Social Selling

Social selling. Just the term makes me feel like I’ve been cornered at a networking event by someone wearing a Bluetooth headset and no shame. And yet, buried underneath the buzzword is something useful — dare I say, essential — for today’s car salespeople.

The trouble is, buzzwords attract charlatans the way potlucks attract mayonnaise-based salads. Some self‑proclaimed guru picks up the phrase, flattens it into a tactic, and sells it to the masses like a juicer that also does your taxes. The buyers? They eventually look up from their sales dashboards and mutter, “Well… that didn’t work.”

So let’s reset.

Social selling can work for you. It just needs to be treated less like a trend and more like what it actually is: a process. A very human, occasionally awkward, mostly rewarding process of building relationships and staying top of mind with people who might eventually give you money—or at least send you someone who will.

Let’s start at the beginning. And I promise, no funnel diagrams.

What Is Social Selling, Really?

It’s a process (just like your showroom sales process) that helps you build relationships — online and offline — with people who can either buy from you or refer people who will. You’re not just “posting and praying.” You’re building a system to connect with your people. Especially the ones you haven't met yet.

Most great dealership salespeople already have an offline network—they know the baristas, the local softball coaches, and the guy at the tire shop who always forgets your name but still waves. Social selling just moves that energy online.

To do it well, you only need two things to start:

• A platform you actually like using (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn…whatever doesn’t make you want to eat glass).
• A clue about where your potential customers are spending time online.

When those two things line up, you’re off to the races.

Why Social Selling Matters in Dealerships

Sales shouldn’t feel like a street fight.

Too often, both the car buyer and the salesperson show up ready to do battle—one armored with distrust, the other with commission breath. But when you use social selling, you’re not lunging across the desk with a worksheet and a forced smile. You’re pulling up a chair, sitting next to the customer, and saying, “Let’s figure this out together.”

Selling from the same side of the table means your customer feels heard, understood, and at ease — like you're working with them, not against them.

And yes, you have to be genuine. (I know, I know. Eye roll.) But sincerity isn’t just a vibe—it’s strategy. People can smell a phony faster than they can spot hail damage. Emotional intelligence (being likable, self-aware, not a jerk) can earn you higher commissions, statistically speaking.

So if you’re warm and trustworthy in person, great news! That’s exactly what you’ll come across as on social. If you’re not…well, maybe just stick to floor duty and practice more.

The 5 Steps to Sell from the Same Side of the Table with Social Selling

Step 1: Identify Prospects Already in Your Network

This first part of your process is about deciding who you want to deepen your relationship with. Start with the low‑hanging fruit: people you already know. These fall into two buckets:

• Those who might buy a car.
• Those who know people who might buy a car.

Pick twenty folks you already have some connection with and reconnect. Send them a message. Comment on their posts. Share something they’d find useful or entertaining. You’re not selling yet—you’re showing up.

Step 2: Identify Prospects Outside Your Network

This is your “dream team” list.

Think of the ten people or types of customers you’d love to work with. Maybe it’s the HR manager at the big hospital or the real estate agent with 14 listings. Use LinkedIn or Facebook to see who you know that could make an intro. Or start engaging with their content until you feel like less of a stranger and more of a familiar face.

Step 3: Connect and Deliver Value

Before you ask for anything, give something.

• A helpful long social post or video you made.
• Your personal review page with glowing feedback from real customers (not your mom).
• A link to your dealership page where your personality actually shows.

You're creating a trail of value they can follow back to you. It’s like breadcrumbs, only the good kind that leads to warm leads—not a gingerbread witch house.

Step 4: Let Your Expertise Introduce You

Posting thoughtful content, whether it’s a quick video or a photo of a customer and their new car, shows people who you are and what you do—without ever having to say, “I sell cars” in your bio.

If you want to go full pro, do a 10‑minute livestream answering common car‑buying questions. You don’t have to be slick. You just have to be helpful.

Don’t love being on camera? No problem. Just put together a monthly slideshow of happy customers, along with a few lines from their glowing reviews.

Step 5: Start Conversations, Not Pitches

This is where most people go off the rails. They’ve built the network, shared some content, maybe even sprinkled in a few emojis to show they’re “approachable.” Then, out of nowhere, they slide into someone’s inbox with all the subtlety of a late‑night infomercial.

Don’t be that person.

Social selling isn’t about ambushing people with pitches. It’s about sparking real, relevant conversations that feel like they were meant to happen—not like they were copied, pasted, and sent to 50 other strangers.

Instead of launching into your value proposition like a caffeinated auctioneer, start with something that shows you’ve been paying attention. Reference a post they made. Mention an article they wrote. Find something human to connect on.

“I saw your post about your growing family—have you looked at three‑row SUVs? I’ve helped a few people in the same boat recently and thought I’d reach out.”

“I read your article on [topic] and shared it with a client who’s been navigating the same challenge. Great insight.”

These aren’t just icebreakers — they’re signals that you’re thoughtful, helpful, and worth talking to.

Warm introductions — whether through shared content, thoughtful comments, or mutual connections — are what turn a cold outreach into a real relationship. And that relationship is what turns into a sale. Not the hard sell. Not the awkward pitch. Just a conversation between two people who might be able to help each other.

Because in the end, nobody wants to buy from a stranger with a script. But everyone’s open to hearing from someone who makes the effort to understand them first.

Bonus Step 6: Make the Ask – Like a Human

You’ve made the connection. You’ve shared value. You’ve started a real conversation. Now comes the part where many people panic and blurt out, “Wanna come in Tuesday at 3:00?”

Here’s the thing: Asking someone to come to the dealership shouldn’t feel like proposing marriage. It’s simply the next step in a conversation that already feels good.

“Sounds like you’re in the early stages of looking—want to swing by and test out a few options so you know what fits best?”

“Happy to walk you through a few vehicles in person if you’re up for it. No pressure, just easier sometimes to see what works in real life.”

The key is to extend the invitation as a way to help, not to close. You’re not cornering them — you’re offering a next step that makes their life easier. And if you’ve done everything right up to now, they’ll likely say yes… or at least say, “Not yet, but soon.”

The appointment isn’t the goal. The relationship is. The appointment just happens to be the next logical stop on the journey you’re already on together.

Final Thought: Sell Like a Human

The car business is changing. It’s faster, more digital, and surprisingly, it still runs on relationships. If you build those relationships with intention and consistency, you’ll never need to “overcome objections” again.

Social selling isn’t about gaming the system. It’s about showing up like someone who people actually want to talk to.

And really, isn’t that the point?