Decrease the Gender Gap and Increase Revenue

Changing Culture, Changing Tides

Women are buying 45% of all vehicles at new car dealers today. Further, whether purchasing for herself or as part of a couple, this market segment retains 100% of the “veto power” at the dealership. Still, less than 1 in 10 front-line positions are held by women. Does it matter if women consumers deal with women or men sales consultants during their shopping and buying experience? Yes, it does.

In an industry-first national report, JoinWomenDrivers.com analyzed car dealer reviews based on the salesperson’s gender. Almost universally, women rated their satisfaction scores higher when dealing with female sales advisors.

This analysis has identified two major areas of improvement for dealerships attracting and retaining women shoppers. The information outlined below can be utilized to both hire and place the right women candidates in an effort to diversify the makeup of staff and/or train male employees in the behaviors, needs and outcomes of women shoppers. Ultimately, the results gathered by JoinWomenDrivers.com illustrates the need for significant culture shifts to address consumer experience concerns that directly impact sales success.

Methodology: Behind the Numbers

JoinWomenDrivers.com categorized 3,013 car dealer reviews and compared responses with 85% of the reviews rating men and 15% rating women.

The company generates its’ Women Satisfaction Index® (WSI) scores, ranging from a high of 5.0 to 1.0 for each car dealer review. After the review is posted, women are asked if they want to participate in a survey to provide more insight into their visit which helps the dealer understand and elevate the consumer experience. 94% of reviewers opt-in to the ‘digital ethnography’ where women self-report and respond to a 25 question survey for Purchasing, Shopping or Service Drive. For this report, the analysis is for Purchasing and Shopping only. The reviews and surveys were captured between
January 2017 and June 31, 2018.

Purchasing Satisfaction

In each of the following categories, purchase review scores that involved female sales consultants ranked higher than those of men:

• Review of salesperson

(4.89 v 4.78)

• Satisfaction of overall dealer experience (4.91 v 4.76)
• Salesperson was friendly and respectful (4.94 v 4.82)
• Salesperson understood needs and provided valuable experience (4.91 v 4.79)

Higher satisfaction scores are an indicator of higher CSI, more referrals and higher retention of customers for that dealership. A woman who drives her new vehicle away from the dealership and feels positive about her visit will return for service, return when she needs another car, and will “sell” the dealership to friends and family. These higher satisfaction ratings also relate directly to how quickly and how often the consultant can close a deal.

Customer Experiences: The Cornerstone to Successful Relationships

The company tracks customer experience influencers. Customer experiences contributing to purchasing satisfaction include low-pressure sales tactics and the ability of the consultant to listen. An approach that is perceived as high-pressure will send most consumers off to another dealership before the deal is done. If a woman feels the consultant isn’t listening, she will simply find someone who will.

A successful sales consultant with a high EQ understands their job is to assist and guide, not convince. They are also there to “get” the buyer. When a buyer is willing to recommend their salesperson, it is the highest compliment and creates more business opportunity for that individual, especially with reviews. This type of grassroots effort has been a recent focus. With low advertising cost, a customer’s social mention of a dealership or a salesperson can significantly influence Social Media visibility and Search Engine ranking.

In the report, the lowest customer experience influencer reported was how satisfied consumers were being greeted. Women were slightly more satisfied by being greeted by salesmen (58.0%) than by saleswomen (56.5%). This is a clear indicator there is tremendous room for improvement and making a more personal connection with guests at the store level and on-line.

Shopping Satisfaction

Dealers are also reviewed for ‘shopping.’ A ‘shopping’ review is captured when there is an online engagement or email with a BDC or going into the store, test driving a vehicle, working up the numbers but not finalizing it (or variations).

The shopping WSI scores shows that women’s experience with female consultants are higher and more engaging than with men.
(4.66 vs 4.44)

Of note is that the satisfaction with the successful sales consultant also translates directly to the satisfaction with that dealership (4.74 v 4.55). When dealing with this consultant, her opinion of the dealership was also higher, even though she might have only worked with one woman during the entire dealership journey.

One might question the root of the cause in training a male salesforce. The female sales consultant’s tone, listening skills, and non-pushy demeanor are most noted in responses.

In Her Shoes: How Buyer Choices Are Made

When working with a consultant, women rate trust and respect at the top the list. Price is very important, but women rate that lower, because they believe they can buy the same car elsewhere for within a relatively narrow price margin.

