Dealership Success Stories

Insignia Group announced the Power User Competition in Q1 of 2022. Salespeople from across the country were invited to sign up and participate—competing to be the top accessory salesperson of the year. Out of all the competitors across the nation, Tom Dunford won every quarter and the overall grand prize. 

Tom Dunford is a car sales veteran of 34 years and has spent his entire career at Rochester Chevrolet in Rochester, Minnesota.

On average, Dunford does $20-25k in accessory sales each month and says he’s sold as much as $50k in a month.

“My process is to sell accessories throughout the whole sale,” Dunford says. “People are spending all this money on a vehicle, and accessories are a simple way to dress it up. They’re excited about it, and they want you to show them how to do it.”

If Vehicle Personalization were personified, he’d be a man in his 30s. Think — former military, total gearhead, unmatched drive (pun intended), and always learning. We’d name him Grady Cooper. Actually, his mother named him Grady Cooper. Meet the Special Projects Manager at Step One Automotive Group in Crestview, Florida. Yes, the embodiment of Vehicle Personalization is not a myth, but a man, and he hails from the Sunshine State.

Something special is in the air in the Twin Cities, and it’s more than just the snow. Although the hub of winter sports, the home to Winter Carnival, and the famous State of Hockey, to Insignia this snow capped metropolis is known for something else. The Twin Cities offers a concentrated population of dealerships who have embraced the Insignia system, strapped it to their snowmobile, and sped across the frozen tundra.

Remember Adventure Subaru, Fayetteville, the dealer who tripped over a loose board in the showroom otherwise known as $20,000 in accessory profit? This income came by sheer customer demand and no process.

In 2016, Morrie’s Minnetonka Subaru in began their accessory journey with Insignia. Vehicle Personalization Expert, Kurt Daughtery, and the dealership all agree that Jen Burns is the cornerstone of their accessory success. She is a force to be reckoned with and every dealership would benefit from this kind of girl power in the showroom.

It’s no secret to anyone in the accessory game that implementing a new step in the sales process can often be a challenge on the showroom floor. Whether it’s opposition from the sales staff or back of the house, even the most well-organized dealership has experienced a hiccup or two with new programs.

In fact, getting the sales team and all appropriate departments on board has been one of the dealership’s biggest hang-ups to getting involved in vehicle personalization regardless of brand or location. The good news is, it’s really a misconception needing to be debunked with a bit of creativity--and Jaguar Land Rover Charlotte took the initiative.

*Updated on 2/8/2021 to include

Since 2019, Fred Anderson Toyota has had Sean Mehaffey take the helm as the new General Manager. Congratulations, Sean!

Despite COVID-19 causing many dealerships to lose sales this year, Fred Anderson Toyota only had a minimal difference in accessory sales year-over-year, we congratulate you for maintaining your accessory sales in a rollercoaster year!

In sunny North Carolina, nestled amongst ancient oak trees, sits one of the fastest growing cities in the United States. Fred Anderson Toyota has its roots in the city of Raleigh, NC and matches the capital's rapid expansion with ease. Raleigh’s famous Toyota dealer is home to Toyota Jeff, a monstrous service department, and a team selling accessories with the same enthusiasm as they sell cars. Sit down on the porch with us and have some sweet tea—this southern dealer’s tale is worth the read.

Harry Brown’s Family Automotive in Faribault, Minnesota skipped crawling, felt no need to walk, and went directly from rolling over to sprinting as an infant client. This Guided Development customer is the new child prodigy as they make leaps and bounds in record time. Vehicle Personalization Expert, Kurt Daughtery, is the proud father and is already predicting this kid puts himself through college as we all stand in awe of the remarkable progress they’ve made in their first full month using the program.

 It’s a proven fact that following Insignia’s best practice tips will add thousands, sometimes millions in gross profit to your dealership in a calendar year. Sometimes, however, the stars align and a beautiful ballet of synchronization between corporation and consultant produce a stage-worthy performance, far beyond what’s hoped for.