A car dealership is just like any other business—salespeople answer questions and concerns for customers who eventually buy the product (a vehicle). Then there’s paperwork, the customer leaves happily, and the business makes money—everyone wins.
Getting from Point A to Point B (in this case, getting a customer to purchase a vehicle) is the name of the game, but how you get there is what separates a failing company from a thriving company. Along the way, your business has to make smart decisions, and one of those decisions is the ability to know when and how to introduce technology. Here’s how your business can introduce new tech into your dealership.
Identify Where the Industry Is Going
Just like any industry, if you want to introduce new tech, then you need to see where the industry is going. Identify the latest trends. What type of technologies are other dealerships incorporating to make operations run smoother and also boost the customer experience? This research should take place on a local and national scale to keep up with all forms of competition and provide your customers with an even better service.
Figure Out What Your Customers Want
Every business is different and every customer base is different. Your customers might prefer to keep things old school by going to the dealer for all their wants, needs, and information. Or your customers might want the ability to start and finish the car-buying journey on your website. They might value 24/7 availability. They might want to reach you by phone, message, email, or other channels.
Your customers might be local and regional and you need to incorporate tech to meet the needs of both. Your local customers will drive their vehicles off the lot, but your regional customers will need the car shipped to them. An enclosed car transport allows you to transport cars over long distances, and it’s ideal for new cars, luxury cars, cars that will be shipped during bad weather, etc. This service/tech can help you expand your target audience. The key is figuring out what your customers want and implementing tech to help deliver it.
Research Tech That Will Make Your Business Better
Delivering what your customers want is one thing, but researching tech that will enhance your business will allow you to offer a more efficient service, as well as make your employees more productive. Where’s your business coming up short? If it’s marketing or sales, then research tech that can help in those departments.
Sales might be up and customer satisfaction at an all-time high, but there are still other areas that could use improvements. For example, security might be an issue and geofence could be the solution. A geofence is a location-based technology that draws a virtual border around a geographic area. Using tracking technology (such as GPS), the person monitoring a geofence can receive alerts when specific devices or assets enter or leave the area, increasing security and monitoring capabilities.
Figure out what your business needs and what tech will improve it. A good strategy is to list the benefits and disadvantages of the new tech, such as the cost of the tech vs. its effectiveness.
Discuss Changes With Your Staff and Teach Them How to Use New Tech
You’ve done the research and are ready to introduce new tech into your dealership. Whether your staff knows about the new tech or not, you should discuss the changes with them and teach them how to use it. Describe why this technology is important and how it will make their jobs easier and each individual more productive.
A conversation with your staff gives them the platform to ask any questions or concerns they might have. It also gives you the opportunity to teach them how to use the new tech and keep them in the loop, even if the new tech doesn’t change the way they do work. Keeping your staff informed will eliminate confusion and make your employees feel more involved. We hope these strategies can help you introduce new tech into your dealership with ease.