In this report, women consultants were rated higher in each part of creating a successful relationship – Trustworthiness, Being Respectful, Likable and Understanding. Even in degrees, this evidence points to these consultants having a jump-start in getting to a successful sale.

With women salespeople only making up 8% of the force, this is an area that will likely continue to have similar results. A dealership can arm their male salesforce to focus on trustworthiness and respect, but overcoming preconceived notions may only be quelled by a more diverse sales team.

Identify Crucial Emotional Moments of the Sale

Shopping and buying a vehicle creates a range of feelings and emotions that women self-report. The chart to the right shows a tip-over point where the risk becomes higher for the deal to be thwarted. Keeping consumer’s levels high in the top three emotions and low in the remainder keeps a negotiation proceeding toward a sale. Successful sales consultants bring forth more positive emotions from buyers and how they view their own experience.

It’s natural for buyers to be apprehensive and nervous about buying a car as it is a top buying decision in any person’s life. The advisor can make a big difference in minimizing anxiety by observing whether a person is becoming overwhelmed with too many choices or too much information. Paying attention to body language and listening closely is key.

Two of these emotions, relaxed and confident, are the most important emotions to understand. A relaxed consumer will absorb more information and stay in the deal. It is in the interest of the sales advisor to increase buyers’ confidence. Boosting confidence will keep the dialogue and interest on track. A confident woman will ask the questions and get to a decision more quickly.

Fewer Visits Equates to More Sales

Women who purchase from saleswomen reported visiting an average of 1.75 dealerships before buying. Women who rated the 2,561 salesmen reported going to an average of 2.25 dealerships before purchasing their vehicle.

If a deal is not completed on a woman’s first visit, there is a 60% chance that those who leave and don’t buy that day, won’t return. The performance gap between women and men consultants will bring a shopper back or send her to the next dealership. Clearly, female consultants have a 29% edge in creating a higher level of satisfaction to potentially have her return to your store if she did not buy on a given day.

Hiring More Women. It’s Just Good Business.

The results in this breakthrough report indicate that when women car buyers interact with women on the front-line, satisfaction rates are higher at new car dealerships. Women and men don’t shop the same way, and a one-size sales approach does not fit all.

The evidence suggests that higher satisfaction and elevated consumer experiences conclude in higher revenue and stickier retention for your dealership. Hiring, developing and training more qualified female sales consultants is a way to connect better with all guests, especially women. Dealerships who become agents for change and narrow the gender gap in their staffing will reap the benefits by creating return customers who rave about their experience.

There are also opportunities, however, to shift the culture overall to speak more to the women consumer. As we evolve at such rapid rates due to technological and social media, consumers themselves are changing the expectations of the car shopping experience. The material they have in their hands walking into a dealership is far more detailed and researched than in previous years. Empowered women shoppers who may or may not be breadwinners and decision makers, now expect more from their experience. Dealership culture has seen a shift but the data shows there is far more work to be done to recruit and retain women shoppers to resolve their expectations and needs.

Women buy 45% of all vehicles at new car dealers today. Still, less than 1 in 10 front-line positions are held by women. Does it matter if women consumers deal with women or men sales consultants during their shopping and buying experience?

Yes, it does.

In an industry-first national report, JoinWomenDrivers.com analyzed car dealer reviews based on the salesperson’s gender. Almost universally, women rated their satisfaction scores higher when dealing with female sales consultants in these areas:

• Satisfaction Scores when Purchasing
• Satisfaction Scores when Shopping
• The Emotions Experienced
• Customer Experience
• Number of Stores Visited

All of these influences and details are measured – by gender – as well as how your dealership can capitalize on these findings.

GET THE REPORT NOW

Higher satisfaction scores are an indicator of higher CSI, more referrals, and higher retention of customers for that dealership.

Defining Customer Experience for Long-Term Retention

When it comes to creating a successful sale, customers’ experiences matter from the moment they first engage with a dealership online or in person. Repeating successful experiences requires careful tracking and analysis of each experience to understand which experiences create success. Having that scalable success is the dance of sales, and finding an impeccable team to do this continually is what is required.

What Experience Do You Create? Customers begin their experience with your brand from the moment they visit your website or walk into your showroom or service center. Do your customers experience a predictable and positive engagement? Do you make every guests feel special? Or, in the rush of getting cars out do some of your personnel perform in only a “satisfactory” manner. Not badly, but just “OK,” maybe skipping over something.

