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This is the time to make your dealership better than it was before
After having a number of conversations with dealers in the last day or so regarding the COVID-19 situation, it has prompted to me to relay some thoughts/ideas that have been discussed.
The majority of people I’ve talked to are greatly concerned (and with fair reason) about their businesses, but many are more optimistic and realise this is only a moment in time. We have experienced similar unsettling events in the past like the GFC, earthquakes and other large-scale business disruptions and the majority of us have come through OK.
Yes, it is likely we are all going to suffer financially in the short term, but Government support packages are already in place and others will likely come. Certain industry suppliers have also begun to rally and relief packages/discounts are beginning to flow through. Most recently, banks have also announced relief for those with mortgages and businesses with loans.
The simple truth is people will still need an essential item like a vehicle both during and after this crisis.
Yes the timing of purchases may have now been delayed but we will need to be ready when sales do come back, which they will, and be potentially prepared to transact in a more ‘virtual’ environment until this virus has been brought fully under control.
It is entirely in our control how we react to this situation and how we use this lockdown period to set ourselves up for when we come out the other side.
So with all that in mind here’s a few ideas I think are worth considering over the next 4 weeks:
- Sales will return. There was going to be approx. 17,000 used vehicles purchased from dealers during this 4 week period. Sure, not all of those customers will still want to purchase a vehicle when things return to normal but there will still be customers needing to purchase for various reasons. Whether that is half of them or quarter of them, it doesn't matter, there will still be purchasers.
- Maintain your online presence. Prospective purchasers now have more time than ever before on their hands for researching which car they would like to purchase when that time comes. You need to maintain your online presence with listing sites, and even look to see how you can increase your brand presence and awareness during this time. During this time be really vigilant to ensure no enquiry is missed left unanswered.
- Ensure you're positioning finance well in your customer journey. Finance will become an even more viable option for any traditional cash buyers as they save any cash (or access they have to cash) if they may need it. Yes, jobs and employments will be affected, however with ongoing emerging government support, many jobs & companies will survive and people’s need for financing vehicles will still be present.
- Ensure you have the Motorcentral App installed on your smartphone and get yourself and your team familiar with it. There are a number of new features on there, especially around pre-sale initiatives which will assist you as sales return. Download here or ask our team how.
- Dive deeper into your Motorcentral DMS which you can use from home on a laptop or desktop. We are happy to train you during this time on any aspect of your DMS or the MC app. Our team can do this remotely with you via phone, Skype, Team Viewer etc.
- Consider refining your dealership processes and disciplines. This is the time that you always wished you had to review everything in the dealership, from how you communicate with customers via email through to how you deliver a vehicle and handle any after sales problems. Online communication with your customer should be no different than what it would be if you were face to face.
- Ensure when business starts to resume to normal you are a better dealership than you were before. This is the time where you have the opportunity to look at all aspects of the business and see what can be improved where, and how you could convert more customers and foster repeat and referral business.
- Read through every BuyerScore review again. Look at what customers are saying that's positive and take on board any negative trends and ensure you address these so they don’t happen when business returns to normal.
- Understand your dealership data better. Learn about the vehicles you’ve sold in the past. Which vehicles are the worst to buy and which are the best (based off your data not just your gut)?
- Review your website and see what might need to be updated, and as other dealers are doing right now get those changes actioned now. Our full team is still active day in day out and we have an increasing number of website requests, updates and upgrades underway.
- Use this time to consider how people may want to transact with your dealership post-lockdown, where there will still be a period of uncertainty around face-to-face interaction. Consider creating a more online system or frictionless (digital) sales and finance process.
Ultimately, try to use this time wisely
There are plenty of opportunities to make your business better during this 4-week period. Use it to make your dealership the preferred choice when things do return to normal soon.
