Sales Assistant - Automotive Dealership

Sales Assistant - Automotive Dealership Grote Automotive - 3.2 Rockford, IL Job Details Full-time $24 - $39 an hour 21 hours ago Benefits Paid training Health savings account Disability insurance Health insurance Dental insurance 401(k) Paid time off 401(k) 4% Match Employee assistance program Vision insurance 401(k) matching Professional development assistance Referral program Retirement plan Qualifications Automotive sales Email customer support Phone communication Attention to detail CRM system proficiency Appointment scheduling Office phone management Full Job Description Sales Assistant - Lead, Phone & CRM Opportunity Support Modern replacement for the traditional

BDC / BDR

model This is not a call-center appointment-setting role. This is a sales-floor support role focused on helping the store convert more opportunities into sold vehicles. Position Summary Grote Automotive is moving away from the traditional BDC model and into a more modern, sales-focused support role. Our business model is proving to be less appointment-centric and more show-and-sale-centric, driven by market-based pricing, fast customer response, strong sales management, and direct engagement by the sales team. The Sales Assistant is not a traditional BDR or appointment setter. This position exists to help the sales department sell more vehicles by monitoring inbound leads, phone calls, texts, emails, CRM activity, and AI-assisted customer communication. The Sales Assistant makes sure opportunities are quickly placed in the hands of the right manager or salesperson, while also ensuring customers are continuously engaged until they buy. Success is measured by sales outcomes, customer engagement, lead visibility, and opportunity management — not appointment counts.

Estimated annual earning potential:

$60,000 to $90,000, based on store sales volume of approximately 70 to 120 vehicles per month. Why This Role Replaces a Traditional

BDC / BDR A

traditional BDC or BDR role is usually focused on:

• Setting appointments and confirming appointments
• Chasing appointment shows
• Measuring calls, emails, texts, and appointment activity
• Working leads separately from the sales floor
• Trying to force the customer into a store visit before the customer is ready This Sales Assistant role is focused on:
• Getting real opportunities into the hands of managers and salespeople quickly
• Monitoring inbound leads, calls, texts, emails, CRM activity, and AI activity
• Watching customer engagement and making sure no opportunity is missed
• Supporting the sales floor in real time
• Using CRM and AI tools to help maintain contact with customers until they buy
• Alerting the right person when a customer re-engages
• Helping answer the questions customers actually care about
• Tracking sales outcomes instead of appointment shows We do not care about appointment counts for the sake of appointment counts.

We care about whether the customer was handled properly and whether the store sold a vehicle. Modern Customer Engagement Philosophy Today's customer does not always want to be pushed into an appointment over and over again. Many customers want real answers before they come in, including:

• Is the vehicle still available?
• Can you help me locate the exact car I want?
• Why is this vehicle priced the way it is?
• How does this vehicle compare to others in the market?
• What makes this car unique?
• What are my payment options?
• What is my trade worth?
• Can I get approved?
• Is there a better vehicle that fits my needs?
• What makes buying from us different?

The Sales Assistant helps make sure our communication is built around what the customer actually cares about, not just repeated appointment requests. This role supports a sales process where customers are kept engaged by phone, text, email, CRM follow-up, AI-assisted communication, and manager/salesperson involvement until they buy.

CRM & AI

Agent Support The Sales Assistant will help train, monitor, and improve the AI agent or automated communication tools inside the CRM. The goal of AI is not to replace the sales team. The goal is to help us stay in contact with customers, keep conversations alive, and alert the Sales Assistant when a customer shows renewed interest or asks a question that needs human involvement. The AI agent should be trained and monitored to support messages around:

• Vehicle availability
• Similar vehicle options
• Locating the exact vehicle the customer wants
• Unique inventory opportunities
• Market-based pricing advantages
• Trade-in questions
• Financing and payment questions
• Vehicle comparisons
• Why a customer should consider our dealership
• What makes a specific vehicle a strong opportunity
• Helpful follow-up that does not feel pushy The Sales Assistant is responsible for watching these conversations and identifying when a customer should be moved from automated communication to direct human engagement.

When a customer replies, asks about a specific vehicle, mentions a trade, asks about payment or approval, re-engages after going quiet, or shows readiness for a manager or salesperson, the Sales Assistant should alert the right person immediately. Key ResponsibilitiesLead Monitoring & Routing

• Monitor all inbound internet leads, website inquiries, third-party leads, chat leads, text messages, emails, credit applications, and CRM activity.
• Make sure each opportunity is assigned to the correct salesperson or manager quickly.
• Alert managers when hot leads, repeat inquiries, high-intent customers, credit applications, trade inquiries, or re-engaged customers come in.
• Watch for unworked, delayed, or improperly handled leads.
• Help ensure customers are moved toward a sale, not just pushed toward an appointment. Inbound Phone Support
• Monitor inbound sales calls and make sure customers are connected to the correct salesperson or manager.
• Identify missed calls, mishandled calls, poor call handling, or calls needing manager follow-up.
• Support the sales team with call notes, customer information, and follow-up reminders.
• Help reduce dropped balls, missed opportunities, and poor customer handoffs.

