How to network as a self-employed car salesman

As a self-employed car salesman, you need to proactively increase your professional network if you want your business to grow. 

Specifically, professional networking can benefit your business by:

• Introducing you to new industry contacts.
• Giving you new skills, insider tips, and business insights.
• Improving your professional reputation. 
• Creating opportunities for collaboration. 

If all that sounds good to you, then it’s time to learn exactly how to network as a self-employed car salesman. In order to do that, you need to know two things:

• Where to network as a self-employed car salesman. 
• How to network as a self-employed car salesman – tips and tricks. 

The first hurdle in networking is knowing where to do it. Luckily, there are more opportunities than ever for budding entrepreneurs. 

Social media is a networking powerhouse, representing millions of users who are ready to connect with your business. 

Linkedin is normally your best bet because it’s built with professional networking in mind, but you shouldn’t ignore other platforms like Facebook, Tik Tok, and Instagram. 

A quick search online will direct you to loads of networking events all over the world – both online and in person. 

Sites like Eventbrite and Motorvise are great places to find a range of different networking events for the motor industry. You can also set up your own events and promote them on the platforms. 

Online networking is a must, but local networking can also be incredibly effective. 

Reach out to local car businesses, such as:

• Dealerships – they may have some advice about the local market. 
• Mechanics – you may be able to refer customers to one another’s businesses or get good deals on repairs. 
• Taxi companies – you could offer exclusive deals in exchange for cross-promotion. 

Whether you’re at a networking event, on social media, or just reaching out to local business owners, there are a few simple things you can do to make the most out of every new contact. 

If you’ve booked a networking event, check out the itinerary beforehand and plan your strategy.

Make sure you don’t miss out on any specific talks or workshops that you think will be particularly useful. If there are special guests you’d like to meet, note what time they’re speaking so you know when they’ll be free for a chat. 

Don’t push the “hard sell” right away when you meet new people. Instead, focus on making a human connection and getting to know them as a person. After all, people like doing business with other people, first and foremost. 

Some people are better at connecting than others, so here are a few tips and tricks that will help you establish a strong bond with everybody that you meet:

• Practice active listening – good eye contact, positive body language, and showing empathy will reinforce a strong connection. 
• Ask plenty of questions – people like talking about themselves.
• Use their name when talking – it’s a simple trick that helps make people feel more familiar with you. 

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be sophisticated and charming to network effectively. It might help, but the foundation for any meaningful relationship is honesty, empathy, and kindness. 

If you make a good impression with a new contact, things will eventually evolve into shop talk. And when that happens, you want to present your business in the best way possible. 

We’re not saying you should rehearse a speech or anything, but you should have your key talking points locked and loaded to ensure you don’t forget anything. 

Always have business cards handy, especially at networking events, so you pass them out to anybody who’s interested. 

Collecting other people’s business cards is equally, if not more, effective. If someone has your card, you need to wait for their call. But if you have theirs too, you can always initiate the next conversation. 

When you do take a card, make a point of writing a note on the back describing something memorable about the person. That way, when you contact them in the future, you’ll be able to call back to something you spoke about earlier and strengthen your relationship. 

As you begin to grow your network, introduce different contacts to one another. 

It’s just a simple case of playing the odds. Instead of one-on-one connections, introduce your contacts to one another. The chances for new ideas and collaborations will increase. 

And there’s no need to stop there. As long as everybody gets along, keep introducing new people to strengthen the network – you never know what might happen.  

Whenever you make a new contact, try to follow up with them within 72 hours. First of all, it’ll show that you’re keen, proactive, and you keep your word. But also, people are pretty forgetful – if you wait too long to follow up, you run the risk of being forgotten entirely. 

Networking is a great way to improve your reach as a business owner, but you’ll also need a business account that can scale as your business grows. That’s why thousands of business owners use the Countingup app to make their financial admin easier. 

Automatically record all of your revenue and expenses, so you won’t need to do more financial admin as your business grows. Then, generate profit and loss statements to plan for future growth. 

Create professional invoices on the go and match payments to each client so you can receive and manage payments quickly and easily. 

Start your three-month free trial today. 

Find out more here.