Anne Fleming's Posts - DealerELITE.net2024-03-28T18:35:48ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleminghttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2535857986?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://www.dealerelite.net/profiles/blog/feed?user=0uinggtsrk0ks&xn_auth=noHow are Women’s Brains Wired?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2019-04-03:5283893:BlogPost:5447432019-04-03T20:00:00.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>What Customers are Thinking in YOUR Dealership</strong></span></p>
<p><span><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WD_Brain_03-19-768x900.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WD_Brain_03-19-768x900.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="325"></img></a></span></p>
<p><span>When a woman shops at your dealership, do you know what she is thinking? Do you know what is important to her? While that may seem impossible, reports and data show surprising consistency…</span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>What Customers are Thinking in YOUR Dealership</strong></span></p>
<p><span><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WD_Brain_03-19-768x900.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/WD_Brain_03-19-768x900.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="325" class="align-right"/></a></span></p>
<p><span>When a woman shops at your dealership, do you know what she is thinking? Do you know what is important to her? While that may seem impossible, reports and data show surprising consistency and practicality in their thought process. Consultants can benefit from understanding what </span><em>really<span> </span></em><span>matters to this ever-growing segment of buyers and decision-makers.</span><br/> <br/> <span>Clearly, the frontline team is accountable for how things proceed: For every 1 woman that buys, 2 walk out of the average dealership. That’s a lot of responsibility, but here’s what we know:</span><br/> <br/> <span>As soon as she enters the showroom, she begins gathering information. She wants much more than the best deal. Her mind goes through her checklist: Is the sales consultant trustworthy? A good listener? Will I be treated fairly or feel pressured into another direction?</span><br/> <br/> <span>Know that your guest has already done her homework. She’s read dealer reviews, checked into your reputation, and already has an idea of the vehicle she wants and the price she wants to pay. She entered the showroom </span><em>for confirmation of her expectations and will stay or leave.</em><span> If she moves on, she won’t come back to your store.</span><br/> <br/> <span>Make a very good impression — listen and ask questions. Answer questions honestly. Understand her priorities and make the sales process fast, comfortable, and efficient. Let her know that you will be there well beyond the sale and that you want your dealership to be her one-stop destination. Make this transaction so pleasant she sends her friends to you as well. Encourage her to leave honest reviews so future women and family shoppers have a headstart on the buying process.</span><br/> <br/> <span>Consultants don’t need to be mindreaders to sell more cars to women. They simply need to use available data to understand what matters and how to turn that intelligence into action that creates an appealing and trustworthy environment for these consumers. </span></p>How Did We Do?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2019-03-20:5283893:BlogPost:5313182019-03-20T21:29:44.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>As a part of your toolbox for improving the customer experience and reputation building, reviews are an inexpensive method of ROI. Here are 7 tips to build a review platform that invites women to buy and service their car at your store:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ww-91-review.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ww-91-review.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a></p>
<p>Car dealer reviews are standard today, and more people use them to determine what businesses they will visit…</p>
<p>As a part of your toolbox for improving the customer experience and reputation building, reviews are an inexpensive method of ROI. Here are 7 tips to build a review platform that invites women to buy and service their car at your store:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ww-91-review.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ww-91-review.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p>Car dealer reviews are standard today, and more people use them to determine what businesses they will visit first. Women rely on them the most, to the tune of 50% more than men.(1) Dealerships utilize reviews that appeal to these decision-makers to create an advantage over their competition to showcase their business as a trusted destination.</p>
<ol>
<li>Encourage customers, especially women, to provide honest feedback on their experience. Let them know you want the truth — that you use it to elevate your customer experience and culture. Nationally, 6 out of 10 women who don’t buy at your store when they visit never return(2) making it imperative to understand why.</li>
<li>When reviews help make changes to your business culture, publicize it. Let your web site and advertisements show that you are paying attention and that customers have power to make changes.</li>
<li>Be honest in your approach. If you receive reviews that point out an issue, respond to them and demonstrate that you recognized the problem and are fixing it. When customers publicly see that a business is willing to adapt, they themselves are more flexible and forgiving when a situation arises.</li>
<li>Curate reviews that tell a good story. For instance, “The buying experience was thoroughly enjoyable. I was greeted, but not in a pushy way. Michael listened to my wish list and found a way to make the numbers work. He was a good listener and found solutions — we worked together to find what I wanted for a price I wanted to pay.” Reviews like this tick all the boxes for women — a trusted resource who listened and found a good solution.</li>
<li>Establish a process to ensure your reviews show up on a cross-section of platforms, like Google, Cars.com, Dealer Rater, Women-Drivers, etc. Let women know that their responses are invaluable.</li>
<li>Consider having a special section for these customers where they can read reviews by other women. Women are partial to reviews from their peers.</li>
<li>Train consultants on how to ask for reviews and CSI. This includes refraining entirely from “Be sure to give me all 5s. If you aren’t going to give me a 5, call me first so we can discuss that line item, as its really important to me that I get the highest scores.” This sounds heavy-handed and confusing, and there is nothing empowering about this when hearing it as a buyer or when getting your car back in the service lane. It makes the review all about YOU. Full stop.</li>
</ol>
<p>Being transparent and offering reviews about your dealership delivers several advantages. Customer loyalty and brand awareness are benefits that make your customers happy and drives money to your bottom line.</p>
<p></p>
<p>1. Ipsos Sociologue Poll, 2-14</p>
<p>2. 2019 Women’s Car Dealer Report at Top 7 US Auto Brands</p>Authentic Reviews Deliver to Your Bottom Linetag:www.dealerelite.net,2019-01-09:5283893:BlogPost:5256832019-01-09T15:00:00.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Authentic Reviews that Deliver to Your Bottom Line</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/700449886?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/700449886?profile=original&width=200" style="padding: 5px;" width="200"></img></a> Consumers are relying on car dealer reviews more than ever before. Women use them the most, as much as 50% more than men. Women not only turn to reviews about a dealership, they also expect the posts to convey the most important part of the customer…</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Authentic Reviews that Deliver to Your Bottom Line</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/700449886?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/700449886?profile=original&width=200" width="200" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a>Consumers are relying on car dealer reviews more than ever before. Women use them the most, as much as 50% more than men. Women not only turn to reviews about a dealership, they also expect the posts to convey the most important part of the customer experience – trust. The emotional qualities of a review speak loudly to women and encourage or discourage a visit to your store.</p>
<p>Dealerships who learn to utilize reviews that appeal to this market segment create an advantage over their competition. Authentic reviews are invaluable to a dealership – they help tune and refine the brand and reputation building and are part of the toolbox for improving customer experience. Here are 7 tips for helping you build a review platform that invites women to buy and service their car at <em>your</em> dealership:</p>
<p>1. Encourage women to provide honest feedback on their experience. Let them know you want the truth – too often people won’t share how they really feel, or they won’t mention what they didn’t like. Six out of 10 women who don’t buy at your store when they visit never return, making it imperative to understand why.</p>
<p>2. If reviews help you make changes to your culture, publicize it. Let your website and advertisements show that you are paying attention and that customers, your decision makers, have power to make improvements.</p>
<p>3. Be honest in your approach. If you receive reviews that point out an issue, respond to those reviews and show you have recognized a discrepancy and are fixing it. When women see that your dealership is real and are willing to adapt, they know you can be counted on.</p>
<p>4. Establish a process to ensure your reviews show up in the right industry platforms. Ask for reviews on Google, Cars, Dealer Rater, JoinWomenDrivers, etc. Let women know that their responses are invaluable.</p>
<p>5. Have a special section for women guests where they can read reviews by other women. This allows them to focus on what matters when they visit. Service reviews are especially important, since women can feel uncomfortable and really need to trust their advisors. Don’t hide reviews so that folks have to click and search for them.</p>
<p>6. Curate reviews that tell a good story. For instance, “The browsing experience was thoroughly enjoyable. I was greeted, but not in a pushy way. Michael listened to my wish list and found a way to make the numbers work. He was a good listener and found solutions – we worked together to find what I wanted for a price I wanted to pay.” Posts like this tick all the boxes – a trusted resource who listened and was solution-oriented.</p>
<p>7. Earn good reviews by continually examining your culture and how women buyers perceive their experience. This means integrating an understanding of what matters to women during the entire customer experience.</p>
<p>Being transparent and offering reviews about your dealership delivers several advantages. Brand awareness and showcasing loyalty are benefits that make your customers happy and drives more money to your bottom line.</p>Why Shop Here? Your Culture Matters.tag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-12-19:5283893:BlogPost:5246072018-12-19T18:17:43.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Why Shop Here? Your Culture Matters.</strong></span></p>
<p>When thinking about business operations, it’s common to examine sales strategies, customer service procedures, and customer experience. Less common is a review of dealership culture, which is the cornerstone that drives your operations and provides consistency. Business culture is the collection of beliefs, values, and practices that are more esoteric and usually…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Why Shop Here? Your Culture Matters.</strong></span></p>
<p>When thinking about business operations, it’s common to examine sales strategies, customer service procedures, and customer experience. Less common is a review of dealership culture, which is the cornerstone that drives your operations and provides consistency. Business culture is the collection of beliefs, values, and practices that are more esoteric and usually defined at a high level.</p>
