IN RETAILING, PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING. PAUL POTRATZ SHARES A FEW TIPS TO HELP MAKE YOUR DEALERSHIP STAND OUT BOTH ONLINE AND IN THE SHOWROOM
Call me old fashioned but I take personal appearance very seriously. I was raised to believe that one should: Shower every morning and evening, be clean-shaven, smell good, shine their shoes, groom their hair, and have pressed, colour-matched and proper fitting clothes. I can assure you these things make a big difference in most people’s minds, even if its subconscious.
Part of being presentable is having the kind of clothes that requires shopping, but I don’t enjoy the shopping process as some might. Like the majority of people, I am a visual person and like to see colour and fabric combinations that trained stylists have put together. It really helps me visualize how it would look on me.
When I visit stores with these kind of displays, my purchases are larger and I feel better about the purchase.
Then there are those stores that have a lot of visuals. These stores have outfits on mannequins, large photos of combinations, and big jumbo screens of models wearing the latest fashion combos. If that wasn’t enough they also have a trained consultant that makes the experience easy and enjoyable.
They ask some questions and before you know it, they have 5 blazers, 7 pairs of slacks, 10 shirts, 20 ties, 20 pairs of socks, 20 pocket squares, 5 pairs of shoes, and 3 overcoats all laid out. To add to it, they also have a dressing room waiting, a tailor standing by, and have served up a choice of tea, coffee, sparkling water, flat water, or wine.
I get caught up in the moment when I visit these stores. The excitement and the visualization of what the outfit will look like on me sometimes dissuades my sound judgment.
I am trying the outfits on and struggling when it comes to which ones do I really not need, all the while doing the math in my head and thinking, “Wow, the wife is going to kill me.”
THE ART OF MERCHANDISING
You understand the importance of the experience I’ve mentioned above, but what does this have to do with selling cars? It has a lot to do with it. What are you doing to merchandise your vehicles?
Do you have a trim level line up on the lot, on your website, in your showroom? Shoppers are confused by all the choices and it takes a lot of research to learn the differences between vehicle equipment levels.
This process will allow for more upsells of accessories and equipment, create stronger relationships with your clients, and increase gross profit.
Do you have vehicles displayed according to price, according to fuel efficiency, colour, and trim level? In other words, is the way one can search online arranged in an organized and structured manner?
Is this replicated at your dealership? Does your website allow the shopper to search by highest and lowest price, fuel efficiency, trim level, colour, payment, transmission, drivetrain, certified and one-owner? Making note of how the online and in-store experience of your customers matches is crucial to creating a unified, supportive, and helpful shopping experience.
It’s also important to understand what level of product knowledge your product specialists have.
Can they all explain the equipment, options, accessories, and trim levels? I challenge you to walk out of your office right now and quiz the next four product specialists and don’t stop there. Continue on to your service writers that are talking to clients every day and quiz them.
DON’T BE AVERAGE
Do you have the “special vehicles” in your line-ups that have accessories and options? These are the very vehicles that make your dealership stand out against the competition — make sure you’re sharing this with your customers. I have a great friend that is a master of this and his net to gross percentages reflect it.
You also need to make sure that you’re showroom is navigable and laid out with the customer in mind. I’m personally a believer in that the vast majority of dealerships need to get most of their cars out of the showroom — it should only showcase a very select collection of vehicles. Most showrooms are like a maze of cars and make people feel anxious. Keep yours organized and don’t confuse it with the sales and up-sell area.
Take my shopping exercise and apply it to your business practice, see what you can learn from it. The next time you go shopping and find out what you can gain from the experience to make yours better. It’s the basics that define the difference when it comes to making additional profits.
