Asking the Right Questions: The Top Interview Questions for Car Salesmen

Conducting an interview is not easy. It is, in fact, more challenging when you are interviewing car salesmen. This is because they possess the right set of skills that are geared to convince you that they are the best.

The trick here is, you want to only hire the best and to do this you need to know the right kind of questions to ask.

Selling cars is not easy because sometimes you might not close the sale on the first attempt. Many salespeople fail at their jobs because they do not have the right skills. This is why you need to get the right person for the job during the interview process.

Questions to Ask Your Potential Car Salesmen

A car salesperson interview is best conducted with a sales manager who understands the sales of the company and the challenges that they are experiencing. Even if the panel consists of other directors or managers, a sales manager or a sales consultant should not miss out on the interviewing process.

Here are some of the questions that you can ask.

1. Why Do You Want to Sell Cars?

This question should be asked if the person has no experience in selling cars. The aim here is to understand why they are applying for the job. If their interest is really not on selling cars but just general sales, chances are that they will easily bail the moment they fail to make a sale.

If this is their passion they will be motivated to work and this is the right kind of person that you want in your dealership. Do not dismiss candidates who lack experience because with the right training they can boost their skills in no time.

2. Why Do You Want To Work For Us?

It is important to know why they choose to apply to work for you, yet there are hundreds of car dealership jobs. Maybe they are a fan of the brand of cars you are selling or they drive one. Asking this question will also enable you to know if they did their research on your company and this will portray interest.

3. What Do You like About Selling Cars?

This is the best way to find out where the focus of the salesperson is based. Is it the commission? The ability to sell to someone their dream?

The car salesman salary? The sheer fun of selling luxury cars? Or the people?

You will get to really know more about the person you are intending to hire with this question.

4. How Many Cars Have You Sold Before?

If they are experienced, find out about their past car sales jobs experience and how many cars they sold. In sales, performance is everything and their past performance will tell you how they will perform in their future role too. Know their performance metrics, sales numbers, sales quotas and any other performance related metrics that you can find out from them during the interview.

5. How Do You Succeed In Selling Cars?

Every car salesperson has a trick up their sleeve that makes them sell better than the other. This question will give you insights to that little trick that they use. For example, they can be good at following up, communicating, or maybe it is just their personality and passion for the job that drives them to succeed in every sale.

6. Sell Me This Car

You will want to see them in action so that you can be able to evaluate their sales tactics. Choose a car for them and to make it a little more interesting, you can also allow them to choose a car that they want to sell. However, this is not a good option because customers come with their own choices.

Either way, your main aim here is to see their body language and know the strategies that they use when selling.

7. How Do You Handle a Disappointment?

It seems like a simple question but it will show you if whoever you are hiring is human enough to admit that there can be disappointments in that line of business.

Will they quit the job just because a client lied to them? Or will they get angry or insult the client? Or maybe even blame the dealership for the failed sale.

You want to get someone who can take responsibility and move on.

Looking Beyond the Interview Questions of the Salesperson

The interviewing process should not only be based on how good or bad they answered the questions during the interview but beyond. You should also:

Take a Closer Look at Their Resume and Cover Letter

Check their writing styles, their grammar and the tone they use. This because they might need to communicate with prospective clients via email, and if they do cannot pay attention to their own cover letter, then they will handle any written correspondence in the same manner. A good cover letter important.

Evaluate Their Phone Skills

This is exactly where the interviewing process should begin. When you make that call inviting them in for the face to face interview, take time to briefly evaluate their phone skills and their personality. If they can capture your attention, then they will get the customers to listen to them over the phone too.

Pay Attention to Their Body Language During the Interview

The body language of a salesperson has a major role to play in their overall performance. Check if they can keep eye contact, if they are fidgeting and swinging on the chair. Look at what they are doing with their hands and if they are calm and in control of their own body. They should be very composed and confident.

Remember Your Customers Too

Happy customers always come back with more business and this can be achieved when you and your car salesmen work together.

If you want to know more about putting your customer first and watch your dealership grow, then talk to us today and check out our sales process page for more information.