<p><strong>Culture in Real-Time</strong> <br/> An example of a business value is “We do whatever we can to ensure our guests are happy and satisfied.” When translated into procedure, this becomes a reality through reliable steps that likely will create a more-than-satisfied customer, such as an enthusiastic greeting, consistent communication (not too much and not too little), a trusting & respectful experience, and value-added, follow-up communication.</p>
<p>Business culture becomes even more important in the events that aren’t well-defined - an encounter that falls outside the procedural norm. At this point, your culture will provide the philosophy that allows your personnel to be creative and inspires them to stretch beyond the usual methods.</p>
<p><strong>Culture Pre- and Post- Sale</strong><br/> For women customers, your culture is especially important. Six out of 10 women who leave your store without buying will not return. Sixty per cent! That translates <span style="text-decoration: underline;">into millions of dollars lost</span> that could be saved with the right business culture to provide oversight. Below are examples of culture and how it can be used towards truly optimizing sales:</p>
<ol>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Pre-visit</strong></span>: The time customers spend before entering your store is critical to set expectations for their engagement. A dealer’s website is the #1 digital resource women visit. What does yours say about your culture? Do photos show diversity and inclusiveness? Can the customer see that you put them first, or is it all product? More importantly, does your website match what happens at your store? An attractive, informative website is only the beginning. The experience must have continuity once a woman enters your store.</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>In-store engagement</strong></span>: When your customer enters your store, be especially mindful of the 60% that walk out and don’t come back. Your culture should incorporate a welcoming greeting to answer your customers’ questions. Women value trust and want to establish an honest relationship with their consultant. A culture that epitomizes extraordinary communication will help keep your customer engaged for a visit that creates value.</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Customer expectations</strong></span>: Establishing and maintaining quality customer relationships means meeting expectations throughout the entire cycle. Customers have their own values and beliefs, and the more aligned they are with your dealership culture, the better your chances of a successful deal.</li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Metrics and review</strong></span>: To understand whether your culture and customer experience match, you must collect objective, third-party adequate, and appropriate data. Analyzing all customer engagements is crucial. It is easy to dismiss someone who says they are “just looking,” but you may dismiss someone who really is shopping but was unhappy with how she was treated. If your culture includes learning as much as possible about customer interactions, you can identify strengths and weaknesses. This means going beyond the dutiful CSI.</li>
</ol>
<p>As we approach 2019, it is the time to review and rethink how your dealership culture contributes or detracts from your customer’s experience. How can you improve your interactions to pass your enthusiasm on to customers who are then inspired to be part of the 40% who return to your dealership and improve your long-term retention?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/become-a-certified-trusted-dealer/contact-us/?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WomensWednesdayNewsletter_12-18b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LEARN TO CULTIVATE AN IMPROVED CULTURE</a></strong></span></p>What’s Your Dealer’s Chemistry with The Decision-Maker?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-12-05:5283893:BlogPost:5240472018-12-05T16:51:23.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/chemistry-chart.pdf?utm_source=Mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WomensWednesdayNewsletter_12-18a" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-left" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/236937985?profile=original&width=350" width="350"></img></a> Change. It is always happening. Our typical reaction is either happiness and acceptance, or push and resistance. Regardless of our response, change occurs nonetheless. But it is <em>our view</em> to what is happening and how we face <em>the change</em> that is always…</p>
<p><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/chemistry-chart.pdf?utm_source=Mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WomensWednesdayNewsletter_12-18a" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/236937985?profile=original&width=350" width="350" class="align-left"/></a>Change. It is always happening. Our typical reaction is either happiness and acceptance, or push and resistance. Regardless of our response, change occurs nonetheless. But it is <em>our view</em> to what is happening and how we face <em>the change</em> that is always the real issue.</p>
<p>It’s been quite a year. Just recently, GM announced the closing of many manufacturing facilities at the peril and loss of jobs for thousands. GM, like Ford and Chrysler, report that they are retooling, reinvesting, repositioning, and redesigning. Which includes not just the vehicle line-up, but also the company structure. All to meet a new bottom line and new consumer demand. Evolving consumer trends and tastes have forced OEMs to make extraordinary business decisions.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>How Will Change Impact Leaders at the Retail Level?</strong></span></p>
<p>As you gear up for 2019, be proactive. Create a list of elements and disciplines to re-examine, starting with consumer demand. As in, identifying who your consumer really is – and what do they want (and would love to demand) from your brand. If your brand message is Price, Price, Price – think again. The top reasons women report buying from her car dealer are 1.) Interaction with Sales Consultant, 2.) Dealer’s Reputation, and 3.) Price & Deal, in that order.[1]</p>
<p>It’s time to put your attention on this data and meet with your leadership body and marketing team. Women buy 46% of vehicles at new car dealerships today.[2] The other 54% carry the veto-power. What marketing effort are you going to put toward this market segment and what is your true opportunity?</p>
<p>Do you know that <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">half</span></em> of women car buyers go to an average of 3.2 dealers before buying?[3] That’s 200% more than the industry average. Are you tracking how many women <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">visit and leave</span></em> your store? How much additional business could you generate if 10% of these ups were engaged and became buyers? 15%?</p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/chemistry-chart.pdf?utm_source=Mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WomensWednesdayNewsletter_12-18a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Download this Chemistry Table and</a></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/chemistry-chart.pdf?utm_source=Mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WomensWednesdayNewsletter_12-18a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Review with Your Leadership Team</a></strong></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Chemistry, Culture and Customer Experience</span></strong></p>
<p>Women can buy a car anywhere. Stop playing the game of chance, hope and guessing. Be relevant and distinguish your store by communicating how you provide a total solution – beyond the mundane “price and best people”. Why? Because they remain watered-down messages in a sea of noise.</p>
<p>Specifically, these ads continue to ignore what the decision-maker wants during her automotive consumer journey – trust and a relationship. Just like the OEMs, it’s time to change how you communicate your culture, the experience that can be expected, as well as how it’s measured.</p>
<p>In other words, it’s time to go beyond the standard opening lines and dutiful CSI & reviews “benchmarks”.</p>
<p>To help navigate these discussions, we’ve created the “<strong>What’s Your Dealership’s Chemistry with the Decision-Maker?</strong>” chart. Creating a well-thought-out strategy will take time to implement, but it’s <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">the right</span></em> time to expand & elevate your marketing, sales process and positioning.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>[1] 2017 US Women's Car Dealership Report <a href="https://women-drivers.com/2017-us-womens-car-dealer-report.pdf">https://women-drivers.com/2017-us-womens-car-dealer-report.pdf</a> <br/> [2] 2017 US Women's Car Dealership Report https;//women-drivers.com/2017-us-womens-car-dealer-report.pdf <br/> [3] 2017 US Women's Car Dealership Report https;//women-drivers.com/2017-us-womens-car-dealer-report.pdf</p>8 Tips to Hire Saleswomen to Build Dealer Sales & Retentiontag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-11-07:5283893:BlogPost:5232322018-11-07T18:16:48.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/133456204?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-right" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/133456204?profile=original&width=250" style="padding: 5px;" width="250"></img></a> A recent national report <strong><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/industry-report/new-report-in-car-dealer-reviews-women-buyers-rate-saleswomen-higher-than-salesmen/?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WomensWednesday_Newsletter_11-18a" rel="noopener" target="_blank">“Women Car Buyers Rate Women Consultants Higher in Dealer…</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/133456204?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/133456204?profile=original&width=250" width="250" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a>A recent national report <strong><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/industry-report/new-report-in-car-dealer-reviews-women-buyers-rate-saleswomen-higher-than-salesmen/?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WomensWednesday_Newsletter_11-18a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Women Car Buyers Rate Women Consultants Higher in Dealer Reviews”</a></strong> shows that these buyers experience higher satisfaction and improved customer experiences when they work with female consultants.</p>
<p>A more trusting and engaged consumer experience leads to higher CSI scores, reviews and retention.</p>
<p>Here are 8 suggestions to help dealers hire more women to the front-line team:</p>
<p><strong>1. Think Outside the Dealership.</strong> Women excel in sales. When looking for female sales consultants, don’t limit yourself to those with automotive experience. Real estate, hospitality and telecom retail are all areas where women perform at high levels and are great places to recruit new employees. These industries, polished training, and customer experiences can easily be transferred.</p>
<p><strong>2. Understand Why Women are Great at Sales.</strong> The best consultants know how to build trust and have a strong intuition that helps them spot potential snags in a deal. Look for employees who are solution-oriented and work to simplify the complex. These traits accelerate the sales process and sales.</p>
<p><strong>3. Step Outside the Rut of Long Hours.</strong> Women and millennials understand how to work smarter, not harder. They can accomplish more in a shorter “traditional “work week because they desire a good work-life balance. More attractive work schedules will attract more job applicants and foster retention.</p>
<p><strong>4. Focus on Development and Retention.</strong> Turnover in the automotive industry is 39% for men and 43% for women[1]. These numbers cost your dealership extraordinary money and time. Rather than trying to make everyone fit into the same schedules and expectations, spend time getting feedback and brainstorm on new ideas.</p>
<p><strong>5. Ask your Customers.</strong> Customers are an untapped resource for feedback regarding sales practices and their experience. Ask for honest feedback and adjust your sales programs accordingly. The national report above shows that women consultants ranked higher in customer satisfaction. Find out what <em>your</em> women consultants do that is different and incorporate that into sales strategies for <em>all</em>.</p>
