Tips for Selling Your Automobile Inventory | John Schibi | Automotive Retail Consulting

The shift from selling stock to selling special orders and pipelines is expected to continue through 2022, and experts predict that the vehicle shortage will last for several years. Even though the demand for new vehicles will eventually recover, this new way of buying may still be here to stay.

Waiting for a vehicle to arrive has become more common among customers. In November 2021, Ford received over 74,000 new vehicle retail orders, an increase of 64,000 from the previous year. If this new sales method is standard, why shouldn’t it be?

In order to increase customer loyalty and buyer satisfaction, you should focus on improving the customer experience . This can be done through the development of various targeted strategies.

Merchandising

Unfortunately, many dealer websites don’t provide a compelling and user-friendly experience due to their lack of virtual inventory. In fact, many websites remove models from their search tools if the vehicle isn’t in stock. This can hurt the shopping experience and negatively affect SEO.

To keep the customers engaged, add a message to your search engine results when looking for a certain vehicle. This can be done by displaying a banner that directs them to call you if they are interested in a particular model. Some websites also provide a built-in tag that shows the models that are not in stock.

One of the most effective ways to improve a dealer’s website is by displaying a clear message about the facility’s ability to build and reserve vehicles. This can be done by having a dedicated research page for every model. This ensures that the site is updated regularly and that the models are featured in the most relevant search results. Adding virtual inventory to third-party websites can also help boost the sales of your website.

Response to leads

The shift from selling your stock to a pipeline of buyers has been a major change for many sales teams. Without a well-designed sales strategy, many salespeople are unable to respond to leads and either revert to old-fashioned methods or force customers to come in.

Even if you don’t have a vehicle, don’t assume that you can’t provide a service to a potential customer. You can still offer a variety of products and services to a potential buyer.

One of the most important factors that you should consider when it comes to improving the response to leads is transparency. Having a clear message about the facility’s virtual inventory can help potential customers feel that they are receiving the best possible service. For instance, you can provide a convenient way for customers to complete paperwork electronically.

Text and email templates can also be created to show how your facility is ready to help potential customers. These can be used to describe the various services that the facility provides.

One of the most important factors you should consider when improving the customer experience is keeping track of how you are doing. This will allow you to stand out from the competition and keep enhancing your CSI scores.

Equity mining

A CRM system is one of the most effective ways to find potential customers. You can create an equity mining strategy that targets those who have already bought a vehicle. This can be done by displaying a message encouraging potential customers to secure their next vehicle.

Your salespeople should allocate time daily to do five or six follow-ups with high-priority prospects. This will allow them to focus on the activities that are most likely to result in long-term success.

One of the most effective ways to promote your Service drive is by having one salesperson review the appointments of qualified prospects. Then, they can create a personalized proposal for each potential customer. This can be done by talking about the facility’s online ordering capabilities and how easy it is to build and order vehicles.au

The increasing number of special orders and selling pipeline is a great shift you can make to attract more potential customers. You can capitalize on these changes by implementing effective communication, merchandising, and equity mining strategies to ensure that people have the best vehicle possible.

Originally published at https://johnschibi.org on October 10, 2022.