3 Ways to Run an Accessories Program in the Showroom

One of the first steps in creating an accessories powerhouse in your dealership showroom is selecting the right person to champion the project. 

While we recommend a dedicated accessory manager as a best practice, dealerships of varying brands have succeeded in three different ways. Your store can be successful by finding the right fit for your store size, brand, and unique customer base. Examine your dynamics and see who you can lean on as your expert in all things Vehicle Personalization. 

The key to your success is a well-laid process; there’s room for variation in the details. 

1. Dedicated Accessory Manager 

 If you have the volume, a dedicated accessory manager can be a highly profitable approach. When one person can focus all their efforts on accessory sales, there’s an opportunity to create a personalization profit center that stands apart from the car buying process.

Look for an outgoing and personable candidate, preferably with dealership experience. This person should be skilled in selecting the right lead-in product and the benefits of popular accessories for each model. The goal of the accessory manager’s time with the customer is to make them feel relaxed and comfortable, as they recommend accessories to benefit the individual.  

An accessory manager should have their own office or an accessory area that offers some seclusion from the hustle and bustle of the showroom floor. Sales will turn over every customer to the accessory manager during the wait time before F&I, earning sales a small incentive for the hand-off and your accessories manager 10% off the gross sale.

2. Sales Team Lead 

Your most seasoned sales team member isn’t always your best fit (although, they could be). Look for someone adaptable and open to growth—this may be a great person to tap as your accessory champion. The right salesperson for this role can manage the added responsibility of being your sales team’s go-to person for questions about accessories, recommendations, or assistance in closing the sale. Using this process, any sales team member may utilize the team lead for support, earning the leader an incentive as well as the salesperson. 

As you progress, someone may emerge as the expert among your team that you had not initially expected. During a busy shift when your team lead is tied up, dealers can always fall back on their sales manager to be the accessory champion.

3. Sales Staff

Your salespeople are in the perfect position to present accessories to their customers. The accessory presentation takes place during the wait time for F&I, marking it as a separate process from the car sale. After spending time with the customer during the car sale, the salesperson knows their dominant buying motives, as well as their needs and desires in their car. By utilizing a lead-in product, the salesperson can start the presentation in a low-pressure environment, then make intelligent recommendations for the individual. 

When upper management buys into the value and profit potential of accessories, the sales team's commitment triples. Management can motivate sales to present and sell accessories to 100% of their customers by incentivizing them with 10% off the gross sale, running contests, and paying out in cash at the sales meetings. 

Insignia Group Can Help

For more than twenty years, Insignia Group has been the leading provider of digital accessory-selling systems in dealerships nationwide. Our sleek interface allows dealerships to create profitable accessory programs at the point of sale. Dealers using the Insignia Group accessories selling system can bundle accessories into custom packages feature hot-selling accessories, process orders, and more. In addition, our integration with major digital retailers covers all your bases and allows for a seamless transition when customers decide to come into the store.