HARDISON'S TIPS - NOVEMBER 7, 2019
HOLD VALUE - BUILD GROSS
Good morning, we need to be adding value to all of our used vehicle and / Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) guests. I wanted to share a post I made specifically for an automotive targeted group. I quizzed some facuilty members of an Atlanta area High School on what the current automotive shopper looks for specifically when making a decision to purchase a vehicle. A "mental checklist" if you will...Most answered with VALUE based around their dealership and the sales team members (this is great but not what a guests cares about when buying the right car)
Here is how it breaks down.....
1) similar make
2) similar model
3) similar equipment
4) similar miles
5) a Clean CARFAX
And if all of those match up the only determining factor for their buying decision is PRICE!
Are you kidding me?!?
Not every used car is prepared the same. We all know that. There are some who have high integrity and excellent processes who spend well over $1,000 in recon work to make sure the vehicle is road ready with no issues. Then there are some who will wash it and shine it up and stick it on the front line.
If both of those have Clean CARFAX which one does the consumer choose? Obviously the cheaper one that had zero work done to it.
Isn’t that stupid?!? We (the automotive industry) HAVE to change the guest's mindset and stop letting those third party vendors (most who have never been a dealer before) tell you to drop your prices to sell your vehicles.
How about you increase your integrity and your process and sell the vehicle for a reason. But hey, don’t think for one minute you can sell the price before you sell your value. If you do it that way you are justifying your price. If you build value first when they try to talk about dropping the price you use real relevant facts to support your price. That’s VALUE!
Build VALUE - Hold GROSS. That’s the culture that every dealership should be striving for. Let's change this horrible decision making process across the country together. I have worked with over 600 dealers Nationwide including every DCH, Asbury and Jim Ellis Automotive Group's. I have also worked with the Ford Certified Program helping dealers in the SouthEast. I need you as managers to assist me with teaching the guests value because the car business has changed (for the most part..) and is no longer about ripping a guest head off for profit.
Make it a champion day!
"SALES TRAINING MATTERS"