“Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.” – Kobe Bryant
Vehicle acquisition isn't a normal job. With only 2% of attempts closing, successful buyers face 98% rejection daily. Yet most dealers hire "normal" people who can't psychologically handle this level of rejection, then wonder why their acquisition programs underperform. This post breaks down exactly what makes a top-performing buyer, why the wrong hires cost you more than you think, and how to avoid the most common dealership hiring mistake.
Every month, dealers invest thousands in salaries, benefits, and training for buyers who avoid the core activities that actually buy cars. These employees don't quit – they migrate to easier tasks within the dealership, leaving acquisition goals unmet and opportunities lost.
Consider the real cost: if a good buyer acquires 20 quality private party vehicles monthly and your hire only captures 5, you're missing out on $60,000+ in monthly gross profit. That’s nearly $720,000 per year in lost revenue from a single poor hiring decision.
The most expensive buyer isn’t the one with the highest salary — it’s the one who avoids rejection by finding other tasks.
After working with thousands of dealerships, I’ve found three traits that consistently predict buyer success:
Resilience – The mental toughness to handle massive rejection without taking it personally — with a smile.
Work Ethic – The determination to maintain high activity levels when no one is watching.
Communication Skills – The ability to influence and persuade skeptical sellers over the phone.
This is a pipeline game. Buyers must grind every day — even when it feels like nothing is working — because the few wins make the biggest financial impact for your store.
Want to see what top-tier performance looks like? Read how one dealer hit 50 cars a month with a single buyer and no BDC. They represent the elite tier this post aims to prepare you for.
The challenge isn’t just finding people with these traits — it’s identifying them during the interview process before you invest months discovering they can’t handle the role.
According to Hireology CEO Adam Robinson, the top predictors of job performance are:
Attitude Assessment: How do they handle frustration and setbacks? Listen for ownership vs. blame.
Accountability Evaluation: Do they take responsibility for mistakes or blame circumstances?
Track Record Analysis: What’s their history of persistence in tough roles?
Cultural Alignment: Will they mesh with your team dynamic?
One tactic we use at VAN comes from our team member Darrell Steed. During phone interviews, he asks candidates to describe an object in their home — without naming it — while he tries to guess what it is.
If they can’t clearly describe a coffee mug, they’ll struggle to explain vehicle values and condition reports to private sellers. It’s a quick but powerful way to screen for clarity and influence.
FSBO acquisition requires a dedicated role. Hiring a sales consultant, auction buyer, or desk manager to “also handle FSBO” is a recipe for failure.
This job demands process, focus, and emotional detachment from rejection. Salespeople often struggle because a 3% close rate feels like failure. Auction buyers, meanwhile, are trained for high-speed, volume-based purchasing — not persuasion and follow-up.
Learn why outsourcing your acquisition might outperform hiring in-house →
Building expectations around top 1% performers will doom average hires to failure. Based on national data:
Average buyers: 10–15 cars/month
Good buyers: 15–20+ cars/month
Exceptional buyers: 30+ cars (rare)
Most dealerships should hire and coach toward the 20-car monthly mark.
Hiring for grit, discipline, and communication skills isn’t easy. Use this Vehicle Acquisition Specialist Job Description to start attracting the right candidates.
If hiring and training the right FSBO buyer isn’t feasible, we can help.
Book a Demo to see how VAN can handle private party acquisition for you
Also, check out how one dealership used a military-inspired "battle tracking" mindset to transform their FSBO program into a precision operation. Execution discipline starts with who you hire.
Before you hire your next buyer, ask yourself:
How many quality vehicles has your team missed this month?
What would 10 more private party acquisitions do for your gross?
Are you prepared to hire someone who can handle rejection — or are you setting your strategy up to fail?
Make the right hire. Or partner with someone who already has.