The car dealership market is highly aggressive. As a car dealer, your competitors vary between a very wide segment of multi-franchise, single-franchise, new, used, local, and outsider car dealers.
Thus, in such a competitive market with all this technology between your customers & competitors’ hands, it’s not about making sales only; it’s about being a monopoly in the automotive market.
So, in this article, we are going to walk you through the best practices for 2021 to market to your car dealership, dominate your market, and increase your sales:
Online presence
Online presence is crucial for your car dealership. People need to know you, as they love to buy from those whom they know. Your potential customers most likely will look you up through these smart 5 inches devices between their hands before they consider stepping into your showroom.
Influence car shoppers with a significant online presence through your website & social media
Website: According to v12data, 30% of car buyers go to search engines to start their car-buying journey. You need to capture their attention at the very first steps of the buying process. Your website is your round-clock showroom. Make sure you have a professional & attractive website that provides solutions for all. Then head to the SEO competition for a better ranking over your competitors.
Social Media: With people spending an average of 144 minutes on social media apps “according to DigitalMarketing.org” it’s essential to be there with your car dealership. Buyers’ behaviors indicate they are willing more to buy when it’s more personalized, and that’s what social media gives to your car dealership. Having a professional & engaging social media presence wouldn’t only boost your sales, it will also help build your customer’s loyalty, spread your business, and engage easily with your potential customers.
Sales Team
Your sales team is a core asset in building your market leadership. It’s not about selling your car features, it’s about selling solutions. Thus, to develop your sales team, you need to armor them:
Knowledge: Your team might have good knowledge about the brands & models that you are selling. However, your showroom is unique, and your sales team needs to know every single car in your lot with all its specific tiny details. The more they know about it, the more they can sell it.
Insights: Your business & market data are significant to tackle appropriately and close the sale. By tracking car buyer’s behavior & market trends, your sales team can be a step ahead of your customers. provide your sales team with proper technology so they can analyze the data and get all the market insights that they need for better conversion
Safe Zone: Your sales team is the team that directly drives money to your bank account. They need a safe zone where they can express their concerns, share their thoughts, and think out loud. Create a safe zone for your sales team, and you will get impressed by the challenges you can turn into chances.
Be Aware
We are in a fast-changing world, and nothing can help maintain your dealership success more than your agility & adapting to changes.
In order for you to gain this agility, you need to be aware of the market and up-to-date.
The automotive industry is changing and competitive, and to match the changing base, you need to:
Watch market demands & trends: Due to the pandemic, there was a shuffle in the market demands & trends. Car purchases faced a considerable drop in 2020; however, by the end of the first wave of the pandemic, the market of the used cars had benefited from the situation as people started to shift from shared rides & public transportation to own either their new or used vehicles.
Watching the trends & monitoring the demands will allow your dealership to seize the market by strategic planning.
Never Let Your Guard Down: Regardless of the size of your competitor, spy on their business. Pay attention to their marketing approaches, track their strengths to beat & their weaknesses to benefit from them.
Set A Referral Program
The automotive industry relies on traditional marketing channels as well as modern channels. People love to make their buying decisions emotionally and having a trusted friend who recommends your business will be a great hit.
A referral program can benefit your dealership by:
Optimized Marketing: Investing in your existing customers is a good buy, however, your existing customers can target better leads to be converted more than any platform. Referral Programs are known as the highest converting rate.
Set a referral program, attract new leads, and maintain your existing customer’s loyalty.
Better ROI: Referred customers are most likely customers with great value as they are an audience with perfect interest.
The cost of referral programs is going to be way less than the paying per click or for a media buyer to run your campaign. Moreover, it will keep your existing customers happy and connected to your business.
A successful dealership is a dealership with a domination strategy. In such a competitive market, you don’t need to increase your sales only, but you need to seize the market and earn the biggest share.
Dominating the car dealership’s local market isn’t rocket science, yet it needs strategic planning & investment.
With a professional online presence, qualified sales team, and good customer relations, you will beat your competition and have the monopoly.
