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In a fictional study never performed, 100% of dealers admitted their preloading program was one of their biggest factors hindering them from selling accessories in the showroom.

Jokes aside, this really is a common theme that dealers are often getting snagged on.  We all know that vehicle personalization is a multi-billion dollar industry, but with popular vehicles preloaded on the lot and showroom floor, dealers shy away from bringing up additional add-ons to their customer. The result? The customer just buys what they need somewhere else.

It’s hard to imagine it now, but there were once dim days in the world of configurable assets. Dedicated salesmen and women persevered, selling accessories at the point of sale with little more than a digital catalog at their fingertips. Customers closed their eyes and tried hard to imagine roof racks on their new car or truck.

Taking a leap of faith, customers added said roof racks to their cart and gazed out into the sunset over a looming stack of paper we-owes, just imagining. A tumbleweed rolled by as coffee was delivered via cart and donkey. Yes, they were desolate days.

When it comes to marketing your accessories business online, content is king. Whether you have an off-road or performance shop looking to grow your local accessories business, or a dealership trying to increase new car buyer accessories sales, content is key to your marketing goals.

In this article, we want to share some successful content marketing strategies that are designed to boost visits to your website via organic search. However, the content described below will also help you market your business on social media, and give you some great info to share in an email newsletter.

It was the 1970s in a suburban neighborhood in Shelby, North Carolina. Preschool paleontologist hopeful, James Brooks, was pouring over his newest dinosaur book from the local library when his highly detailed young mind zeroed in on it. National Geographic had clearly, unapologetically illustrated a dinosaur’s hand in the improper position and with too many fingers.

James couldn’t stand for it.

When I visit a dealership to help them devise strategies that will increase their accessory sales, several common themes appear. All (well, most) parts departments are heavily focused on selling accessories. That’s their job. Fewer stores have their sales teams focused on this part of their business, though most agree that this is something they should be practicing consistently. Almost no stores focus on the department that interacts with their entire customer base—the service department.

In 2018, my dad is even talking about leasing a car. This is the same guy that is adamantly opposed to renting a house, and until lately would have never considered a lease. My dad always said you should never throw your money at something every month that you won’t eventually own.

But even Dad is raising his eyebrows at the opportunity to bring home a really nice vehicle at a fixed cost and turn it right back in when (Mom) is ready for a new one.  You won’t believe this, but my dad isn’t the only one that is on to something.

Turns out basically all of America got the same direct mailer because leasing is on the up and up, and still upping. If you’re not fully versed in the ease, joy, and beauty of accessorizing a leased vehicle, then get ready to be dazzled, my friend. Presenting personalization can’t be any easier than to your lease guy (or gal). *

Over the years, you may have talked to someone in Insignia’s customer care department 100 times, know their birthday, and even have an inside joke. You probably have an idea of who you think the voice on the other end of the phone is, or what they look like. Now you’ll know!  Let us introduce you to our Customer Care Experts (CCE) team dedicated to maintaining our level of ridiculous customer service.

We posted the original version of this blog over a year ago. Since last year, hundreds of dealerships have joined Insignia to increase their accessory sales and with this welcomed growth there are some growing pains. The main pain being, we needed more VPEs. Like a superhero movie, Insignia assembled the industry’s very best to take on nationwide consulting coverage. Now, a year later, we welcome several new members to our team. Get to know the VPE behind your dealership's success.

Just a few short years ago, Insignia Group was a team of fewer than twenty, with a field sales staff of four. Though our customer base was peppered across the nation, the pairing of our in-house customer service team and outside field team serviced our dealerships from coast to coast.

Your customer relies on you for many things: your expertise, flexibility, free coffee, and detective skills.

It’s not up to the person walking in the dealership to know all the personalization options available that make their car driving experience safer, more fun, more fancy, more attractive, or more social media post-worthy. As a sales person, changing your mindset from pitching another product to educating the customer on their options will make a world of difference.

Truly, you’ll do your customer a disservice by not presenting them with useful and exciting accessories for the second largest purchase OF THEIR LIFE. No pressure--but how might one know what to suggest?

Getting started with accessory sales can be overwhelming. You want to capitalize on the profits Vehicle Personalization offers, but you don’t know where to start.  We’ve got good news--there’s one simple technique that will tackle your major focuses and gain big results from all departments: the rule of three. Stocking accessories in threes reaps three major benefits. 

As a general manager or dealer principle, you’re all about increasing gross profit for your dealership while keeping laser focus on great CSI. Today’s customers are happy when they get what they want, and quickly. With Vehicle Personalization, your dealership can deliver on both demands with the rule of three.