Johnnie Robinson Auto Sales (2024)

FAQs

Do car salesmen cold call? ›

If you're a car salesperson, cold calling is an essential part of your job. It can be a powerful tool for generating leads and building relationships with potential customers. However, for many salespeople, the fear of cold calling can be a major obstacle.

If you want to beat car dealerships at their own game, you need to first understand the true market value of what you're buying and trading in. You should also get quotes via phone or email before you physically go into the dealership, and then skip all the extras they'll push you to buy.

Penske Motor Group's flagship dealership is Longo Toyota in El Monte, California, the largest car dealership in the world at over 50 acres (200,000 m²).

Another way to generate leads without picking up the phone is by regularly attending industry and networking events. This does mean you'll have to speak to people (just like cold calling), but you won't feel the pressure to stick to a script or to grab their attention.

For years, dealerships have been using a tactic called a “four square”—a sheet of paper divided into four boxes where the salesperson will write down your trade value, the purchase price of the vehicle you're buying, your down payment, and your monthly payment.

You want to focus on the numbers you care about — including your monthly payment, down payment, and auto loan's length, interest rate and overall cost. “Know what those numbers should be, according to your budget, before you go into the dealership, and make sure you stick to those numbers,” Burdge says.

When negotiating, it helps to be able to justify what you're asking for, he adds: “Instead of saying, 'I want to pay this,' try something like: 'I've looked at five or six different cars that are similar to yours in the market. The price range goes from $19,500 to $20,700. I'm comfortable making an offer of $19,100. '”

Who is the boss of a car dealership? ›

General Manager: The general manager is responsible for overseeing the entire operation of the car dealership. They must ensure that all staff are working efficiently, customer satisfaction levels are high, and sales goals are met. They must also have strong management skills to effectively manage staff and resources.

Cold calling is when sales reps reach out to potential customers who haven't expressed any interest in the offered products or services. Cold calling technique refers to solicitation of a prospect through different channels — telephone or person—without having any prior contact with the salesperson.

For decades now, car salespeople have constantly gone to “talk my manager” for permission to negotiate during the sales process. This tactic, paired with countless other dealer antics is very frustrating for customers. If you're unfamiliar with your salesperson saying “let me go check with my manager,” you're lucky!

What is the success rate of cold calling? The average cold calling success rate is 4.8% (based on an independent study at Cognism). This percentage is a lot lower than other sales techniques, but as a form of outbound lead generation, it's still effective and should be implemented into your sales strategy.

Cold calling typically refers to solicitation by phone or telemarketing, but can also involve in-person visits by door-to-door salespeople. Successful cold-call salespersons are persistent and immune to repeated rejection.