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"Tracking orders and communication between departments is great—it holds people accountable with the new reports that are available."

- Peter Boothe, GM at Wild East Town Honda

When you think of selling accessories at the point of sale, your first thought may be dollars and cents. While profit is a major benefit of selling accessories, there are other aspects of an accessory process that can benefit your dealership at a high level. 

Accessories do more than increase front-end gross, boost CSI scores, reduce turnover, and create repeat business. And they're more than a resource for making customers sticky or benefiting fixed operations.

In today’s dynamic automotive industry, car dealerships are no longer only about selling vehicles; they’re the gateway to an experience and avenue of self-expression. 

Enhancing the car buying experience with accessories isn’t a secret sauce. It’s a proven process, and anybody can do it. Drivers crave a vehicle that integrates with their lifestyle, offering cutting-edge features that go beyond the ordinary. Car dealerships have a golden opportunity to cater to this demand by strategically presenting and selling accessories. The truth is, if dealerships don’t meet the demand, customers will seek out aftermarket accessories somewhere else. 

The art of accessory sales presents one golden opportunity. There are other opportunities along the way, yet only one is golden. While the accessory sale is a multi-step process, the actual presentation begins with a lead-in product. 

You’ve started at the trade, gotten to know your customer’s lifestyle, mentally filed away the best personalization options to suggest and then closed the car deal. In this blissful moment, you tarry your customer with a Coke and a smile, knowing the dreaded F&I wait time has been subdued by Vehicle Personalization.  

The golden opportunity has arrived, and we call it utilizing a lead-in product.

Salespeople are learning how to sell cars again after a long period of being order takers. Having empty lots and vehicles on backorder got us all out of practice. As inventory and prices stabilize, there’s inevitably going to be a relearning process. 

Retraining car salespeople after the industry upheaval means addressing changes in customer behavior, understanding industry trends, and adopting more efficient ways to meet goals. Wise management should take advantage of the potential in training by integrating accessory sales into the process. 

Here are some strategies to consider.

Being a salesperson often means playing an exhaustion game. The final “X” on the board at the end of the month is liberating and brings a sigh of relief, only to usher in the beginning of a new month with a fresh slate. 

Car sales, in particular, can be especially stressful because the number of cars a person can sell is subject to fluctuations in the market. Even the best salespeople have months where their numbers are down and their pocket takes a hit. 

Yet there’s a way to increase your monthly income as a car salesperson, without selling one more car.

Employee turnover has been cited as the #1 challenge for dealerships.

Recruiting, hiring, and retaining top talent has a price tag, and the revolving door of employee turnoverimpacts profitability. According to the 2022 NADA Dealership Workforce Study, "...employee turnover rate within the industry is currently at an average of 67 percent."

That’s a staggering number, considering that just one year before, Auto News reported turnover was the lowest it had been in a decade at only 34%. 

Dealers put money into hiring a new employee, only to lose them before their 90-day assessment. 

Employees that stick around longer end up irritated by the structured payment plans. And let’s face it, we’ve all experienced the pain of reduced margins which impact how sales consultants are compensated. 

So, what can dealers do about this age-old problem?

You just landed a new job selling cars. Maybe you’ve got the stereotypical car salesman in your head, and you’re unsure how to approach your customers. The good news is, it’s not as hard as you think. It’s simple—follow a proven process, and it works! 

First, know that someone walking into the dealership doesn’t equate to a qualified lead. It’s your job to qualify the customer to determine whether they’re serious about buying a car or not. You can easily find that out during your needs assessment, which will be your first step. 

The check engine light in a car is a warning sign of an underlying problem. Objections are no different. They’re a sign to point you to the actual problem.

Every day, car salesmen and women do mental gymnastics to get a car sold. At first, it can be strenuous and stressful—so practicing overcoming objections will make you more skilled. Before long, you'll be flipping over that balance beam with grace.

Selling accessories at the point of sale can also bring objections. Learning to bend without breaking in this arena offers enormous payoff. Within 90 days of purchase, 80% of your customers will accessorize their car. You can be sure that they’re going to buy accessories somewhere. 

Learn to overcome these common objections and get that cash back in your pocket.

Every car salesperson knows that the sales process starts as soon as you meet the customer. 

A customer walks into your dealership and sits down at your desk. Building rapport is strategically interwoven with an assessment that lets the salesperson know what their customer wants and needs. When the needs assessment is appropriately thorough, the first walkaround comes easily. 

If you’ve ever struggled to sell a car (so basically…everyone), read on to see how three walkarounds per customer can improve your odds of delivering a vehicle your customer can’t turn down.

Did you know the number one reason people quit their job is poor company culture? When you're in management, you can set the temperature in the workplace environment and lead by example. 

Whether you've just landed a job as a dealership sales manager or been in the role for a while, it's good to assess your leadership skills. So check out these ten tips to make you a better dealership sales manager!