The automotive industry may feel like it is in constant flux, but there is actually a lot more stability than you might otherwise think based on the news reports. That doesn’t mean that the industry isn’t experiencing some major developments. Technology is constantly changing how the world operates, and car dealerships and the automotive industry are not exempt from the effects of technology. Luckily for your dealership, the technology changes happening in the automotive industry are focused on positive changes that can only improve things.
Digital Sales
Customers are turning towards digital sales to access more car inventory and find the dealers they really want to buy from. The rise of technology allows dealerships to expand their reach and find customers all over rather than just in the local region. Not only does this require better marketing efforts to reach those customers, but it also requires dealerships to have a more robustly trained customer service and sales team to ensure that they can adequately serve these digital customers. Rather than relying on their traditional sales methods, they need to develop sales methods for customers that aren’t on the lot like normal.
Custom Builds
With the current shortage of used vehicles, many more people than normal are buying new cars to keep their primary form of transportation, and they figure if they are spending that much money, they might as well get exactly what you want. In fact, some dealerships report that their custom or build-to-order car sales are up to a third of their sales now. Custom building a car is a little more expensive than normal, but when people have the money, they will often choose that option. As a dealership, you can benefit from this trend by educating and assisting potential customers with this process. While customers can customize their car online, for someone newer to this process, it can be helpful to walk through the customization with someone knowledgeable about their specific car and what each option means for them.
Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles are not as popular as some people may have hoped, but hybrid vehicles are a great option for the more environmentally conscious. Many car companies are prioritizing hybrid vehicles as a great option to improve vehicle efficiency and reduce their environmental impact. Consumers prefer hybrid cars because they are more efficient than regular gas cars, which is a huge win with the recent surge in gas prices. Electric vehicles are also enjoying a significant amount of popularity, even though the infrastructure needed to support them is still in the early stages. Hybrid cars are a good step in the right direction while the needed infrastructure is created.
More Connectivity
These days, it is standard for cars to come with connected systems, such as driving assistance and remote emergency services. Many car companies also provide apps that customers can use to remotely activate their cars, provide information about needed maintenance and recalls, and provide other help. As a dealership, you can also use technology to connect to the used cars that you have on the lot to understand the condition they are in and monitor any needed repairs, so they are ready to sell whenever someone wants to buy them. Smart cars are becoming more common, and the information they provide the car companies can also give the dealerships an edge in understanding car purchasing patterns and determining prices.
Understanding the future of the automotive industry and how that affects your dealership is important to ensure that you are prepared to take advantage of all of these changes. They can be positive changes, but they require you to adapt to the future. Make sure you look into these trends in more depth to understand what you need to do and how your dealership can ensure that you are at the top of your game for your customers.
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As the COO | Partner of Phone Ninjas, Chris delivers leadership, coaching, and mentorship to 55 team members providing software sales and phone skills coaching. He fosters powerful partnerships and collaborations with leaders across various business sectors, establishing expectations, communicating vision, and escalating performance to maximize productivity and effectiveness.
Chris is an innovation-driven business executive with over 25 years of experience delivering leadership to teams of up to 75 overseeing development, launch, and sale of website lead acquisition, reconditioning process software systems, and technology that support automotive dealerships across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
