Car Sales Executive vacancies have always varied from one dealership to another, but recently we have noticed some interesting additions appearing alongside the responsibilities you would normally expect to see.

As well as selling vehicles, following up customers, working towards targets and managing enquiries, some current vacancies are asking Sales Executives to record personalised vehicle videos, feel comfortable speaking on camera, contribute to social media content and communicate with customers through a wider range of digital channels.

It does not mean the traditional Car Sales Executive role is disappearing, and these requirements certainly are not appearing in every vacancy we see. But when you consider how much of the car-buying journey now happens online before somebody visits a dealership, it raises an interesting question about whether the skills expected from automotive sales professionals are beginning to broaden too.

Key Takeaways

• Some current UK Car Sales Executive vacancies include video, social media and digital customer communication alongside traditional sales responsibilities.
• The change appears to reflect the way customers now research vehicles and contact dealerships, rather than Sales Executives suddenly being expected to become marketers.
• Customer relationships, product knowledge, follow-up, sales ability and closing remain fundamental to the role.
• Digital requirements vary between employers, so candidates should look carefully at what individual vacancies actually expect.
• Existing experience with personalised video, digital leads, CRM systems or dealership social content may be worth highlighting when applying for relevant roles.

What Are We Seeing in Current Car Sales Executive Vacancies?

Digital technology itself is nothing new to automotive retail. Dealership websites, online advertising, CRM systems and internet enquiries have been part of the sales process for years. What is more interesting is seeing some of the customer-facing digital activity appearing directly within the responsibilities of the Sales Executive.

Looking at current UK vacancies, we found examples where Sales Executives are expected to create personalised vehicle or walkaround videos, communicate confidently on camera and handle customers coming through online channels. Some employers also refer specifically to social media, with Sales Executives contributing content for platforms such as Facebook, Instagram or TikTok alongside their usual sales responsibilities.

There is quite a bit of variation in how far employers take this. For one dealership, digital involvement might simply mean sending a personalised video to somebody who has enquired about a car. Somewhere else, the Sales Executive may be expected to appear regularly in social content or take a more active role in generating interest online.

That distinction is important because we are not seeing evidence that every Car Sales Executive job is suddenly turning into a hybrid sales and marketing position. What we are seeing are examples of dealerships giving their sales teams more responsibility for communicating with customers across the different channels they now use.

Why Are Digital Skills Becoming More Relevant to Car Sales?

The customer journey probably explains quite a lot of what we are seeing. Earlier this year, we looked at how TikTok and social media are influencing the way people research cars, particularly among younger buyers. Social media is only one part of it, but it reflects a much wider change in the amount of research customers can now do before they ever speak to somebody at a dealership.

A buyer may have already compared models, looked at stock, watched reviews, checked specifications and narrowed down their options before making an enquiry. Even that first enquiry may arrive through a website, an automotive marketplace or social media rather than through a phone call or showroom visit.

For dealerships, it means the sales conversation can begin much earlier in the process and without the customer physically being there. A personalised walkaround video can show somebody the exact vehicle they have enquired about, while a quick and useful response to an online lead can start building the same rapport that would traditionally have begun on the showroom floor.

Seen in that context, the digital elements appearing in Sales Executive vacancies make more sense. They are not necessarily separate marketing jobs being handed to salespeople. In many cases, they are simply different ways of doing something good Sales Executives have always done: communicating with customers, understanding what they are interested in and keeping them engaged through the buying process.

Does This Mean Car Sales Executives Need to Become Marketers?

Not from what we are seeing. There is a big difference between being comfortable recording a vehicle video or appearing in dealership content and being responsible for a business's wider marketing activity.

The core requirements within Car Sales Executive vacancies remain very familiar. Employers still want people who can build relationships, understand their products, manage enquiries, follow up properly, handle objections and ultimately sell vehicles. Those abilities do not become less valuable because some of the conversation now happens through a screen.

In fact, many of the newer requirements are extensions of skills experienced Sales Executives already have. Somebody who can confidently present a vehicle to a customer can learn to do the same thing on camera. A Sales Executive who is organised with their follow-up can apply that same discipline to digital leads and CRM systems. Someone who builds rapport easily face to face already understands the principles behind communicating naturally online.

There will obviously be a learning curve if the technology itself is unfamiliar, particularly where a dealership uses a platform or process a candidate has not come across before. But that is quite different from needing to retrain as a marketer.

What Does This Mean When You Are Looking for Your Next Role?

If you are an experienced Car Sales Executive and start seeing video, social media or digital communication mentioned in vacancies, our advice would be not to rule yourself out purely because those responsibilities are unfamiliar.

Look at how important they actually are to the role and whether the employer is asking for existing expertise or simply somebody willing and confident enough to use those tools. We have previously looked at whether you should apply for a Motor Trade job when you do not meet every requirement, and the same principle applies here. There is a difference between lacking a fundamental skill needed to do the job and having something relatively straightforward to learn once you are there.

It is also worth thinking about the digital experience you may already have without necessarily describing it that way. If you regularly send customers personalised videos, manage enquiries through a CRM, follow up online leads or have appeared in dealership social content, those are all relevant examples if the next employer is asking for them.

They should still sit alongside your actual sales experience. If you are updating your application, our guide to what recruiters really look for on a Motor Trade CV explains why showing what you actually do and the results you achieve is more useful than filling a CV with generic skills.

So, Is the Car Sales Executive Role Changing?

To an extent, yes. But it looks much more like an evolution in how the job is being done than a replacement of the traditional Sales Executive role.

The car-buying journey has become increasingly digital, so it is understandable that some dealerships want their sales teams to be comfortable communicating with customers in those environments. Personalised video, online lead management and social media may become more common parts of the role if customer behaviour continues moving in that direction.

At the same time, the vacancies we have looked at do not suggest that traditional sales skills are becoming less important. If anything, the technology simply gives Sales Executives more ways to use them.

For candidates, the sensible approach is to keep an eye on how vacancies in your area are changing, be open to learning new tools and make sure any relevant digital experience you already have is visible when you apply. You can also use our Car Sales Executive Salary Guide to see current salary and earning potential using data from real vacancies handled by Perfect Placement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Digital Skills Required for Every Car Sales Executive Job?

No. Requirements vary between dealerships and traditional sales ability remains central to the role. Some current vacancies do include responsibilities involving personalised video, social media, digital leads or online customer communication, so it is worth checking what each employer actually expects.

What Digital Skills Are Useful for a Car Sales Executive?

Experience recording vehicle videos, handling online enquiries, using dealership CRM systems and communicating confidently through digital channels can all be useful. Some employers also value Sales Executives who are comfortable appearing in or contributing to social media content.

Should I Mention Video or Social Media Experience on My Car Sales Executive CV?

Yes, where it is genuine and relevant. If you have used personalised video, managed digital leads or contributed to dealership social content as part of your role, include it alongside your sales performance, customer service and automotive experience.

About the Author

Ashley Camies

Ashley Camies is Marketing & Automation Manager at Perfect Placement, with 15 years of automotive recruitment experience. Since 2011, Ashley has worked within specialist motor trade recruitment, using recruitment data, candidate behaviour and first-hand market insight to explore the career and hiring challenges facing automotive professionals across the UK.