Blog

3 Ways To Put Your Preload Program To Work For You

Posted by Whitney Williams on Feb 13, 2019 12:15:00 PM

In a fictional study never performed, 100% of dealers admitted their preloading program was one of their biggest factors hindering them from selling accessories in the showroom.

Jokes aside, this really is a common theme that dealers are often getting snagged on.  We all know that vehicle personalization is a multi-billion dollar industry, but with popular vehicles preloaded on the lot and showroom floor, dealers shy away from bringing up additional add-ons to their customer. The result? The customer just buys what they need somewhere else.

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Topics: Accessories System, Sales Best Practices, Customer Retention, Word Tracks, Reducing Turnover, Increase Profits, Dealership, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, staff, sales, accessory program, Best Practice, drive, Accessories sales, Insignia Group, Land Rover, Jaguar, increase sales, we-owe, preload

4 Ways to Profit From Personalization

Posted by Whitney Williams on Nov 5, 2018 1:00:00 PM

Accessorizing at the point of sale taps into a multi-billion dollar industry.

Individualism is growing like kudzu and there’s no place for a well-meaning base model to hide. In our “have it your way” society, there are over 30 shades of white paint selections for your new bathroom, a monogram for everything you own, and one too many shows dedicated to making a consumer’s house “more you.”

Automotive is no exception with vehicle personalization clocking in as a $200 billion dollar industry (plus or minus a few billion, but who’s counting?). In 2018 there’s not a dealership in the country, from corporate mega complex to mama and papa’s discount Ford store, that can afford to ignore personalization and we’re here to help you pull this thing off.

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Topics: Improve CSI, Dealership, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, accessory program, F&I, drive, relationships, Accessories sales, tips, configurator, online catalog, increase sales, we-owe

Top 3 reasons service writers are your best sales people

Posted by Patrick Blackburn on Jul 25, 2018 11:30:00 AM

When I visit a dealership to help them devise strategies that will increase their accessory sales, several common themes appear. All (well, most) parts departments are heavily focused on selling accessories. That’s their job. Fewer stores have their sales teams focused on this part of their business, though most agree that this is something they should be practicing consistently. Almost no stores focus on the department that interacts with their entire customer base—the service department.

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Topics: Accessories System, Sales Best Practices, Increase Profits, Customer Success, Dealership, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, Showroom, staff, sales team, sales, accessory program, Educate, customers, Best Practice, service writers

The A.R.T of Automotive

Posted by Trey Bodwin on Jul 17, 2018 1:30:00 PM

Changes made to image. Courtesy of  Haiden Goggin. license information here

Car buyers like to feel good about their investment - and if you’re running a dealership you wouldn’t have it any other way. Customers in the market for purchasing a vehicle have more buying options than ever before. The convenience of the internet has led to streamlined transactions, rather than a car-buying experience.

Subaru of Clear Lake Parts manager Nick Heidaker expresses the importance of an accessories program at his store, “Our customers find value in personalizing their vehicles—it also gives us a chance in parts/service to meet the customer before their first service appointment.”

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Topics: Accessories System, Sales Best Practices, Customer Retention, Increase Profits, Toyota, Dealership, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, Showroom, accessory program, Educate, customers, Best Practice, success, sans marcos toyota

The "Experts" of Vehicle Personalization (Update)

Posted by Whitney Williams on May 15, 2018 3:30:00 PM

We posted the original version of this blog over a year ago. Since last year, hundreds of dealerships have joined Insignia to increase their accessory sales and with this welcomed growth there are some growing pains. The main pain being, we needed more VPEs. Like a superhero movie, Insignia assembled the industry’s very best to take on nationwide consulting coverage. Now, a year later, we welcome several new members to our team. Get to know the VPE behind your dealership's success.

Just a few short years ago, Insignia Group was a team of fewer than twenty, with a field sales staff of four. Though our customer base was peppered across the nation, the pairing of our in-house customer service team and outside field team serviced our dealerships from coast to coast.

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Topics: Accessory News, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, staff, accessory program, accessories installations, Educate

4 Ways to Boost Your Accessories Sales Today

Posted by L.J. Lobsinger, Jr. on Apr 6, 2018 1:00:00 PM

 

Selling cars continues to become a challenge as many dealers have embraced a volume-based business model. The once consultant-style selling approach is now merely transactional. For a sales associate to get ahead they simply need to sell more units. Yet many dealers are getting on board with creative ways to pay the sales associate for selling accessories. So how do you work accessories into an already fast-paces sales process? Here are 4 tips to get you jump started today:

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Topics: Accessories System, Sales Best Practices, Increase Profits, accessories, Showroom, accessory program, accessories installations, Educate, kiosk

Seasonal Accessory Programs That Sparkle

Posted by Whitney Williams on Dec 12, 2016 9:24:49 AM

Dealers in the Vehicle Personalization game keep a fully-loaded electronic accessory catalogue year round. A profitable store showcases custom packages, standard OE, aftermarket selections, and a variety of accessory options to meet the needs of a multitude. There are accessories that never go out of style, fads that come and go (bring back the dashboard dancing hula girl!), and seasonal personalization programs.

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Topics: accessories, accessory program, seasonal