Running a successful automotive dealership isn’t always about offering the best car deals. Instead, growing your car dealership requires a complex set of skills. Particularly in the last few years, dealerships have had to become more creative to keep those sales numbers up and keep customers happy.
Auto dealerships are a complex business that often includes an emphasis on both auto sales as well as the parts and service department. For the greatest success, car dealerships must be agile, responsive, and customer-centered to increase customer satisfaction, drive loyalty, and boost repeat purchases.
What are the key indicators of success for a car dealership?
A few primary key performance indicators (KPIs) for a car dealership include inventory turnover, reconditioning time, gross return on investment, cost to market, and wholesale value.
Tip #1: Expand Your Development Expertise
Customers expect sales staff to know the selling points or information on a car they want to purchase.
For example, customers will generally expect sales staff to understand what information, such as which features are available on various models, expected gas mileage, and engine specifications. Your sales team should also know any ongoing incentives and financing details.
However, building up that knowledge base can be a process and realistically not something that happens overnight.
Brochures, flyers, and other paper marketing materials are classic marketing tools that also work as learning materials for your team members. These marketing materials can effectively provide employees and customers with valuable information while promoting your car dealership.
For example, a well-designed brochure is portable, concise, captivating, and easy to distribute. To be the most effective, ensure your brochure has a clear message, is easy to read, and has an aesthetically coherent design.
Tip #2: Develop Your Marketing Strategy
Marketing ideas for auto dealerships have changed from previous years, and dealers may need to change how they market to consumers to stay competitive.
Being customer-centered and focusing on auto marketing strategies such as direct mail marketing and promotional products can help ensure auto dealers are well-positioned to reach customers, no matter where they are.
Direct Mail
Full-color print marketing is an engaging and effective way to separate yourself from the competition while building a successful brand.
A well-executed direct mail campaign is an excellent way to drive customers to dealer showrooms and service centers. Use direct mail to promote upcoming events or offer special discounts. You can use direct mail marketing to reach new markets or re-engage with former contacts.
Increase response rates by personalizing your direct mail piece with the recipient’s name. Additionally, the tactile nature of print mail leaves a lasting impact on consumers, which improves brand recall, and the physical document provides a long shelf life.
Promotional Items
Custom swag can be a fantastic marketing tool, and auto dealers of all sizes can achieve their marketing goals with a low-cost promotional product campaign.
ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute) says promotional products are cheaper than nearly any other advertising medium. Plus, they provide name exposure that can last for months or years, with 85% of consumers remembering the brands that gave them swag and most people keeping promotional products for an average of eight months.
Promotional products include t-shirts, hats, water bottles, notebooks, totes, mugs, and pens that can build awareness with your business name or logo. The more someone uses an item, the more your brand name or logo is seen.
Customized Corporate Apparel
Don’t forget that a big part of marketing and branding is the in-person experience for your customers. The employees at your car dealership have an incredible impact on the customer’s experience.
Ensure that your employees deliver a great first impression with customized corporate apparel that reinforces your brand and builds team unity on the sales floor and in the shop.
Tip #3: Streamline Business Operations
Inefficiencies at an auto dealership can easily lead to inconsistencies, delays, and mistakes. For example, paperwork slip-ups and delays could lead to a poor customer shopping experience. Keeping improper records can have even more significant consequences, including fines or suspensions.
Focusing on business efficiency means car dealerships must learn to use their resources most advantageously, eliminate waste, promote continuous improvement, increase profit, and provide better customer service.
The right business essentials, such as forms, service orders, and sales slips, can help business leaders streamline their order processing, organize their finances, and keep operations on track.
Running a successful car dealership requires the combination of many areas that work together to take your dealership to the next level.
You can count on the automotive marketing experts at Safeguard to help you with everything from business essentials that streamline daily operations to full-color print marketing that drives customers to your car dealership.
At Safeguard, we know that the right products, services, and planning can help drive business success. Visit our site to get started.
Key Takeaways
- Auto dealers can remain competitive by expanding their product knowledge, developing their marketing strategy, and streamlining business operations.
- Brochures, flyers, and other paper marketing materials are classic marketing tools that also work as learning materials for your team members.
- Focusing on auto marketing strategies such as direct mail marketing and promotional products can help ensure auto dealers are well-positioned to reach customers.
- The right business essentials, such as forms, service orders, and sales slips, can help auto dealers keep operations on track.
- At Safeguard, our automotive marketing experts specialize in engaging and effective solutions that drive customers to your car dealership.