General Manager - Established Dealership, High-Ticket Consumer Products

As General Manager, you will lead an established, full-service dealership in the high-ticket consumer products space that sells new and pre-owned products, along with financing, protection products, parts and service. You will sell to, and lead a sales team selling to, individual consumers, including many repeat buyers who are upgrading. This is a hands-on, player-coach role. You will spend approximately 15% of your time selling directly, 40% desking deals, coaching and recruiting salespeople, and the rest running dealership operations and finances. Most leads are inbound from the website, social media, digital advertising, walk-ins, and repeat and referral customers. This is not a cold-calling role. The dealership is located in the Barrie area and serves customers from across the region and the Greater Toronto Area. This is an existing position reporting to a Regional Vice President. The base salary is $120,000 – $150,000, plus bonuses.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
$120,000 – $150,000 CAD base salary, plus bonuses
Year 1 OTE: $150,000 – $175,000 CAD
Year 2 OTE: $150,000 – $200,000 CAD
Uncapped bonus tied to dealership profitability, paid monthly and annually
Monthly car allowance plus a gas card
Health benefits, partially company-paid
RRSP matching program
Company cell phone
15 vacation days, 5 sick days and 2 personal days per year
Salaried and paid year-round
Career advancement into senior management within a multi-location dealer group
THE COMPANY & CULTUREOur client is an established, full-service dealership with a long-standing customer base in the Barrie area. It is part of a larger, Canadian-owned, multi-location dealer group. The dealership is supported by the group's purchasing power, inventory network, manufacturer relationships and in-house marketing team. It offers new and pre-owned product sales, financing and protection products, trade-ins, parts and accessories, and full-service maintenance and repair.
The culture is entrepreneurial and performance-driven. General Managers run their stores like owners: they are expected to understand their numbers, develop their people and make decisions without waiting for head office. Senior leadership is accessible and decides quickly. Company-wide turnover is under 10%, and many managers have been with the group for 10 to 20 years. The company expects honest dealing with customers and aims to hire for the long term.
OFFICE LOCATION & SALES TERRITORY
Location: in-store, Barrie area, Ontario
Work arrangement: full-time in-store;
no remote or hybrid option
Customer market: the Barrie area and the Greater Toronto Area
Hours: retail store hours. Weekends and evenings are required
Peak season: six days per week, approximately 50 to 60 hours per week in the first year, easing to about 50 hours once the team is built
Overnight travel: less than 5% (approximately once per year)
EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND & EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS
5+ years of sales experience, including at least 2–3 years leading commissioned salespeople in a dealership or high-ticket retail environment
Face-to-face B2C retail sales and sales management experience: working and desking deals, negotiating, closing, and protecting front-end and F&I gross profit
Relevant backgrounds include automotive, marine and powersports dealerships, and commission-driven furniture, mattress, pool and spa, and home-improvement retail. Industry experience is not required
Proven record of recruiting, training and developing salespeople
Experience managing inventory, including mix, aging, pricing and trade appraisal
Able to read a dealership or store P&L and make operating decisions from it
Experience overseeing, or working closely with, service, parts, finance and administration departments is an asset
Must be available to work weekends, evenings and six-day weeks in peak season
Valid driver's licence and own vehicle required
Post-secondary diploma preferred
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Dealership CRM (any dealer CRM experience is transferable) – Intermediate
Microsoft Excel – Intermediate
Microsoft Word – Basic
Microsoft PowerPoint – Basic
Google Drive / Docs – Basic
THE PRODUCT / SERVICE / SOLUTION
New and pre-owned high-ticket consumer products from leading manufacturers
Financing and extended protection products sold with each purchase
Trade-ins and used-inventory acquisition
Parts, accessories and installations
Service, warranty and manufacturer-supported repairs, inspections and scheduled maintenance
PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS / INDUSTRY FOCUS / DECISION MAKER(S)
Individual retail consumers from a broad range of ages and backgrounds
First-time buyers as well as experienced owners upgrading or trading in
Existing owners who need parts, service, warranty work and upgrades
Customers come from across the Barrie area and the GTA
Decision-makers: the consumer, usually with one other person (a spouse or family member) involved in the decision
SALES CYCLE / ORDER VALUE / ACCOUNT SIZE
High-ticket consumer purchases, frequently financed and often involving a trade-in
Customers typically visit or speak with the dealership about three times before they buy
Customers buy again every several years, and much of the business comes from repeat buyers and referrals
Sales volume is higher during the dealership's peak season
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES
Long-standing presence and an established customer base in the Barrie area
Backed by a large, multi-location dealer group, with purchasing power, manufacturer relationships and the ability to source inventory across locations
Offers the full ownership experience: new and used sales, financing, trades, parts and full-service repair
Dedicated group marketing team that creates and runs all campaigns and promotions
TYPICAL DAY & DUTIES
15% Selling directly to customers
40% Managing Others: desking and closing deals, daily coaching, reviewing leads and pipeline, recruiting salespeople
30% Dealership Operations: new and used inventory, trades, service and parts oversight, customer experience, promotions with the marketing team
15% Administrative and Financial Duties: P&L, expenses, payroll and reporting
On a typical day you will run the sales floor, approve and desk deals, coach salespeople on follow-up and closing, review leads and outstanding opportunities in the CRM, and check inventory aging and pricing. You will also work with the Service Manager on deliveries and customer satisfaction, and step in wherever the store needs you. You will be responsible for growing the sales team and eventually developing a dedicated Sales Manager.
LEADS
The large majority of leads are inbound: website, social media, digital advertising, walk-in traffic, and repeat and referral customers
Outbound work is warm follow-up with past buyers and existing customers who are due to upgrade
Cold prospecting: minimal (less than 10% of time)
Leads are supplied and supported by the group's dedicated marketing team, in-store events and promotions
OVERNIGHT TRAVEL
Less than 5%, approximately once per year
Travel is for company or manufacturer training and events. Day-to-day work is in-store
SUPPORT & TRAINING
Onboarding includes job shadowing, mentoring, online training, external courses and certifications, and supplier and manufacturer tours
Sales and leadership onboarding: 3–4 weeks
Product training: 1–2 weeks
Working in the business and leading sales within 2–3 weeks of starting
Ongoing support from an accessible Regional Vice President and group leadership
WHY YOU SHOULD APPLY
Build the store: the mandate is to grow the sales team, develop a dedicated Sales Manager, and put your own stamp on the operation
Uncapped, profit-based bonus on top of a base of up to $150,000. Top performers in this role earn $250,000
Autonomy to run the dealership like an owner, with fast decisions from accessible senior leadership
Stable, long-tenured employer: under 10% turnover, and many managers with 10–20 years of tenure
Career advancement into senior management within a multi-location group, with expansion planned
Equal Opportunity EmployerJust Sales Jobs and our clients are equal opportunity employers. We do not discriminate. All candidates are evaluated solely on performance merit and organizational fit.
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