy. When their training process is efficient, they can start selling sooner.

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Plenty of companies claim to offer the top sales training seminars, so how can you be sure to choose the right one for your team?

You’re never too busy to prioritize education; it’s essential to your success in an ever-changing industry. You need to be aware of the top sales training seminars so you and your team can fully understand current compliance rules, finance stipulations, and the ever complicated Department of Motor Vehicles and their endless rulebook. Add to that out of state purchases and registration requirements, and it can get even more confusing. You will lose boatloads of money if you aren’t up to date on all of these regulations, and these days dealerships need to do everything possible to stay in the game.

Not every team member needs to know every little rule when it comes to stipulations, but you should always make sure to have multiple people trained to keep things moving even when the primary person is unavailable. Cross training comes in real handy when people are busy with appointments, on vacation, or unexpectedly quit.

Sales training is not a “one and done” deal. It’s imperative to be learning something new every chance you can get.

Dealership downtime is the perfect chance for individual team members to study the vehicles, take mandatory franchise training and assess what skills they may need to improve, while weekly sales meetings are the perfect chance to address other training issues. A good dealership will always look at its process to make sure it’s as smooth as possible for them, but more importantly the customer. What could be improved? What is a constant struggle? Are we paying a lot of fines for failure to comply? Is funding always delayed for some reason or another? The answers to these questions will lead you in the right direction when it comes to picking the top sales seminars for your team.

Once you have addressed your recent concerns, it’s time to do some research.

You can do an online search and lots of options will come up. Some of it seems spammy, and some of it could be good, but how do you know they’re the top sales training seminars?

Talk to your colleagues
Everyone in the business needs training, so ask where they’ve gone and what they thought of it. Word of mouth is a great way to get an idea of whether or not a course is worth your time. There’s nothing worse than paying a ton for training then finding out it was worthless after the fact.

Stick with tried and true training options
NADA and NIADA have been around for ages, and there is a reason. They are both the most trusted in the business when it comes to dealership knowledge. They offer classes in person and online, and you can be sure to learn current and useful information. Joe Verde is another veteran of the industry, and his seminars mainly focus on how you can improve your sales and management skills. You can choose from audio training, online courses, books and downloadable information, all there to help you increase your profits.

Which is better: Online training or in-person?
In-person training can be beneficial for some, especially when you consider the connections you can make with your industry peers. The downside is that travel expenses add up, and finding the best time to send staff members away is not always easy. Online courses are great because you can fit them into your schedule no matter how crazy it is, and they are usually a lot more affordable. YouTube also has some helpful videos, but it’s never a good idea to use them as your only training resource.

Department of Motor Vehicle regulations are a huge part of sales, and understanding registration laws can save you tons of cash.

Are you continually abating registrations or sending runners back and forth to the branch because it wasn’t done right the first time? Mistakes like this add up to big money when you consider all the time wasted trying to fix them. If you use in-house registration software, it’s likely that they have made your title clerk or someone in the business office take training, which is extremely helpful for understanding the guidelines of your state, but doesn’t cover everything.

Cross training is essential when it comes to DMV regulations, and you should never go with third-party companies when it comes to this stuff. It’s best to get it straight from the source, so call your local branch, and they can get you the contact number to get started. It’s affordable, especially when you consider how much time it could save you by doing the deal right the first time.

The best sales training seminars will focus on the facts and have you walking away feeling more empowered to do your job and do it well. You don’t have to spend a lot, but you do have to make the time to make sure your skills are polished. With all the competition out there, your dealership’s success depends on it.

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Upside down car loans are becoming the norm, but you’re in a unique position to change this trend.

2016 was a bad year for trade-ins. 32% of all trade-ins toward the purchase of a new car were under water, according to Edmunds. In other words, one-third of the customers buying from your dealership likely have negative equity on their trade-ins, meaning they owe more on the loan than the vehicle is worth. The average negative equity for those buying new cars is about $4,800, while those buying used cars have negative equity of about $3,600.

The 32% figure is the highest ever recorded. Why do so many U.S. car buyers have upside down car loans? It’s a combination of higher transaction prices, lower down payments, and long-term loans.

So many people in our country are in debt—so why should upside down car loans be your problem? When your wife goes clothes shopping, the cashier doesn’t ask her if she can afford what she’s about to buy. Likewise, if you go out for a steak dinner, your waiter doesn’t grill you about your budget or debt status. Why should you have to coach a car buyer through making better financial choices?

Because it’s the right thing to do. Behind buying a house, a vehicle is usually one of the biggest purchases a person will ever make. One small upside down car loan can snowball through the years and become a totally out of control upside down car loan. If you don’t call attention to the negative equity and help the customer finance a new vehicle, there may come a time when their credit becomes so bad, that you’ll lose them as a customer—because they won’t be able to afford a new vehicle again.

You’re the expert in this situation, and your customer may not even be aware of what upside down car loans are. You’re in a unique position to help them make a good decision and a purchase they can be happy with in the long run, nevermind that trust you’ll build by being honest.

