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If you are in a dealership that has an accessories profit center, you already understand the revenue potential. Consumers are constantly looking for ways to personalize everything from electronics like iPads to automobiles. As a result, aftermarket is a billion dollar industry that continues to grow.
New products are popping up everywhere. It’s exciting for the dealership because it means more revenue opportunities. It can also be overwhelming to know how to present them. Here are the 5 most popular aftermarket accessories and word tracks to help you sell!

Did you know that Insignia’s technology used to sell accessories in dealerships works on iPad and tablet technologies? As many of our dealership customers move to provide more mobile sales tools to their staff, Insignia supports this by providing our automotive accessories sales tools on multiple platforms.

Insignia understands current technology as well as how dealerships sell automotive accessories. Through the iPad and tablet, your sales team is provided with the management of automotive accessories sales allowing them to sell accessories online without sitting down at a desktop computer. Check out this quick video to see how Insignia's technology provides easy automotive accessories sales on the iPad!

Batman. We have been fascinated with him for over 70 years, yet this superhero has not one super power. What's the appeal? Maybe our adoration is deeply rooted in our primal nature as man to love our machines. Batman takes vehicle personalization to the next level. It’s hard to think of any man more closely linked to his wonderful machine than Batman to the Batmobile. The Batmobile is the pinnacle of an accessorized vehicle; an extension of Batman himself. Without the famed Batmobile, Batman wouldn't be the super hero we know and love. 

Insignia Group would like to congratulate the #1 accessories sales dealership, Toyota of Braintree. Toyota of Braintree had the largest one-year in-store sales volume of accessories on new cars using Insignia's technology and process. They sold more than $2.1 million in vehicle accessories.

Apple stores are one of the most successful retail stores in the world. According to The Mac Observer, one of their largest growing product segments is accessories. iPad owners average spending $150+ on accessories. Technology experts believe that if others want to compete, they'll have to partner with an accessories maker.

What do the decisions over the Fiscal Cliff Mean for Automotive Dealerships?

Car sales for 2012 ended at a high point.  Car makers are whistling in the wind a total of 14.5 million in sales. That’s 13 percent better than 2011, the best in five years. Perhaps better employment conditions and the average car on the road being more than 11 years old created the perfect storm for auto dealers’ sales to ride on the cloud nine of sales. 

I recently came across an article (below) suggesting that dealerships have beaten the F&I horse to death. When you look at alternate methods to increase profit margins, vehicle personalization ought to be at the top of your list. Just consider the  “make it my own”, “a la carte” world we live in.

According to SEMA, the specialty equipment market is a $30 billion market of which dealerships only capture about 3.9% of.  Using Insignia's proven process, one of our dealership customer exceeded $2.1 million in vehicle accessory sales last year. I know your first thought is “well, how many cars did they sell?” You'll have to take a look at the average number of cars you're dealership is selling to get an idea of what kind of personalization profits you could be raking in.

With the election season at our door steps it’s on everybody’s mind. And, you can’t help but wonder when you see or talk to someone, “Who are you voting for?” We make our own assumptions based on a variety of factors. But, have you ever thought to look at that person’s car? Bumper stickers are one of the most popular election merchandises. I know what you are thinking. What does that have to do with accessories?

When your customer purchases a vehicle from you, they don’t go to the gas station; you’ve already filled it up. They don’t drive to the car wash; you’ve prepped it. They go down the street from you and go shopping for all the cool stuff to dress her up and to make her their own.

A popular quote often attributed to George M. Cohan (and others) is “I don't care what the newspapers say about me, as long as they spell my name right.”  It’s an interesting perspective but it is definitely not my advice, especially in this information age.  What is said about you in the global forum of the Internet is very critical to your success.

A study by Cone Trend Tracker (Aug. ’11) found that “80% of consumers have changed their minds about purchasing a recommended product or service based solely on negative information they found online.”  This figure is a significant increase from the prior year’s 67%.

It is becoming increasingly easy to find online reviews, comments, complaints (and praise), and blog entries about most products and services, and the companies that deliver them.  That is why you need to do all you can to make sure that your happy customers have opportunities and encouragement to praise your great products and services.

Women are even more likely than men to turn to online sources to reaffirm their purchase decisions before they make them.   And they’re also quite likely to turn to the web and other sources to offer their opinion of their buying experience after the experience, so make it great.

Your job is to incorporate feedback opportunities into your interactions with your customers, and to make that feedback available to prospective customers.  Your website should have be a forum for customers to comment, hopefully positively.  (If you get negative feedback then address it immediately.  An unhappy customer has many places to complain online other than your website or Facebook page.)

Don’t plant glowing feedback to counter that of unhappy customers.  If it is uncovered, the repercussions can be more trouble than the complaint.

Do what you can to let customers both on and offline know that you are doing wonderful things to keep them coming back.  That’s the WomenCertified® Way!

Courtesy of Insignia guest blogger Delia Passi, CEO of WomenCertified Inc., home to the Women’s Choice Award.To learn more about how you can get women to recommend your dealership, email Delia at dpassi@medelia.com.

Insignia has been shouting it from the roof tops for over 10 years. Auto parts stores and Ebay have heard the word, its taken root and produced bountiful profits. And now automakers are recognizing the trend and developing new vehicles with thousands of OEM accessories and customization options for vehicle personalization.