We are in the human business selling products for $25K, $45K and over $80K. Leaving customers “satisfied” after a purchase or a visit isn’t empowering for them – nor is it good for your store. Why is it in the hospitality industry, guests frequently use experience words like “outstanding”, or “commendable” or “marvelous and superb”? Isn’t it time to take a page out of this $115 – 500 a night industry and update our review and CSI nomenclature? Instead of using the benchmark term as “satisfied’, upping the ante to “extraordinary” (for example) may begin to shift customers own experience of their experience.

Training your employees to provide a cohesive engagement and experience with each and every customer and digital guest is imperative.

Do You Meet Expectations Continuously? The way to create repeat customers is for them to know that your dealership solves problems with little effort. Once you create a predictable, consistent experience, it is important to measure your success. Here are 3 ways to track and evaluate your customer processes.

1. Encourage customer feedback. At each step in the process, your employees can solicit feedback about customer experience. Create a list of questions your staff can ask to ensure your customers’ needs are being met. Provide training so your staff understands the subtleties of body language and verbal responses. When someone detects that a customer is dissatisfied, be sure they are empowered to find an answer.

2. Be the customer. Mentally put yourself in the customer’s shoes. When they are waiting for someone, do they have a comfortable, quiet place to work or relax? Or, is the TV blaring? Do they have a choice? Would you gladly exchange places with your customers? Check in with customers while they are waiting to see if there is something else they would like you to add.

3. Solicit honest reviews. Talk to your prospects and customers. Let them know you value their feedback, good or bad. Bad reviews should be accepted as gifts. People aren’t always willing to tell you what they don’t like, but they are very willing to tell others. Observe on the floor discussion and work to intercept issues as they are happening and move to correct immediately. An inconvenienced customer can turn into a loyal advocate if they know you solve their issues quickly.

In competitive environments like the car industry, customer experience matters. Being known as a dealership who provides a total, convenient experience will deliver results to your bottom line.

Do you have sales personnel or solution specialists at your dealership? Is there truly a difference between the two terms? Can changing the language you use really increase your sales?

When selling to women, language can make all the difference between a successful customer engagement and sending a prospect out the door. Why? Women rank trust as their #1 reason for buying from a dealership. Trust matters more than price. This means that language matters when creating a customer experience and a dealership culture. Here are 5 ideas for creating a culture of solutions and trust:

1. Salesperson or Solution Specialists? As the terms imply, a salesperson sells, and a solution specialist creates a solution. While this may seem trite, it is key to creating a trusted culture. The term “Salesperson” implies that their goal is to sell. Period. Sales are obviously the objective for a dealership, but your customer expects much more. The term “Solution Specialist” implies that the customer comes first. So many guests come into your store not knowing the exact car they want to buy – they expect to be guided and assisted, not sold and pressured.

2. A Title Change Isn’t Enough. Once you change your front-line team title to Solution Specialists (or Solutions Ambassadors or Value Creation Managers), what’s next? The next step is to create “customer first” emotional language throughout your store. On your website, for example, indicate the employees are “Your Team” instead of “Our Team.” Their goal is to create a culture of service and trust with every individual that walks in the door or visits you digitally.

3. Help Employees Spread Your Culture. To assist your employees in knowing what to expect, hold regular training sessions and role-playing practice to help them understand how to “convey” your company culture. Provide handbooks and online links for employees to understand how to provide solutions. Offer regular feedback to let them know how they are engaging with the consumer and guest, personally.

4. Ask Customers for Authentic Feedback. The best way to understand if you are conveying a solutions-based culture is to seek authentic feedback from your guests and customers. Focus groups are a great way to create dialog. Encourage honest reviews of team performance to expose areas for improvement during the customer experience. Capitalize and use the propriety first-party Women Satisfaction Index® Dealer Data from women buyers to ID key areas that are working and those that need improvement.

5. Use Culture to Cultivate Retention. It is imperative to move from simply tracking sales to fully reviewing your dealership’s culture of engagement. Each step of a customer’s experience impacts their perception of your performance. Sales are important, but understanding the customer experience and contact strategies that pay dividends with women make the difference between a one-time customer and one who returns for repeat service and for her next vehicle. Retention is truly the future of your business – use culture to cultivate loyalty.

In today's competitive climate, there are many ways for women + families to locate and buy the car she wants. Dealerships must compete by providing a total solution. Positive, solution-based experiences create trust and the likelihood that a customer will return.

Creating a Service Drive Experience to Maximize Retention

Bringing a car to the service drive for maintenance and repairs is necessary, but few customers look forward to the task. Even the smallest repair can take time out of the day and create an inconvenience. Yet, for a dealership, service revenue is huge to the bottom line. And the best way to keep service revenue growing is to ensure your customers come back on repeat visits.

