Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Internet Sales Consultant

🎯 Role Definition

The Internet Sales Consultant is a customer-facing digital sales professional focused on converting internet leads into qualified appointments and closed vehicle sales. Working primarily with online inquiries—website forms, email, social media, live chat, and third‑party lead providers—the consultant manages CRM pipelines, executes timely follow-up, delivers virtual vehicle presentations and walkarounds, coordinates test drives and deliveries, and partners with finance and showroom teams to deliver a seamless omnichannel purchase experience. Success is measured by lead response times, appointment set rate, lead-to-sale conversion, average gross per unit, and customer satisfaction (CSI).

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

BDC Representative (Business Development Center)
Retail Sales Associate / Lot Attendant
Customer Service Representative

Advancement To:

Internet Sales Manager / Internet Director
Internet Sales Trainer / Digital Sales Lead
Sales Manager / General Sales Manager

Lateral Moves:

BDC Manager
Digital Marketing Specialist
Finance & Insurance (F&I) Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Respond promptly to incoming internet leads (website inquiries, third-party lead providers, social media messages, and live chat) using a consultative approach, ensuring industry-standard response time SLAs and converting cold leads into qualified sales appointments.
Manage and maintain an accurate and up-to-date CRM pipeline (e.g., DealerSocket, VinSolutions, Salesforce) by logging all customer interactions, updating lead statuses, scheduling follow-ups, and using CRM reporting to prioritize high-value prospects.
Conduct professional phone and email outreach to nurture prospects, qualify needs, confirm appointment details, and overcome objections while maintaining a high cadence of personalized follow-up to increase appointment show rates and close rates.
Host virtual appointments and video walkarounds of vehicles for remote customers, leveraging high-quality photos/videos and digital retailing tools to showcase vehicle features, condition, and value propositions that support remote decision-making.
Provide accurate online pricing, incentives, and trade-in estimates by using appraisal tools and current market data, and prepare clear, transparent internet quotes that accelerate the customer’s path to purchase.
Coordinate and set in-person test drive appointments and home/office delivery options, collaborating with lot, sales, and delivery teams to ensure vehicles are clean, fueled, inspected, and ready at the scheduled time.
Qualify customers for financing and pre-approval by gathering financial documentation, explaining F&I products, and coordinating with the Finance & Insurance team to secure competitive offers and streamline the contract process.
Prepare and deliver complete deal folders and paperwork with attention to detail, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations (e.g., consumer disclosure, finance paperwork), dealership policies, and audit requirements.
Work closely with showroom sales staff to transition customers smoothly from online engagement to in-person sales, relay customer preferences and notes, and support a unified sales process that reduces duplication and improves close rates.
Monitor and analyze daily internet sales metrics (lead response time, appointment set rate, show rate, lead-to-appointment conversion, lead-to-sale conversion, and gross per unit) and proactively adjust outreach strategies to meet or exceed departmental KPIs.
Qualify and upsell additional products and services (extended warranties, protection packages, service contracts) in a consultative manner by aligning product benefits to each customer’s lifestyle and risk profile.
Manage and refresh online inventory listings and website content, ensuring accurate vehicle descriptions, feature lists, pricing, and high-quality images/video to maximize click-through and lead generation.
Use third-party tools and lead sources (TrueCar, Cars.com, Autotrader, CarGurus) to maximize exposure, manage lead routing, and ensure consistent follow-up and tracking for each channel.
Negotiate and close deals while preserving dealership profitability and adhering to pre-determined pricing, trade allowances, and gross targets; escalate non-standard requests to management when necessary.
Deliver exceptional customer experience throughout the sale lifecycle, solicit and respond to customer feedback, and maintain a high CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) by proactively resolving issues and following up post-delivery.
Conduct inbound and outbound live chat sessions with speed and professionalism, applying scripted best practices and personalization to convert chat engagements into appointments and sales.
Generate personalized video responses and digital proposals for high-intent customers, leveraging digital tools to accelerate decision-making and differentiate the dealership brand in a crowded online marketplace.
Train and mentor newer internet sales staff on CRM best practices, lead handling, digital retailing workflows, and compliance procedures to scale team performance and consistency.
Maintain product knowledge across new and pre-owned inventory, manufacturer incentives, and warranty programs to accurately address customer questions and objections.
Collaborate with marketing on targeted digital campaigns, remarketing efforts, and lead nurturing sequences to increase lead quality and ROI from online channels.
Track and reconcile lead sources and attribution to identify top-performing channels, reduce wasted spend on low-converting sources, and provide actionable insights to management.
Ensure accurate and compliant handling of sensitive customer data and privacy per state and federal regulations (e.g., GDPR-like requirements, CCPA where applicable), following dealership policies for data security.
Participate in dealership promotions, digital events, and community outreach to build brand awareness, generate inbound leads, and position the dealership as a customer-first digital leader.

