In this episode of Witt's Wise Words, Bill Wittenmyer shares why you should get fresh eyes on your plans by involving other people to avoid missed opportunities.

All indicators point to 2018 as a milestone year for automotive digital retailing.

Manufacturers including Ford, Toyota and BMW are working to develop products that allow customers to buy a vehicle from their dealerships’ websites.

Large dealer groups like AutoNation, Sonic Automotive, Asbury and Penske have developed, or are in the process of developing, online car shopping tools and software for their dealers’ websites.

And vendors are jumping on the digital retailing bandwagon as well.

Consumer demand exists; according to Cox Automotive’s Future of Digital Retail Study, 83 percent of car shoppers say they want to complete one or more steps of the purchase process online.

It seems that the only people who aren’t thrilled about automotive digital retailing are dealers themselves. Many dealers are reluctant to implement a digital retailing solution. Their primary concerns include:

• Losing control of the sales process
• Decline in gross profits, especially from F&I products
• Significant investment required
• Process changes and training required
• Integration issues

While consumer demand for digital retailing is unlikely to go away anytime soon, it’s not necessarily going to be bad news for dealers. Most of the digital retailing products in development are designed to keep your dealership central to the vehicle purchasing process. Not all solutions require a significant investment, and integration can be seamless with the right solution.

The vast majority of consumers still want to visit dealerships at some point during the buying process. Car shoppers still rely heavily on dealerships for inventory selection, accepting trade-ins and arranging finance. Most consumers still want the touch, feel and smell experience of buying a car.

According to the Capgemini Cars Online 2017 study, 71 percent of car buyers want to take a test drive and see the car in real life. The Cox study found that 89 percent of consumers said they want to sign final documents at the dealership; although 25 percent of those would like to review the paperwork before coming in.

Additionally, there are many variables such as credit scores and state laws that affect a person’s ability to transact a vehicle purchase online. Some consumers will always find it easier to let dealership staff manage the process.

Bottom line? Even though consumer demand is there, adoption rates will likely be slow.

ELEAD1ONE predicts that within two years, five to ten percent of consumers will complete some of the purchase processes online. In three to five years, that will grow to 20 or 30 percent.

This doesn’t mean dealers should adopt a wait-and-see attitude.

The Time is Now

The faster dealers embrace digital retailing, the more control they will have over the car-buying process by lessening the impact of solutions that cut dealers out of the process.

You’ve probably heard about third-party websites that plan to offer consumers the ability to purchase a vehicle online. Their proposed format is to sell the almost-completed deals as leads to dealerships.

The fact is, car shoppers must complete the transaction at your dealership. They need you. Why bother with a third-party solution when you can have your own?

The reason there’s so much hype about online car buying is that consumers have an interest. Once the tools become available, consumers will start using them. You want to encourage consumers to spend time shopping on your own website instead of relying on a third-party where you won’t control the process.

In the near future, the vast majority of online car buying will be completed with a hybrid approach. The customer will start the process online, reach out to the dealership for help through the process, and finally come to the dealership for a test drive and/or to complete the paperwork.

There will always be a percentage of customers who want to visit your dealership. There may be disruptors threatening to upend our business, but the reality is, the laws are still in your favor.

However, that may not always be the case. Rather than fight the inevitable disruption, embrace it by giving your customers what they want. Digital retailing is not a revolution; it’s simply the next step in the natural evolution of the car sales business.

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As a seasoned road warrior, I don’t always look forward to the next airport, cab ride or hotel destination. There are definitely some aspects of traveling that are forgettable. However, over the years I have developed a list of favorites, as in favorite restaurants and hotels to visit.

When I walk into these places, I am immediately greeted like an old friend. They know my name, they know what I like and everything is ready for me. The service is authentic, meaning it feels real. I believe the employees in these establishments are genuinely happy to see me (if they aren’t, they sure do a good job pretending).

When I have a great experience somewhere, I will also sign up for its email list. Not only do I sign up for it, but I will actually open the emails to see if there are any special offers being promoted the next time I visit that hotel or restaurant. If there aren’t, that’s okay. I choose to go there anyway because of the experience.

Think about your service experience. When a customer pulls into your service lane, are they immediately greeted like an old friend, or are they ignored for several minutes because your service advisors are too busy helping other customers?

When your customers are greeted, do they feel like your advisors are genuinely happy to see them, or do they feel that your advisors are stressed and hurrying them through the process?

On the sales side, when a customer arrives on your lot, do they feel like your salesperson is there to help them make the best decision, or do they feel like your salesperson doesn’t care what they buy, as long as they buy something, now.

In this industry, we so often focus on technology and all of its benefits. While technology can help to improve the customer experience, it can’t replace the human touch.

To create a truly memorable customer experience, you need to set clear expectations with your managers and staff as to what that experience should be like, every time. Mystery shoppers are a proven way to ensure these expectations are consistently met and determine if additional coaching is needed.

What your customers like is not a big secret. Here’s what you should shoot for:

Become a Trusted Resource

As we all know, earning your customers’ trust is still a major obstacle for dealerships to overcome. The way to accomplish this is with transparent pricing, honesty and taking the time to answer your customers’ questions and provide information quickly.

Your customers want options, not obligations. Instead of pushing a specific vehicle or service repair, present several options and let your customers choose.

Provide an Authentic, Friendly Atmosphere

As much as possible, create a comfortable, open and inviting space. However, the key to an authentic experience really lies with your staff. Hopefully you have created a culture where employees are happy to come to work in the morning and they like what they do. If your employees are happy, your customers will be happy.

Additionally, once or twice a day, managers should take a “walk around” and try to observe their work space from the customer’s point of view. Is everything clean and organized? Are your employees relaxed and open, or do they look grumpy and impatient to go home? If the latter, you may want to try complimenting them for the effort they’ve put in lately. A little acknowledgment can go a long way in re-invigorating an employee’s attitude.

Become a Product Expert

Haven’t you heard? “Selling” is out and “guiding” is in. Most car buyers do substantial research before deciding on which dealership to visit. So, it’s really critical for your staff to be at least as knowledgeable as your customers are when it comes to presenting your product line. The customer wouldn’t be there unless they wanted to buy something. Their biggest question is which vehicle is right for them?

That’s why I believe 80 percent of sales training should be product and presentation training.  Coach your staff to take an advisory or consultative approach, rather than pushing the hard sell.

Be Appreciative

When you customers take the time out of their busy lives to visit your dealership, it’s really important to be genuinely appreciative. These days everyone is busy, so acknowledge and respect your customers’ time.

This is where technology can help. In sales, mobile tablets enable your sales force to spend more time with customers viewing and evaluating vehicles, instead of being attached to a desk. In service, mobile tablets can streamline the check-in and MPI process.

Also, remember to always thank your customers for their business.

Communicate

Your customer communications should be timely and relevant. Within 24 hours of a customer leaving, send another thank you.

Use multiple channels. Many younger people don’t open their emails, and prefer text or phone so make sure you have compliancy processes in place and that you are able to track this from your CRM, rather than personal devices.

Also, review your messaging. Is your verbiage direct, friendly and relevant? Or is it impersonal and look generic? Try to infuse your brand’s voice, image and personality into every communication.

Creating a memorable customer experience isn’t rocket science. However, it does require that you set clear expectations with your employees and provide them with the necessary training, so that they can be genuinely friendly and appreciative of your customers’ time.

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