What an automotive sales consultant does
Automotive sales consultants help customers choose, finance and buy new or used vehicles. They greet walk-ins, answer online leads, run test drives, appraise trade-ins with the used car manager, present pricing and hand the deal to the finance office. After delivery, the best consultants keep in touch, which turns one sale into referrals and the next purchase. They are often the first impression of your dealership, both on the showroom floor and in their emails.
In Ontario, anyone who sells vehicles for a dealer must be registered as a salesperson with OMVIC, which requires passing the Automotive Certification Course. OMVIC also enforces disclosure and all-in pricing rules that a consultant has to follow on every deal. Finch confirms registration status, then looks at the habits that separate steady performers from short-term hires: lead follow-up, comfort with your CRM, product knowledge and how they treat customers who do not buy today.
Typical responsibilities
- Greeting showroom customers and responding promptly to phone, email and online leads
- Learning each customer’s needs and recommending suitable new or used vehicles
- Conducting test drives and presenting features, pricing and options
- Working with sales and used car managers on trade-in appraisals and deal structure
- Completing accurate paperwork and disclosures, then introducing customers to the finance office
- Following up after delivery to build referrals and repeat business
Qualifications and credentials
- Current OMVIC salesperson registration, or eligibility to register after passing the Automotive Certification Course
- Awareness of OMVIC’s continuing professional development requirement, which salespeople complete before renewing their registration
- Dealership sales experience, or strong consumer sales experience for some entry roles
- Comfort with customer relationship management (CRM) software and digital lead handling
- A valid driver’s licence and a clean driving record for test drives and dealer trades
- Product knowledge for your brand, or willingness to complete manufacturer training
Who hires an automotive sales consultant
- Franchised new car dealerships
- Independent used vehicle dealers
- Multi-rooftop dealer groups
- Commercial truck and van dealers
Where we recruit automotive sales consultant candidates
We fill automotive sales consultant roles for employers across Toronto and the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Vaughan, Markham, Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, Burlington, Oshawa and Pickering, and for employers across Canada. GTA employers can meet us at our North York office by appointment.
What Finch checks before you meet a candidate
- OMVIC registration status, checked before the shortlist
- Sales experience, including the types of vehicles and customers they sold to
- Lead follow-up habits and CRM use, discussed with past sales managers
- Approach to pricing disclosure and handling customer objections
- Availability for evening and weekend showroom hours
Interview questions to ask
- How do you follow up with a customer who test drove a vehicle but left without buying?
- Walk me through how you present the price of a vehicle, from the advertised price to the final bill of sale.
- Tell me about a customer who bought from you more than once. What kept them coming back?