Blog

7 Mistakes Sales Managers Make

Posted by Whitney Williams on Oct 25, 2021 4:43:00 PM

Managing a department with an 80% annual turnover rate isn’t for the faint of heart. Add in an inventory shortage, social distancing, and a sharp increase in digital retailing; and, it’s enough to make somebody crazy. The good news is, sales managers don’t have to go on a yoga retreat to escape the chaos. There are manageable steps to make the sales department better and keep your General Manager happy. Avoid these common pitfalls to get out of survival mode as we skate into 2022. 

Read More

Topics: Sales Best Practices, Process Training, sales team, tips

How To Be A Successful Car Salesman

Posted by Whitney Williams on Jun 1, 2021 1:10:30 PM

Selling cars is a highly stressful job. 

Dealership employees are used to accommodating different personality types, dealing with high levels of pressure, misconceptions, and long hours in addition to shrinking profits. Then you have the stereotype of the used car salesman to overcome, as well as the elements and the fraught mediation between the customer and the sales manager.
Read More

Topics: Sales Best Practices, sales

Improving the Car Buyer Experience in Dealerships

Posted by Whitney Williams on May 17, 2021 12:05:51 PM

Customer experience will make or break you. 

In a world of Google reviews and social media, the power belongs to the people. In 2021, customers want charcuterie boards and live streams of film festivals in the waiting room. Somewhere along the way, the automotive industry married into the hospitality industry, and now here we are—selling cars and imitating the Marriott at the same time. After a collective sigh and a group therapy session, we should all accept reality and transcend. CSI scores, referrals, and front-end gross are at stake. Dealerships in 2021 can meet and exceed OE goals, sell online and in-store, socially distance, provide a stellar 5-star experience, and create repeat business. Yes, even you, and we'll tell you how. 

Read More

Topics: Sales Best Practices, Customer Retention, profit

The Top 3 Places To Link Your Accessory Site

Posted by Whitney Williams on May 21, 2020 4:00:00 PM

As dealers across the nation adjust to selling vehicles online, it’s imperative that we don’t skip vehicle personalization. The easiest way to ensure customers and salespeople have a fair shot at a perfectly adorned vehicle is to make your accessory link easy to find. Trip and fall over it easy. “There it is again” easy. “I didn’t find the link, the link found me” kind of easy. When you strategically place your personalization link, you make your salesperson’s life easier, and your customer more likely to buy. 

Read More

Topics: Accessories System, Sales Best Practices, Customer Retention, Increase Profits, Dealership, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, sales, customers, Accessories sales, configurator, online catalog, Margin Compression, COVID-19

Attacking Margin Compression During A Pandemic

Posted by Whitney Williams on May 7, 2020 12:30:00 PM

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.

Read More

Topics: Accessories System, Sales Best Practices, Increase Profits, Dealership, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, Showroom, staff, sales team, sales, success, relationships, Accessories sales, tips, increase sales, dealer, Margin Compression, COVID-19

You Don't Have To Be Lucky To Sell Accessories

Posted by Whitney Williams on Mar 17, 2020 2:30:00 PM

St. Patrick’s Day has got us all toting rabbit’s feet. Donning green from head to toe, decorating our cubicles with four leaf clovers, and holding out hope for uncommon luck--all while being largely unsure of what we’re observing on this obscure holiday.

Is there a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Is the rainbow literal, or figurative? Do leprechauns really eat marshmallow cereal? Don’t take this same level of confusion into your Vehicle Personalization program. Follow me into the magic of the metaphor, and sell more accessories this March 17th.

Read More

Topics: Accessories System, Sales Best Practices, Customer Retention, Increase Profits, Dealership, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, Showroom, accessory program, Best Practice, Accessories sales, tips, increase sales, profit, cash

3 Ways To Maximize Your Accessory Sales This Black Friday

Posted by Whitney Williams on Nov 28, 2019 10:00:00 AM

[Updated 11/12/2020]

The stampede is coming, and they’re ready to break the internet. The Black Friday crowd has gone virtual. If 2020 has already set records in e-commerce, imagine the impact of the biggest shopping day of the year. With all the online activity, the day after Thanksgiving is basically just the warm up for Cyber Monday.

Yes, the opportunists are charging their laptops on Black Friday eve, ready to kick this thing off with new car smells. Make this car-shopping season spark joy with mega-profit potential, stellar CSI scores, and repeat business. I hope you upgraded your internet package.

In all the activity, don’t let Vehicle Personalization get lost. You cut your legs out from under yourself when you bypass accessories. This high volume day is the ideal environment for accessory sales, and can even be used to temper the flow online and in store.

Here’s three things Vehicle Personalization can do in the hustle and bustle.

Read More

Topics: Sales Best Practices, Increase Profits, Dealership, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, sales, accessories installations, success, Accessories sales, creative, increase sales, profit, consulting, cash, customer experience

2 Ways to Choose an Accessory Champion to Set Up Your Success

Posted by Whitney Williams on Nov 21, 2019 11:00:00 AM

The task of selecting an accessory champion for your dealership can be harrowing. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach and without a compass, dealers may find their accessory program suffering. To begin, management should examine both process and store volume to determine who to lean on as the personalization expert. 

Read More

Topics: Sales Best Practices, Improve CSI, Process Training, Dealership, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, Showroom, staff, sales team, sales, customers, Best Practice, Accessories sales, tips, increase sales, salesman, profit, consulting, customer experience

Incentives Makes The Accessory World Merry Go 'Round

Posted by Whitney Williams on Aug 27, 2019 8:30:00 AM

Vehicle Personalization can be a profitable endeavor for every department.  Getting your sales team excited about your Vehicle Personalization program requires a consistent commission structure. How can your dealership decide what’s right for your team? Consider one of our proven structures to get everybody motivated. 

Read More

Topics: Sales Best Practices, Dealership, Vehicle Personalization, accessories, staff, sales, Best Practice, Accessories sales, tips, increase sales, dealer, Gross profit, profit, consulting, cash

3 Ways To Find Your New Accessories Champion

Posted by Insignia Group on Jul 10, 2019 12:00:00 PM

When it comes to selecting an accessory champion for your dealership, there are about three good ways to skin a cat. Dealers should examine their process and store volume to determine who to lean on as their expert in vehicle personalization.

Whether you go the route of a dedicated accessory manager, utilize an emerging leader from your sales team, or mix the two methods together, the key to your success is a well-laid process.

Read More

Topics: Accessories System, Sales Best Practices, Customer Retention, Word Tracks, Reducing Turnover, Increase Profits, Vehicle Personalization, staff, sales team, accessory program, accessories installations, F&I, Best Practice, Accessories sales, increase sales, we-owe, preload, Aftermarket, OE, salesman, building, guided, profit