Car Salesman Resume & Writing Guide

When you are scouting for a job as a Car Salesman, why not review our Car Salesman resume samples below to get you started. A car salesman is responsible for showcasing and selling vehicles to customers who visit a car dealership. You may be employed by car dealerships that sell only specific brands and models of cars that could be either new or secondhand.

Alternatively, your dealership may sell all kinds of vehicles but below a certain selling price, for example. The end purpose of your position remains the same: Sell as many cars as you can in a month!

Now, if you have been in the industry for a while, you will know this is easier said than done and that the industry has lots of applications, sometimes more than the number of positions available. 

You want to ensure your resume stands out from the other candidates by highlighting both your technical and interpersonal skills in a format that is entertaining to read.  How you create a resume into an interview-winning document, we will explain to you in detail below with our: How to make a Resume Guideline for Car Salesman Roles?

18 Car Salesman Resume Examples

(Free sample downloads are at the bottom of this page)

Car Salesman Resume Writing Guide

Resume Sections

1. Contact Information:

• Name
• Address
• Phone
• Email

> Be sure to include alternative contact channels, and digital profiles such as LinkedIn and Facebook URLs.

2. Career Summary:
View this as the initial sales pitch of your resume. You need to hook the hiring manager with this paragraph synopsis so that they are motivated to read through your entire resume document. Use 3-6 sentences providing a broad overview of your sales background, years in the industry, and your top sales skills.

3. Qualifications Summary:
Most Car Salesman job advertisements require at least a GED or High School Diploma. It would be helpful though to have academic credentials within the sales or customer services field to boot your credibility. List the qualifications you have completed with the institution, qualification name, and dates. Don’t forget to include qualifications you are currently completing too.

4. Relevant Sales Experience:
If you have experience in sales within other industries apart from automobile sales, be sure to include these in your resume. From an automobile sales perspective, you need to tailor your experience section to align with the job description, for example, technical knowledge regarding automobile specs, familiarity with warranties, insurance, and financing options available to clients. Use a reverse-chronological format to present your working history for the last ten years and give accurate details about companies worked for, duration of employment, and 4-5 bullet points per employer section.

5. Other Employment Experience:
To become a car salesman, you do not have to have previous sales experience specifically. Tenure in retail customer services or inbound and outbound client relations where your accumulated skills may be transferred into sales would be a plus.

6. Skills Summary/Key Skills:An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) assist recruiters to sift through volumes of resumes by isolating the resumes that reflect the keywords listed in the job description. This means that the skills section of your resume should reflect the same skills required by the job spec (also called resume SEO); otherwise, your application may slip through the cracks. It is essential to note that your Car Salesman resume should a separate section created for soft skills and technical skills (more on this later on.)

7. Education/Licenses/Certifications/Relevant Coursework/Training:
Firstly, you would need a driver's license to accompany customers when they want to do a test drive. In some states, you are also required to obtain a Car Salesman Licence to work at an automobile dealership. For premium car sales, a Certificate in Automotive Sales is compulsory. Many dealerships have inhouse car sales apprenticeships where you would shadow and work under the supervision of a Senior Car Salesman. Make sure also to list any professional development that better prepared you to work in the sales management field such as leadership training, employee development workshops and business management courses

What to Highlight in a Car Salesman Resume

Regardless of your experience as a Car Salesman, there are a few vital points that managers and recruiters would expect to see on your resume to validate whether you are a correct fit for the job.

Firstly, explain your work setting; in other words, what is the vehicle (product) type that you sell? For example, your focus could be on selling second-hand cars below a certain amount, or you could be employed by a dealership specializing in new car sales of high-end premium brands such as Porche and Ferrari. Alternatively, you may be responsible for bulk vehicle sales to car hiring companies or transport management entities.

Next comes the targets, goals, and production metrics that you need to achieve. For example number of test drives you need to do, advertising via cold calling or social media to a target audience, the number of follow up calls you need to do to customers showing interest, and of course, the number of vehicles you need to sell in a month. Be number specific here and provide actual data, for example, sold five new vehicles valued at 1million total retail price to a car hiring company, or make 30 outbound sales calls to a targeted leads list of potential customers.

