Blog

What to Say to Sell Accessories

Posted by Insignia Group on Feb 28, 2023 12:36:49 PM

Customizing your car used to be reserved for true car enthusiasts. Today, Vehicle Personalization is a multi-billion dollar industry, consistently adding hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars to dealerships’ annual gross profit. It’s not just gearheads from the tuner scene in SoCal that want accessories. It’s Charles from the suburbs. It’s Molly from accounting. It’s the next person to walk into your store.

Although trends change rapidly, the desire to personalize does not. It’s not a matter of if consumers will personalize their vehicles; it’s a matter of when and where they’ll spend the money to do it. 

Read More

Topics: Increase Profits, sales team, Accessories sales, increase sales, customer experience

The Psychology Behind Vehicle Personalization

Posted by Insignia Group on Feb 15, 2023 1:21:12 PM

Consumers don’t just want personalization, they demand it.” -McKinsey & Company

Vehicle Personalization isn’t a difficult concept that will lay waste to the car sale. 

It’s statistics. The consumer’s need to personalize has been analyzed in depth. When dealerships understand the driving force behind the custom car accessories market, selling accessories will finally feel like the light work that it’s always been. 

A recent McKinsey report states that not only do consumers expect personalization, almost 80% get frustrated when they don’t get it

Read More

Topics: Customer Retention, Customer Success, Dealership, Accessories sales, customer experience

Glitter and Spiderman: The Missed Market of Auto Accessories

Posted by Insignia Group on Jan 26, 2023 10:28:49 AM

Buying a car is, more than likely, the second biggest purchase a person makes in life. 

To better understand that statement, think about the first significant purchase. Consumers spend months researching and searching for the perfect fit for their lives and families. Incredible amounts of money are spent on homes in America. Countless television series is dedicated to home buying, improvement, and restoration. Home furnishing stores are everywhere. 

Is a car buying all that different?

While budgets span a tremendous range, a person is looking at spending thousands of dollars no matter how you slice it. Today, 92% of car buyers research online before they buy. So before a customer ever walks into your store, there’s been a time commitment on their part already. A car is a significant buy!

Read More

Topics: Accessories System, Marketing, Millenials, Accessories sales, Automotive

5 Auto Accessories Your Dealership Should Be Selling

Posted by Insignia Group on Jan 18, 2023 10:32:08 AM

The world of auto accessories is as vast as the ocean. There are many ways to make a dollar using accessories, with both OE and aftermarket catalogs always growing, the possibilities are endless! 

Accessories are adaptable. They hold the power to push a hesitant customer to commit and put an extra incentive in a salesperson’s pocket. Auto accessories add profits in fixed ops, allow for better introductions to service, and transform dealerships into a one-stop shop for consumers. 

Dealers who sell accessories simply make more money. With the right strategy and sales process, your dealership sales are guaranteed to increase. 

An accessory catalog can change seasonally and by location. Still, some auto accessories have proven themselves as tried and true sellers regardless of the time or place. 

When you set out to become a Vehicle Personalization powerhouse, ensure you’re offering these five accessories at every opportunity.

Read More

Topics: Dealership, sales, Accessories sales

Dealerships Can Take the Sting Out of Oncoming Recession

Posted by Insignia Group on Dec 1, 2022 10:03:38 AM

Economists differ on what’s coming next. One will argue that consumer spending is still strong, employment is still in an upward churn, and we’re just thawing out from the global freeze caused by the pandemic. Another will say an early 2023 recession is inevitable. 

Dealerships have to deal with future forecasts while simultaneously managing current challenges. Will high vehicle prices and low inventory give way to slowed demand?

Regardless of what awaits the automotive world in 2023, cars are an essential business and dealerships are notoriously resilient. 

Read More

Topics: Increase Profits, Dealership, Accessories sales, Gross profit

Auto Accessories: Bringing Departments Together

Posted by Insignia Group on Nov 15, 2022 12:23:19 PM

Dealership management does a lot of gymnastics to keep things running smoothly. 

Managing personalities and meshing departments is a big part of daily life in a car dealership. 

There’s the “every man for himself” culture in car dealerships, which is a pervasive problem. And, it’s always there, just below more pressing issues like a pandemic or a chip shortage. When will it all bubble up over the brim?

These issues are understandable and some stores have a better handle on it than others. Mostly, it comes down to a lack of communication. At times it can be easier to deflect when you have an angry customer standing in front of you. 

In a climate like the one we have today, departments are tempted to compete for profit rather than focusing on the dealership as a whole. Whether it’s a miscommunication, undelivered promises, or grappling for a piece of the pie, internal disunity is bad for business. 

Read More

Topics: Dealership, Accessories sales, accessory sales

4 Tips to Raise Sales in the Parts Department

Posted by Insignia Group on Nov 14, 2022 11:52:34 AM

Insignia Group has been working closely with dealerships since we were fortifying our bunkers for Y2K.

Since then we’ve seen the industry crisis of 2008, the Presidential bailout of the Big Three, the pandemic, and a chip crisis to name a few. 

Things have changed a lot over the past twenty years. The industry has evolved, challenges have come and gone, while others morphed. The best dealerships are flexible, adaptable, and poised to overcome adversity.

Read More

Topics: Increase Profits, Accessories sales, parts department, service department

Talking Dealership Customers Through Parts Backorders

Posted by Insignia Group on Oct 10, 2022 2:05:27 PM

Today, even the most seasoned parts managers are in danger of burnout.

Dealership parts backorders, a symptom of the ongoing inventory shortage, are creating more than profit loss. Interdepartmental tension, frustrated customers, and a stressed-out parts staff have only increased since 2020.

Some parts departments aren’t even getting an ETA for the parts and accessories they need. More loyal customers might be understanding, while most blame the dealership. 

For parts managers, an already difficult job has been exacerbated. Nobody wants to be sitting on their hands waiting on parts, yet that’s the very situation we find ourselves in today. 

What can management do to take hold of the dealership inventory problem and be a positive force?

Read More

Topics: Accessories sales, parts manager, parts department

What Sales Can Say to Customers Who "Want to Think About It"

Posted by Whitney Williams on Jan 25, 2022 10:34:15 AM

Quality salespeople will tell you they'll take "no" over "let me think on it" any day. A “no” is a bit easier to work with. Perhaps, this person was an unqualified prospect or someone to call in six months. Somebody who wants to think about it, on the other hand, can require some gymnastics to get to the real objection. It's nothing you can't handle. Remember to maintain an empathetic and positive attitude while selling around the objections.

Read More

Topics: sales team, Accessories sales, tips, increase sales

Overcoming "I'm Not Interested" Objections To Accessories

Posted by Whitney Williams on May 11, 2021 2:05:32 PM

There are many potential objections for a salesperson to overcome. Arguably, none are more dreaded than the deadpan reply, "I'm not interested." Customers know this is an excellent way to cut the sales pitch off before it starts. Rather than playing into that hand, overcome the objection by reopening the conversation.

Read More

Topics: customers, Accessories sales, dealer