“Welcome to XYZ Chevrolet.  My name is Julie.  How can I assist you today?”

1985:  “I’m not sure what I’m looking for, but I think I want a truck.  Do you have any? “

1990:   “Yeah, I’m interested in a Silverado.  Can you tell me what you have in stock?”

2000:   “Yes, I saw that you have a blue 2001 Silverado Extended Cab showing to be in stock on your website, but I need to know your lowest price – if you even still have it.”

2015:    “I see that you have a blue 2015 Silverado, stock number 12345, on special today.   I’d like to look at that truck and possibly test drive it. ”

Let’s be real.  The first two responses are not likely to happen today.  Many of us (well, many of YOU…ahem) can remember a time when they were common conversations, but we all know by now that today’s auto intenders are online.  They know exactly what they are looking for, how many you have in stock, and how every dealer in the region is pricing that vehicle – before they ever call you, email you or step foot into your showroom. 

The third response still happens.  Why? Because consumers, by and large, do not trust auto dealers.  Unfortunate, but true.  In a recent study conducted by DrivingSales, only 1.5% of consumers entered their shopping experience expecting to be satisfied with the process.  That means that most people are expecting to be disappointed.  They expect that the price you show online is NOT the lowest price.  They expect you to show something in your inventory when it, in fact, sold days ago. 

Many auto intenders are determined to keep the brick and mortar dealership (and salespeople) completely out of the process until as late in the game as possible, mostly due to the “trust factor.”  In fact, 61% of them make initial contact with the dealership by simply walking into the showroom when they are ready to test drive and negotiate – without EVER having phoned or emailed anyone. 

Are your specials pages driving ups to your showroom?

                ALWAYS have specials on your website.  If you don’t have a “specials” tab on your homepage, in a prominent position, call your website provider TODAY and fix it! 

                AUTOMATE your specials management.  When one of your specials is sold, another should drop in its place automatically.  When OEM incentives and rebates change, the pricing of your specials should reflect that immediately. 

                AIM your specials to what your website shoppers are looking for.  If someone is looking at 2015 Silverados, they should see 2015 Silverados on your specials page.   If they change their mind and begin looking at a different make, model or year, the specials and coupons presented should change as well.           

Technology has made it easier than ever for consumers to shop for a vehicle.  Is your business using technology in a way that makes it easier than ever to sell one?

How would you classify the results from your website specials?  If you can honestly say that you are seeing GOOD results, chances are the process needed to get you there is UGLY.  It’s a time consuming and pull-your-hair-out undertaking.   If you are seeing BAD or UGLY results, then you might say that the process isn’t all that bad…why?  Because you aren’t doing it!  You either:

• don’t believe that great specials pages can and will yield great results, or
• you are just too busy to maintain them and the process is too overwhelming

I sincerely hope that the majority of you who have ugly specials pages, or non-existent ones, fall under the latter category.  Otherwise…well…you officially fall under the CRAZY category.  Ugly, in this case, is fixable.  Crazy is another challenge altogether.

Listen, 40 percent of auto consumers who go to your website are there to see special offers.  If they don’t find them, can’t click on them, find no offers that are relevant to them, or have to scroll through your entire inventory to find anything special, THEY ARE LEAVING YOUR SITE AND GOING TO YOUR COMPETITOR’S SITE. 

We analyze hundreds of dealership websites on a monthly basis.  We see countless Specials strategies that seemingly hit every branch while falling out of the ugly tree.  I won’t call anyone out, and I won’t be ugly-shaming any website specifically (you know who you are anyway), but I am going to point out some attributes of these sites. 

• No Specials Tab on the homepage navigation bar
• Hard-to-find or non-centrally located Specials Tab
• Specials Tab links to EMPTY Specials pages
• Out-of-date or out-of-inventory Specials
• No details or pricing on Specials detail pages
• No Calls to Action on Specials detail pages
• Forms that require more than 3 or 4 required fields
• Too many Specials, or Specials Tab that links to entire inventory and requires search functionality
• Coupons or pop-ups that are intrusive and disrupt the shopping experience
• Coupons or Specials that have no relevance to the shoppers wants/needs

Your Specials pages are taking up prime real estate!  Don’t fill it with UGLY!  Use it to enhance the customer experience and sell more cars.  Anything else is just crazy talk!  