<p><strong>6. Like Attracts Like.</strong> We are inching closer to a place where the majority of car buyers are women. They would prefer to buy from someone with whom they relate to and “gets them”. Having a choice to match demographics simply makes good business sense.</p>
<p><strong>7. Get Creative.</strong> If you’re having trouble finding women sales consultants, find out why. Are the hours too onerous? Do you or the leadership team have a mindset of, “It just doesn’t work here?” Consider splitting shifts. Or rotate shifts with interested team members so they don’t have to work long hours every day. Shorter, more family-friendly hours will attract women with families.</p>
<p><strong>8. Market your Inclusivity.</strong> Review your marketing, advertising, and digital material to see how inclusive it is to your entire demographic messaging. Or, is it simply all about the “product and price”? Ensure that photos of your dealership and interactions show diversity and balance – and include women selling to women & families. This balance applies to your career sites, too. Let women know your dealership is an outstanding place to work.</p>
<p>Adding women to your salesforce makes sense for so many reasons. It is a want that these buyers don’t even know they have, as most today still haven’t had choice in the matter. Your dealership will be rewarded with improved sales, CSI scores and customer retention.</p>
<p>[1] NADA Dealership Workforce Study, 2017 <strong><a href="https://www.nada.org/workforcestudy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.nada.org/workforcestudy/</a></strong></p>How Your BDC Can Minimize Leakage with Digital Customerstag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-10-17:5283893:BlogPost:5225122018-10-17T16:38:49.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>Did you know that <em>less than</em> 6 in 10 women car buyers report <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>not</strong></span> being satisfied with the initial greeting at car dealerships? Last week, we discussed how to improve in-store guest engagement with 7 ‘face-to face’ suggestions.</p>
<p>However, when the initial interaction is via email or social media, your response is no less important. Digital communications have the advantage of being read when your customer has the…</p>
<p>Did you know that <em>less than</em> 6 in 10 women car buyers report <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>not</strong></span> being satisfied with the initial greeting at car dealerships? Last week, we discussed how to improve in-store guest engagement with 7 ‘face-to face’ suggestions.</p>
<p>However, when the initial interaction is via email or social media, your response is no less important. Digital communications have the advantage of being read when your customer has the time. It can actually be more relaxed and as effective as an in-store visit.</p>
<p>The number 1 resource women use when in the shopping funnel is dealers’ websites. Know that this market prefers to do business with a trusted resource. To improve these communications and convert more online browsers to buyers:</p>
<p>Tips for Improved Digital Communication</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Read the customer’s communication carefully before responding</strong>. What is her question? What information does she need? Take time to construct a concise response that creates trust. Keep it simple and to the point. Stay away from confusing industry jargon.</li>
<li><strong>Don’t start with a canned response</strong>. Your customer has taken time to engage with you, return the favor by starting with a personal response.</li>
<li><strong>Include reviews from women</strong>. Women rely on reviews 50% more than men. Include a link to reviews from her peers so she can discern the experience and culture and see how your dealership responds to great feedback and concerns.</li>
<li><strong>Why do business with</strong> you. Reviews help to shape beliefs about your dealership. However, it’s also important to manage expectations about the customer’s experience. Do you provide overnight concierge vehicles to service drive customers? Or, is 40% of your management team women-led? Or, do you create a comfortable and relaxed environment? Does your sales strategy include solution specialists that are low key and co-create relationships?</li>
<li><strong>Give her a reason to visit</strong>. Provide an incentive for her to take time to see what you have to offer. Use this platform to offer to wash her car or change the oil while she takes a tour of your facility. Have a few cars ready for a test drive. In short, make her visit efficient and productive.</li>
<li><strong>Provide value-add content</strong>. Some emails are outside the “price and payment” type. In these cases, link to content on your site to help guests navigate the many topics of car buying and taking care of their vehicles. See email example below:</li>
</ol>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545194675?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545194675?profile=original" width="540" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/womens-wednesday-83-the-bad-news-about-customer-greetings-at-dealerships/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Click here to get tips to improve face-to-face greetings.</a></strong></p>The Bad News About Customer Greetings at Dealershipstag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-10-03:5283893:BlogPost:5219102018-10-03T17:33:24.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>How do your consultants greet women customers when they come in the door? Does the content, context and tone of a greeting make a difference in the interaction? How about from your BDC with internet leads?</p>
<p>Dealerships spend so much time working toward showcasing a positive resumè of reviews – usually on several platforms. However, a…</p>
<p>How do your consultants greet women customers when they come in the door? Does the content, context and tone of a greeting make a difference in the interaction? How about from your BDC with internet leads?</p>
<p>Dealerships spend so much time working toward showcasing a positive resumè of reviews – usually on several platforms. However, a <strong><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/industry-report/new-report-in-car-dealer-reviews-women-buyers-rate-saleswomen-higher-than-salesmen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new national report</a></strong> from <a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JoinWomenDrivers.com</a> shows that less than 6 in 10 women are satisfied with the initial greeting and do not have a favorable first contact at car dealerships. Said another way, over 40% of the 3,013 respondents question their dealership’s practices on engaging them when they first enter a store. The real-time impact of this is loss of brand credibility and concern on the part of the customer.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Create Trust</strong></span></p>
<p>We know that women rank trust as the #1 reason why they buy from their consultant. The initial greeting can make or break this impression. Fears can come up or be validated when the initial greeting goes off-center or doesn’t meet her expectation. Frankly, it can send your guest to another dealership. Statistics show that 60% of women who leave without buying that day won’t return. Given that women are the decision-makers for themselves and their family, simple calculations equate to a greeting that doesn’t engage, but also doesn’t improve the bottom line.</p>
<p>As a solution-provider to help dealers build a culture of engagement, inclusiveness and a welcoming environment, we have created tips to improve the initial customer greeting and interaction. Today’s Women’s Wednesday focuses on the face-to-face interaction from the front-line consultants and our next Women’s Wednesday will provide tips for the BDC and Internet teams.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Face-to-face Greetings | 7 Tips to Make them Count</strong></span></p>
<p>Women walking into a store have strong ideas about what they want. A savvy consultant understands that the goal is to answer her questions; questions which can only become obvious if asked. Below are 7 tips to enhance the initial face-to-face conversation:</p>
<p>1. <strong>No Assumptions.</strong> Okay, it <em>is</em> safe to assume a guest has interests related to cars, but beyond that, NO assumptions. After a polite greeting, engage in a non-assuming way. Clear any ideas from your mind about what type of car she wants, if the car is for herself, if she is buying alone or with a partner, etc. Those questions need be answered by her.</p>
<p>2. <strong>Don’t Hover.</strong> Initial interactions require finesse and the ability to read subtle cues from a customer. If she wants to engage and has questions, provide the time she needs. If she says she is “just looking,” respect her response, and invite her to look around. Be attentive at a distance and available to respond when she wants to engage with you.</p>
<p>3. <strong>Ask Questions.</strong> The old greeting, “How may I help you?” will typically result in a response of, “Just looking.” Use openings like, “What may I help you find today?” or “What are some of the features you are looking for in your next car?” which encourage more specific responses. Be aware of questions that stop conversation. If your guest is with another person or in a group, be sure to determine the involvement of each of them. Whatever you do, assume that your female customer is important to the deal – don’t dismiss her as irrelevant.</p>
<p>4. <strong>Answer Questions that are Asked.</strong> This may seem simple, but often consultants will answer the question they want a customer to ask. This creates a disjointed dialogue. Listen carefully and answer truthfully. If you don’t know the answer, find someone who does.</p>
<p>5. <strong>Be Truthful.</strong> Truthful responses were alluded to in the previous tip, but it bears repeating – women respond best when they trust their sales advisor. Telling the truth is the best way to foster trust, even if it isn’t the answer you want to give.</p>
<p>6. <strong>Let the Customer Lead.</strong> You might have a good sale in process, or have special financing, but don’t lead your prospect where she doesn’t want to go. Instead, follow her lead and ask questions to dive deeper into what she needs and is looking for.</p>
<p>7. <strong>Listen, Listen, Listen.</strong> Women know when someone isn’t listening, and they have several choices for buying a car if they feel unheard. Remember 2 out of 3 women who leave your dealership without buying will not return.</p>
<p>The above tips will help frontline folks engage at a more effective level with their female guests. Practice these greetings in role-playing situations so they become second nature. Next time: Tips on Greetings for Digital Communication.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/industry-report/new-report-in-car-dealer-reviews-women-buyers-rate-saleswomen-higher-than-salesmen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GET THE NATIONAL REPORT NOW</a></strong></span></p>In Dealer Reviews, Women Rate Female Sales Consultants Higher Than Male Consultantstag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-09-19:5283893:BlogPost:5212592018-09-19T22:01:36.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Decrease the Gender Gap and Increase Revenue</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Changing Culture, Changing Tides</strong></span></p>
<p>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.…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Decrease the Gender Gap and Increase Revenue</strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Changing Culture, Changing Tides</strong></span></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><br/>In an industry-first national report, <a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JoinWomenDrivers.com</a> analyzed car dealer reviews based on the salesperson’s gender. Almost universally, women rated their satisfaction scores higher when dealing with female sales advisors.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Methodology: Behind the Numbers</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JoinWomenDrivers.com</a> categorized 3,013 car dealer reviews and compared responses with 85% of the reviews rating men and 15% rating women.</p>
