Margin compression matters now more than ever. As dealers adapt to selling cars digitally, or with skeleton crews, monthly sales volumes are on a slippery slope. Though our present industry reality is less than ideal, we aren’t without hope. We have the tools to make every car sale count, to the extent of tipping this month’s scale back into balance, precarious as it may be.

Do girls really run the world? One thing is for sure—they definitely run the Insignia Data Department. Meet the dynamic team of women responsible for the information you rely on to sell accessories. This group of girls keeps the world of digital catalogue in motion, and it’s high time we make them known.

Amazon. The Colossus of Clout, the 6th love language, and the number one competitor to your dealership’s accessory program. Amazon Prime is over a hundred million users strong, and commonly raking in over a billion dollars on Prime day alone. How could your locally owned dealership compete with Mother Earth? The same way you eat an elephant. One bite at a time. 

It’s hard to imagine it now, but there were once dim days in the world of configurable assets. Dedicated salesmen and women persevered, selling accessories at the point of sale with little more than a digital catalog at their fingertips. Customers closed their eyes and tried hard to imagine roof racks on their new car or truck.

Taking a leap of faith, customers added said roof racks to their cart and gazed out into the sunset over a looming stack of paper we-owes, just imagining. A tumbleweed rolled by as coffee was delivered via cart and donkey. Yes, they were desolate days.

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.

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.

Long ago when the Mayflower landed, weary pilgrims climbed out of the boat and onto Cape Cod. It is rumored that this location is where famous explorer John Smith prophesied that Massachusetts would be the home of a wise ruler who would lead his people to automotive greatness with diligence and commitment.

This prophecy was (obviously) fulfilled in Bryan Scarpellini, General Manager, at Hyannis Toyota in Hyannis, Massachusetts. (Disclaimer: There is potential that a portion of this history lesson was fabricated.)

Working together with Insignia Vehicle Personalization Expert, Jason Ludwig, Hyannis Toyota quickly absorbed the passion for pizzazz and all things personalization were born.

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.