Not everyone has what it takes to sell cars. The right salesperson knows how to strike a balance between putting educating customers and closing the deal. 

But what happens when the tables are turned?

When your dealership has its own Vehicle Buying Center (VBC), you’re not selling to customers — you’re buying from them. Closing these deals requires an entirely different skill set compared to sales.

You’ll need to hire dedicated agents before you can get your VBC up and running. Below, we’ll look at what to look for (and avoid) when hiring for your VBC. 

What is a Vehicle Buying Center (VBC)?

A Vehicle Buying Center is a department that deals exclusively with buying inventory from the public. This opens up another sourcing channel for your dealership — something that’s more important than ever in light of widespread inventory shortages.

Here are just a few of the additional benefits a VBC provides:

• You earn more on each vehicle by eliminating common acquisition costs like auction fees, transportation, etc.
• You save on reconditioning costs by avoiding problem vehicles.
• It empowers you to buy more of the vehicles you want instead of whatever’s available at auction. 
• All this adds up to increased front-end gross and turn on each vehicle you source through your VBC — up to $1,200 or more! 

Why Your VBC Needs Full-Time Agents

We’ve covered why a VBC is critical to sourcing more effectively in today’s market. However, even more important is how you acquire new inventory through your VBC. 

Finding the right cars, and buying them at the right price, takes time. But those profitable cars you’re looking for won’t stay on the market forever. Staffing your VBC with full-time agents keeps you from missing out on valuable inventory.

And don’t worry about additional staff cutting into your profits. These agents are instrumental in working with sellers on profitable deals — meaning they more than earn their keep in the long run. 

What to Look For When Hiring For Your VBC

Hiring for your VBC is much different compared to other dealership departments. Buying from the public takes the right combination of experience, knowledge, and approach to long-term strategy. 

Keep these things in mind when starting the search for your VBC agents:

Don’t hire another salesperson 

First, think about who your ideal seller is. It’s not going to be someone who’s only had their car up for sale for a couple of days. These sellers will still be confident they can do it themselves and will be tough to work with. 

Your ideal seller is someone who has been trying to offload their vehicle for weeks with no success. This puts your VBC agents in a much better position to negotiate with them on the best price possible.

However, it’s also important to keep in mind that these sellers are likely frustrated. They’ve been trying to sell their car for weeks — and have been dealing with scammers and hagglers that whole time.

Does a lot veteran with an aggressive sales mentality sound like the right person to work with this kind of seller? Not really.

Instead, hire someone with the heart of a teacher

Dealing with frustrated sellers takes patience. That’s why, when hiring for your VBC, it’s necessary to look for someone with the heart of a teacher. 

Here’s what we mean by that:

• For most sellers, this will be their first or possibly second time selling a car. They’ll need to be taught how the process works.
• Making equitable purchases takes patience and communication — traits that teachers famously possess.
• When working with sellers, it’s important to think in terms of building long-term relationships, not closing deals. Your VBC is no place for overeager sales staff.

We’re guessing it would be tough to poach actual teachers from their schools. That’s okay; there are still plenty of candidates out there.  

Look for individuals with customer service backgrounds. They’ll have experience handling difficult interactions and working to find the best solution for both parties.

VBC Agents Job Responsibilities 

Once the hiring process is complete, here’s how your agents can find the best deals:

Reaching out to marketplace sellers

There are countless vehicles added each day to platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Combing through these listings to find the best deals is what your VBC agents do best. 

Giving your agents access to powerful inventory data is essential here. This lets them identify which profitable vehicles to stock and at what price.

Following up on leads

Most of your VBC agents’ time will be spent following up on leads. These leads come from your VBC’s marketing as well as software partners like KBB Instant Cash Offer. 

Like your sales staff, your VBC agents will need to be trained to use your dealership’s preferred CRM platform. This helps streamline communication with sellers and keeps them on top of appointments, fresh-ups, etc. 

Handling walk-ins

Your dealership’s digital advertising doesn’t have to exclusively bring in buyers. A well-marketed VBC will attract plenty of sellers to your lot as well. It’s up to your VBC agents to handle these walk-ins.  

Your agents are there to walk sellers through the appraisal process. Arm them with pricing and appraisal tools that help them provide sellers with the most accurate offer possible. 

Drive Profits for Your Dealership With a Smooth-Running VBC

Your VBC essentially operates as a business within a business. And just like any enterprise, the right team is crucial to ensuring things run smoothly. 

Set your team up for success with the tools they need to buy fairly (and profitably) from the public. VinCue comes with everything they need, including lead generation, advertising, and appraisal features, all built into one powerful platform. 

Ready to start buying better? Schedule your VinCue demo today.

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Ben Putano

Latest posts by Ben Putano (see all)

• Inventory Domination: Millionaire Car Salesman Podcast - January 26, 2021
• Podcast: How to Supercharge Your Used Car Sourcing Strategies for 2021 - January 18, 2021
• Micro-Interview: Jacob Tice, South Tacoma Auto - January 15, 2021