TSLA406.4307.28%
GM81.5000.65%
F14.8400.13%
RIVN16.7601.22%
CYD50.0302.11%
HMC26.440-0.63%
TM174.9500%
CVNA64.100-3.72%
PAG180.960-0.06%
LAD313.3800.72%
AN191.530-2.54%
GPI325.3300.42%
ABG199.5300.05%
SAH84.6100.36%
TSLA406.4307.28%
GM81.5000.65%
F14.8400.13%
RIVN16.7601.22%
CYD50.0302.11%
HMC26.440-0.63%
TM174.9500%
CVNA64.100-3.72%
PAG180.960-0.06%
LAD313.3800.72%
AN191.530-2.54%
GPI325.3300.42%
ABG199.5300.05%
SAH84.6100.36%
TSLA406.4307.28%
GM81.5000.65%
F14.8400.13%
RIVN16.7601.22%
CYD50.0302.11%
HMC26.440-0.63%
TM174.9500%
CVNA64.100-3.72%
PAG180.960-0.06%
LAD313.3800.72%
AN191.530-2.54%
GPI325.3300.42%
ABG199.5300.05%
SAH84.6100.36%

4 strategies to make your sales department more effective – Victor Antonio

Sales managers often find themselves looking for ways to motivate their teams to take the next step in their development. Here to discuss four strategies that can take your sales department to the next level is Victor Antonio, renowned sales trainer, motivational speaker, and author of 13 books including Sales Ex Machina: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the World of Selling.

1. Reduce stress: Sales is all about certainty and anxiety. Find out what the salesperson is struggling with. Is it the pitch? Is it the negotiation? Each salesperson requires a customized fit for their approach.

2. Online retailing: The way dealerships are selling vehicles looks very different today than it did a year ago. While the internet has created so much opportunity for sales, consumers are inundated with so much content, that they need a salesperson to help make sense of all of the options in the buying journey.

3. Emphasis on training: Every sales manager should spend a minimum of three hours a month coaching their sales staff. However, sales managers have to be more than a coach. They have to also be mentors to their salespeople and provide moral support when the going gets tough.

4. Customer journey: Adopt an omnichannel approach that allows salespeople to engage with customers in different ways. Whether it’s in-person on the showroom floor, a website messaging feature, or a video call and everything in between.

From humble beginnings in a rough Chicago neighborhood, Victor Antonio built a 20-year career as a top sales executive for Fortune 500 companies. He has written 13 popular books on sales and motivation and recently launched the Sales Velocity Academy learning platform. He is also the host of Amazon’s Life or Debt show, where he advises families who are struggling financially with their businesses.


Did you enjoy this interview with Victor Antonio? Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic with host Jim Fitzpatrick at jfitzpatrick@cbtnews.com.

soundcloudBe sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date or catch-up on all of our podcasts on demand.

While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe to our email newsletter for all the latest auto industry news from CBT News.

More from Sales & Marketing
SEO is not enough. How GEO is rewriting the rules of automotive search

Dealers must act on GEO now as AI shifts car-buying behavior

- June 1, 2026
Artificial intelligence is changing the way people shop for their next vehicle and that's having a big impact on how dealerships do their marketing. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is rewriting...
Why inventory, service, and sales can't operate as separate experiences anymore

Why inventory, service, and sales can’t operate as separate experiences anymore

- June 1, 2026
For decades, dealerships have been organized around departments. Sales focused on inventory and deals. Service focused on repair orders and retention. Marketing worked within its own systems to drive traffic...
Amol Waishampayan, Co-Founder of fullthrottle.ai, DSP

How fullthrottle.ai is improving agency performance with automotive-specific DSPs

- April 21, 2026
As competition intensifies in automotive retail, agencies are rethinking how they approach media buying and client retention. Amol Waishampayan, Co-Founder of fullthrottle.ai, says agencies that move beyond general-purpose demand-side platforms...
F&I leader Evan Walters urges accountability and early deal involvement to drive sales.

The trick top finance performers use to drive up performance 

- April 21, 2026
Sales performance continues to be shaped by new technology but that can also introduce gaps in execution and accountability that go all the way to the top. On this episode of...