Automotive General Sales Manager jobs are senior sales management roles within car dealerships and franchise dealer groups. The role usually involves leading the sales department, managing Sales Executives and Sales Managers, driving unit sales, controlling profit and ensuring manufacturer standards are met.
Candidates often search for General Sales Manager jobs when looking for a senior dealership sales role with higher earning potential and wider responsibility than a standard Sales Manager position. Perfect Placement has specialised in Automotive Recruitment since 2003 and regularly recruits for General Sales Manager roles across the UK.
Key Takeaways:
- General Sales Manager jobs are most commonly found in car dealerships, franchise dealer groups and dealership sales departments.
- The role usually involves managing sales performance, profit, stock, finance penetration and sales team activity.
- Salary packages are often OTE-led, with bonus linked to unit sales, profitability, finance performance and manufacturer targets.
- Progression can lead into Dealer Principal, General Manager, Group Sales Manager or Sales Director roles.
Role Overview
An Automotive General Sales Manager is responsible for the performance of a dealership sales department. The role is commercially driven and usually involves managing both new and used vehicle sales, finance and insurance performance, enquiry management, stock control and sales team results.
Typical responsibilities may include:
- Managing sales targets, gross profit, finance penetration and manufacturer objectives.
- Leading Sales Executives, Business Managers, Sales Controllers and Sales Managers.
- Overseeing new and used vehicle stock, pricing, enquiry handling and conversion.
- Supporting deal stacking, customer negotiations and sales process compliance.
- Reporting performance to the Dealer Principal, General Manager or group leadership team.
General Sales Manager roles are usually found in car dealerships and franchise dealer groups. Employers typically look for proven dealership sales management experience, strong finance and insurance performance, stock control ability and the confidence to lead a busy sales operation.
Salary and Market Insight
Automotive General Sales Manager salaries vary depending on dealership size, brand, sales volume, used car operation, bonus structure and the level of responsibility within the wider management team.
These salary insights are based on real Automotive General Sales Manager vacancies handled by Perfect Placement across the UK automotive sector in the last 12 months.
General Sales Manager earnings are usually strongest in high-volume dealerships where bonus is linked to sales volume, gross profit, finance penetration and manufacturer performance.
Across the supplied vacancy data, basic salaries for Automotive General Sales Manager roles ranged from around £35,000 to £75,000. Higher salaries were typically linked to larger dealerships, stronger franchise brands or roles carrying broader sales department responsibility.
The average basic salary sits at around £48,700, with average OTE at around £69,200. Bonus is a key part of most General Sales Manager packages and is commonly linked to vehicle sales, department profit, finance and insurance performance, stock turn and manufacturer targets.
Car Dealerships and franchise dealer groups are the main employers for General Sales Manager jobs. Most opportunities sit within busy dealership sales departments where the role has direct responsibility for new and used car sales performance.
Career Progression
General Sales Managers can progress into Dealer Principal, General Manager, Group Sales Manager, Head of Sales or Sales Director roles. Candidates with strong profit control, team leadership, finance performance and manufacturer relationship experience are often well placed for senior dealership management.
For experienced Sales Managers or Sales Controllers, moving into a General Sales Manager role is a common step towards full dealership leadership.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an Automotive General Sales Manager do?
An Automotive General Sales Manager leads the dealership sales department, managing sales targets, profit, stock, finance performance, enquiry handling and the sales team.
Do General Sales Manager jobs include bonus?
Yes, most General Sales Manager jobs include bonus or OTE linked to sales volume, profit, finance penetration, manufacturer targets and overall department performance.
What experience do employers look for?
Employers usually look for dealership sales management experience, strong vehicle sales performance, finance and insurance knowledge, stock control and team leadership ability.
Find Automotive General Sales Manager Jobs Near You
Perfect Placement is a specialist Automotive Recruitment agency that has been helping candidates and employers across the motor trade since 2003. We regularly recruit for Automotive General Sales Manager jobs with car dealerships, franchise dealer groups and dealership sales departments throughout the UK.
You can view our latest live vacancies below or upload your CV to Perfect Placement so our Automotive Recruitment team can help match you with General Sales Manager roles that suit your experience, location and salary expectations.
If you are interested in hearing more about the role of General Sales Manager, visit our Career Guide for more insight into the role.
Last Updated: June 2026