Have you heard the term “sleazy car salesman?” Ever been told your team gives off “used car” sales vibes? Enough is enough. We can do better. And it starts with better automotive sales training.
A lot of people equate low-quality sales experiences with the so-called “pros” who sell cars for a living, viewing these individuals as aggressive, transactional, and untrustworthy.
Why’s that the case? We’ll get into that in just a sec.
If you’ve been struggling with turning in decent sales numbers month over month, there’s a good chance that your sales teams (at the national, regional, and local levels) aren’t equipped with the right knowledge, skills, tools, and support to deliver the results you expect. If you’re one of those salespeople struggling to make your monthly/quarterly numbers, you’re also in the right place.
As you may have already noticed, buyers are more skeptical these days. They’re more educated than ever. They know what to expect, what questions to ask, and how to shop for different pricing/rates/offers. It’s not an “easy sale” like it may have been earlier in your career.
For you, that means your team will need automotive sales training programs that help them win trust and turn that trust into dollar signs.
What does this kind of automotive sales training program look like in practice?
The short answer is that it all starts with your customer, not your sales team or every feature your cars boast.
Keep reading to find out what the ideal automotive sales training program looks like for you and how it can help your team connect with customers, establish credibility, and pump up car sales numbers as a result.
Where Traditional Automotive Sales Training Programs Fall Short
When you’re shopping around for automotive sales training programs, what should you look for? We get tons of answers whenever we ask dealership heads this question. But, really, it comes down to one thing: closing.
And therein lies the problem.
A typical mindset is that a closed sale benefits ONLY the dealership and sales team, and the buyer comes second.
For this reason, it’s no stretch to find “trained” teams to still miss the boat when it comes to getting customers to buy.
Why? Because traditional automotive sales training programs often have the following not-so-selling qualities:
- Rigid Scripts: Scripts assume without asking. They’re formulated based on what trainers think customers want and need, and following these scripts can backfire harder than a recalled Takata airbag.
- High-Pressure Tactics: It’s one thing to press a bruise — it’s another to come on too strong, eyeball a customer, and pressure-sell like there’s no tomorrow (insert creepy you-let-go-first handshake). The latter approach is a major turn-off for customers, but it’s exactly the approach taught by most traditional and outdated automotive sales training programs.
- Obsession With Features (Not People): When automotive sales training programs emphasize benefits over the problems your cars can solve, two things happen: your sales teams will bombard your customers with unnecessary information, and your customers will not perceive your cars, services, or offers as solutions to daily problems.
In short, traditional automotive sales training programs are built for control and not for conversations your team should be having with customers. And more customers are being put off by the old, high-pressure sales approach.
Recent data suggest that outdated pressure-selling and script-based tactics are among the top issues that lead to dissatisfied customers and unclosed sales.
Want a light, fun read? Read our Topaz Tale: The Car Guy Who Couldn’t Sell a Car
The Customer Experience Disconnect
One of the easiest ways to mess up the car sales process is to try to “force or fast-track” the sale. When your teams get “indoctrinated” with this mindset, your prospective buyers suffer.
There are several ways traditional automotive sales training programs hinder successful sales and trust-building. Here are some:
- Buyers Feel Interrogated, Not Helped: When pressure-selling is the norm, there’s a good chance that a sale will turn sour as your prospect will look elsewhere for a sales rep who asks questions about needs.
- No Follow-Up or Follow-Through: Your job as a sales leader is to position yourself as a helpful resource to whom buyers can continue to have conversations about your car offerings. When your reps push for the sale too much, your buyers will see through your agenda, and you can bet their trust in your dealership will wane.
- Reps Push Inventory Instead of Asking Questions: At the end of the day, a buyer is there to find a solution to a problem, whether it’s poor fuel efficiency or a more reliable transmission. Your reps won’t be able to determine what problems your cars will solve if they push inventory instead of asking questions.
Do you want to know what the worst part is?
Whatever your sales reps learn from traditional automotive sales programs or dealership practices becomes a sales habit. As a result, they’ll use what they’ve learned in countless customer interactions, further killing your chances of referrals or repeat business.
The lack of business is a sign that your team needs better sales training. After all, if it’s not improving your customer experience, what exactly is it doing?
The Superior Approach: Teach Reps To Build Trust, Not Just Close Deals
When you’re dealing with skeptical buyers, closing-oriented training programs will just create teams that drive customers away. Instead, a better program will be customer-centric, focusing on what your customers need first and sales second.
In practice, such a program teaches your reps not to be salespersons, but to be Buyer Facilitators.
