Why Selling Automotive Accessories Makes Your Job Easier

Automotive sales are an ever-evolving industry where competition is fierce and customers are discerning. To stay ahead of the game, automotive salespeople must look beyond the car itself and explore opportunities to enhance the customer experience and increase sales. A highly effective approach is to focus on selling accessories at the point of sale. 

Uncover the importance of selling accessories!  We’ll showcase how this practice can benefit automotive salespeople and their customers.

Enhanced Customer Experience

When customers walk into a dealership, they’re often looking for a complete solution rather than just a car.  When accessories are sold at the point of sale, the customer leaves with a vehicle they love that also makes their life better in some way. 

Accessories include a wide range of items, from floor mats and cargo organizers to high-end tech and advanced safety features. Offering these additional options enables customers to personalize their vehicle, making it a unique reflection of themselves. 

Not to mention, the process of customizing a car with accessories can be an exciting and engaging experience for customers. Personalization allows the customer to envision the possibilities and discuss their preferences with the salesperson, leading to a more positive and memorable buying experience.

Increased Revenue

Here is, perhaps, the most compelling reason for an automotive salesperson to sell accessories: more money in your pocket. Accessories often come with higher profit margins than the base vehicle itself. While car prices are often subject to fierce competition, accessories can be sold at more reliable prices. 

Salespeople who focus on selling accessories can significantly boost their income by leveraging these higher margins. For the dealership, it means more substantial sales, and for salespeople, it can lead to larger commissions and incentives. Dealers who offer a healthy incentive for accessory sales create a win-win scenario that motivates their sales staff to be proactive. 

Competitive Advantage

In a saturated market, dealerships are continually seeking ways to stand out from the competition. Selling accessories can provide a unique selling proposition that differentiates one dealership from another. When customers realize that they can get a fully personalized and accessorized vehicle at one dealership, they’re more likely to choose that dealership over others. Experience is king in today’s market. 

Salespeople who have a reputation for offering a wide range of accessories and customization options become invaluable to their dealerships. Their ability to provide a complete package sets them apart and can attract a loyal customer base. And salespeople who do well stay, therefore reducing your dealership’s turnover. As customers increasingly look for added value in their automotive purchases, having a competitive edge can make all the difference.

Building Customer Relationships

Selling accessories isn't just about making immediate sales; it's also about building long-term relationships with customers. A well-satisfied customer is more likely to return to the same dealership for future purchases and recommend it to friends and family (by word of mouth and online). When salespeople guide their customers through accessorizing their vehicles, trust, and rapport are created, which increases the likelihood of repeat business. 

Accessories often involve maintenance, upgrades, and replacements over time—opening the door for service and further engagement. Lasting connections are what turn first-time buyers into loyal customers.

Insignia Group Can Help

Dealerships often struggle to get an accessories process going. Adoption by upper management is critical, and the way it’s rolled out to the sales department can determine its success or failure. Although it can seem like a precarious addition to the sales process, it’s really not and doesn’t have to be daunting. 

For more than twenty years, we’ve helped hundreds of dealerships implement successful accessory sales processes at the point of sale. Dealers who utilize the Insignia Group system increase front-end gross, reduce sales staff turnover, improve interdepartmental communication, create repeat business, and boost CSI scores.

What are you waiting for? Schedule a demo to see our system and find out how we can help create an accessory sales process unique to your dealership!