<p><br/>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<br/>January 2017 and June 31, 2018.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545192447?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545192447?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a>Purchasing Satisfaction</strong></span></p>
<p>In each of the following categories, purchase review scores that involved female sales consultants ranked higher than those of men:</p>
<ul>
<li>Review of salesperson <br/>(4.89 v 4.78)</li>
<li>Satisfaction of overall dealer experience (4.91 v 4.76)</li>
<li>Salesperson was friendly and respectful (4.94 v 4.82)</li>
<li>Salesperson understood needs and provided valuable experience (4.91 v 4.79)</li>
</ul>
<p>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 <strong>quickly</strong> and how often the consultant can close a deal.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Customer Experiences: The Cornerstone to Successful Relationships</strong></span></p>
<p><strong style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545196415?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545196415?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a></strong></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Shopping Satisfaction</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545224627?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545224627?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a>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).</p>
<p>The shopping WSI scores shows that women’s experience with female consultants are higher and more engaging than with men. <br/>(4.66 vs 4.44)</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>In Her Shoes: How Buyer Choices Are Made</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545191620?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545191620?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Identify Crucial Emotional Moments of the Sale</strong></span></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545245350?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545245350?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a>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.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Fewer Visits Equates to More Sales</strong></span></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Hiring More Women. It’s Just Good Business.</strong></span></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>Why Women Buyers Rate Saleswomen Higher Than Salesmentag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-09-12:5283893:BlogPost:5210022018-09-12T19:35:53.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545191620?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545191620?profile=RESIZE_320x320" style="padding: 5px;" width="300"></img></a> 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?</p>
<p>Yes, it does.</p>
<p>In an industry-first national report,…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545191620?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="300" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545191620?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="300" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a>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?</p>
<p>Yes, it does.</p>
<p>In an industry-first national report, <strong><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/industry-report/new-report-in-car-dealer-reviews-women-buyers-rate-saleswomen-higher-than-salesmen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JoinWomenDrivers.com</a></strong> 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:</p>
<ul>
<li>Satisfaction Scores when Purchasing</li>
<li>Satisfaction Scores when Shopping</li>
<li>The Emotions Experienced</li>
<li>Customer Experience</li>
<li>Number of Stores Visited</li>
</ul>
<p>All of these influences and details are measured – by gender – as well as how your dealership can capitalize on these findings.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="https://www.joinwomendrivers.com/industry-report/new-report-in-car-dealer-reviews-women-buyers-rate-saleswomen-higher-than-salesmen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GET THE REPORT NOW</a></strong></p>
<p>Higher satisfaction scores are an indicator of higher CSI, more referrals, and higher retention of customers for that dealership.</p>Do You Meet Expectations For Long-Term Retention?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-08-22:5283893:BlogPost:5202052018-08-22T15:46:51.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Defining Customer Experience for Long-Term Retention</strong></span></p>
<p>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…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Defining Customer Experience for Long-Term Retention</strong></span></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><strong>What Experience Do You Create?</strong> 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.</p>
<p>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 <em>own experience of their experience</em>.</p>
<p>Training your employees to provide a cohesive engagement and experience with each and every customer and digital guest is imperative.</p>
<p><strong>Do You Meet Expectations Continuously?</strong> The way to create repeat customers is for them <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>to know</em></span> 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.</p>
<p>1. <strong>Encourage customer feedback.</strong> 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.</p>
<p>2.<strong>Be the customer.</strong> 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.</p>
<p>3. <strong>Solicit honest reviews.</strong> 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>Be a Solution Specialist Not a Salespersontag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-08-08:5283893:BlogPost:5197312018-08-08T15:57:26.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>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?</p>
<p>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…</p>
<p>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?</p>
<p>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:</p>
<p>1. <strong>Salesperson or Solution Specialists?</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>2. A Title Change Isn’t Enough.</strong> 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 <em><strong>every individual</strong></em> that walks in the door or visits you digitally.</p>
<p><strong>3.</strong> <strong>Help Employees Spread Your Culture.</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>4.</strong> <strong>Ask Customers for Authentic Feedback.</strong> The best way to understand if you are conveying a solutions-based culture is to seek <em><strong>authentic feedback</strong></em> 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.</p>
<p><strong>5. Use Culture to Cultivate Retention.</strong> 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 <strong><a href="http://www.joinwomendrivers.com/womens-wednesday-73-6-contact-strategies-that-pay-dividends-with-women/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contact strategies that pay dividends with women</a></strong> 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>Want to Maximize Retention?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-07-25:5283893:BlogPost:5189832018-07-25T17:00:00.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Creating a Service Drive Experience to Maximize Retention</strong></span></p>
<p>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…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Creating a Service Drive Experience to Maximize Retention</strong></span></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>By the Numbers</strong></span></p>
<p>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:</p>
<ul>
<li>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?</li>
<li>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?</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>4 Tips to Increase Retention</strong></span></p>
<p>Are you crystal clear about what the numbers are in your fixed opp center? If not, read these tips:</p>
<ol>
<li>Independently survey customers to effectively get their experience and preferences. Using the <strong><a href="http://www.joinwomendrivers.com/dealer-solutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women’s Satisfaction Index DEALER DATA</a></strong> provides tremendous tracking metrics to gauge the interactions and measures ways to increase loyalty.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
</ol>
<p>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.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><a href="http://www.joinwomendrivers.com/dealer-solutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CREATE REPEAT CUSTOMERS NOW</a></strong></span></p>Take the Test: How Trustworthy is Your Dealership?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-07-11:5283893:BlogPost:5186172018-07-11T17:42:21.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>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…</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong><a href="http://www.joinwomendrivers.com/dealer-tools/how-trustworthy-is-your-dealership/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Take this Quiz to Improve Your Relationship with<br/> Women Buyers & Guests</a></strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Customized Assessment | How Trustworthy Is Your Dealership</strong><br/> We’ve developed a “<em>How Trustworthy is Your Dealership?</em>” 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: <strong>Leading the Pack, Standing Tall, Treading Water</strong> or <strong>Missing the Mark</strong>. Once you complete the quiz, get customized initiatives to apply in <strong>your</strong> dealership.</p>
<p>Here’s a closer look at how some of those initiatives can make or break trust with female clientele.</p>
<p><strong>Women Care About More Than Price</strong><br/> 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.</p>
<p><strong>Women—Especially Those with Children—Want Convenience</strong> <br/> 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.</p>
<p><strong>Women Often Take a More Open-Minded Shopping Approach</strong><br/> 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.</p>
<p>Now that you understand how imperative ‘trust’ is, how does your store measure up?</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/tips-trends-takeaways/moms-rule-retail/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">[1] Moms Rule Retail</a></p>Be ‘in the Know’ About Your Women Buyers & Marketsharetag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-06-20:5283893:BlogPost:5178972018-06-20T16:30:00.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>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?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.joinwomendrivers.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Women-Drivers.com</strong></a> 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…</p>
<p>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?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.joinwomendrivers.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Women-Drivers.com</strong></a> 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 <em><strong>and</strong></em> drive more dollars to your bottom line.</p>
<p>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:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.joinwomendrivers.com/dealer-tools/research-innovation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Research & Innovation</a></strong> - 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: <br/><ul>
<li>What can sales advisors do to increase the loyalty of women customers?</li>
<li>Should sales approaches differ based on age groups? Do millennials shop differently than baby boomers?</li>
<li>What are the critical factors to women when they are shopping for a car?</li>
<li>How can my dealership implement changes that make a real difference to my guests, build conversions and the bottom line?</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.joinwomendrivers.com/dealer-tools/research-innovation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Innovation and Research Reports</span></strong></a></p>
<ul>
