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Whether a Notre Dame fan or not, you have to admit the "Play Like A Champion Today" slogan and ritual is inspiring.  The term champion brings to mind admirable qualities. Leadership, devotion, and discipline are all qualities that extend far beyond the athletic field.  When looking to develop a strategic vehicle personalization plan, you'll need to designate your own "champ" to drive success.

We know the  importance of selling auto accessories and how doing so can dramatically increase dealership profits.  Now that you have decided to start selling accessories, the next logical question is, “Well, which auto accessories should I sell?”

While the possibilities are virtually endless, here are 5 ideas to get you started:

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!

The accessories market is huge, and growing continually. We've discussed how the auto accessories market has now exceeds $30 billion and is continues to grow.  Not only are customers ready to spend money, they are evidently willing to spend a lot.  If a dealership can capture even a fraction of a percent of that $30 billion market it will dramatically improve dealership profits.US Auto dealers sold nearly 1.45 million cars and trucks in March of 2013, making it the best monthly sales total in 6 years.  While that's good news, the reality is profit margins are still razor thin. There are a couple of lessons that we can draw here:

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!

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 every cul-de-sac lit up like Rockefeller Center, millions of sales papers advertising $3 dollar flat screen TVs at Wal-Mart (slight exaggeration), and ginormous inflatable snowmen in every mall parking lot, consumers are distracted.

Ever wonder why they spend so much energy creating those elaborate holiday window displays every year? It’s because it grabs the consumer’s attention, draws them into the store, and leads them to purchase merchandise. With a well pre-loaded vehicle, you can do the same thing. Here are ten tips for creating an eye catching vehicle worthy of a show.

1. Wheel Kits: A nice set of wheels on any car will grab attention. But, this is particularly important for prospects interested in purchasing trucks like the Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Silverado , and Ford F-150.

*This piece has been updated with data from 2020.

Everyone wants a piece of the $46 billion dollar pie, unfortunately, dealerships are not getting their fair share, according to SEMA. They only capture approximately 10% of the lucrative accessories revenue stream.

Have you been setting Sales goals for 2012?  How about this one: Make more money per vehicle sold