Confidence is contagious. Especially for dealers, being successful comes from being positive, patient, and persistent. Some of these traits are easily applicable. Others take time to build. But one thing is certain...they all come down to state of mind. Sales, BDC, F&I, service are all departments that help your dealership thrive. So, adopting a proper mindset across your entire store will help to create that excitement that generates positive energy in customers. This isn’t to say that you have to be overly enthusiastic. Rather, delivering a consultative approach will help foster a welcoming environment. And to get there, you need to evolve the way you think.
Setting the tone at the beginning is important to getting your team on board. When engaging new hires, take the time to train them appropriately. Whether they have 25 years of experience or are fresh out of school, be patient with your teammates and instill a sense of camaraderie from the start. Leverage solutions that will help train your staff to be industry experts. Even if you bring on a salesperson with countless years of automotive retail experience, chances are they are not going to be experts on every vehicle brand on the market. That’s why a digital showroom is an excellent addition to your training routine. Using a next-generation tool for sales enablement puts the power of knowledge squarely in the hands of your staff. They will be able to answer any question a customer has while also learning more about the products themselves. That truly is a great way to get into a proper state of mind.
After training, it is critical that you dive into digital retailing. There are so many opportunities to communicate with customers. Your state of mind should be digital first, but never ignore your traditional shoppers. Engage consumers with a variety of touchpoints. But always remember to be concise, honest, and transparent in how you communicate your inventory. Write your ads with a sharp lens that focuses on including as much vital vehicle information as possible. Let your website, Google My Business profile, and social media properties be a mouthpiece for your lot and drive traffic from digital touchpoints to your showroom.
Lastly, utilize an inventory management system that is designed to help you hold more gross. Your mindset should be set on making the customer experience as rich as possible. So, your inventory management system needs to work in tandem with all of your other solutions to help you acquire with confidence, price competitively, and sell more vehicles at the highest gross possible. Data should be at the forefront of your thought process here. The better the data your inventory management system can deliver, the stronger the results you will see. It is a holistic approach, but requires you to truly put a roadmap into place. Change your thought process to focus on stocking and delivering with the inventory you have.
Selling more cars at a higher gross is truly all a state of mind. How you think about your lot, your departments, and your team will dramatically alter your path to success. Arm yourself with the solutions needed to transform your thought process. Set the tone early and deliver ads that illustrate your new frame of mind. Train your team to be the best by getting them all on the same page. Adopting a new state of mind will help you clear the clutter and instill confidence in anyone who steps on your lot.
MAX Digital is the industry leader for inventory management and automotive merchandising. Our stack of scaleable solutions help dealerships across the country to be successful with digital retailing and sales enablement. From automating ads to creating an immersive digital showroom, MAX Digital is your partner for changing your state of mind. Ready to begin? Schedule your consultation today!