<li><strong><a href="http://www.joinwomendrivers.com/womens-wednesday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Women’s Wednesdays</a></strong> - 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.</li>
</ul>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.joinwomendrivers.com/womens-wednesday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Women's Wednesday Actionable Articles</strong></span></a></p>
<p>Knowledge is power, but implementation of knowledge is the key to success.</p>Why Reviews from the Decision-Maker Mattertag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-06-06:5283893:BlogPost:5171932018-06-06T16:37:17.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545187126?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545187126?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350"></img></a> 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?</p>
<p>National research shows that women use car dealer reviews <strong>50% more than men</strong>. Additionally, women are happy to write reviews when asked. This means when you ask for a review, you…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545187126?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="350" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545187126?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="350" class="align-right"/></a>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?</p>
<p>National research shows that women use car dealer reviews <strong>50% more than men</strong>. 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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>10 Ways to Make Reviews Work for Your Dealership</strong></span></p>
<p>Women are involved in over 85% of car-buying decisions. When purchasing, these buyers <strong>prefer reviews 3 times more than advertising</strong> - 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.</p>
<p>Here are ways to make reviews work for your store to stand out:</p>
<ol>
<li>Encourage women to write reviews about their experience. Make it clear that you want to hear from them. Let them know their opinion counts.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>Don’t beg for a good review. Encourage your customers to be honest.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>Show your reviews prominently on your website. Don’t hide them under About Us.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>Continually check online for references to your dealership. There are many places for customers to leave evaluations – know where to look.</li>
<li>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.</li>
</ol>
<p>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.</p>To Text or Not to Text?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-05-16:5283893:BlogPost:5163702018-05-16T19:53:12.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Texting Strategy for Women Buyers</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545196287?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545196287?profile=original" style="padding: 5px;" width="270"></img></a> 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.</p>
<p>Read on to…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Texting Strategy for Women Buyers</strong></span></p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545196287?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545196287?profile=original" width="270" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a>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.</p>
<p>Read on to review the rules of proper texting etiquette, especially with your largest audience: women.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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).</p>
<p><strong>For customers who like text messages, texting:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>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.</li>
<li>Provides a direct, quick message that can be kept active but allows for a response at a convenient time.</li>
<li>Allows a conversation to be maintained without full attention. For example, a woman can respond to a text while watching a game.</li>
<li>Can be more personal than emails and less demanding than a phone call</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Text messages aren’t appropriate in the following circumstances:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>If a message is long, it should be delivered in an email or a phone call.</li>
<li>Messages that are information only are best delivered in an email.</li>
<li>If a message is prepared and sent during late or early hours, it’s best sent in an email.</li>
<li>If you haven’t established a working relationship with your woman customer for a specific opportunity.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Once you establish a policy and process for using texts, here are a few rules:</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>Create a set of policies for the types of texts that can be sent. <strong>Be sure to keep up with your customers’ preferences</strong>.</li>
<li>Don’t overload a customer with text messages. Many mobile phone plans allow unlimited texts, but your customer’s brain has a limit. <strong>Overcommunication can kill a deal quickly.</strong></li>
</ol>
<p>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.</p>Unconscious Bias Doesn’t Just Happen at Coffee Shopstag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-05-02:5283893:BlogPost:5162352018-05-02T16:14:37.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>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.</p>
<p><strong>Consider These Numbers:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>60% of women who…</li>
</ul>
<p>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.</p>
<p><strong>Consider These Numbers:</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>60% of women who leave a dealership without buying a car never return.</li>
<li>59% of women don’t buy at a branded dealership closest to their home.</li>
<li>46% of women go to three dealerships while shopping – this is twice the national average.</li>
</ul>
<p>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.</p>
<p><br/> <strong>What Is It?</strong><br/> 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:</p>
<ol>
<li>A woman shopping on her own might only be looking until her husband can come with her.</li>
<li>The man accompanying a woman must be her partner or husband.</li>
<li>A woman shopping alone or with children probably requires a lot of guidance about the type of car she needs.</li>
<li>A woman shopping for a luxury car probably can’t afford it.</li>
</ol>
<p>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.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>5 Tips to Prevent Unconscious Bias</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>1. Know the right questions to ask.</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>2. Assume your prospect has most of the information she needs.</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>3. Don’t try to help a woman make up her mind.</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>4. Realize that trust is the number one goal</strong> in <strong>customer engagement.</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>5. Choosing the right form of communication can make or break a deal.</strong> 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 <em><strong>their wishes</strong></em>. 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.</p>
<p><strong>Be Proactive</strong><br/> 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.</p>6 Contact Strategies that Pay Dividends with Womentag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-04-18:5283893:BlogPost:5156462018-04-18T13:00:00.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>Men and women communicate in different ways and have different expectations when buying a car. Therefore, it’s critical to incorporate different contact strategies into your communication methods with your women customers.</p>
<p><strong>1. Know the difference between talking and communicating.</strong> There’s a big difference between talking to and communicating with women. Communication builds trust, and trust matters to women. In fact, trust ranks as the #1 reason women choose their…</p>
<p>Men and women communicate in different ways and have different expectations when buying a car. Therefore, it’s critical to incorporate different contact strategies into your communication methods with your women customers.</p>
<p><strong>1. Know the difference between talking and communicating.</strong> There’s a big difference between talking to and communicating with women. Communication builds trust, and trust matters to women. In fact, trust ranks as the #1 reason women choose their dealer. Giving a standard sales pitch is not the least bit engaging to this audience. Communication involves listening and relating to your woman customer’s needs.</p>
<p><strong>2. First impressions happen within 30 seconds – make them count.</strong> Human beings are wired to make snap judgments. So, while your sales advisor is making a judgment about a guest, that prospect is making judgments, too. First impressions go way beyond a polite greeting. Six in 10 women who don’t buy at your dealership on a given day <em><strong>won’t return</strong></em> to your store.</p>
<p><strong>3. Body language matters – know what gestures and postures resonate well.</strong> Good posture, a genuine smile, eye contact, and a warm handshake all go a long way toward showing engagement. Body language matters in every customer encounter, not just the initial contact. Unless it’s to gather information about a vehicle, put away your phone.</p>
<p><strong>4. Too little or too much – what’s the just-right amount of contact that creates satisfaction?</strong> Throughout the course of working with buyers, your team has several opportunities for communication. Over the ownership of the car, follow-up phone calls, emails, and repeat visits will be necessary. How often should you contact your customer? There’s no single formula for each prospect buyer. Ask a customer for their contact comfort level and read their non-verbal signs. Over-communicating is as unhelpful as under-communicating!</p>
<p><strong>5. Choosing the right form of communication can make or break a deal.</strong> 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.</p>
<p><strong>6. Customer contact takes many forms – understand the brand message being relayed.</strong> Messaging comes in many forms: direct contact with a sales advisor, advertising, online reviews, friends, and competition. Providing a consistent message from your brand to your customers and guests as well as the addressable market is crucial to building trust. This means having an awareness of the total, overall message your customer is receiving. They may not pay detailed attention to all communication, but they will notice inconsistencies, which may create negative questions. Keep your messaging on point and consistent.</p>
<p>Women look for much more than price when shopping for a dealership. Those who recognize what’s important to women will receive the payoff in satisfied, repeat customers and an increased bottom line.</p>Crack the Code for Selling to Womentag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-04-05:5283893:BlogPost:5151002018-04-05T01:58:05.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545184683?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545184683?profile=RESIZE_320x320" style="padding: 5px;" width="200"></img></a></p>
<p>Pre- and post-purchase analytics are the key to cracking the code for selling to your #1 buyer: women. Women are buying 45% of all vehicles today, which translates to 819 total vehicles per year at an average new car dealership. Yet most business leaders still don’t celebrate this market, nor do they undertake mining data to advertise and sell directly to…</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545184683?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545184683?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a></p>
<p>Pre- and post-purchase analytics are the key to cracking the code for selling to your #1 buyer: women. Women are buying 45% of all vehicles today, which translates to 819 total vehicles per year at an average new car dealership. Yet most business leaders still don’t celebrate this market, nor do they undertake mining data to advertise and sell directly to women.</p>