By the Numbers

Women are often the ones who bring a car to the service drive. So, let’s look at women’s satisfaction ratings and trends compiled by Women-Drivers.com in 2018:

• 90% of women report that the work was done to their expectations. That is a good number, but what about the 10% who weren’t happy? Where will they go next time?
• Nearly 15% report they are not happy with the way they were greeted by the service advisor. Women will bring their car to someone they trust. How much service revenue are you losing due to poor attention?
• 25% of women report that the amount paid was NOT consistent with what they were quoted. This certainly results in a drop in trust, confidence – and loyalty.
• 1 in 5 report not being satisfied with their car’s cleanliness when picking up vehicle. Returning a clean car to your customer is a very simple fix that nets positive feelings.

4 Tips to Increase Retention

Are you crystal clear about what the numbers are in your fixed opp center? If not, read these tips:

1. Independently survey customers to effectively get their experience and preferences. Using the Women’s Satisfaction Index DEALER DATA provides tremendous tracking metrics to gauge the interactions and measures ways to increase loyalty.
2. Independently monitor your employees’ greetings and communications – in-person and on the phone. You may have an excellent service center but lose customers simply because of poor follow up. Schedule periodic training sessions and ask for suggestions for improving these interactions.
3. Audit your estimates and actual repair totals to see where and when the differences appear. For the inevitable differences, be sure your advisors are providing adequate explanations for the changes in a timely basis, not at pickup.
4. Check to be sure the cars are returned to your customers with clean windows and a vacuumed interior, and perhaps a full exterior wash. Women lead busy lives and driving away in a clean car will be much appreciated. This is your last touch-point – make it count.

Making a few simple, inexpensive changes to your fixed opp processes can mean the difference between a customer walking away and a customer returning several times during the life of her car.

CREATE REPEAT CUSTOMERS NOW

Women make a full 45% of new consumer car purchases—that’s no small market. And when it comes to making these purchases, this market tends to consider much more than just cost. Price is definitely a component of their decisions, but emotional factors such as trust of the sales consultant and dealership are much higher on the priority scale. So while providing fast service and keeping up to date tech-wise are important, you need to adopt measures to ensure your female customers and guests trust your business and team right out of the gate.

Take this Quiz to Improve Your Relationship with Women Buyers & Guests

Customized Assessment | How Trustworthy Is Your Dealership
We’ve developed a “How Trustworthy is Your Dealership?” assessment tool to help measure where your store stands and possible areas to improve. Find out what category of trust and engagement your store falls into with this total addressable market: Leading the Pack, Standing Tall, Treading Water or Missing the Mark. Once you complete the quiz, get customized initiatives to apply in your dealership.

Here’s a closer look at how some of those initiatives can make or break trust with female clientele.

Women Care About More Than Price
Women car buyers expect reliability from the company behind that purchase. They’re looking for a business that’s really trusted in the community—not just the “best” because they say so in their advertising. Women rely more on dealer reviews, personal recommendations and word-of-mouth advertising when narrowing choices. To cater to that, dealership advertising should mention reputation and a trustworthy customer experience. Post reviews on your home page and Facebook page.

Women—Especially Those with Children—Want Convenience
Over 65% of moms[1] say convenience is of “extreme importance” to them, so help women feel comfortable at your dealership. How can you do this? Offer comfortable lounge areas with a variety of magazines, free Wi-Fi, kids play areas, free car washes and courtesy vehicles in your service department. These important items cost a dealership minimal dollars, but help to earn huge amounts of trust and respect—and retention.

Women Often Take a More Open-Minded Shopping Approach
Women tend to be more open-minded when buying a car, so a pushy sales approach won’t be as effective as a more relaxed and conversational tactic. Train employees that listening is the most important part of their job. Women want to be heard and understood, and to feel confident in their purchasing choice.

Now that you understand how imperative ‘trust’ is, how does your store measure up?

[1] Moms Rule Retail

Women buy from dealers they trust, and what better way to build trust than to be an invaluable resource for everything women want to know about buying and owning cars?

Women-Drivers.com is the thought-leader in the auto industry, using evidence-based data from women’s behaviors and experiences. The company analyzes this information and produces action steps that create positive changes at your dealership. These changes build more loyalty with your largest market segment and drive more dollars to your bottom line.

