Sales is a vibrant, challenging and exciting sector to get involved with! If you have a natural talent for selling stuff to other people, it’s a skill that you could build a career out of. For many salespeople, each day is unique and not without its challenges.
The drive and determination of each individual helps them to achieve their goals and targets. Regardless of how difficult they might seem to reach. There are plenty of things that a salesperson can promote.
They could be anything from small, inanimate objects to large buildings and heavy machinery. The latter proves to be a lucrative way of making a living, as companies pay a lot for large industrial machines. As most salespeople get a commission of each sale, they will have a healthy wage to look forward to each month!
One area that salespeople make a good living from is the used truck sector. It involves the sales of used vehicles like large trucks and heavy goods vehicles. They get used by construction companies, removals firms and the transport industry.
As you can imagine, there is plenty of scope to earn a good living from selling used trucks. They are more cost-effective for companies to get than new models. And many firms don’t want the hassle of dealing with leases on new vehicles.
All too often, leasing firms scrutinise conditions of trucks and goods vehicles returned back to them. More often than not, they will charge leaseholders fees for damage to bodywork or even higher than agreed mileage.
It makes sense for those companies to buy vehicles and build up a fleet. That way, they are free to drive their fleet as often as they wish without incurring any penalties. And because they own their vehicles, they are free to sell them and upgrade to newer models as they wish.
When you lease a vehicle, you’re stuck with it for the duration of your term. Granted, some leases give firms the option to end their contracts halfway through. But they aren’t without their financial penalties!
Where would your potential customers look for used trucks?
The obvious choice for tech-savvy company bosses and fleet managers is the World Wide Web. Websites like AutoTrader are familiar places for used vehicle dealers to advertise their stock. Company bosses and fleet managers know this fact.
Of course, there are plenty of classifieds sites on the Web they will look at as well. For those that prefer the conventional approach, dealer showrooms are also a common option for buyers.
In fact, most, if not all buyers, prefer to look at vehicles in person before making any decisions. The Internet just helps them to locate which dealers sell the trucks they want. As a used truck salesperson, your role will get based within those dealer showrooms.
How can you find new customers?
Sitting at your desk at your employer’s showroom and waiting for new customers to walk in is one way of finding new prospects. But, let’s face it; you’re not always going to be busy! That’s why you’ll need to be creative if you want to win new business and increase your sales!
After all; you will have sales quotas to meet. If you don’t meet them, you don’t get any commission. And if you keep failing to meet those targets, your boss might fire you.
So, just how do you find new customers for those used trucks sitting in your lot? Did you know that there are plenty of ways to sell those used trucks sitting outside waiting for new owners? Here are a few examples.
- Trade shows. Let’s say that there is a new trade show opening in your area soon. It’s focus is for businesses in the transport sector to showcase the products and services they offer. You could set up an eye-catching stand that shows off your impressive fleet of used trucks;
- Networking events. You’ll always find ones in your hometown or city. They are regular meetings of business owners and professionals. You can offer to help solve other people’s transport problems. And you can also make contacts within particular niche industries. Those contacts can then let you know when they need to source some used trucks for their businesses;
- Truck festivals. Yes, there are even festivals dedicated to the trucks of today and yesteryear! Truck festivals are great places to advertise vehicles you have for sale. Especially if your employer specialises in classic trucks.
Of course, you’ll need to spend some of your time at your employer’s premises. Rather than all your time out on the road prospecting for new business! But don’t worry, because there are a few ways of getting new customers without leaving your desk!
For example, you could print out a map and then mark a radius around your location. You’ll then have a list of towns and cities within that radius. Armed with that data, you can then research firms that operate within those areas. And you can determine if they need to buy any used trucks soon.
Rather than calling every single business, limit your calls to companies that you know have a need for your vehicles. Examples include manufacturing and transportation firms. You could also contact businesses that reside on industrial estates.
It’s likely that they will have a need for trucks to transport goods to their customers. They might also need vehicles they can use to pick up raw materials from their suppliers. I recommend you maintain a database of these companies so that you don’t end up making the same call twice, if that makes sense!
You can also use such databases to make notes of firms that would like you to call them in the near future.
Do you need any qualifications?
My last but most important part is about your personal skills. salespeople don’t usually need qualifications. But what they do need is a proven track record. In other words, you will need to prove that you can sell high volumes of items.
The last thing a used truck dealer wants to do is hire someone that’s useless at selling!