<p>Understanding why women buy or don’t buy from a particular dealership or sales advisor can be a game-changer for your dealership.</p>
<p><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545184683?profile=original" target="_self"></a>Now, executives can get direct feedback from their own women consumers and guests to understand their experience. Over 90% of women who write reviews on Women-Drivers.com opt into a proprietary 25-question survey in one of 3 areas: buying, shopping, and the service drive. These qualified insights take the guesswork out of marketing and allow dealers to improve and fine-tune sales techniques.</p>
<p>The WSI® Dealer Report allows astute general sales managers to channel the voice and collective feedback of their own women customers to help improve perception, process, and messaging. The chronicled findings fundamentally enable these leaders to become ambassadors for positive change and increase sales to this buying segment.</p>
<p>DOWNLOAD the report <strong><a href="http://women-drivers.com/W-D_CrackingtheCarCode_2018.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NOW</a></strong>.</p>Trust is the #1 Factor!tag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-03-21:5283893:BlogPost:5145012018-03-21T12:00:00.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Your Trust Dashboard Part 2</strong></span></p>
<p>In our most recent <strong><a href="http://women-drivers.com/womens-wednesday-70-what-is-your-trust-dashboard/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">blog</a></strong>, we reported that trust is the #1 factor for women in determining where they buy and service their cars. Yes, there’s a direct parallel between increasing trust to increase sales. But trust can be a nebulous…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Your Trust Dashboard Part 2</strong></span></p>
<p>In our most recent <strong><a href="http://women-drivers.com/womens-wednesday-70-what-is-your-trust-dashboard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog</a></strong>, we reported that trust is the #1 factor for women in determining where they buy and service their cars. Yes, there’s a direct parallel between increasing trust to increase sales. But trust can be a nebulous concept.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>9 Ways to Create Trust and Convert It into Sales</strong></span></p>
<ol>
<li>Track as much data as possible. If you aren’t already keeping statistics on these guests and customers, start now. This will provide feedback to see how programs are working and who falls off.</li>
<li>Know your women customers. Encourage them to write reviews. Read your reviews with a critical eye and always thank, acknowledge, and respond to each one.</li>
<li>Stay in contact with your guests and customers post-visit to answer their questions. Work with your sales advisors to build a trusted relationship so women are comfortable.</li>
<li>Treat women prospects and customers with respect and use active listening to ensure that their needs are met.</li>
<li>Ensure that your website speaks directly to women customers. Create a friendly, inviting digital presence. Remember, your website and social media are your 24/7 sales advisors.</li>
<li>Host educational seminars and publicize the seminars on social media or in service drive reminder cards. This is a great way to continue engagement with prospects and customers.</li>
<li>Talk to your sales advisors and employees. What ideas do they have to help increase trust? Are they comfortable with the programs you’ve created? Do they feel they can implement them with positive results?</li>
<li>Include relationship-building messaging in your advertising. Price cuts or having a female spokesperson isn’t enough. Think about what’s in it for her and convey value-added benefits. Women use dealer reviews 50% more than men, and <strong>reviews influence women 3 times more than price</strong>. Include statistics about your reputation and reviews and show Dealer of the Year awards.</li>
<li>Make your service center worth the visit. A waiting lounge with Wi-Fi, refreshments, and workspace is a minimum today. Loaner cars are the top concierge item requested by women. Other appealing amenities include free car washes, oil changes and state inspections, a no-hassle return policy, and non-commissioned sales advisors. Be sure to include these in your advertising. Remember, it’s not just the price that matters.</li>
</ol>
<p>Increasing trust to increase sales is an interactive process that requires practice and dedication. Over time, smart dealers learn what works and can implement increasingly effective processes. Ultimately, the reward shows on your top and bottom lines.</p>Boost Women’s Confidence: What’s in it for Progressive Dealershipstag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-03-09:5283893:BlogPost:5138852018-03-09T19:49:25.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>Women buyers now account for 45% of all new car sales[1]. Yet one out of three women feel apprehensive or overwhelmed when they visit a showroom[2]. Less than 40% feel confident[3]. And a full 75% of women say they feel misunderstood by car marketers[4].</p>
<p>Car buying is a challenging process for many – and we know that women as a whole have different habits than men do. We also know that women are 50% more likely to use car dealer reviews[5] and prefer to read reviews written by other…</p>
<p>Women buyers now account for 45% of all new car sales[1]. Yet one out of three women feel apprehensive or overwhelmed when they visit a showroom[2]. Less than 40% feel confident[3]. And a full 75% of women say they feel misunderstood by car marketers[4].</p>
<p>Car buying is a challenging process for many – and we know that women as a whole have different habits than men do. We also know that women are 50% more likely to use car dealer reviews[5] and prefer to read reviews written by other women.</p>
<p>All of these statistics point to the fact that women are seeking ways to be more confident and have a more empowering experience and visit. Here are five tips dealers can use to help boost women’s sense of confidence while also boosting sales:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Learn additional ways to convey trust and respect to women guests.</strong> Trust and respect are emotions and they are formed in small, subtle ways. At the core of building and engaging trust and respect is the ability to listen and respond to what a woman is saying. Listen, don’t lead, and pursue understanding of what the buyer is looking for in a vehicle.</li>
<li><strong>Understand the differences in the ways women shop for a car.</strong> Women are less likely than men to choose a vehicle based on status. Women typically choose a car that can get them from point A to point B with safety and reliability leading the way. Front-line team members who understand these needs can boost confidence by supporting a woman’s choice in a car and its features.</li>
<li><strong>Support a woman</strong> decision making <strong>process.</strong> When women decide “it’s time to buy a new car”, a majority go into the dealership not fully ‘sold’ on a specific model. What this means is that a woman has a list of needs and wants in a car and she is looking for the best fit for that list. Smart sales advisors will create a “decision tree“ that helps reduce the list of cars to the best choice. Following a logical decision-making process will help a woman feel she bought the right car, reducing any possible remorse that could occur.</li>
<li><strong>Create a supportive car buying process that begins before she walks into the showroom</strong>. Be sure that your dealership reviews are showcased on your home page or in their own navigation section. In 2018, testimonials are too important to hide somewhere in “About Us”. Be sure that pleased and satisfied customers write reviews of their buying experience; pay extra attention to encourage women to leave reviews. Why? Women, when satisfied, leave higher ratings than men, and they acknowledge the dealership and its personnel with glowing reviews.<ol>
<li>Use your reviews and reputation in your digital and traditional advertising, include all DealerRater Dealer of the Year awards, too. Women are highly motivated by a dealer’s reputation and they put a lot of stock into reading and researching this. In fact, reviews are 3 times more influential than advertising when women are purchasing[6], so demonstrate that your store is the first stop for women in your city and region.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li><strong>Actively recruit women sales advisors.</strong> People prefer to buy from people that are similar to them, and dealers want to have a similar profiles of front line team members that match their buying demographic</li>
</ol>
<p>Taking time to incorporate programs to visibly increase women’s confidence and confidence in your dealership means your store is earmarked as a trusted destination. That means good news all around.</p>
<p>[1] 2017 US Women’s Car Buying Report, Women-Drivers.com</p>
<p>[2] 2017 US Women’s Car Buying Report, Women-Drivers.com</p>
<p>[3] 2017 US Women’s Car Buying Report, Women-Drivers.com</p>
<p>[4] Greenfield Online for Arnold’s Women’s Insight Team</p>
<p>[5] Ipsos Socialogue Poll</p>
<p>[6] Review Tracker</p>What is Your Trust Dashboard?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-03-07:5283893:BlogPost:5138712018-03-07T17:43:59.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Your Trust Dashboard Part 1</span></p>
<p>Do you know the #1 reason women choose a particular dealership to buy a car over another? It’s TRUST. Surprised? Many dealers think the lowest price is the top reason. Research shows women seek a trusted advisor first to help them navigate the myriad of choices when selecting a vehicle. This means your dealership’s <em>perceived level of trust</em> by guests and buyers has a <em>direct impact…</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Your Trust Dashboard Part 1</span></p>
<p>Do you know the #1 reason women choose a particular dealership to buy a car over another? It’s TRUST. Surprised? Many dealers think the lowest price is the top reason. Research shows women seek a trusted advisor first to help them navigate the myriad of choices when selecting a vehicle. This means your dealership’s <em>perceived level of trust</em> by guests and buyers has a <em>direct impact on your bottom line</em>.</p>
<p>How do you grow trust and convert this to more women customers?</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>You Can’t Grow if You Don’t Know</strong></span></p>
<p>First, learn about your women customers, specifically:</p>
<p><strong>1. What percentage of your leads are generated by women?</strong></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545187816?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="500" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545187816?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"/></a></strong><strong>2. What percentage of your business is generated from women?</strong></p>
<p><strong>3. What percentage of your service drive business is generated by women?</strong></p>
<p>Nationally, women purchase 45% of the cars. This is a great benchmark for determining how your individual dealership is performing when it comes to female market share.</p>
<p>Once you know your own numbers, create a benchmark “Dashboard” to show your starting point. Include the statistics from above and create goals and a timeline for increasing performance.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Gain Valuable Insights:</strong></span></p>
<ul>
<li>What percentage of your women-prospect leads convert to buyers at your dealership?</li>
<li>What is your average retention rate for women in the service drive?</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Compare Results</strong></span></p>
<p>Once you implement plans to increase sales by increasing trust, track your progress. Keep statistical information front and center for your front line team and employees. Engage them in the process to reiterate ideas and create new programs. Evaluate what is working and investigate areas that are not improving.</p>
<p>Their success is your success.</p>How to Tailor the Brand Experience for the Decision Makertag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-02-21:5283893:BlogPost:5126072018-02-21T17:08:04.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>It’s critical to create ways to tailor your consumer brand experience to the female buyer. She is your number one referral source and the key decision maker of 85% of all purchases at your dealership.</p>
