Dealership Success Stories

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.

Customer satisfaction is at the top of the short-list of goals at Minnesota’s Dodge of Burnsville and it shows. Dodge of Burnsville is the King of RAM and the first stop for vehicle shoppers in St. Paul, Savage, Minneapolis, and Lakeville.  With years of service catering to the community, Dodge of Burnsville is committed to keeping the client happy—and will do whatever it takes to make sure that happens.

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.

**While this success story is from 2019, it has been updated at the bottom with numbers for 2021!

The Twin Cities Carlson Toyota is kicking accessory sales into high gear with a strategy focusing on best practice tips. Carlson Toyota has been on Insignia Group’s Everything Plan accessory sales program since 2016. The program joins dealer and local Vehicle Personalization Expert in the quest for a sustainable, profitable personalization process that unfolds over a period of months, and is continually nurtured by our skilled consultants.

Nashville, Tennessee--the city of expression. The city that gave us Carrie Underwood now gives us better, more beautiful Jags and Land Rovers that put your base model to shame. Imagine that. Shaming a Jaguar. We’ve seen it all, folks.

Country music, famous hot chicken, the Parthenon and the Tomato Art Festival are only a few of Nashville’s unique qualities that beckon you to get to know her. Whether it’s songwriting, street art, or painting a school bus hot pink and starting a tour business, Nashvillians are true individuals. Nashville Jaguar Land Rover cashed in on that fact.

In the smallish town of Newark, Delaware, there is a seasoned salesmen relaxing on his day off, feet up, smile on his face, surrounded by grandiose feelings of success and stacks of crisp bills fastened with rubber bands.

Though the likelihood of fabrication in that description is high, Newark Toyota World’s Ken Steen is news you don’t want to miss. Ken is leading his dealership in total gross per unit already this year, which is really no surprise at all.

Images from www.newarktoyotaworld.com

Just a few months back, Insignia launched Jaguar Land Rover-branded virtual configurators to take JLR’s vehicle personalization market to the next level. Brenda Fevrier,Vehicle Accessories Sales and Marketing Senior Specialist at Jaguar Land Rover predicted “this innovative system will make average stores great, and excellent stores outstanding at satisfying the needs of their customers first.”

Luxury brand dealers know the art of the customer experience well and recognize perfection as a moving target. That’s why JLR took digital personalization in the showroom and turned it into so much more.

The famous marketing adage that quips “a good product will sell itself” holds a lot of weight in the vehicle personalization realm. Automotive accessories are a multi-billion dollar industry; any step in this giant’s direction will yield a few bucks.

When Adventure Subaru in Fayetteville, Arkansas, reviewed profitability on their accessory program, they saw that it was good. Without much concerted effort, General Manager Tim Hurd reported the dealership “stumbled over $20,000 in accessories each month.” Approaching Insignia Vehicle Personalization Expert, Kurt Daughtery with this finding, Hurd challenged Kurt with using the Insignia system to double monthly accessory profit. Kurt’s reply? “No pressure!”

No matter the brand, location, or dealership size, every dealer in America has common challenges they face. High turnover in the showroom and the illusive perfect CSI score do not discriminate--these are obstacles known by all.

There’s change in the air, and it’s been a long time coming. As the industry embraces the “customer experience over everything” approach, it’s increasingly evident the transformation has to come from within.