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Watch Insignia’s David Stringer present Insignia Challenge Coins to Jonathan Murray and Jessica Thompson of Ken Garff Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram.

Insignia customers, you are about to be upgraded.

Insignia's OnTrack 1.0 will release on August 7 and you’re going to love what you see. A sleek, modern new interface that’s easier to navigate because you deserve it. We’re proud to introduce OnTrack to our Toyota dealers who number close to 20% of TMS stores. This is our first step towards a complete revamping of the system to more closely align with your showroom process.

You read that right--when our customers give us feedback on what isn’t working in real-life accessory presentations, what would make vehicle personalization sales that much better, and what this system looks like in a perfect world, we listen.

Successful dealerships do not sell vehicle personalization.

No, dealers with millions in added front-end gross are not made up of smooth-talking accessory managers. High volume personalization profit centers aren't giving anything away, using gimmick advertising, or bulldozing weary car buyers. Dealerships climbing the ladder in the accessory business are simply educating every customer on the options available to enhance, protect, and prolong their vehicle, all with an affordable monthly payment.

Any dealership can slap together an accessory program, hand out a brochure, and dangle a carrot in front of their sale staff. More than likely, you can sell a few things with this approach. There’s no doubt, after all, that people are buying accessories: simply offering the product will produce a few bucks.

Dealerships that are building million-dollar personalization profit centers in the showroom know that vehicle personalization is an art form and requires careful attention to detail. Success in selling accessories takes a carefully constructed process, which varies by things like brand and store size, to name a few. As more and more dealerships across the nation tap into the multi-billion-dollar industry of automotive accessories, the necessity of shepherding in the process climbs in demand.

In recent years, the demand for certified technicians has ballooned as the number of quality workers in this field declines.  Experienced technicians are almost certainly guaranteed to find work. The technician knows it, and the dealership knows it. This creates an environment where the expert is looking for steady work to earn a good living, and the dealership is looking to provide steady work to talented people.

It would seem the flood of recall work for most brands over the last several years would fill this need. Yet recall work is redundant and, at times, not particularly challenging. Warranty work, which keeps many service bays busy, often falls in the same category. Couple these dynamics with the shortage of a talented workforce, and you’d have to ask yourself, why would anyone want to be a service manager these days?

What’s your go-to offering for vehicle personalization? We’re talking lead-in products. As dealerships develop a plan for vehicle customization, a lead-in product ought to emerge. With an emphasis on accessory sales, a dealership can play to its strengths at a crucial juncture.

Is the We-Owe what it’s really all about? Sometimes buying a car can feel like the Hokey Pokey, but the We-Owe is what it’s all about. This one document is an invaluable part of the car-buying process.

History of the We-Owe

The “due bill” (We-Owe) originated from a need to protect both dealerships and customers from making false claims on a car sale. We-Owes date back to the beginning of the dealership world, when the industry had a less savory reputation for swindling people out of their hard-earned money. The ‘We-Owe’ process is fluid; there is no one-way to satisfy the laws.

In order to promote products and services in the dealership, many dealers invest heavily in elaborate displays like a kiosk.  In theory, it's cool. It probably even looks good sitting in your showroom--but as a stand-alone display, it lacks the valuable influence of a trained salesperson.

So, you think you are a good General Sales Manager?  Numbers are up, you have an excellent sales record and your sales team is great. What else can you do? You may be thinking " what more could your dealership ask for?" Consider what it takes to go from good to greatness in the way of profitable car sales. As a GSM or SM that wants to achieve greatness, you have to embrace new technology and tools that help you do your job better. Here are two examples of a GSM and SM who have done just that and, as a result, increased their ROI to the dealership. Want to do the same? Read further.

When presented with a prospect, one of your first questions will be: “What are you looking for in your new car?” From there you’ll narrow down the type of vehicle, make, model, and list of features. Features on a vehicle used to not carry much importance, but today they can be a major sales solution. Today’s “A la carte” culture has placed an extreme level of significance on options in a purchase deal. Another factor weighing heavily on the car deal is a customer’s budget.  So, what do you do when a customer’s taste in features doesn’t fit their budget?

You let them order “A la carte.”