Gathering and analyzing information takes the right tools and a dedication. Our company collects information from women’s reviews and the opt-in surveys they so generously complete. We then consolidate the data into timely, easily implemented solutions. These solutions include:

• Research & Innovation - White papers and statistical reports to quickly advance a dealership’s understanding of why, when, and how women shop for vehicles. Timely research papers answer questions like:
  • What can sales advisors do to increase the loyalty of women customers?
  • Should sales approaches differ based on age groups? Do millennials shop differently than baby boomers?
  • What are the critical factors to women when they are shopping for a car?
  • How can my dealership implement changes that make a real difference to my guests, build conversions and the bottom line?

Innovation and Research Reports

• Women’s Wednesdays - Each Wednesday, a new educational article reveals current research and solutions for improving customer experience and dealer reputation, effective digital marketing, and how to drive more business to your service lane.

Women's Wednesday Actionable Articles

Knowledge is power, but implementation of knowledge is the key to success.

Reviews are everywhere. Car dealer reviews are no exception. How can your dealership leverage reviews to maximize their positive impact and improve sales to women customers?

National research shows that women use car dealer reviews 50% more than men. Additionally, women are happy to write reviews when asked. This means when you ask for a review, you will likely get one. And the more reviews you have, the more women will count on them to gauge the quality of your customer experience.

Good reviews are great, but “only 5 stars” can make it appear that you are trying too hard or are disingenuous. Bad reviews give readers a chance to see how your dealership solves problems – and how you resolve conflict. Both good and bad reviews are important to give an overall picture to your future customers and guests.

10 Ways to Make Reviews Work for Your Dealership

Women are involved in over 85% of car-buying decisions. When purchasing, these buyers prefer reviews 3 times more than advertising - as they feel it is coming from women like themselves. Savvy dealers understand that women don’t want to second guess where to do business, and reviews show real opinions from real customers.

Here are ways to make reviews work for your store to stand out:

1. Encourage women to write reviews about their experience. Make it clear that you want to hear from them. Let them know their opinion counts.
2. When a customer leaves a review, respond and thank them for their time. Positive reinforcement goes a long way to help others want to leave a review, too.
3. Don’t beg for a good review. Encourage your customers to be honest.
4. If you receive a negative review, respond immediately to help solve the problem. A woman may be shy about complaining in person, but a review provides a way for her to safely express her dissatisfaction. Welcome negative feedback as a way to show how you solve issues.
5. When meeting a new guest, ask if she read reviews about your dealership prior to coming in. Find out if the reviews helped influence her visit.
6. If you have a large quantity of reviews, curate them to provide a good sample of different types of reviews – not just purchasing and the service drive but shopping, too.
7. Show your reviews prominently on your website. Don’t hide them under About Us.
8. Do your research by checking your competitors’ reviews. See what they are doing right and what needs improvement. Reviews can show what customers look for and what expectations they have to set your store apart.
9. Continually check online for references to your dealership. There are many places for customers to leave evaluations – know where to look.
10. Use links to your reviews in BDC emails that go out, so guests can see that you openly welcome reviews and work diligently to earn women’s trust.

In a world where women buyers can feel like their voice isn’t always heard, reviews are a breath of fresh air. Women participate and know what they say matters. Provide your women customers with a platform to express themselves freely and authentically, and see how this makes a positive difference in your dealership’s bottom line.

Texting Strategy for Women Buyers

Is texting part of your dealership’s communication strategy with women customers? Used properly, texting as a business practice is a direct and efficient way to communicate. Used improperly, it can cause annoyance and frustration.

Read on to review the rules of proper texting etiquette, especially with your largest audience: women.

New research from Women-Drivers.com shows that 1 in 5 women prefers texting with their dealership when buying a car. Fifty-one percent of women surveyed prefer email as the main communication method when car buying, while 30% prefer a phone call and 19% prefer texting.

With 52.6% of the respondents under the age of 40, why is this? Email is a more formal communication method and therefore preferred by most in this audience. Many women limit text messaging to a family communication tool, whereas others use it to save time. The key is to ask up front about a woman’s preference for methods of communication, noting that her preference may vary based on what information is being communicated (e.g., reminders, updates on a pending purchase, invitations).