Website Specials – maintaining these pages on your dealership’s website is a huge task, but it is IMPERATIVE if you want to successfully engage your customers and beat your competition. It can be overwhelming and time-consuming, especially if you are dealing with multiple franchises and/or rooftops.   If you are like most who have this job on their to-do list, you would LOVE an option that makes it easier and faster but still effective.   Until a decision is made in your dealership to move toward that option, let’s start with a best-practice list that will at the very least ensure the effectiveness of your Website Specials. 

1. Be Consistent

NEVER allow your specials pages to be blank.  You might as well post a link to your competitor’s website.

2. Make it Easy

Keep shoppers on the page longer by giving what they need to engage quickly and easily.  Linking off to a VDP is not enough!  Give them a form, calls to action and all relevant data about the special without making them click.

3. Be Thorough

Make sure every new car model is represented.  Focusing only on what you want to sell, and not showing options for ANY customer, is a recipe for failure.

4. Mix it Up

Include a variety of new car offers – leases, payments, discounts, APRs – and then switch them up the following month for each model.  For used cars, offer a range of price points and body styles to pique interest for most anyone.

5. Use Your Homepage

If you are advertising specials on TV, radio or print, they should also be included on your homepage slideshow.  It MUST be easy for your customers to find those highlighted specials if other advertising mediums brought them to your website.

6. Check Your Inventory

It should go without saying, but you might be surprised how many dealerships advertise specials that don’t actually appear on the inventory pages.

7. Instill Trustworthiness

Use Carfax or Autocheck on your used car specials.  Don’t give customers any reason to doubt you.

8. Remember Parts and Service

Use a variety of specials that include inexpensive services like oil changes as well as higher profit margin or discretionary items like tire rotations or A/C maintenance.

9. Target Customers

Show website visitors specials based on their search and shopping habits.

10. Know Your Competition

Regularly look at what your competitors are offering and deliver offers that put you first.  Beat their trade-in bonuses, free maintenance with purchase offers, extended warranty periods, etc.  Make your specials, well…special!

11. Track and Adjust

Know how EVERY offer performs and adjust accordingly.  Not every special will create the desired result.  If it isn’t working, fix it! 

Remember that your Specials Pages are a MARKETING TOOL and designed to drive leads.  Although these Best Practices focus on marketing, there are a number of Best Practices on the SALES side as well.  What is YOUR process when a customer comes into your showroom looking for one of your specials?   What do you do that works well for you?  What causes you the most pain in your dealership?  Let's talk!

Happy Selling! 

How many hours per week do trainers work with a horse like American Pharaoh to prepare him to compete in and win the Kentucky Derby?  It’s probably easier to measure in years, as thoroughbreds begin early training when they are too young to ride.  Eventually, when they are two or three years old they actually move to the racetrack to live full-time and train there.  Every day.  For a race that will last no longer than two minutes!  Then, if they are lucky and healthy and fast enough, they will take a day or two off before they begin training again for the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.  And remember that only eleven horses have EVER won all three races – The Triple Crown.  Eleven horses since 1919 and the most recent one was in 1978.

My point?  Many of us may have it backwards.  We hire our salespeople, of whom many have never been “on the track,” and expect them to win.  We make them run their race every day and stop to train them only occasionally.   When they are no longer suited for the track, we promote them and expect them to train the young thoroughbreds and the cycle continues. 

We do not have the luxury of time to train Monday through Friday for 8 hours, and then kill it every Saturday.  But if we can imagine that every interaction with a customer is our Kentucky Derby, every opportunity to set an appointment  is our Preakness, and every chance to close a deal is our Belmont Stakes, then wouldn’t we want to be the best we can be? 

Having a dealership full of employees who want to learn starts with having a dealership full of managers who want to teach.  There is no shortage of topics on which to train, and certainly no shortage of industry experts who will gladly come into your store and help you get it done.  If you are a salesperson and feel like you aren’t getting the training you need to be successful, let someone know!  If it doesn’t change anything, consider finding a dealership with a training culture.  There are plenty of them out there.  Chances are they are a more successful business anyway.  If nothing else, try searching YouTube for  “Automotive Sales Training.”  I just did it myself. 

• Overcoming Objections
• Internet Tips
• How to Run a BDC
• Meet and Greet Strategies
• The Walk-around
• Prospecting
• The Demo Drive
• Phone Skills

The list goes on and on.  Make the most of your slower times by learning everything you can from the resources available to you.  Managers, be that resource for your sales staff.  If you began your career in a store without a training culture, you might need help if you want to break that cycle.  Ask for it! 

Respect the Training.  Honor the Commitment.  Cherish the Results.