Then, you need to showcase your ability to liaise with customers and answer technical questions regarding the vehicle specifications and driving benefits. A recruiter will also be keen to know whether you can listen for underlying buying ques and identify customers that are ready to buy right there and then. Part of the art of selling also comes to determine quickly what the customer needs versus what they think they want, and this should come across in your resume content.

A car salesman also needs to navigate their way around sometimes complicated sales deals relating to financing options, down payment, insurance, and warranties. This involves heaps of digital admin and a very diligent eye that can spot errors or incorrect information on affordability applications and loan arrangements.

You also need to prove your administrative ability to facilitate the entire sales process from when the customer steps through the door to when they drive the vehicle out of the showroom.

You may also be tasked with coordinating any repairs, cleaning, or servicing that may need to be done before the customer takes ownership of the vehicle.

Aftersales service is another area of importance to dealership managers. How customers are treated after the sale is made directly influences their brand.

Explain to them how you would handle the follow-up process with your customers to see how well they like their new vehicle and to address any concerns or questions they may have.

A car salesperson should be an avid negotiator whether you are selling new or second-hand vehicles. You may need to add certain perks and extras to the deal to ensure that the customer will pay the full sales price or negotiate them upwards when their offered price for a used car is not in the acceptable range that the dealership would accept.

Make sure to include the following details

• The locations or regions you are responsible for covering the average sales turnover per area if you are for example in fleet or bulk vehicle sales
• While not a traditional 9 to 5 job, you will still be required to work about 40 hours a week but on a shift rotation basis including weekends and holidays, so be sure to mention your availability in this regard
• As a last point list examples of the leading vehicle types and models that you are comfortable selling

Car Salesman Resume Summary

Hiring managers have large numbers of resumes that come across their desks and a limited amount of time to read through them all. They would typically skim through an application in less than 6 seconds to make a shortlisting decision. With this in mind, the first chance you have to stand out from the resume crowd is a fantastic resume summary. Be sure to highlight your synopsis and perhaps use a different font than the rest of the resume content to ensure it draws attention immediately.

In terms of content, keep yoursummary concise and to the point indicating years of experience in the automobile sales industry and focus on your role regarding the type of vehicles sold. Next, add a line that showcases any outstanding sales competencies and interpersonal qualities that will add value to the company. Finally, end your summary with your academic and training credentials completed.

Car Salesman Samples Resume Summaries:

Resume Summary 1

“Sales-driven, results-oriented Car Salesman with exemplary interpersonal skills and more than six years of experience matching clients with their dream vehicles in a luxury brand dealership. Consistently achieving over 90% of sales quotas for the last 18 months and currently completing an advanced course in Customer Liaison Techniques. “

Resume Summary 2

“A proven performer with four years experience as a Car Salesman for second-hand vehicles below the $10 000 range. Highly knowledgeable on the technical specs for a wide range of vehicle models and makes. Excellent capability in identifying unspoken customer needs and diplomatically guiding them through the most suitable vehicle options. Familiar with various vehicle financing options coupled with a network of contacts at multiple banks offering the negotiating capacity to clients for the best interest rates on sales deals.“

Resume Summary 3

“Highly energetic and dependable Car Salesman with a proven track record in superb sales and customer services.  Adept at diplomatic and courteous customer persuasion to close 50% of all walk-in sales and almost 100% of returning customer deals. Excellent understanding of vehicle specs, including add-on features and pricing structures. A firm grasp on leads networking and social media advertising techniques to reach the appropriate buying audience.“

Car Salesman Job Descriptions & Responsibilities

An employer would expect to see the following proven foundational duties and skill sets within a Salesman resume, highlighting sales as well as administrative tasks. Have a look at our comprehensive job description below for guidance.

