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Dealers are increasingly targeting sales staff with broad based and creative IT skills, according to recruitment firm Jobco-op Automotive.
Director Shaun Price said as more sales leads were coming to dealers through the internet, traditional skills were less marketable.
“We are living in a world where more and more customers are looking to find their car online and even complete as much of the purchase process as possible on the web. This means a complete rethink of sales skills.
“Yes, it is still important to have sales staff who can identify and interact with established customers the minute that they set foot in the showroom but it is becoming ever more important to have staff who know how to present a used car well on AutoTrader.
But if customers don’t meet someone from the dealership until they come to collect the car, then that whole approach starts to fall apart.
“Dealers recognise this. They are increasingly looking for sales staff who can sift through the data that the dealership holds and produce a list of credible leads, who are comfortable with writing and placing an attractive used car ad online and who can respond quickly and professionally to enquiries that arrive by e-mail or even social media.
“Of course, the ideal candidate would be someone who was both comfortable with the increasing amount of IT-based sales work that takes place in dealerships and was highly personable. However, candidates who rely strictly on their interpersonal skills are certainly becoming less marketable in recruitment terms,” he said.