Dealerships make money by getting people in the door. However, most cities have several car dealerships in close proximity to each other. You want your dealership to stand out positively from the competition. The following are some recommendations on how you can increase foot traffic and sales.
Change the Conversation
Most marketing for car dealerships focuses on the cars they have in inventory. Inventory is definitely something that is worth highlighting. However, your competition likely has access to the same vehicles that you are selling, so highlighting inventory is not enough.
You need to identify the problems your customers have that you can solve in a way your competition cannot solve. It is important to highlight what makes the car buying experience unique when a customer buys from you. Your customers want to know what you can offer them that no one else can offer.
Get Customers in the Door
Digital marketing is great. A well-optimized page can advertise your dealership to thousands of people. However, if you cannot get them in the door, your advertising efforts are to no avail.
You need to incentivize your customers and then give them a clear call to action. Once you get them through the door, your customers will feel more inclined to look at vehicles, sit in vehicles, and test drive vehicles they may not even know they wanted to purchase.
The incentives you offer online should be for offline use. For example, your website could invite potential customers to sign up to test drive an exotic vehicle. When they show up and do the test drive, they are entered into a contest to win a nice prize. From there, if they purchase a vehicle or lease a vehicle, they are entered again.
Highlight Your Dealership’s Amenities
What makes your dealership special? Do you have a comfortable waiting room that offers beverages, snacks, and entertainment? Do you have a daycare that lets parents shop while their children are cared for by trained professionals? These features might draw people into your dealership to purchase a car and might be enough to have them come back to your dealership for repairs and service.
Employee Progressive Dealer Solutions
In the same way that sports trainers help athletes improve their skills, automotive trainers can help dealerships create proactive and progressive solutions. You may have some ideas that worked in the past. However, by optimizing your dealership, you can build processes, structures, and employees that help you add value to what you offer your clients. This leads to improved sales.
Just because you get customers through the door, there is no guarantee they are going to convert. Your dealership needs to be staffed with a top-performing team. You need individuals who can adapt their sales techniques to harmonize with your brand.
Your customers expect rapid service. If they have questions about a particular vehicle, they expect that you will be there to answer the phone and provide them with the information they need. Being able to book service appointments, schedule test drives, and quickly respond to customer’s needs is essential if you are going to set your business apart.
Training Is Key to Success
Training salespeople can be a time-consuming endeavor. But when done properly, training produces phenomenal results. It allows you to develop your team so they can sell and service more vehicles. Training sets standards that your sales team must meet. You can evaluate your employees’ progress and provide coaching in real-time.
You must train your staff to provide a digital retailing experience that harmonizes with what your customers expect. This means that you need to have essential tools and processes that allow different departments to work together seamlessly with the goal of providing the best service to your customers possible.
Your staff can only learn so much from books. This is where hands-on training and workshops will be beneficial. This will allow your team to understand their role in lead management and increase brand loyalty for your dealership.
Conclusion
Competition in the automotive field is fierce. It’s not enough to match your competition. You have to stand out from the competition. If you train your staff, identify what makes your dealership unique, and use progressive dealer solutions, your dealership will stand out from the competition.