CRM & AI

Monitoring

• Monitor CRM activity to make sure leads, calls, texts, emails, and customer statuses are handled properly.
• Watch AI-assisted customer conversations for signs of buying intent.
• Alert managers and salespeople when a customer re-engages or needs human follow-up.
• Help improve AI messaging so it supports real customer concerns instead of generic appointment-setting.
• Make sure automated follow-up supports the sales process and does not replace human engagement when needed. Sales Floor Support
• Work directly with sales managers and salespeople throughout the day.
• Help keep the sales team aware of active opportunities.
• Assist with customer communication by phone, text, or email when needed.
• Support the sales process without replacing the salesperson or manager's role.
• Make sure customers are getting answers, not just appointment requests. Customer Engagement Support
• Help customers get basic answers quickly while keeping the salesperson or manager as the primary sales contact.
• Support messaging around vehicle availability, pricing, trade value, payments, financing, and similar vehicle options.
• Help identify when we need to locate a vehicle for a customer.
• Help communicate unique inventory opportunities or marketplace advantages.
• Keep customers engaged until they buy, even if they are not ready to schedule an appointment immediately. Follow-Up Monitoring
• Watch for customers who have not been contacted, customers waiting on answers, or customers who need manager involvement.
• Help ensure timely follow-up after inbound calls, internet leads, showroom visits, unsold visits, AI conversations, and CRM activity.
• Monitor CRM tasks, notes, statuses, and response times.
• Notify managers when follow-up is weak, late, missing, or not sales-focused.
• Help prevent customers from falling out of the process. Outcome Tracking
• Track sales results connected to inbound leads, phone calls, CRM activity, AI conversations, and salesperson follow-up.
• Help management understand which lead sources, calls, and customer interactions are producing sold units.
• Focus reporting on sales outcomes, not appointment counts.
• Support a sales-based culture where the final outcome matters most.

What This Position Is Not This is not a traditional appointment-setting BDC role. This person is not expected to sit separately from the sales floor, chase appointment counts, or be judged primarily on appointments set or appointments shown. The Sales Assistant is part of the sales operation. This person helps make sure every opportunity is seen, acted on, followed up with, and moved toward a sale. The salesperson and sales manager remain responsible for selling the vehicle. The Sales Assistant helps make sure the opportunity is not missed, ignored, mishandled, or left sitting in the CRM. Ideal Candidate The ideal Sales Assistant is organized, alert, competitive, tech-comfortable, and comfortable working in a fast-moving sales environment. This person should enjoy helping the team win and should understand that the goal is not just activity. The goal is sales.

• Highly organized
• Sales-minded and outcome-focused
• Comfortable using phones, text, email, CRM, and AI tools
• Able to multitask throughout the day
• Quick to communicate with managers and salespeople
• Detail-oriented with customer information
• Comfortable monitoring multiple conversations and systems at once
• Able to recognize buying signals
• Comfortable holding people accountable in a professional way
• Positive, helpful, and team-first
• Comfortable working on the sales floor, not hidden in a back-office BDC environment Requirements
• Automotive sales, BDC, customer service, receptionist, call center, sales assistant, or sales support experience preferred
• CRM experience preferred
• AI or automated messaging experience helpful, but not required
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Comfortable with phone, text, and email communication
• Ability to work closely with sales managers and salespeople
• Ability to monitor multiple systems and customer conversations at once
• Strong attention to detail
• Reliable attendance and professional appearance Suggested Compensation Plan This is an hourly position with sales-based upside.

The pay plan is designed to reward the outcome that matters most: vehicles sold. This positions pay is not based on appointments set, appointments confirmed, or appointment shows. The bonus is tied to total store sales volume and the Sales Assistant's role in supporting lead visibility, customer engagement, phone handling, CRM follow-up, AI monitoring, and sales outcomes. Hourly Rate Estimated Base Pay $24.00 per hour Approx. $49,920 annually based on 40 hours/week Monthly Sales Volume Bonus Monthly Store Sales Monthly Bonus 0-69 units $0 70-79 units $750 80-89 units $1,250 90-99 units $1,750 100-109 units $2,500 110-119 units $3,000 120+ units $3,500 Estimated Annual Earnings Average Monthly Sales Volume Estimated Annual Earnings 70 units/month $58,920 80 units/month $64,920 90 units/month $70,920 100 units/month $79,920 110 units/month $85,920 120+ units/month $91,920 Optional Quality Modifier Management may adjust the monthly bonus by up to 10% based on execution quality in lead response monitoring, missed call prevention, CRM note/task quality, AI conversation monitoring, timely alerts, reduction of unworked leads, customer communication quality, and team support. The purpose of this modifier is not to create unnecessary complexity. It is to make sure the Sales Assistant is not simply being paid because the store sold cars, but because they are actively supporting the sales process that helps create those sales. Performance Measurements

• Store sales volume
• Speed and quality of lead routing
• Inbound phone visibility
• CRM monitoring and follow-up quality
• AI conversation monitoring
• Missed opportunity prevention
• Manager and salesperson support
• Reduction of unworked or mishandled leads
• Customer communication quality
• Sales outcomes from inbound opportunities Summary The Sales Assistant is a modern replacement for the traditional BDC role.

This position is built for today's automotive sales environment, where customers may buy by phone, text, email, website inquiry, walk-in, CRM follow-up, AI engagement, or direct communication with a salesperson. The job is not to create fake activity or chase appointment metrics. The job is to help the sales department sell cars by making sure every opportunity is seen, handled, followed up with, and moved toward a sale.

Pay:

$24.00 - $39.00 per hour

Benefits:

401(k) 401(k) 4% Match Dental insurance Disability insurance Employee assistance program Health insurance Health savings account Paid time off Paid training Professional development assistance Referral program Retirement plan Vision insurance

Work Location:

In person