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These days, the overwhelming majority of automotive brands have gone global. Looking at just the top five brands of the first half of this year, you’ll find these industry leaders featuring sites from Belarus to Chile. This raises a common challenge. How can automotive brands cater to customers in different geographical locations with varying cultures, needs, and interests? Vehicle Personalization is a multi-billion dollar industry in America alone, so imagine the profitability worldwide. Profitability aside, custom cars transcend culture and location. Every automaker desires to create brand loyalty in every market. Vehicle Personalization makes that goal attainable.

No matter how you slice it, your sales team is paramount to your success as an automotive dealership. As the dealer, it’s your responsibility to create a favorable work environment where your floor team has an opportunity to make a living for themselves with the support of the management team. Qualifications to sell cars at your dealership should require more than willingness and a pulse. Too often a store succumbs to high turnover, and, in haste, hires Tommy Boy. Is there a way for dealership morale to thrive while front end gross increases?

A thriving dealership knows to never miss an opportunity with a captive audience. Automotive Broadcasting Network cites 400 million hours of wasted in-store time spent by Americans in a year. Too many dealerships herd these consumers, waiting on service or F&I, to solitary confinement with a cup of bad coffee and a fish tank to entertain them.

As good as something may be, there’s always room to overdo it. When personalizing in the showroom, remember there’s a fine line between a conversation starter and a loss for words. Accessorized vehicles on the showroom floor are a must—but with taste. Every customer that buys from you won’t ask about personalization options. Because consumers are all different, many won’t even know what an OE or aftermarket accessory is. While offering personalization at the point of sale to every person is the number one way to close on it, your showroom should be selling personalization before you ever get to the presentation.

Recent articles in The Automotive News (AN) address an age-old topic no dealer principal can ignore--lot rot, or, the costly practice of maintaining a large inventory in hopes of grabbing a buyer’s attention. Mega corporations such as GM and BMW have tried to transition buyers to the build-to-order model, without success.

AN news writer Larry Vellequette identifies the “legendary impatience of American car buyers”

Going green - or making more environmentally friendly decisions, such as to reduce, reuse and recycle - is a topic that is becoming increasingly popular, and with good reason.  Harris Poll online found that about ninety percent of Americans are recycling. Fifty-three percent of people surveyed have made efforts to go green in their own lives. In an attempt to reduce the automotive industry’s footprint on the environment and to further cater to your customer, dealers can take action to support consumers’ efforts to protect the earth’s resources.

The original. The 60’s coined the phrase “Do your own thing”, and the 1964 debut of the Ford Mustang made personalization an American legend. If Mustang hype lives on 52 years later (and Mustang hype does live on), imagine the ripple effect that personalization has had on the competition. We know Mustang and Camaro have been competing for years, but aren’t all OE’s in competition to produce the top selling vehicle?