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The year was 1997. 

Blockbuster looked down from its throne to scorn the new court jester. The jester danced with enthusiasm and grit, smiling warmly at the King of Video Rental. Blockbuster rolled its eyes and signed off on a late fee for Titanic. With few details to spare, the King later died a tragic death. The jester took the throne, and quadrupled the kingdom. The jester was Netflix, and his legend is clear: don’t get too comfortable or the joke will be on you.

Automotive accessories are a multi-billion dollar industry largely unaffected by the constant ebbs and flows in the car business. 

Still, dealerships are often hesitant to present and sell accessories at the point of sale. In some stores, customers have to ask for the accessories to access them. In others, there are haphazard approaches that use accessories as a closing tool or an afterthought, often doing more damage than good. 

Is there a better way? Of course!

And don’t simply take our word for it. We’ve also asked an industry veteran of twenty years for their insight.

Buying a new car isn’t always filled with giant red bows and excitement. Car buying can be out of necessity. For some customers, the prospect of a new car with the latest features can’t dislodge loyalty to a beloved automobile.

Leah, a mortgage lender from Charlotte, reminisces on buying her new car before Christmas. “I don’t hate my new car necessarily. It’s just that my old one took me everywhere and always brought me safely home. There’s a lot of memories in that car and I was used to it. I spent more time in that car than in my house these last few years. Unfortunately, it had 370,000 miles on it, and it was just time to move on.”

Winter is the season for new potholes. As we approach months of snow, freezing temperatures, and harsher overall conditions, roads are prone to crack under the pressure. The result is blown tires and bent wheels on your customer’s vehicles. 

Now is the opportune time to be proactive about better serving your customers. Seasonal tire and wheel programs will benefit your customer base while adding profit to fixed ops and striving towards those year-end goals. 

A Chicago dealership rolled out this program by offering customers four winter tires mounted on steel wheels for a fixed price. The sale price also included storing the off-season wheels and tires at the dealership. In addition to the profit made from the initial sale, your dealership will see many other advantages from a seasonal wheel and tire program, such as an increase in tire and tire accessory sales overall. Tire sales will positively impact your front-end gross, while tire accessories serve as a lead-in product to other forms of customization and pad your salesperson’s pocket as well.

Have shrinking profit margins put a damper on your Q4 goals? No need to throw in the towel or resolve to just get by until next year. There’s a manageable change you can implement today to finish 2024 strong!

The pendulum of dealer sales climates has swung sharply in the other direction for the first time post-COVID. 

The current inventory levels, unprecedented in years, have necessitated a shift in strategy. Salespeople, who previously thrived on high-profit orders, now need to accept smaller deals to maintain the dealership's momentum. 

In extreme cases, salespeople may even receive less than $100 for selling a vehicle. That’s one to two hours of work, sometimes more, to make $100 or less.

The reality is harsh, yet we all must work within it, knowing the pendulum is bound to stay in motion. 

Here’s a three-step process to help you double your earnings on a smaller deal in five to ten minutes. It's time to rethink our approach to selling, using a tool that’s been readily available and unaffected by industry changes.

Accessories.

Selling auto accessories is more than just tacking on extras to a car deal—it's about enhancing the driving experience and building customer relationships. To successfully navigate this niche, understanding and applying best practices can significantly boost your accessory sales and customer satisfaction. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you refine your approach and achieve better results. 

Quality salespeople will tell you they'll take "no" over "let me think on it" any day.