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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.

In a previous post, we talked about using Google Trends and Instagram hashtag searches to determine which accessories are most popular with vehicle owners. In this post, we'll talk about using data from Google Ads to make decisions about specific products to offer, learn which brands consumers prefer, and more.

As the fiscal year begins to wrap up, dealer management is looking forward to a new year, new budget strategy, and shiny new numbers all in black. There’s not a dealer from here to Malaysia (beyond Malaysia, who knows) that’s not shooting for more profit in the subsequent year. The mantra we’re trying to get our dealer’s to follow in this season of new beginning is cease striving. You already have everything you need to increase gross profit for your store.

When it comes to marketing your accessories business online, content is king. Whether you have an off-road or performance shop looking to grow your local accessories business, or a dealership trying to increase new car buyer accessories sales, content is key to your marketing goals.

In this article, we want to share some successful content marketing strategies that are designed to boost visits to your website via organic search. However, the content described below will also help you market your business on social media, and give you some great info to share in an email newsletter.

The we-owe document is a staple of the automotive world. This invaluable document originated out of a need to protect both dealer and customer, but stacks of paper documents leave both parties wanting.

Documentation is the key to professionalism and protection, so why take any risks when it comes to such an important step in the sale? Effectively protecting the dealership’s interest and providing that same comfort for your client saves time and confusion for all involved.

It’s time to bury the paper we-owe for good.

It’s past time to stop putting all our eggs into the front of the house’s basket. The service department has an incredible opportunity to create a lasting relationship, build repeat business, generate referrals, upsell, and generally add sprinkles and butterflies to the customer experience.

Selling accessories at the point of sale brings customers (cheerfully) into the service department (sans selling a vehicle with accessories already installed). Your customer is pleased to return to get their accessories installed, and the door of opportunity is flung wide open.

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.”

Just a few years ago, you could resist the social media temptress. No, it wasn’t popular, but you could pull it off. Swim upstream a bit. Dabble, but resist diving right in. No more. The social media beast is hungry and it eats a full time salaried position at your dealership for breakfast.

Society as a whole has embraced  the culture of social media and the ease of access to search, shop, and even sell from an online platform. Your grandmother has been on Facebook for two years and is ready to move on to Instagram. Your customer is no exception--and you’ll lose business if you don’t believe it.

Your customer relies on you for many things: your expertise, flexibility, free coffee, and detective skills.

It’s not up to the person walking in the dealership to know all the personalization options available that make their car driving experience safer, more fun, more fancy, more attractive, or more social media post-worthy. As a sales person, changing your mindset from pitching another product to educating the customer on their options will make a world of difference.

Truly, you’ll do your customer a disservice by not presenting them with useful and exciting accessories for the second largest purchase OF THEIR LIFE. No pressure--but how might one know what to suggest?