For customers who like text messages, texting:

• Conveys a sense of urgency or need for a response. Texts are best used for messages that need to be communicated within a current time frame. Reminders about appointments or that the perfect new car has arrived are good examples. Texts can also be used to keep an ongoing conversation, provided the responses are kept short.
• Provides a direct, quick message that can be kept active but allows for a response at a convenient time.
• Allows a conversation to be maintained without full attention. For example, a woman can respond to a text while watching a game.
• Can be more personal than emails and less demanding than a phone call

Text messages aren’t appropriate in the following circumstances:

• If a message is long, it should be delivered in an email or a phone call.
• Messages that are information only are best delivered in an email.
• If a message is prepared and sent during late or early hours, it’s best sent in an email.
• If you haven’t established a working relationship with your woman customer for a specific opportunity.

Once you establish a policy and process for using texts, here are a few rules:

1. Use an SMS messaging service. These services specialize in keeping up with the etiquette and rules. Allow a customer to opt in and always allow them to stop messages. Provide monitoring/reporting to verify that messages were sent properly and received. Keep up with mobile phone carrier requirements and adjust photo sizes and message lengths to comply. This ensures that your messages won’t be cut off or refused.
2. Follow the SMS service’s process for asking permission from your customer. Never send a text from a phone number your customer doesn’t know.
3. Create a set of policies for the types of texts that can be sent. Be sure to keep up with your customers’ preferences.
4. Don’t overload a customer with text messages. Many mobile phone plans allow unlimited texts, but your customer’s brain has a limit. Overcommunication can kill a deal quickly.

In today’s fast-paced world, text messages can be a great convenience and help to personalize a relationship. This can result in a happy customer who gets what she wants—and that is always good news for your business.

Unconscious behaviors of your front- and back-end teams can be difficult to recognize, but they can make the difference between a successful transaction and one that fails. Taking the intentional steps to recognize unconscious bias when it comes to women has a direct, positive impact on your store’s bottom line.caption text here. Use the block's Settings tab to change the caption position and set other styles.

Consider These Numbers:

• 60% of women who leave a dealership without buying a car never return.
• 59% of women don’t buy at a branded dealership closest to their home.
• 46% of women go to three dealerships while shopping – this is twice the national average.

Women identify TRUST and RESPECT as their top reasons for buying from a specific dealership and sales advisor. So women who don’t perceive that this is going to happen or is happening will go elsewhere. These emotive factors can be challenging to establish if your women customers sense unconscious bias.

What Is It?
Unconscious bias can come in many forms and starts with assumptions about a customer and what she needs. Here are some examples where bias might creep into a sales discussion:

1. A woman shopping on her own might only be looking until her husband can come with her.
2. The man accompanying a woman must be her partner or husband.
3. A woman shopping alone or with children probably requires a lot of guidance about the type of car she needs.
4. A woman shopping for a luxury car probably can’t afford it.

These examples show how easily ideas can enter a sales advisor’s thinking without any effort. Everyone makes assumptions. Our brains work that way; it’s natural. However, when these assumptions cut into dealership sales, corrective action must be taken.

5 Tips to Prevent Unconscious Bias

1. Know the right questions to ask. The best way to overcome bias is to gather information. Establish a list of questions to ask your customers and frame them in a positive light. For example, “Do you have a car in mind?” can identify what type of car interests your prospect. “Is the car for you personally?” identifies if she is shopping for herself or her family. Asking short questions opens the discussion for gathering more information and immediately sets the stage for the rest of the deal.

2. Assume your prospect has most of the information she needs. Chances are, a woman has done her research before coming to a dealership. Internet searches are standard preparation. A sales advisor’s role today is to help answer questions and guide the process.

3. Don’t try to help a woman make up her mind. The days are long gone when a woman tolerates being led through her decisions. Women are savvy customers when it comes to car shopping. Assume they understand what they need.

4. Realize that trust is the number one goal in customer engagement. Selling a car is great, but establishing a long-term, trusted relationship is more important. Trust can never be established if a sales advisor makes an incorrect assumption based on unconscious bias. It’s best to create a profile of a prospect based ONLY on what the woman tells you.

5. Choosing the right form of communication can make or break a deal. Today’s social media world has expanded the forms of communication. Customers have contact preferences. Ask women how they prefer to be contacted and honor their wishes. Some may prefer a phone call. Others might want email. Text messages are another option but should be used carefully to avoid overuse. Customers have several activities competing for their attention, so don’t be “that message” that causes annoyance.

Be Proactive
Selling autos in today’s world is challenging. People have volumes of information at their fingertips and many choices when it comes to buying a car. Savvy dealerships work to enhance their ability to be a trusted partner and are proactive about eliminating negative bias that can send women customers elsewhere. Eliminating unconscious bias and replacing it with solid information-gathering will drive dollars directly to your bottom line and ensure that your dealership becomes a trusted destination for women.