<p>We recently had the distinct privilege of interviewing Katie Mares, who inspires audiences around the world to think differently about their customer experience and service.</p>
<p>Katie shares, “Dealers that are not curating an experience for the female buyer are losing her lifetime…</p>
<p>It’s critical to create ways to tailor your consumer brand experience to the female buyer. She is your number one referral source and the key decision maker of 85% of all purchases at your dealership.</p>
<p>We recently had the distinct privilege of interviewing Katie Mares, who inspires audiences around the world to think differently about their customer experience and service.</p>
<p>Katie shares, “Dealers that are not curating an experience for the female buyer are losing her lifetime value, which Carl Sewall has estimated at $517,000. That is serious money and margin.”</p>
<p><strong>Here are 4 tips from Katie on tailoring the consumer brand experience toward women:</strong></p>
<p><strong>1. Create real relationships.</strong> Building trust with your female consumer base is extremely important when it comes to referrals and their desire to purchase a vehicle. One of the best ways to do this is to create real relationships. I use the word real intentionally, as women can sense when someone isn't sincere and will walk. Get to know your female consumers through actively listening, showing compassion and empathy, and taking an interest in what they need or want (even if it’s outside purchasing a car).</p>
<p><strong>2. Make it personal.</strong> Capture information and use it in a meaningful way to tailor the experience and make it personalized. For example, if a customer has spoken about her son Johnny playing in a soccer tournament, make sure to ask about this the next time she visits. Remembering this detail not only makes her experience personalized, it also contributes to building a stronger relationship.</p>
<p><strong>3. Create a female-friendly atmosphere.</strong> Ask yourself, “Is my dealership female friendly?” Here are some things to look for:</p>
<ul>
<li>Is the music appropriate?</li>
<li>How vast is our magazine menu selection?</li>
<li>An overnight car is the number one item requested by women in the service drive. Do you offer this concierge service?</li>
<li>What is the temperature in our dealership? Is it too cold?</li>
</ul>
<p>There are many ways to create a more open and friendly environment, but you must flip the lens and look through another POV.</p>
<p><strong>4. Train for EQ.</strong> EQ—that’s the good stuff like having self-awareness, listening, and having empathy. It’s critical to building your sales to women. One of the main reasons women walk out is because they don’t like the way they were approached or treated. Advisors with high EQ can read people’s nonverbal cues and can adjust their approach based on the needs of each consumer.</p>
<p>Focus your training on soft skills (EQ) and layer in the IQ (product knowledge) as you go. When you blend EQ and IQ, you will receive optimum engagement from your female consumer.</p>
<p>Each of these tips will help to create an above-board customer experience that ultimately will increase your CSI results on all fronts plus outstanding reviews, loyalty, and retention.</p>
<p>For more information visit, <a href="https://katiemares.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.katiemares.com</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/katie_mares1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@katie_mares1</a> (Twitter).</p>3 Ways to Welcome Women to Your Website in 2018tag:www.dealerelite.net,2018-02-07:5283893:BlogPost:5120782018-02-07T18:13:28.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>Women report that a dealership’s website is the #1 digital resource they use when shopping for a car. Yet, 76% of women rate their dealer’s site at 3 stars out of 5. They’re looking for car dealer’s digital assets to deliver much more.</p>
<p>Currently, dealers’ websites are almost exclusively product focused. So what can you do to build trust, be welcoming, and make a better impression on your #1 market segment and increase conversions?…</p>
<p></p>
<p>Women report that a dealership’s website is the #1 digital resource they use when shopping for a car. Yet, 76% of women rate their dealer’s site at 3 stars out of 5. They’re looking for car dealer’s digital assets to deliver much more.</p>
<p>Currently, dealers’ websites are almost exclusively product focused. So what can you do to build trust, be welcoming, and make a better impression on your #1 market segment and increase conversions?</p>
<p><strong><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545178956?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545178956?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-left"/></a>1. Convey Persona and Lifestyle</strong> <br/> Your landing page is key to inviting and retaining customers. Use it to show more than the mix of vehicles—show images of real people to convey happy emotions as well as a trusted relationship. Providing a mix of guests, including single women, women with families, young and old with a good demographic mix, shows a potential buyer that you care about people and have a wide range of customers.</p>
<p><strong>2. Dealer Reviews</strong> <br/> Women use car dealer reviews 50% more than men, and those reviews are <em><strong>3 times more influential</strong></em> than advertising when a woman purchases a car. Why? Women want to learn from others’ experiences at dealerships to help verify if they want to do business there.</p>
<p>Place reviews on the home page or give them their own navigation section. In 2018, customer testimonials are too important to hide under About Us.</p>
<p><strong>3. Informative Content</strong><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545179041?profile=original" target="_self"><img width="200" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545179041?profile=RESIZE_320x320" width="200" class="align-right"/></a>Current, engaging, and informative content is a great way to build trust and ensure that your guests get value from your brand. Show your customers that you care about them before, during, and after their shopping and buying experiences. This demonstrates that you have a more seamless on-to-off-line buying journey.</p>
<p>Your website will be the first point of engagement for potential customers. Be sure that it represents your business and brand well and provides value. <strong>Customer engagement is primary; selling is secondary.</strong> Spend time making sure that your dealer’s website has a direct impact on increasing sales to women.</p>Behavior Economics in 2018 | Increase Sales to Women by $2 Milliontag:www.dealerelite.net,2017-12-06:5283893:BlogPost:5098042017-12-06T20:07:01.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>As we gear up for 2018, we’re providing you with a powerful white paper. While everyone knows the power of women buyers, are you aware of how women are impacting <em>your</em> business?</p>
<ul>
<li>What percentage of your business is generated by women?</li>
<li>What percentage of your leads are generated by women?</li>
<li>What percentage of your service drive business is generated by women?</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Clearly, you can’t grow what you don’t know!</strong></p>
<p>The average new…</p>
<p>As we gear up for 2018, we’re providing you with a powerful white paper. While everyone knows the power of women buyers, are you aware of how women are impacting <em>your</em> business?</p>
<ul>
<li>What percentage of your business is generated by women?</li>
<li>What percentage of your leads are generated by women?</li>
<li>What percentage of your service drive business is generated by women?</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Clearly, you can’t grow what you don’t know!</strong></p>
<p>The average new car dealer sells 819 vehicles annually to women. But if you don’t have a benchmark for tracking this, how can you improve sales to this growing segment that now buys 4.5 of every 10 cars, especially in a more challenging retail climate?</p>
<p>The white paper <strong>Behavior Economics: Increase Sales to Women by $2 Million</strong> provides a clear road map to crack this code in two key areas:</p>
<ol>
<li>Five easy steps to train your sales advisors to adapt, coach, and motivate them to adopt new attitudes and behaviors to engage this buying segment.</li>
<li>New tracking metrics to gauge and propel your store to cultivate sales to women and families and be a destination dealer.</li>
</ol>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong><a href="http://women-drivers.com/Behavior-Economics-Increase-Sales-to-Women-by-2-Million.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DOWNLOAD YOUR WHITE PAPER NOW</a></strong></span></p>Be a Destination Dealer by 2020tag:www.dealerelite.net,2017-11-08:5283893:BlogPost:5073562017-11-08T23:22:09.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p>Want to differentiate your store from others and grow your top and bottom line numbers? Women are now buying 45% of all cars at new car dealerships, which translates into an average of 620 new and used vehicles combined annually.</p>
<p>What processes can be implemented for ups, guests, and women shoppers to optimize their experience at your dealership, especially the ones who walk in and say they’re just looking? Do your front-line people think these guests aren’t serious and ignore them or…</p>
<p>Want to differentiate your store from others and grow your top and bottom line numbers? Women are now buying 45% of all cars at new car dealerships, which translates into an average of 620 new and used vehicles combined annually.</p>
<p>What processes can be implemented for ups, guests, and women shoppers to optimize their experience at your dealership, especially the ones who walk in and say they’re just looking? Do your front-line people think these guests aren’t serious and ignore them or does your store have a process to engage these shoppers after a few minutes?</p>
<p>A simple action like taking the time to upsell the dealership by offering a 3-minute tour of the facility, explaining that your service hours are the best in the area, can make a big difference. Give guests a coupon for a free car wash and explain that overnight cars are provided in your service area. All of this demonstrates that you care, that you’re selling more than cars, you’re selling futures.</p>
<p>Download the <strong>Dealership 2020</strong> white paper and get the insights and real-case scenarios about how your dealership can begin tapping into more sales to women.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://www.streamcompanies.com/email/womensweds/womensweds_11-17/Dealership2020.pdf" target="_blank">DOWNLOAD THE WHITE PAPER NOW</a></strong></p>
<p>Never miss a chance to sell your dealership—get 8 steps to have your business be The Destination Difference™ in your area or region. Start implementing shifts now and get ahead of the trend.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong><a href="http://women-drivers.com/learn-more/" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></strong></p>How Can You Increase Your Sales to Women?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2017-10-18:5283893:BlogPost:5066142017-10-18T21:01:39.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p><strong>One Size Fits All No Longer Applies</strong><br></br> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545173131?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545173131?profile=original" style="padding: 5px;" width="200"></img></a> According to the NADA, new vehicle revenue in 2016 was $995 billion, and <strong>sales to women accounted for $445 billion of that revenue at new car dealerships</strong>. With women buying 4.5 of every 10 cars, how can you increase your sales to women by 7% to 10%?</p>
<p>Ten years ago, the ad spend was all in…</p>
<p><strong>One Size Fits All No Longer Applies</strong><br/> <a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545173131?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545173131?profile=original" width="200" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a>According to the NADA, new vehicle revenue in 2016 was $995 billion, and <strong>sales to women accounted for $445 billion of that revenue at new car dealerships</strong>. With women buying 4.5 of every 10 cars, how can you increase your sales to women by 7% to 10%?</p>
