Automotive Sales: The Professional's Guide
The Professional's Guide
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40 chapters
~73 hours total
304 sections
1
Front Matter
5 chapters2
Part I: Part I — The Automotive Business
7 chapters- Part I — The Automotive Business
- Chapter 1 — How Dealerships Actually Make Money (It's Not Just Selling Cars)
- Chapter 2 — Product Knowledge: Vehicle Types, Technologies, and How to Know More Than Your Customer
- Chapter 3 — Understanding Your Customer: Who Buys Cars, Why They Buy, and What They're Actually Afraid Of
- Chapter 4 — The Digital Customer: How the Internet Changed Car Buying and What It Means for You
- Chapter 5 — Compensation: How You Get Paid — Commission, Bonuses, Spiffs, and Building a Six-Figure Income
- Chapter 6 — Mindset, Resilience, and Avoiding Burnout: The Inner Game That Decides Who Lasts
3
Part II: Part II — The Sales Process
12 chapters- Part II — The Sales Process
- Chapter 7 — The Meet and Greet: First Impressions, Building Rapport, and Overcoming the "Just Looking" Shield
- Chapter 8 — Needs Analysis: Asking the Right Questions to Find the Right Car
- Chapter 9 — Vehicle Selection and Presentation: The Walk-Around That Sells the Car Before the Price Conversation
- Chapter 10 — The Test Drive: Where Customers Fall in Love (or Don't)
- Chapter 11 — Trade-In Evaluation: Appraising Their Current Vehicle Without Killing the Deal
- Chapter 12 — Negotiation: Price, Payment, and the Art of Getting to Yes Without Getting to War
- Chapter 13 — Objection Handling: What Customers Really Mean When They Say No
- Chapter 14 — Closing: Asking for the Business Without Being a Stereotype
- Chapter 15 — Delivery: The Moment That Determines Whether They Come Back
- Chapter 16 — Follow-Up, Referrals, and the Long Game: Building a Business, Not Just Selling Cars
- Chapter 17 — Prospecting and Self-Generated Business: Never Depending on Floor Traffic Again
4
Part III: Part III — Used Vehicles
5 chapters- Part III — Used Vehicles
- Chapter 18 — The Used Vehicle Business: Where Most Dealership Profit Actually Comes From
- Chapter 19 — Appraising and Pricing Used Inventory: The Science of Knowing What a Car Is Worth
- Chapter 20 — Selling Used: How the Conversation Differs from New
- Chapter 21 — Independent Dealerships: Running the Whole Show Yourself
5
Part IV: Part IV — Finance & Insurance (F&I)
6 chapters- Part IV — Finance & Insurance (F&I)
- Chapter 22 — How Auto Financing Works: Buy Rates, Sell Rates, Reserve, and the Dealer's Role in Lending
- Chapter 23 — Leasing: The Financing Method That Confuses Everyone (Until You Read This Chapter)
- Chapter 24 — F&I Products: What They Are, How They Work, and How to Present Them Ethically
- Chapter 25 — The F&I Process: Paperwork, Compliance, and the Legal Framework
- Chapter 26 — Subprime and Special Finance: Helping Customers with Challenged Credit
6
Part V: Part V — Digital & Modern Retailing
4 chapters- Part V — Digital & Modern Retailing
- Chapter 27 — Digital Retailing: Online Sales, E-Commerce, and the Dealership of Tomorrow
- Chapter 28 — The Electric Vehicle Transition: Selling Cars That Don't Have Engines
- Chapter 29 — BDC and Internet Sales: Handling Leads, Setting Appointments, and the Phone Skills That Start Deals
7
Part VI: Part VI — Ethics, Law & Professionalism
4 chapters- Part VI — Ethics, Law & Professionalism
- Chapter 30 — Ethics in Car Sales: The Line Between Persuasion and Manipulation (and Why Staying on the Right Side Pays Better)
- Chapter 31 — Consumer Protection Law: TILA, ECOA, FTC Used Car Rule, Lemon Laws, and What Can Get You (and Your Dealer) Sued
- Chapter 32 — Professionalism: Building a Reputation That Makes Customers Come to YOU
8
Part VII: Part VII — Management, Operations & Career
9 chapters- Part VII — Management, Operations & Career
- Chapter 33 — Sales Management: Desking Deals, Managing a Team, and Hitting the Number
- Chapter 34 — Inventory Management: Stocking, Pricing, Merchandising, and Turning Metal Into Money
- Chapter 35 — Dealership Operations: Fixed Operations, BDC, Marketing, and How the Departments Connect
- Chapter 36 — The Service Drive: Fixed-Ops Conquest and the Service-to-Sales Pipeline
- Chapter 37 — Reading the Dealership Financial Statement: The Document That Drives Every Decision
- Chapter 38 — Fleet and Commercial Sales: A Different Customer, a Different Sale
- Chapter 39 — Your 90-Day Plan: Surviving and Thriving in Your First Three Months
- Chapter 40 — The Automotive Career: From Green Pea to General Manager — Income, Advancement, and the Long View
9
Appendices
11 chapters- Bibliography & Sources
- Index
- Appendix A — Deal & Payment Math Reference
- Appendix B — Word-Track & Script Library
- Appendix C — Worksheets & Templates
- Appendix D — Objection-Handling Quick-Reference
- Appendix E — The Car Buyer's Companion
- Appendix F — Consumer-Protection Law & Compliance Quick-Reference
- Appendix G — Resource Directory
- Appendix H — Glossary
- Appendix I — Answers to Selected Exercises
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