General Manager Sales & Marketing

Job Description: General Manager – Sales (Automotive Dealership)Position: General Manager – Sales / General Sales Manager (GSM)

Department: Sales & Marketing

Reports To: Managing Director / Dealer Principal / Chief Operating Officer

Location: Dealership Showroom / Regional Dealership Network

Employment Type: Full-Time

Position SummaryThe General Manager – Sales directs and oversees all vehicle sales operations (New Vehicles, Pre-Owned / Exchange, Corporate/Fleet, and Finance & Insurance). This executive role is responsible for driving unit retail volume, maximizing gross profit margins, optimizing stock turn, and upholding OEM brand standards while maintaining exceptional customer satisfaction (CSI/SSI) indices.

• Key Responsibilities1. Strategic Sales & Revenue ManagementDevelop and execute annual, quarterly, and monthly retail sales targets, gross profit projections, and departmental expense budgets.
• Monitor daily sales funnel metrics: showroom walk-ins, digital inquiries, test-drive conversions, bookings, and final deliveries.
• Supervise trade-in valuations, used-car reconditioning turnarounds, and dealer-to-dealer exchange channels.
• Direct and monitor Finance & Insurance (F&I) penetration rates, extended warranties, vehicle accessories, and value-added service (VAS) revenue streams.
• 2. Inventory Planning & Working Capital ControlFormulate indent plans and vehicle procurement schedules aligned with OEM allocation cycles, market demand, and local seasonal trends.
• Track inventory holding costs and implement aggressive aging vehicle liquidation strategies to prevent stock stagnation (specifically targets on >60-day inventory).
• Coordinate transit logistics, stock allocations across outlet branches, and pre-delivery inspection (PDI) workflows with the service department.
• 3. OEM Relationship & ComplianceServe as the primary dealership liaison to OEM Regional and Zonal Managers regarding allocations, market share benchmarks, and retail schemes.
• Ensure complete compliance with OEM operating guidelines, audit requirements, display merchandising, and branding guidelines.
• Reconcile dealer claims, wholesale incentives, target-achievement bonuses, and demo vehicle programs with the OEM.
• 4. Team Leadership & Talent DevelopmentLead, recruit, mentor, and evaluate Sales Managers, Team Leads, Relationship Managers, and Business Development Center (BDC) teams.
• Establish transparent sales commission structures, incentive slabs, and performance improvement plans (PIPs).
• Run structured daily morning briefings, pipeline reviews, and continuous product knowledge/soft-skill training sessions.
• 5. Marketing, CRM & Customer ExperienceCollaborate with marketing teams to deploy targeted local BTL activations, corporate tie-ups, loan melas, and digital lead generation campaigns.
• Enforce rigorous CRM utilization for inquiry tracking, follow-ups, test-drive logging, and lost-deal analysis.
• Oversee Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI/CSI) scores; resolve escalated customer grievances promptly to safeguard dealership reputation.
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)Retail Volume & Market Share: Achievement vs. OEM monthly target across variants.
• Profitability: Front-end vehicle gross margin + back-end OEM target incentives.
• Ancillary Penetration: F&I ratio, motor insurance renewals, extended warranties, and accessory sales per vehicle.
• Inventory Velocity: Days Sales of Inventory (DSI) and zero unallocated units over 60/90 days.
• Customer Retention: SSI/CSI ranking within the OEM dealer network.
• Qualifications & ExperienceEducation: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Mechanical/Automobile Engineering, or equivalent; an MBA is strongly preferred.
• Experience: 10–15+ years of total experience in the automotive retail industry, including at least 4–6 years in senior management roles (e.g., Sales Head, Senior Sales Manager, GSM).
• Technical Mastery: Working familiarity with Automotive Dealer Management Systems (DMS) (e.g., CDK Global, SAP, Oracle, or OEM-proprietary portals) and modern CRM tools.
• Competencies: Proven track record in dealer margin management, inventory financing, local banking tie-ups, team mentorship, and high-stakes negotiation.