Dealership managers who say they have a training program usually mean they have an approach. An approach is not a program. A program is documented, consistent, measurable, and deliverable to every new hire regardless of who happens to be available to train that week.

This is a working template for a 90-day car sales training program. Adapt it to your store's specific process, product mix, and culture — but use the structure as written.

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Program Overview

Duration: 90 days Goal: Produce a new hire who closes consistently at store average by day 90, understands the road to the sale, uses the CRM correctly, and has developed the objection handling fluency to manage most deal situations independently.

Responsible parties:

• Sales manager: curriculum delivery weeks 1-2, weekly one-on-ones throughout
• Designated mentor: daily check-ins and deal debriefs weeks 2-8
• F&I manager: F&I orientation in week 2
• New hire: training completion, CRM compliance, practice session completion

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Phase 1: Foundation (Days 1-7)

Day 1: Orientation

Objectives:

• Complete store tour and team introductions
• Review and sign 90-day expectations document
• Review pay plan line by line
• Understand CRM login and basic navigation

Completion milestone: New hire can log a customer record and set a follow-up task independently.

Manager time required: 6 hours

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Day 2: Road to the Sale

Objectives:

• Understand all 10 steps of the road to the sale
• Observe a full demonstration by the sales manager
• Attempt steps 1-4 (meet and greet through vehicle selection) in mock roleplay

Completion milestone: Can articulate all 10 steps and their purpose without prompting.

Manager time required: 6 hours

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Day 3: Product Knowledge — Core Vehicles

Objectives:

• Learn top 3 volume vehicles: buyer profile, key features, benefit language, common questions
• Complete a full walk-around on Vehicle 1 out loud
• Begin walk-around practice on Vehicle 2

Completion milestone: Can complete a walk-around on at least 2 vehicles without prompting.

Manager time required: 4 hours

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Day 4: CRM and Follow-Up Process

Objectives:

• Review CRM in depth: logging, follow-up tasks, email/text templates, pipeline reports
• Practice logging three simulated customer scenarios (fresh up, phone-up, be-back)
• Practice a follow-up call using the 24-hour framework

Completion milestone: Can navigate CRM independently for all core tasks.

Manager time required: 3 hours

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Day 5: Roleplay and Full Practice

Objectives:

• Complete 2 full mock road-to-the-sale scenarios (cooperative customer)
• Practice core 4 objections: I'm just looking / Need to think about it / Best price / Can get cheaper elsewhere
• Complete 2 AI roleplay sessions in DealSpeak
• Debrief on week 1 and set specific goals for week 2

Completion milestone: Can handle all 4 core objections with a prepared response and run the road to the sale without significant prompting.

Manager time required: 6 hours

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Phase 2: Supervised Floor Time (Days 8-30)

Weekly Structure

Monday: Manager check-in and goal-setting for the week (15 min) Throughout week: New hire takes all fresh ups with mentor available; debrief after every customer interaction Friday: Weekly one-on-one with ramp tracker review (20 min)

Weekly Training Focus

Week 2: Test drive objections and walk-around refinement. AI roleplay sessions: 3 minimum. Week 3: Objection handling — price and payment. Focus on holding gross. AI roleplay sessions: 3 minimum. Week 4: Write-up and T.O. process. First deal preparation. AI roleplay sessions: 3 minimum.

Week 4 Milestone (30-Day Review)

Evaluation criteria:

• Has completed all training milestones from weeks 1-4
• Fresh up count meets weekly target (minimum 15/week)
• Has submitted at least 5 write-ups
• Has closed at least 1 deal
• CRM compliance: 90%+ (all fresh ups logged same day)
• Can handle 4 core objections without hesitation in mock scenario
• No outstanding training module completion gaps

If all criteria met: Advance to Phase 3 with reduced supervision. If criteria not met: Identify specific gaps, extend Phase 2 focus for 1-2 additional weeks.

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Phase 3: Increasing Autonomy (Days 31-60)

Supervision model: New hire takes fresh ups independently. Mentor available for T.O. and deal questions. Manager available for difficult situations.

Weekly Structure

Monday: Quick sync — what's in the pipeline, what's the focus this week (10 min) Wednesday: Mid-week check-in — any deals in the pipe, any situations to debrief (15 min) Friday: Weekly one-on-one with ramp tracker review (20 min)

Training Focus

Weeks 5-6: Advanced objection handling — trade-in disputes, credit situation management, competitive comparisons. AI roleplay sessions: 2-3 minimum.

Weeks 7-8: Follow-up and pipeline building. Review unsold customer list weekly. Set targets for be-back rate. AI roleplay sessions: 2 minimum.

Day 60 Review

Evaluation criteria:

• Month 2 unit count: minimum 6 units
• Close rate on write-ups trending upward from month 1
• Gross per deal within acceptable range (not giving away deals)
• Follow-up rate on unsold customers: 90%+ (every unsold customer has a follow-up task)
• CRM compliance: 95%+
• Practice session participation: ongoing

If on track: Advance to Phase 4 with full autonomy and monthly reviews. If behind: Identify the specific gap — activity, skill, or motivation — and apply the targeted intervention.

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Phase 4: Full Autonomy with Monthly Coaching (Days 61-90)

Supervision model: Independent. Manager available as a resource, not as a supervisor.

Monthly Structure

Monthly 90-day review: Full evaluation of activity, skills, and results against benchmarks. Written review document signed by manager and rep.

Training Focus

Weeks 9-12: Gross protection and advanced negotiation. Financial product awareness for F&I setup. Self-directed practice based on individual performance data.

Day 90 Graduation Review

Evaluation criteria:

• Month 3 unit count: minimum 8 units (adjust to your store's average)
• Close rate: approaching store average
• Gross per deal: within 15% of store average
• CRM pipeline: minimum 20 active follow-up opportunities
• Self-sufficient: handles deal situations without requiring manager involvement on standard interactions
• Process compliant: following road to the sale consistently

Graduation: Formal recognition at sales meeting. Transition to standard ongoing coaching program.

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Tools and Resources

CRM: [Your platform] AI Roleplay Practice: DealSpeak — minimum practice sessions as outlined per week Product Resources: OEM training modules (complete by day 30) Mentor: [Assigned name] — formal mentorship through day 60

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Adapting This Template

This template is a starting point. Adapt it based on:

• Your store's average unit volume (adjust week-by-week targets accordingly)
• Your specific road-to-the-sale process and language
• Your CRM platform's specific features
• The product mix of your inventory
• The experience level of the new hire

The structure and coaching cadence should remain consistent even when content adapts. The schedule of check-ins, the use of a ramp tracker, and the milestone-based advancement criteria are what make the program systematic rather than ad hoc.

FAQ

Can this template be used for new hires with prior car sales experience? Yes, with adjustment. Experienced new hires can compress Phase 1 significantly and move to floor time faster. But they still need store-specific process, CRM, and product training.

What if a manager doesn't have time for all the touch points in this template? The coaching cadence in the template is the minimum, not the ideal. If manager time is genuinely constrained, prioritize the Friday weekly one-on-one and the milestone reviews. The daily check-ins can be delegated to the mentor.

How do you use AI roleplay practice alongside this template? Build the session minimums into each phase as non-negotiable. DealSpeak sessions generate analytics that inform the manager's weekly coaching focus — which makes the check-ins more efficient, not less.

Should new hires sign off on this training plan? Yes. A signed training plan creates mutual accountability. It also gives the new hire a clear roadmap they can reference when they feel uncertain about where they are or what's expected.

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A documented training program is one of the highest-leverage investments a dealership can make. Build it once, implement it consistently, and your green peas will ramp faster and stay longer.

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