Offering the best deals on cars isn’t the only growth strategy for your dealership – in fact, a booming business means you can probably sell cars at a slightly higher price. However, running a successful car dealership requires mastering a few vital aspects of your business.
Something that makes the auto sales industry tricky is attracting and retaining enough loyal customers and generating repeat business.
Read on to learn four tips to grow your car dealership and increase sales.
1. Recruit and Invest in Top Talent
Your dealership is only as good as your salespeople – so recruiting, training, and retaining top talent makes sense.
Your employees should be committed to providing excellent customer service at all times. It pays to invest in Dealership Phone Training to ensure everyone knows how to generate business and deal with customers. A knowledgeable sales team that prioritizes customer service will help your dealership stand out from the competition.
2. Develop a Marketing Strategy
Because the average car owner will keep their car for seven years or more, relying on repeat business won’t be sufficient to keep your dealership afloat.
You need to attract new customers to grow your dealership and sell more cars. A marketing strategy is vital for the growth of your business.
In your marketing strategy, you should determine who your target audience is, how to target them, and detail where your advertising dollars will be best utilized.
To create a robust marketing strategy, be sure to utilize multi-channel marketing. Determine what type of advertising gets more customers through your doors and use an appropriate combination of social media advertising, television ads, and billboards. To determine what advertising channel is more effective, analyze how much you spend on each channel vs. how many conversions it creates.
3. Build a Name for Yourself
When it comes to building a good reputation, nothing beats competitive prices and good, old-fashioned customer service.
If you want your dealership to be the go-to for a new or used car, focus on serving your customers to the best of your ability and improving the customer experience. Happy customers are the best way to advertise your services and put your dealership on the map.
Building trust among potential and current customers is an ongoing process. Online reviews and recommendations are essential to cultivating your business’ reputation. Most consumers search for good reviews online before initiating contact with a company. Ask your past customers to review your services on your social media pages to expand your client base.
4. Know Your Products
You can’t expect to sell more cars and grow your dealership if you don’t know what you sell. Ensure that your sales team learns all about the cars on your lot and stays up-to-date on the latest vehicle makes and models.
When a buyer comes in to view or test drive a vehicle, a salesperson who can’t answer their questions can lead to a lot of frustration or even quash the sale.
Your staff should also be well-versed in the current financing options and incentives. When the right information about an incentive is introduced at the right time, it can turn an unsure customer into a buyer.
The Bottom Line
Although your end goal is to sell more vehicles, a dealership’s success hinges on a few critical strategies that work to support your business plan.
A solid marketing strategy, a stellar sales team, and an excellent online reputation will take the growth of your car dealership to the next level.