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Chances are you’ve heard it before. They pop up in your CSI results, and it’s a common complaint on social media
channels and dealer review sites. You may have even gotten an earful straight from the customer, as they express
their frustration and dissatisfaction with the automotive sales process. And those are the folks who actually
bought a car, who just spent hours of their time spending thousands of their dollars at your dealership.
Think about that for a second.
Your team spent three hours turning a willing customer into an angry buyer. It’s eye-opening because selling
cars is a relationship business – and it always will be – yet consumers view that relationship as an unpleasant
hassle. Why? According to the Cox Automotive “It’s About Time” whitepaper, three of the key reasons are time,
negotiations and the trade-in process:
1.
Buying a car can be like going to the movies. Twice.
According to the 2014 IHS Automotive Buyer Influence Study, 55 percent of new car buyers and 57 percent of used
car buyers experienced frustration during the vehicle purchase process, largely due to the amount of time it took
to complete the sales process.
Tip:
Implementing digital retailing tools on your website allows shoppers to jump-start the buying process
online. When that online experience is integrated into your in-store process, the experience of buying a car
is faster, efficient and more relaxing.
2.
Negotiating a purchase price can be worse than a root canal.
Multiple personnel, missed communication between salespeople, and the constant reworking of the deal make
the traditional negotiating process and tactics more cumbersome than needed.Today’s
shoppers have done their research online, and want to arrange deal terms in a
way that’s more transparent, convenient and efficient.
Tip:
Deal communication platforms build consumer trust and
accelerate purchase decisions because it empowers a direct,
one-to-one online connection with buyers, allowing you to
make deals and finalize terms prior to the showroom visit.
Allowing shoppers to pencil their own deal right at
the Vehicle Details Page (VDP) builds trust and
enables your sales consultants to more
quickly understand what buyers are
looking for in terms of pricing and
features.
THREE CAR BUYER FRUSTRATIONS, AND HOWDIGITAL RETAILING
CAN SOLVE THEM