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If you have a love for cars and want to share that love with others, a job as a car sales manager could be for you. Car sales managers are responsible for marketing and selling available automobiles to the public. They walk customers through the car buying process from the very first test drive, all the way to signing off on the car purchase. Car sales managers may also be involved in high-level operations such as planning when to sell newly released cars, training sales associates, or resolving high-level customer issues.
To become a car sales manager, no specific degree is necessary; however, a degree in business or communications may help you stand out. The ideal candidate for this role will have a mix of sales experience and car expertise. Previous roles as an automotive technician, retail sales associate, or technical sales representative can help you stand out for this role. Overall, it’s important that a car sales manager has strong sales foundations, great leadership skills, and impeccable interpersonal skills.
Previous job experience in the car industry is not totally necessary to land this job, but it certainly helps. Featuring any experience you have working with cars on your resume will show hiring managers you have the knowledge needed. This can be professional experience, or you can highlight an experience you might have from a hobby, like helping a family member fix up an old car.
Like many sales jobs, car sales managers must strive to meet a quota of sales. Meeting a quota is extremely important in car sales, so be sure to highlight previous jobs where you have met or exceeded your quota. It’s also wise to highlight any challenges you overcame to do so, and how you faced these challenges. This shows hiring managers you are determined and focused.
As automobiles are high ticket items, automobile sales managers should be prepared to indicate that they have familiarity with the financing process and have made measurable gains within that field. This applicant does so by including finance-relevant data points. Furthermore, by including a relevant additional information section, the impression of overall competency is boosted.
Automobile sales can be dependent on the availability of financing, and financing is the vehicle (if you’ll pardon the pun) that enables some dealerships to stay afloat. If you can similarly demonstrate that you have the capacity to improve the finance income of a car sales business (such as by developing a business plan or by improving relationships with financial institutions), you’ll show hiring managers that you take this portion of the business seriously.
Including an additional information section with relevant accomplishments, techniques, or skills for car sales management will cement the impression that you have experience in this niche. “Negotiation” and “Dealer Management” are both strong techniques that car sales managers should aim to include, while having familiarity with tools like CRM and Reynolds shows you have a solid sales background. Lastly, if you have any certifications that are relevant to the field, you can list them here.
We spoke with hiring managers at top automotive companies like Ford, Toyota, and Honda to understand what they look for in resumes for Automobile Sales Manager roles. Based on their insights and years of experience reviewing resumes, here are six essential tips to keep in mind when crafting your resume for an Automobile Sales Manager position.
Hiring managers want to see the impact you made in your previous roles. Instead of simply listing your responsibilities, quantify your achievements with specific numbers and metrics:
By providing concrete examples of your success, you demonstrate your ability to drive results and make a positive impact on the dealership's bottom line.
A resume summary is an optional section that goes at the top of your resume, just below your name and contact information. It's a short paragraph, usually 3-5 sentences long, that summarizes your professional experience, skills, and career goals. While a summary is not required, it can be a useful way to provide additional context about your background, especially if you are changing careers or have a lot of experience. Avoid using an objective statement, which is outdated and focuses on what you want rather than what you can offer an employer.
When writing a summary for an Automobile / Car Sales Manager position, focus on your relevant sales experience, leadership skills, and industry knowledge. Tailor your language to the specific requirements of the job you are applying for, and avoid repeating information that is already listed in other sections of your resume.
When writing the work experience section for an automobile sales manager resume, it's crucial to showcase your track record of driving sales growth, leading teams, and delivering exceptional customer service. Highlight your achievements using specific metrics and examples that demonstrate your impact in previous roles.
When describing your achievements and responsibilities, use powerful action verbs that resonate with the automotive sales industry. This helps to create a strong impact and showcases your expertise.
Some examples of effective action verbs include:
Avoid using weak or generic verbs that don't effectively convey your impact:
The education section of your resume for an automobile sales manager position should be concise and relevant. List your degrees in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. Include the name of the institution, location, degree earned, and graduation date.
The skills section of your resume is a critical component that showcases your abilities and qualifications to potential employers. As an automobile or car sales manager, it's essential to highlight the skills that are most relevant to your industry and the specific job you're applying for. In this section, we'll guide you through the process of crafting a compelling skills section that will catch the attention of hiring managers and help you stand out from the competition.
Here are examples of popular skills from Automobile / Car Sales Manager job descriptions that you can include on your resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Automobile / Car Sales Manager job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.
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