Vehicle salesperson, passenger cars

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I sell new passenger cars to private customers and companies. Our range includes Mercedes-Benz and Smart models. I also occasionally sell used cars.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

My father has worked as a vehicle salesperson almost all his life, and I have also done sales since I was young. When I was 18, I moved on to the restaurant sector, but in a few years I started to miss sales work. I had previously done sales work with commission-based pay and succeeded well, so I believed I would also manage in more demanding sales tasks. My father encouraged me to go to the automotive industry, and soon after that I got my first job as a second-hand car salesperson at the J. Rinta-Jouppi car dealership.

Describe your typical working day or week.

My working days mainly consist of customer service at the store. I also call potential buyers of new cars and handle contact requests received through the website. My working days often also include handing over new cars, organising test drives, and paperwork related to the sale of a car, such as calculating offers.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

I work at the Lielahti store in Tampere. Our store is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., which means that I do either morning shift from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or evenings from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Working hours often need to be flexible for customers, as work needs to be done when there are buying customers. In other respects, vehicle salespersons are independently responsible for accumulating working hours and taking holidays.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

Customer service-mindset is everything, because you never know what kind of customer will enter the store next. It is important to know how to serve everyone and listen to their needs. It is also good to be somewhat interested in cars. This profession also calls for activity and flexibility. Language skills are useful, especially English skills.

What is the best thing about your profession?

The best part of my work is the customers and especially the moment they come to pick up their new cars. A new car often makes its buyer very happy, even if it is raining sleet.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

Economic cycles and global uncertainties affect car sales. Even if you do your job well, you can’t always influence the success of the business.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a vehicle salesperson?

Sales training is a good starting point, but not compulsory. What is more important is the desire to learn new things and some sort of interest in cars. Employers and car brand manufacturers do provide training on cars and their technology. It is a good idea to start selling used cars, as you can get a good overview of different car brands in this work.

I encourage women to enter the field boldly, as more and more car buyers are women, and many of them want to buy their cars specifically from a woman salesperson.

How do you see the future of your profession?

Although cars can be ordered online, most people want to make the purchase decision at the dealership, as this is a significant purchase. There are more choices than ever, and customers want expert guidance in vehicle selection. I do not believe that online stores will replace car dealers in the future either.