Tips for handling customers with upside down car loans

Every situation you encounter is going to be unique, so there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to helping customers with upside down car loans. For example:

• One customer may have $2,000 in negative equity but have 50% of the new car’s purchase price in cash. In that instance, it would make sense for them just to pay off the remaining $2,000 and use the rest for the down payment.
• Another customer may have $10,000 in negative equity and want to buy a brand-new car with a 72-month loan term. In that case, they may need a talk about realistic expectations —including how long they truly intend to keep the new car.

If customer has negative equity and paying it off right now isn’t an option, communicate the main choices that most buyers have. They could:

1. Roll over the existing debt into the loan for their new vehicle.
2. Choose a car with an incentive amount that might pay off the old loan.
3. Keep the car they have for now and continue paying down the loan each month.

When you present these choices, be sure to share both the benefits and risks of each. You can’t make a customer do anything they don’t want to do, but you can arm them with everything they need to make an informed decision.

Once they make a decision, you can also share some tips for the future to prevent upside down car loans from being an issue again. Tell customers to: 

• Know their credit score and don’t pay an interest rate that’s too high
• Shop around for the best interest rates
• Do car pricing research, so you know you’re getting the best value
• Choose a loan length that matches your expected ownership length
• Save up a higher down payment before buying a car again
• Try the 20-4-10 rule. Put at least 20 percent down in cash or a trade-in, finance with a loan of no more than four years, and make sure the monthly expenses aren’t more than 10 percent of your gross income.

It may be tempting if you’re dying to make a sale and hit your monthly goals, but don’t just roll over negative equity into a car buyer’s new loan like it’s not a big deal. Be very clear about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how it will potentially affect them—you’ll both be much better off in the long run.

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In car sales, motivational videos can be just what your team needs to start out-selling the competition

Remember the last time you tried to get your dealership sales team revved up with an inspiring, motivational speech? After taking a look at the month’s disappointing sales numbers, you knew you needed to try and light a fire under your salespeople and push them to close more deals.

You went to your office, shut the door, and wrote out a five-page speech that you were convinced would inspire your team to catapult your dealership into legendary sales territory. You even made sure to wear a bright red shirt the day of your sales meeting because you thought it would ignite that subconscious desire to succeed currently lying dormant in the minds of your salespeople.

Things didn’t quite turn out that way, though. As you passionately delivered your car sales motivational speech, you failed to notice your team’s eyes begin to glaze over. They tuned you out, and you had no idea where you went wrong.

Don’t be too hard on yourself—you’re not a professional motivational speaker, and sometimes, you have to bring in the big guns to propel employees forward. This is where car sales motivational videos can be beneficial in stimulating your sales force.

Want to improve car sales? Motivational videos can be invaluable

The right car sales motivational videos can inspire your sales team by getting them to think critically. You don’t want just to yell “Sell more cars! I know you can do it! I believe in you!” at your salespeople and hope it sticks—give them inspiring videos that make them think, tug at their heart strings, and get them to look at their approach or technique a different way.

It’s up to you how to share these videos with your team. Some sales managers like to send out a weekly “Motivational Monday” email with a quick video to watch; others show them at the sales meetings, so they know everyone is watching them. Figure out what works best for your sales team.

You can find plenty of great car sales motivational videos on YouTube or just by doing a simple Google search—your team isn’t the only one out there that needs motivation! Make sure you watch any videos in full before you send them, though. There are some videos that are motivational but may have slightly inappropriate language or content for the workplace.

Share these car sales motivational videos with your team

1. Al Pacino’s speech from Any Given Sunday

If you’re looking for a solid motivational speech, sports movies seem to do the trick every time. Al Pacino’s inspirational monologue in the film Any Given Sunday consistently ranks among the best of the best. It doesn’t matter that the speech is about football because it isn’t just about football—it’s about finding the strength to rise above the challenges that life throws at us.

2. Don Draper’s Kodak Carousel Ad Pitch

In the show “Mad Men,” Don Draper was king of the sales pitch. This video shows a clip of him at his best: pitching the Carousel concept to Kodak. Draper’s speech serves as a reminder for salespeople that selling is not just about pushing a product—it’s about making an emotional connection with the customer.

3. Denzel Washington’s Commencement Address

The University of Pennsylvania’s class of 2011 was lucky enough to have actor Denzel Washington speak at their graduation ceremony. If your salespeople have been discouraged by a lot of recent failures, Washington’s speech may be just what they need to remember that everyone fails and it’s never a good idea to give up.

4. Steve Job’s Rules for Success

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuNQgln6TL0

This video is a short clip in which Apple founder Steve Jobs talks about the importance of having a passion for what you do. If you feel like there are some salespeople on your team who are underperforming because they aren’t passionate about what they do, this video may weed them out and encourage them to move on to a different profession—and likewise, it will inspire the committed salespeople to try harder.

5. Shia LaBeouf – Just Do It

Not all car sales motivational videos have to be so serious. Help your team loosen up a little—especially if things have been tense lately—and show them this short, funny motivational video. LaBeouf’s delivery is what brings the laughs, but at the same time, what he’s saying is 100 percent true.

Motivating a sales team is no easy task, but with the right videos in your back pocket, you may just find your team improving their performance—and even asking when you’re planning to share another motivational video.

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