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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.

You talk, I’ll listen- Committed to helping, your dealership has many ways to communicate with Insignia. What are your options?

Selling accessories during every car deal is a great way to make extra money as a salesperson at your dealership. Insignia Group makes this accessory selling process seamless and customer friendly. But what if you have a question? Or maybe you’re not sure how to find a certain accessory? Insignia Group is here to help! Check out the 3 ways you can get in contact with Insignia Group and find out the best way to get any problem resolved.

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?

Getting started with accessory sales can be overwhelming. You want to capitalize on the profits Vehicle Personalization offers, but you don’t know where to start.  We’ve got good news--there’s one simple technique that will tackle your major focuses and gain big results from all departments: the rule of three. Stocking accessories in threes reaps three major benefits. 

As a general manager or dealer principle, you’re all about increasing gross profit for your dealership while keeping laser focus on great CSI. Today’s customers are happy when they get what they want, and quickly. With Vehicle Personalization, your dealership can deliver on both demands with the rule of three.

It’s that time of the year--all the dealerships are doing all the Christmas things. Commercials for huge winter savings bombard the senses as the shiny 2018 model twinkles behind a fresh coat of wax. Perfectly placed trees and lights line your showroom entrance. General managers dream of sugar plums and end of year profit margins. What does the Christmas spirit mean for your vehicle personalization center? This is a season of going all out- from inflatable Santas on the roof to credit card debt (you can do better, America). It’s time to get a little crazy.

You don’t have to be a gearhead to get hired at Insignia, though birds of a feather do flock together. Whether an employee comes in the door an auto enthusiast or just starts drinking the kool-aid over time, the team at Insignia is comprised of like-minded, motor-lovin’, tinted, lifted, and hitched aftermarket die-hards.

When the behemoth of trade shows comes around, there’s not an Insignian from data to technical support that isn’t vying for the opportunity to attend. We’re talking SEMA. Mac daddy. Colossus. You can’t even eat lunch with David unless you’ve been. (Kidding. Actually, no one wants to eat lunch with David.)

This year the management team nominated deserving employees to attend the show. Nominees submitted their most compelling explanation of why they should be chosen to represent Insignia at SEMA. Of the many submissions, two were so good the management team had to send both.

Imagine walking to the back of your lot and discovering a new vehicle from your inventory, literally picked up and put IN the dumpster. You stare in amazement trying to figure out how one of the most expensive cars on your lot is literally in the trash. Your blood pressure rockets as you realize that’s about $70,000 your dealership is about to write off to salvage...gone.

Now, apply that reaction to watching another sales person quit. According to recent studies, dealerships literally lose $70,000 to $100,000 per year on expenses related to sales staff turnover.

Pumpkin spice is in the air. With the changing of the seasons comes differing needs to protect and prolong your customer’s vehicle. As we float into fall, winter weather should be on the dealership’s mind.

The month of October is the perfect time to switch your lead-in product.  Summer’s favorite window tint gives way to accessories made to ease the transition to dropping temperatures.

Dealers from Jacksonville to Juno (and everywhere in between) can take a tip from these popular winter weather lead-in products to maximize accessory sales in the fall.

“In the next ten years, 40% of all new vehicles will be sold to millennials, and they’ll be buying cars for the rest of the 21st century” [AutoTrader]

In 2013, AutoTrader conducted an extensive study of the millennials buying motives and power. Fast-forward to present day and we clearly see these findings unfolding as automotive dealerships perform back flips to keep up with consumer demands. There are enough articles about the habits of millennials and the iGeneration to fill a small galaxy. With so much information to sift through, how can a dealership stay up-to-date on the latest trends, technology, and marketing, and still sell cars?

Insignia customers, you are about to be upgraded.

Insignia's OnTrack 1.0 will release on August 7 and you’re going to love what you see. A sleek, modern new interface that’s easier to navigate because you deserve it. We’re proud to introduce OnTrack to our Toyota dealers who number close to 20% of TMS stores. This is our first step towards a complete revamping of the system to more closely align with your showroom process.

You read that right--when our customers give us feedback on what isn’t working in real-life accessory presentations, what would make vehicle personalization sales that much better, and what this system looks like in a perfect world, we listen.