Talented and productive salespeople are a rare breed in the automotive industry. They possess a unique profile that you must be able to distinguish to insure the success of your business. If you are looking for an effective recruitment process, you must be willing to go above and beyond conventional evaluations; auditions are the way to go!
While the value of traditional interviewing is well documented, any salesperson worthy of the title should be able to sell themselves. This explains why you must submit them to real-life situations before they are officially hired. Simulate a buying scenario with a fictitious customer and test their ability in terms of overcoming adversity, rejection as well as their overall resiliency.
This will provide deeper insight as to the candidate’s capacity in key areas such as active listening, reactive adaptability as well as their power of persuasion. You will get an accurate portrait of their demeanor and the image that they project, because as far as customers are concerned, they are the face of your company, so behaviour and personality are critical.
In other words, if the candidate shows up for the interview with a jacket and tie straight out of Don Cherry’s wardrobe or reeking of tobacco, the search continues. If the candidate breaks out into a cold sweat at the slightest contradiction, does not adjust his offering to the buyer’s demands, or uses coarse language, the decision has been made for you.
Salespeople are the cornerstone of every automotive dealership, which explains the importance of a recruitment process that is adapted to this reality, as it has a direct impact on your bottom line.