<p>Ten years ago, the ad spend was all in traditional venues like newspaper, radio, and TV. Today, that bucket seems small in comparison to the amount allocated to digital/online. Just like dealerships no longer spend in the “one-size-fits-all” traditional category, there remain opportunities for new marketing segmentation strategies.</p>
<p>What’s the bottom line? Women are making extraordinary differences in terms of gross margin dollars and sales achieved at new car dealers. The advertising expenses per dealership average $587,787, according to the NADA. With half of your buyers being women, step back and ask yourself who your advertising speaks to.</p>
<p><strong>Technology and Lifestyle Trends Change</strong><br/> Women research on their home computers, tablets, or mobile devices for 75 days before buying a car. So the opportunity to advertise couldn’t be riper. Allocate some of your dealer advertising where the trends are. Not venturing where the market is can leave you in the shadow of other dealership that are savvy for competitive exposure.</p>
<p><strong>What’s Your Aha to Connect with Buyers?</strong> <br/> What’s your dealer’s DNA message and aha that women will remember? Is it really through ads and campaigns like:</p>
<ul>
<li>Get the Best Price Here at Our Dealership</li>
<li>We Match Any Competitor’s Price</li>
<li>Drive Here for the Best Results</li>
</ul>
<p>For the most part, these gender-neutral, bland catch-all statements don’t share what your compelling aha is.</p>
<p><strong>How Can Your Message Connect to Your OEMs?</strong> <br/> From website sidebar or banner ads to mobile apps, there are new opportunities to utilize a similar theme or thread. From Facebook to Pandora, you can now zero in on the exact female audience and age group. Dedicate dollars to advance your market space by running monthly campaigns to reach a captive audience with sponsoring ads on mobile apps to women and family-oriented interests.</p>
<p><strong>Dedicate New Messages: Time to Progress</strong><br/> Understanding that women buyers are looking for a connection will help you and your creative team.</p>
<p>1. In addition to your current ads and promotions, include statistics about your reputation and reviews. Women use dealer reviews 50% more than men, and <strong>reviews influence women three times more than price</strong>, according to ReviewTracker. <br/> 2. Include images of women and car shopping at your dealership throughout your print and online marketing campaigns and website.<br/> 3. Market and host educational auto-related events and seminars.<br/> 4. Develop relationships with female buyers before they walk through the door through social media and informative articles to highlight your dealership’s aha and value.<br/> 5. Communicate long-term service and maintenance care with a WiFi-enabled waiting lounge equipped with refreshments and desk stations for computer work. If your dealership provides loaner cars, be sure to include this concierge service in your advertising.</p>
<p>Paying attention to consumer and demographic trends is valuable for growing your dealership.</p>How Can You Increase Your Sales to Women?tag:www.dealerelite.net,2017-10-18:5283893:BlogPost:5065192017-10-18T21:00:17.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p><strong>One Size Fits All No Longer Applies</strong><br></br><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545173131?profile=original" target="_self"><img class="align-right" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545173131?profile=original" style="padding: 5px;" width="200"></img></a> According to the NADA, new vehicle revenue in 2016 was $995 billion, and <strong>sales to women accounted for $445 billion of that revenue at new car dealerships</strong>. With women buying 4.5 of every 10 cars, how can you increase your sales to women by 7% to 10%?</p>
<p>Ten years ago, the ad spend was all in…</p>
<p><strong>One Size Fits All No Longer Applies</strong><br/><a href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545173131?profile=original" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2545173131?profile=original" width="200" class="align-right" style="padding: 5px;"/></a>According to the NADA, new vehicle revenue in 2016 was $995 billion, and <strong>sales to women accounted for $445 billion of that revenue at new car dealerships</strong>. With women buying 4.5 of every 10 cars, how can you increase your sales to women by 7% to 10%?</p>
<p>Ten years ago, the ad spend was all in traditional venues like newspaper, radio, and TV. Today, that bucket seems small in comparison to the amount allocated to digital/online. Just like dealerships no longer spend in the “one-size-fits-all” traditional category, there remain opportunities for new marketing segmentation strategies.</p>
<p>What’s the bottom line? Women are making extraordinary differences in terms of gross margin dollars and sales achieved at new car dealers. The advertising expenses per dealership average $587,787, according to the NADA. With half of your buyers being women, step back and ask yourself who your advertising speaks to.</p>
<p><strong>Technology and Lifestyle Trends Change</strong><br/>Women research on their home computers, tablets, or mobile devices for 75 days before buying a car. So the opportunity to advertise couldn’t be riper. Allocate some of your dealer advertising where the trends are. Not venturing where the market is can leave you in the shadow of other dealership that are savvy for competitive exposure.</p>
<p><strong>What’s Your Aha to Connect with Buyers?</strong> <br/>What’s your dealer’s DNA message and aha that women will remember? Is it really through ads and campaigns like:</p>
<ul>
<li>Get the Best Price Here at Our Dealership</li>
<li>We Match Any Competitor’s Price</li>
<li>Drive Here for the Best Results</li>
</ul>
<p>For the most part, these gender-neutral, bland catch-all statements don’t share what your compelling aha is.</p>
<p><strong>How Can Your Message Connect to Your OEMs?</strong> <br/>From website sidebar or banner ads to mobile apps, there are new opportunities to utilize a similar theme or thread. From Facebook to Pandora, you can now zero in on the exact female audience and age group. Dedicate dollars to advance your market space by running monthly campaigns to reach a captive audience with sponsoring ads on mobile apps to women and family-oriented interests.</p>
<p><strong>Dedicate New Messages: Time to Progress</strong><br/>Understanding that women buyers are looking for a connection will help you and your creative team.</p>
<p>1. In addition to your current ads and promotions, include statistics about your reputation and reviews. Women use dealer reviews 50% more than men, and <strong>reviews influence women three times more than price</strong>, according to ReviewTracker. <br/>2. Include images of women and car shopping at your dealership throughout your print and online marketing campaigns and website.<br/>3. Market and host educational auto-related events and seminars.<br/>4. Develop relationships with female buyers before they walk through the door through social media and informative articles to highlight your dealership’s aha and value.<br/>5. Communicate long-term service and maintenance care with a WiFi-enabled waiting lounge equipped with refreshments and desk stations for computer work. If your dealership provides loaner cars, be sure to include this concierge service in your advertising.</p>
<p>Paying attention to consumer and demographic trends is valuable for growing your dealership.</p>Millennial Women and Your Market Sharetag:www.dealerelite.net,2017-10-04:5283893:BlogPost:5060552017-10-04T17:43:11.000ZAnne Fleminghttps://www.dealerelite.net/profile/annefleming
<p><strong>Reshaping The Industry’s Economy</strong><br></br> The millennial. Individuals born between 1980 and 2000 comprise ‘one of the largest generations in history’. In a recent article “Millennials Coming of Age”, by Goldman Sachs, millennials are not only poised to reshape the economy, but are about to move into prime spending years. Millennials overtook Baby Boomers, ages 51 to 69, as the largest generation according to the U.S. Census Bureau.</p>
<p><strong>Women of all age groups are…</strong></p>
<p><strong>Reshaping The Industry’s Economy</strong><br/> The millennial. Individuals born between 1980 and 2000 comprise ‘one of the largest generations in history’. In a recent article “Millennials Coming of Age”, by Goldman Sachs, millennials are not only poised to reshape the economy, but are about to move into prime spending years. Millennials overtook Baby Boomers, ages 51 to 69, as the largest generation according to the U.S. Census Bureau.</p>
<p><strong>Women of all age groups are buying 4.5 out of every 10 vehicles.</strong> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">However, of those millennial buyers, 53% are women</span>. Honing in on what factors contribute to car purchases made by millennial women can help dealerships step into a larger market share.</p>
<p><strong>How Millennials Stand Out From The Crowd</strong><br/> What makes millennial women stand out from non-millennial women? According to Women-Drivers.com, millennials ranked price, style, brand, color and warranty as top factors for car purchasing. Trustworthiness and respect ranked as the top two reasons to buy from a sales advisor. Additionally, millennials who are adept at using reviews in many product categories, use car dealer reviews readily to help them locate what dealerships to do business with.</p>
<p><strong>Millennials Are Digitally Engaged with Dealers</strong><br/> Since millennial buyers have grown up with the internet and smartphones, they are highly connected with social media. Goldman Sachs states that 44% of millennials text message, 16% blog, 38% instant message, and 38% are engaged in social media. For example, Women-Drivers.com reports that social interaction is critical:</p>
<ul>
<li>44% of millennial respondents viewed a dealership’s Facebook page, <strong>an average of 10% higher than non-millennials</strong>.</li>
<li>67.5% of millennials furthered to “Like” a dealership’s Facebook page, <strong>an average of 10% higher than non-millennials</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p>One takeaway would be that millennial women are more evaluative that non-millennial women. Additionally, millennial women are open to using dealer’s social communities.</p>
<p><strong>Social Selling Sales Advisors</strong><br/> Connecting with this group means engaging a generation that places effort to find answers within an electronic style of communication. A style that’s silent but not soft-spoken, educational but not elusive, and often promotes multitasking. Their energies are to be reigned in with true and genuine interest.</p>
<p>Millennials interact with Instagram, Twitter and Facebook as social media mainstays. What are sales advisors doing to grab ahold of a portion of engagement? Smart sales advisors build leads off their successful sales relationships. They ask for the referrals and reviews, and the satisfied customer happily provides. Behind the scenes lay electronic connections ready and waiting. “Friend” or “Follow”, those requests and actions taken upon referred names create a plethora of potential customers. Social profiles built by sales advisors with the intent of building leads is becoming a new system of lead generation.</p>
<p><strong>Be Personable and Prosper</strong><br/> Our data reports that millennial women travelled further to visit showrooms and are less likely to shop the nearest dealership. Goldman Sachs points out in its article that millennials have less money to spend, while industry reports show that younger buyers have little interest in negotiating the purchase price. Sales advisors could capitalize on their discussions with millennial women and secure a more decisive market.</p>
<p>Does your advertising speak to this segment specifically, and not just have a women spokesperson on a sports TV or weekend ad? Listen to the millennial woman and bring the showroom tour into a vision of comfort, longevity, service center and multitasking lounge that serves as a hub for the busy woman scheduling around work, school and personal time. Become the dealership that cares about the millennial women buyers and prepare to excel in your sales across the board by applying the principles of being personable, relatable, and interactive.</p>