Secondary Functions

Build and maintain templated email and chat response libraries optimized for personalization and conversion, and continuously A/B test messages to improve open and conversion rates.
Support monthly and weekly reporting by preparing internet sales summaries, pipeline health snapshots, and conversion analysis for management review.
Assist in the implementation and optimization of digital retailing platforms (e.g., online credit application, e-contracting, home delivery scheduling) and provide feedback to vendors for feature enhancements.
Help manage reputation by monitoring and responding to customer reviews on Google, Facebook, and dealer review sites in coordination with the marketing team.
Participate in weekly sales meetings and training sessions; contribute ideas to improve lead handling, sales scripts, and customer experience touchpoints.
Coordinate with service and parts departments to route service leads, warranty work, and recall communications, strengthening customer retention and lifecycle value.
Support ad-hoc projects such as special promotions, inventory blitzes, and seasonal campaigns by providing frontline insights about customer objections and demand signals.
Maintain continuing education on manufacturer product updates, new tools, and compliance requirements to ensure best-in-class online sales performance.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

CRM proficiency (DealerSocket, VinSolutions, CDK Global, Reynolds & Reynolds, or Salesforce) — lead management, pipeline staging, and reporting.
Digital retailing platforms experience (online credit app, e-contracting, home delivery scheduling) and familiarity with third-party lead providers (Cars.com, Autotrader, TrueCar, CarGurus).
Live chat and messaging tools expertise (Chat interfaces, texting platforms, and chat scripts) with strong typing and written communication speed/accuracy.
Inventory management and online listing skills — writing compelling vehicle descriptions, uploading images/video, and managing pricing updates.
MS Office proficiency (Excel for simple reporting, Outlook for correspondence) and comfort with dealer management systems (DMS).
Basic finance and credit qualification knowledge to explain APRs, terms, and typical lending requirements.
Video creation basics (smartphone video walkarounds, light editing, and sending secure video links) to support virtual selling.
Data entry accuracy, lead attribution tracking, and familiarity with sales KPIs and performance dashboards.
Knowledge of compliance and consumer protection regulations relevant to auto sales and online transactions.
Experience with digital marketing fundamentals (remarketing, lead attribution, simple campaign reporting) to collaborate effectively with marketing.

Soft Skills

Exceptional written and verbal communication with an ability to build rapport quickly over phone, email, and chat.
Strong negotiation and closing ability with a consultative, customer-first approach.
Time management and prioritization skills to handle high lead volumes and multiple concurrent follow-ups.
Active listening and empathy to identify customer needs, preferences, and objections.
High resilience and coachability — ability to act on feedback and continuously improve conversion tactics.
Detail orientation and accuracy when preparing offers and documentation to ensure legal compliance and customer trust.
Problem-solving mindset and ability to escalate complex issues to management in a timely manner.
Sales-driven mentality with focus on KPIs, targets, and continuous improvement.
Team collaboration skills to coordinate with showroom, management, finance, and service departments.
Adaptability and comfort working in a fast-paced, digital-first retail environment with changing priorities.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or GED.

Preferred Education:

Associate degree or Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Business Administration
Marketing and Communications
Sales Management
Automotive Technology or Automotive Business

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–3 years in internet sales, BDC, digital retailing, or automotive/retail sales with proven lead conversion results.

Preferred:

2+ years of dealership internet sales experience or 2+ years in a digital sales role with demonstrated success in CRM-managed pipelines, live chat conversion, and remote/virtual sales processes.