Top 40 Questions to Ask at an Interview for a Car Sales Job (With Example Answers)
Car sales can be a very hard job that requires good people skills, communication skills, and sales skills. The best way for a car salesperson to prepare for an interview is to practice answering questions they might ask. This article looks at 40 of the most common car sales interview questions and gives sample answers to help you get ready for your own.
General questions
The person interviewing you for a job will probably start by asking you some general questions. These questions will help start a conversation and give them a chance to find out more about you. Some common questions they might ask are:
- Tell me about yourself.
- How familiar are you with our car lot?
- What do you think your best qualities are?
- What are your biggest flaws, and what have you done to try to change them?
- Why did you quit your previous job?
- What did your last sales manager say about the kind of person you were?
- How do you get things done when things move fast?
- What do you want to do with your work?
- Do you want to climb the sales ladder?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
Questions about work and history from the past
In addition to general questions to get the conversation going, the interviewer will likely ask about your background and experience working in car sales. Here are some examples of such questions:
- Can you tell me about your experience selling cars?
- How long have you been on a team that makes sales?
- Can you describe your sales technique?
- Have you ever attended professional development or training to improve your sales techniques?
- How have you improved your customer service over the past year?
- How often did people talk about you to their friends?
- How often did you get to close behind your sales managers?
- Have you ever used software for managing customer relationships (CRM) in the auto industry?
- How much did you usually make at the last dealership you worked at?
- How do you plan to get the same or better results for our dealership?
In-depth questions
As the conversation goes on, the interviewer may start to ask harder questions. Here are some examples of in-depth questions you might be asked at a car sales interview:
- Why do you want to make a sale?
- How successful are you at selling used cars?
- How do you try to sell something to new people?
- How many cars do you think you can sell in 30 days?
- Are you okay with calling people you don’t know?
- How do you tell people about sales and discounts?
- How do you ensure you meet sales quotas consistently?
- What kind of monthly sales goals do you set for yourself?
- What would you do if you were not meeting your sales goals?
- What do you want to accomplish in your first three months on the job?
Car sales interview questions and sample answers
These questions and answers about car sales interviews can help you prepare for your own answers:
How do you like our car lot the most?
How interested you are in the company and how it works can show a lot about how you think they do things. You can show that you want to work for their company by relating your experience to things that interest you about their dealership, such as monthly sales team events and chances to improve your skills.
Example: “I’d love to be a part of a sales team that puts the needs of the customer before making money. At my last job, the sales team interviewed customers to learn more about them and make sure we were meeting their needs. We also had training once a month on customer service to make sure that our sales techniques were geared toward the customer. I’d love to work at Danvers Buick and GM Dealer because, from what I’ve read and seen, I can tell that your company has the same values as mine.”
Do you think you can compete well?
The business of selling cars is very competitive, and most people work on commission. If the interviewer asks you this question, they want to know if you are willing to face challenges to reach sales goals. Use competitive things you’ve done in the past, like team contests at your old sales job or playing on a sports team, to show that you can be competitive at work.
Example: “I think I’m a very competitive person. Most of my life, I’ve been in competitive situations, like sports, school, and now my job. At my last job, the sales team held contests every month to see who could make the most sales. Every week, we kept track of how much money we made, and the person who did the best got a bonus. I won six times in the last year I worked there.”
How do you know how to sell cars?
With this question, the interviewer can find out how you feel about your sales knowledge and skills. In your answer, give some specific examples of how you got customers or closed a sale that was especially hard.
Example: “I love the challenge of getting customers to tell me about their problems so I can find solutions that not only help them but also help the company reach its sales goals. I’m good at talking to people, which makes it easy for me to connect quickly with customers and make sales.”
What is one of your biggest sales achievements?
Your biggest achievements, like selling more services at a dealership, selling a luxury car, or making more sales than your quota, show the interviewer how you will help the company reach its goals. People in charge of sales like to know that their sales teams always try to reach their goals.
Example: “A customer at my last job wanted to buy a certain used model. We didn’t have the car they wanted, so I called a few other car lots in our state to find the model they were looking for. In six weeks, I had the car brought to our car lot. When I help people find exactly what they want, I feel like I’ve done my job well as a salesperson.”
What’s the best thing about selling cars for you?
If the interviewer asks you this, they are probably trying to figure out if your personality and values are a good match for the company. Be honest and talk about the parts of the job that interest you the most, like meeting new people, competing with other sales teams, or giving customers expert advice.
Example: “I love the challenge of teaching customers about products and companies and making that first connection with them when they come into the store. When a possible buyer comes in, I get excited because I like talking to people and making new friends.”
What steps have you taken to develop your sales techniques?
The person who is interviewing you wants to know what you do to get better at your job. If you often go to seminars, conferences, or other events to learn new ways to deal with customers, or if you just finished a training course in customer service techniques, be sure to mention this in your answer.
Example: “I just signed up for a networking event where I will learn how to be a better salesperson over the course of six weeks. I’m looking forward to it because I know this training will help me improve my sales skills and the way I talk to customers about sales.”
Have you ever led a group of salespeople?
The interviewer may ask you this question to see how you handle being in charge and how good you are at getting people to work hard and giving them advice. Even if you’ve never been a manager before, you can still show that you’re a good leader by talking about what you’ve done to help your teams in the past.
Example: “I have never been a formal manager, but in my last job I was in charge of some things. During training, I was in charge of our sales team and helped our sales managers hire, train, and mentor new employees. Now that I’ve had this experience, I’m sure I’ll be able to take on more leadership roles and responsibilities in my career.”
What do you think is the most difficult thing to do to keep people interested?
Selling cars requires good communication and customer service skills, so the interviewer may ask you this question to see if you are aware of the skills you may need to improve. Describe the specific traits, behaviors, or skills you want to improve and what you’re doing to get better at them.
Example: “The hardest thing for me to do when I’m talking to a customer is to steer the conversation toward making a sale. Even though I know my pitch and can talk well, I’ve been working on my ability to talk directly with customers about sales. I’ve been working with a former coworker to improve my sales pitch and make it easier for customers to talk about buying things.”
How will the work you did before help you do well at our company?
The interviewer might ask you this to find out how you define success and how you can help their company. In your answer, give examples of how you’ve grown in your career and skills and how that will help you in this job.
Example: “I’m excited to use the sales skills and communication methods I’ve learned over the years. I’m sure they’ll help me meet the goals you have for your sales team. I also think that what I learned about public relations and marketing at my last job could help your business reach more customers.”
What kind of results did you get at your old jobs?
The person who is interviewing you wants to know if you can meet sales goals. Make it clear what you mean. For example, if you helped bring in more money each month, explain how you did it.
Example: “I was able to make 67 percent more money during my last quarter at my old dealership. But it hadn’t been done like this before. I always added 20 percent more leads to my last company’s list, and I often closed sales for 8 percent of those leads. I think this is because I can educate customers and help them find solutions to their problems before I make a pitch.”
