Editor’s Note: Most of the specialty-equipment companies contacted in a recent SEMA survey said that they planned to hire new employees in 2011. Salespeople were at the top of the list. To learn more about the traits and skills of successful salespeople—and how to hire them—we contacted freelance writer, author and webinar speaker Troy Harrison. In the story that follows, he discusses the qualities of top salespeople, how to test for and uncover those traits, and how to interview and hire the right people.

The U.S. light-truck market is incredibly broad. Used for general transportation, commercial applications and recreation, light trucks comprise the single largest category for businesses in the automotive specialty-equipment industry. Indeed, trucks and the accessories built for them are so popular that they have laid claim to their own exhibit hall at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas. While the light-truck market encompasses vans, crossovers, SUVs and some specially constructed vehicles, pickups make up the lion’s share of the market for SEMA members. The nation’s first and second top-selling vehicles are—and have been for years—the Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado pickup lines.

A new study commissioned by SEMA indicates that aftermarket products influence about a million new-vehicle sales each year. The automotive marketing research and consultancy firm AutoPacific collected and analyzed consumer data to quantify the effect that accessorization has on the sale of new vehicles. The resulting report, “Influence of Accessories on New-Vehicle Sales,” details the findings.

Ford was the Vehicle Manufacturer of the Show for the 2009 SEMA Show, but its support for specialty-equipment companies goes well beyond that. The Ford Licensed Accessories Program offers qualified SEMA members the chance to boost sales of their products through Ford dealerships.

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