10:48 am, August 6, 2025
If you’d told 20-year-old me I’d be working in the automotive industry, I’d have laughed and told you: ‘Don’t be daft, I’m no petrolhead’.
But here’s the secret no one told me – automotive isn’t about horsepower or engine specs – it’s about people. That suits me down to the ground because cars aren’t my passion. People are.
Selling cars is about building relationships, learning about your customers’ needs and making every interaction count. Of course, a great vehicle helps…
So here I am, more years in than I care to count, and loving it. Here are 8 things I wish I’d known from day one:
Invest in in-person relationships
Yes, we live in a digital world, but nothing replaces human interaction.
A video chat, a phone call, a face-to-face meeting – it’s the only way to build strong relationships.
Put the customer at the heart of everything
It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to lose sight of your customers when you’re focused on tracking sales and service plans.
Prioritising their needs, their experience, and their journey is essential to build lasting relationships.
You don’t have to be a car expert,
This is true, but you must know your stuff. When I first began working in automotive, I worried my lack of knowledge might hold me back.
The reality is that customers don’t expect you to know it all, they just want you to listen, understand their needs and offer the best solution.
Technology is only as good as its users
Our industry is driven by incredible tech. Direct Affinity’s predictive CSI tools, for example, help dealerships anticipate customer service issues long before they arise.
But even the best tech is only as effective as the people using it.
Really get to know your customer
Time spent learning about your customers is never, ever wasted. It allows you to gather insights that will help you anticipate their needs, improve their experience and increase the quality of your interactions with them.
Don’t forget the bigger picture
Whilst we might live and breathe cars, most people’s time in a dealership is a tiny moment in a much larger life.
They have jobs, families, hobbies, worries, holidays to plan and food shopping to do!
People do business with people they know, like and trust
It’s an old adage, but it’s true – I’ve built a career on it! Human relationships will always trump brands, products or price points.
If you can bring integrity, openness, and humanity into your interactions, you’ll build trust and loyalty in a way no sales or marketing campaign ever will.
Outsource to experts
One of the smartest moves a business can make is to know when to bring in outside expertise. Acknowledging your team’s capabilities or capacity is key.
Whether it’s lead generation, aftersales engagement or customer experience strategies, specialists really can lift performance far beyond what’s possible in-house.
Put people first, at the heart of all your decision-making, and everything else will fall into place. I might not be a petrolhead, but I love the automotive trade.
Want to find out more about building strong customer relationships? We’d love to talk to you! Visit our website to find out more.
