Automotive Sales Consultant

Job Title

Automotive Sales Consultant - Napleton Chevrolet Columbus
Location

Columbus, WI
Employment Type

Full-time
About Us

Napleton Automotive Group is a family-owned dealer group with stores across Chicagoland and Wisconsin, representing Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Ford, Hyundai, Genesis, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram.

Napleton Chevrolet Columbus is on Maple Ave in Columbus, sitting between two very different customer bases - and that's what makes the job interesting.

To the north and east is Columbia and Dodge County farm country: dairy and crop operations, trades, plow contractors, and people who tow. To the southwest, twenty-five minutes down 151, is the Madison metro and its growth corridor - Sun Prairie, DeForest, Waunakee, Marshall, Deerfield - full of young families, commuters, healthcare and state workers who want a Traverse or an Equinox and are cross-shopping Madison stores online before they ever call you.

You'll sell a 3500HD to a contractor in the morning and a Trax to a first-time buyer from Sun Prairie in the afternoon. Both matter. Learn to talk to both.
Position Overview

As a Sales Consultant, you help customers find the right vehicle and guide them through the entire process - first hello to handing over the keys. You'll work leads, greet walk-ins, demonstrate vehicles, present numbers, and follow up with people who aren't ready yet.

You don't need to have sold cars before. You need to be someone people trust, someone who follows up when they say they will, and someone who wants to get paid for how hard they work rather than how many hours they sit at a desk.

This is a smaller store, and that cuts both ways. There's nowhere to hide - but there's also no layer of bureaucracy between you and a decision. You'll work directly with management, learn the whole business instead of one slice of it, and get a real look at how a dealership actually runs. People who want to end up in management eventually should want a store like this first.
What You'll Do
Work with customers

• Greet and qualify walk-in traffic; find out what someone actually needs before showing them anything
• Respond to internet leads and phone inquiries fast. A big share of this market is shopping Madison dealers at the same time, and the first store to answer usually gets the appointment
• Conduct product demonstrations and test drives
• Present pricing, payment options, and trade-in values clearly and honestly
• Make the case for buying local - better attention, easier service, someone who picks up the phone when they call back
• Ask for the sale, handle objections, and close

Follow up

• Maintain consistent contact with unsold prospects - most deals happen on the second or third conversation
• Stay in touch with past customers for referrals, service, and repeat business; in a town this size your customer list becomes your paycheck
• Log every interaction in the CRM so nothing falls through the cracks

Know the product

You're selling one brand, so know it better than anyone in the county.

The full Chevrolet lineup - Silverado 1500, 2500HD and 3500HD, Colorado, Tahoe and Suburban, Traverse, Equinox, Blazer, Trax, Trailblazer, Corvette, and Express vans.

Trucks and towing. Get genuinely fluent in payload and tow ratings, GVWR and GCWR, conventional vs. fifth-wheel and gooseneck towing, cab and bed configurations, rear axle ratios, Duramax diesel vs. gas, Allison transmissions, Z71 and Trail Boss packages, plow prep, and upfits and chassis cabs. Know the trim walk from WT to High Country. A farmer pulling a livestock trailer and a contractor with a dump insert need different trucks - know which is which before you put them in one.

The family ladder. Trax, Trailblazer, Equinox, Blazer, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban. This is most of your Madison-side volume. Be able to place someone correctly the first time instead of walking them up and down the lot.

Winter and AWD/4WD. Wisconsin customers want to know how it handles in February, what road salt does to it, and whether they need four-wheel drive or if AWD is enough. Have real answers.

Commercial and fleet. GM commercial programs matter here. Farm operations, excavators, landscapers, and plow contractors buy work trucks and vans, and they rarely buy just one.

EVs - Equinox EV, Blazer EV, and Silverado EV. Rural and small-town shoppers ask different questions than city buyers: real range on a cold morning, what happens on the round trip to Madison, and charging at home. Most people around here have a garage or driveway and a 240V outlet within reach, which makes home charging far easier than it is in a city - but nobody has explained that to them yet. Learn to answer plainly instead of dodging.

Complete GM manufacturer certification training (we pay for it). Stay current on inventory and available incentives, both new and pre-owned.
Deliver the experience

• Coordinate with the finance team and management on deal structure
• Perform thorough vehicle deliveries - set up the myChevrolet app and OnStar, pair the phone, walk the features, and show them how the trailering package actually works
• Follow up post-sale and earn a good survey score honestly
• Represent the store well in a community where word gets around fast

What We're Looking For
Required

• Strong communication skills and a genuine willingness to talk to strangers
• Self-motivation - nobody will stand over you and tell you to make calls
• Reliability and a professional appearance
• Basic computer and smartphone proficiency
• Valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record
• Availability to work a retail schedule including Saturdays
• Ability to pass a background check and pre-employment screening
• High school diploma or equivalent

Preferred, not required

• Previous automotive sales experience
• Truck, trailer, farm, or construction familiarity - it earns instant credibility with half this customer base
• Any commissioned sales, retail, restaurant, hospitality, or customer service background
• Local ties to Columbus, Columbia County, or the Madison-side communities
• Small business, commercial, or fleet sales experience
• Bilingual - Spanish is a real advantage in this market
• Comfort explaining EVs and home charging to a skeptical customer
• Military service
• CRM experience

Who tends to do well here

• People who are competitive with themselves
• People who'd rather have an uncapped pay plan than a safe salary
• People who follow up on day 30 when everyone else quit on day 3
• People who are coachable and actually apply what they're taught
• People who want to learn the whole business, not just their desk

Compensation & Benefits

• Commission and volume bonus pay plan with a training guarantee while you ramp up
• Paid training, including GM manufacturer certification
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Closed Sundays
• Employee vehicle purchase and service discounts
• Big-group inventory and resources behind a small-town store
• Real promotion path - many of our managers started on the floor, and Napleton has stores across Wisconsin and Chicagoland when you're ready for more

How to Apply

Apply directly through this posting. No automotive experience necessary; we train the right people.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. Napleton Automotive Group is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a drug-free workplace.