Blog

Being a successful parts manager requires constant pivoting. Selling, pricing, receiving, inventory management, and ordering are all in a day's work. Throw in a pandemic with a chip shortage, and it's a whole new world. 

The year was 2009, and I'd just moved to the big city for my first job out of college. Sporting a pink razor flip phone, I was ready to take on my first sales territory. The problem was, I didn't know how to get there. So a co-worker loaned me his TomTom navigation system, gave me a crash course in how to use it, and I set out into the world. 

Fast forward a couple of decades, and we're projecting navigation onto our dash—after getting in a car that we started from inside. The kids are watching YouTube videos in the back seat, and we're holding a casual conversation with Alexa as we merge onto the freeway. Those are just the basics, of course. 

Make no mistake: customer retention is a full-time job. The process of cultivating and maintaining loyal customers should be emphasized as highly as the sales process itself. There are many opportunities, between introduction and post-sale, to build a lasting relationship with a customer. So many of those opportunities involve Vehicle Personalization. From building rapport as you start at the trade, or inviting customers to relax between F&I, as well as offering a tune-up service six months later—accessories are integrated in all of it. This makes personalization the key to customer retention. 

Who better to focus your efforts on than the prospect in your backyard? Local marketing is a form of both traditional and digital marketing that dealerships need to be heavily involved in, if they want to compete for the market share of the automotive industry, in 2021. 

When it comes to using Vehicle Personalization to increase revenue, there is more than one way to skin this highly accessorized cat. Offering accessories at the point-of-sale is sure to add to your front end gross, so what about using accessories to get the customer in the door in the first place? Here are some ideas. 

Here's hoping 2021 won't throw us for quite the loop that 2020 did while we prepare for precisely that. Now is the time to get in the game with these evolving automotive marketing trends.

If COVID-19 hasn’t convinced car dealers of the necessity of a vibrant online retail presence, maybe Cyber Monday 2020 will. Even before the pandemic, Cyber Monday was growing as the virtual twin (literally!) of Black Friday. Cyber Monday emerged as shoppers logged online the Monday after Thanksgiving to check store websites for any missed deals from Black Friday. 

Adobe Analytics, a marketing data software company, is predicting—in spite of or due to the pandemic—that Cyber Monday 2020 (Nov. 30) will garner $12.7 billion in online sales, up from the $9.4 billion in e-commerce in 2019.

Don’t even try to spook anyone this Halloween. We’re all in a state of hyper-vigilance from 2020, and masks aren’t amusing anymore. When you greet your customers in October just give them some apple cider and a hug. We’ve all been through enough.

Instead, deliver a memorable car-buying experience by lavishing your people with sweet goodness. Vehicle Personalization is all treats and no tricks for everyone involved. From your customer to your General Manager, accessories give everyone just what they want. 

It’s probably tempting to think end-of-year sales objectives are out the window at this point. After all, 2020 has thrown us for loops and there’s still a quarter left. Overcoming is our theme, and it’s not over till it’s over!

How can Insignia help you finish strong this late in the game? The answer is still accessories.

The OE brands that Insignia supports showed an average increase in order value of over 18% in 2020 compared to 2019!

These are unique times for the automotive industry. Online car sales are surpassing what we're used to, while in-person sales are transforming to fit the times. Unfortunately, accessories can fall by the wayside when we're hyper-focused on moving metal. After all, many dealerships are merely surviving. How can a salesperson offer accessories online without losing the customer's interest? How can an in-person sale survive the perceived "extra step" of an accessory presentation?

The reality is, accessories can cushion your bottom line. After all the hard falls we had this spring, we could all use some extra cushion now. So don't neglect the incredible profit potential Vehicle Personalization has to offer! Lead in to your lead-in products for an easy transition from car sale to accessory presentation.