Examples

Car Salesman Job Description samples:

• Liaising with customers face-to-face, email, and via telephone
• Identify customer needs and suggest suitable vehicle models and financing options
• Arranging test drives for customers and accompanying them on the excursions to explain vehicle features and driving capabilities
• Negotiating final sales prices
• Selling accessories, high-end features, and add-ons once the customer has chosen a particular vehicle

• Completing all administrative paperwork and loan applications as well as insurance agreements together with the customer
• Increasing customer database by actively prospecting for new leads on social media platforms
• Liaising with the services team to facilitate car prepping and delivery schedules
• Highly knowledgeable regarding technical specifications of cars in the dealership including driving capabilities, prominent features, and comparative benefits concerning similar models and make

• Developing potential buyers list and remaining in contact with previous customers to suggest trade-ins and provide after-sales service assistance
• Closing deals by frequently overcoming client objections
• Explaining the entire sales process to the client upfront and facilitating the process for them relating to purchase contracts, insurance provisions, maintenance schedules, warranties, financing, and premium collections
• Provide management with weekly reports regarding production activities for example cold calls made, email campaigns sent, event marketing, deals in process, and deals signed

• Attend launch parties for new vehicle models being released to network with potential customers
• Assist all walk-in customers and provide a needs analysis consultation regarding the vehicle types that will best suit their requirements as well as their budgets
• Keep abreast with updates in the automobile industry regarding regulatory compliance, new bank regulations, insurance rulings, and credit agreements

Highlight Your Accomplishments

Under your experience section, you may be tempted to mention job duties again; however, the focus should be on your achievements. Considering that you are a salesperson, these accomplishments need to be verified by hard numbers. Quantifying your achievements is a showcase of your proof of work, aka selling cars.

Your goal is to think about what sets you apart, what you are most proud of, or what you accomplished in your previous roles and communicate these through action-packed statements that are compelling.

Writing accomplishment statements may be more comfortable if you do the following:

1. Showcase your track-record
2. Be specific about your experience
3. Demonstrate the most significant experience
4. Include numerical values in each statement (more than one is even better)

Example accomplishment statements for a Car Salesman

• Recognized as Car Salesman of The Year by hitting sales quota 20 out of 24 achieving a sales figure of $50 000 average per month
• Secured the first bulk sale agreement for the company to the value of 200k worth of SUV’s for a car hiring enterprise
• Maintained a 90% recurring sales streak with ten corporate clients during the last 18 months
• Assisted a monthly average of 100 walk-in customers in finding suitable vehicles
• Negotiated permanent preferential interest rates with two banks for a period of 18 months
  

Car Salesman Education Section

You may land a job as a Car Salesman without just a high-school or GED diploma, but that does not mean you should omit the education section in your resume.

Any academic credential or sales training certification related to the automobile environment should be listed in your education section. Keep the format simple: What, Where, and When. Remember to include the current qualifications you are in the process of completing.

Examples of a Car Salesman Education Section:

2018 Certificate in Dealership Compliance, Automobile Association, Melville, NY

2017 Bachelor Degree in Sales and Marketing, University of Detroit, MI

GPA: 3.8

Majors: Sales Management, Marketing Management

Minors: Communications, Accounting, Economics

Accolades: Deans Honors List

2013-2014 Certified Sales Professional (CSP), Mref Institute Denver, CO

2012 – High School Diploma, Iowa Lakes Community College, IA

Car Salesman Resume Skills

Although the automobile sales field requires specific technical skills, employers also look for other skills, called soft skills. These are the interpersonal traits that indicate to your fit as a Car Salesman who will add value, has adequate knowledge and sufficient experience to sell cars and blend in with the rest of the team.

A smart approach is to split your technical skills and personality and present them in a Skills Matrix format.

Interpersonal Skills

Technical Skills

Qualifications/Certifications associated with Car Salesman

Professional Information for a Car Salesman

Sectors: Automotive, Fleet, Dealerships, Automotive Manufacturing
Career Type: Sales, Business Development, Accounts Management, Client Relations
Person type:  Relationship Builder, Networker, Influencer, Marketer, Strategizer, Communicator
Education levels: High School Diploma and Post School Credentials
Salary indication: Varies depending on the type and value of vehicles sold from $18 000 to $63,000 per year (Glassdoor). At the very high end of luxury and premium brands up to $250 000 per year.

Labor market: Estimated -2% growth between 2018 – 2028
Organizations: Car Dealerships, Auto Workshops, New Car Lots, Used Car Lots

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