What Buyer Facilitator Training Teaches Your Team
As Buyer Facilitators, your reps will be more like problem solvers for your prospective customers. Instead of pressure selling, your sales team will:
- Listen attentively and ask questions
- Uncover any buyer friction
- Assist buyers in making informed decisions instead of gatekeeping
Why a Buyer Facilitator Approach Works
Now, we know what you’re thinking:
“At which point does the sale happen if all my reps do is facilitate buying decisions?”
Trust us when we say that the sale will come naturally. And it’s going to happen because the relationships your reps develop will be genuine, rather than transactional. Every customer wants to be more than a number on a sales balance sheet. As our President and CEO, Jorge, always says, “people love to buy from those they trust.”
Even if you don’t close a sale right away, you’ll be more likely to see repeat business down the line. Sometimes, moving slower can lead to more revenue in the end.
Case-in-Point: What a Better Conversation Actually Sounds Like
As we talked about earlier, buyer facilitation outperforms traditional sales pitches — and it does this by treating every sale like a conversation instead of a transaction.
What does a buyer facilitation conversation sound like compared to the done-to-death car sales pitch? Check out the table below:
What Dealers See When the Automotive Sales Training Programs Actually Work
When you train for experience instead of just output, the difference shows up. Here’s what you can expect:
- Higher close rates: Buyers will feel seen, not sold to.
- More 5-star reviews: All thanks to conversations that build real trust.
- A spike in referrals and return buyers: Customers remember reps who actually listen.
- Happier, more confident sales teams: There are no pressure scripts — just natural dialogue and better results.
Each of these is a byproduct of one thing: better conversations.
Automotive sales training programs that emphasize buyer trust and communication create better outcomes for everyone involved — especially the customer.
Choosing the Right Program: Red Flags and Must-Haves
Are you sold on finding the right program for your reps? Before you shop around for automotive sales training programs, know that not all of them may be a fit for your dealership’s teams.
To help you out, we’re giving you a list of red and green flags:
When evaluating automotive sales training programs, make sure they align with how your buyers actually buy — not just how you wish they would.
Where To Get the Right Automotive Sales Training Programs
At Topaz, our automotive sales training programs focus on teaching your team to become Buyer Facilitator professionals who earn trust, not just attention. And, best of all, our programs are scalable and adaptive, meaning they’re effective across your dealerships and not just your “A team.”
Ready to transform your sales team? Here’s how to get started:
- Contact Us: Reach out to us through our website or call us directly at 512-886-4880. Our team is ready to answer your questions and discuss your specific training needs.
- Initial Consultation: We’ll schedule a brief consultation to understand your current challenges, sales goals, and the unique dynamics of your dealership(s).
- Customized Program Design: Based on our consultation, we’ll enroll you in the appropriate training program tailored to your team’s skill levels, the size of your organization, and your desired outcomes. This ensures the content is relevant and impactful.
- Virtual Coaching: Our experienced sales consultants deliver coaching virtually, combining interactive workshops, real-world role-play practice scenarios, and practical exercises to help you foster better customer relationships.
- Ongoing Support & Reinforcement: Our commitment doesn’t end with the training and coaching sessions. We offer follow-up support, including post-sales training resources and advanced coaching, to ensure lasting behavioral change and continuous improvement.
Automotive Sales Reps Win When Buyers Don’t Feel Sold To
Our automotive sales training focuses on teaching dealership sales teams to create positive customer experiences. And by “experiences,” we mean guiding buyers instead of selling hard to them.
At Topaz, we’re not in the business of training salespeople to sell. We train them to guide, connect, and earn the business. Reach out today and sharpen your team’s sales edge with our automotive sales training programs.
FAQs
How is Buyer Facilitator training different from traditional automotive sales training?
Buyer Facilitator sales training shifts the focus from pressure selling to partnership. Instead of using scripts and pressure tactics, reps are taught to ask better questions, listen actively, and help buyers make informed decisions (even if that decision is “not now.”)
Will this kind of automotive sales training reduce our close rates?
It might seem that way if you’re comfortable with “what’s worked in the past”, but over time, you’ll actually see higher close rates (and repeat business!) because you’ll be building trust with customers, which eventually leads to a closed sale that isn’t forced.
Can Buyer Facilitator training be effective for experienced car sales representatives as well?
Regardless of a representative’s skill level, Buyer Facilitator training is effective and will help you improve your sales process and outcomes. With it, your sales team will be able to develop the skills necessary to identify pain points, sell with confidence, and assist buyers in making informed decisions, without the typical high-pressure car sales tactics the automotive industry is infamous for.
