One of the most thorough studies of what influences auto buyers was just released this week and the
findings point to the importance of human interaction when purchasing a new car

ST. LOUIS (May 30, 2012) – Contrary to the growing belief that social media will soon replace traditional automotive dealerships, a recent Maritz Research New Vehicle Customer Study (NVCS), revealed that the salesperson at the dealership is still the most influential source of information for car buyers. In fact, salespeople were ranked significantly higher in 2011 than in the past five years.

The NVCS, which is the largest automotive study in North America, asked customers what sources of information they found most influential in their buying decisions. The top ten sources in the U.S. were as follows: 

    1.      Salesperson at the dealership (21.9 percent)

    2.      Family/ friend/ word of mouth (18.7 percent)

    3.      Consumer guides (18.4 percent)

    4.      Dealer’s/ manufacturer’s websites (8.6 percent)

    5.      Third-party websites (6.4 percent)

    6.      Automotive magazine reviews (6.1 percent)

    7.      TV advertisements (4.0 percent)

    8.      Dealer’s/ manufacturer’s brochures (3.2 percent)

    9.      Dealer/Manufacturer-sponsored event (2.4 percent)

    10.    Newspaper advertisements (1.7 percent)

“People buy from people,” said Chris Travell , vice president and strategic consultant for Maritz Research. “Social media can certainly support the selling effort, but I believe it would be a mistake to believe that social media will usurp it.”

You can read the full highlights release here.   http://www.maritzresearch.com/shared-content/Press-Releases/2012/Ne... 

As a co-founder of Carfolks.com, a website that highlights the value of auto sales professionals and provides powerful word-of-mouth marketing solution for auto dealers, I am overjoyed to read the results of their research.  

Dealers and sales professionals can get more info on our program here.

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