As we enter 2023 there is a lot of uncertainty as to where the industry is going.

• Will there be a recession?
• Will the chip shortage continue?
• Are interest rates going to get even higher?

These are “uncontrollables” at your dealership. So what can YOU control at your dealership?

The process:

Do you know what is happening at the store right now? The process is going to be crucial to follow in the coming months. Salespeople, Sale Managers, and F&I all need to be following a process in order to streamline the buying experience. If you have five people selling a car five different ways, you will have a bottleneck. The sales manager won’t know where you are in the sale. Consistency is key.

The customer experience:

The fastest way to improve CX is by focusing on the Dealership Experience (DX) itself. What your People do and say (AKA your Process) will make or break the CX.

We have exhausted this concept!

Yes, all dealers want to take care of the customer, however, studies still show that customers still dread buying a car...

So here are a couple of things to make your customers happy:

1. Online to InStore: this transition needs to be smooth— the customer needs to have the same experience that they had online, in-store. Invest in a showroom tool that meets the customers where they are in their buying journey and promotes transparency.
2. Invest in your salespeople: empower your people- the turnover rate at dealerships is still higher than in any industry, but if you give more responsibility, and invest in training your salespeople, you will be surprised at the improvement (and loyalty) you see. Happy employees make happy customers!
3. Decrease Transaction Times: part of the dread customers face is the sheer time it takes to complete a transaction. By eliminating multiple handoffs, the customer no longer has to repeat themselves three or more times, to three or more new faces. Additionally, the time savings by not having to wait on a Finance Manager, especially on a busy Saturday, can amount to hours! Instead, they receive a pleasant experience, from a consistent face, in a timely manner.
4. The cost of selling a car (expenses): do more with less! There is no need for five people to sell a car, and in turn, get paid to sell that car. You only need one! Our dealer partner Paragon adopted the Single Point of Contact model to not only cut the cost to sell a car, but to prepare to compete against tech giants like Amazon and Apple who plan to enter the automotive space.