5 Tips to Reopen your Dealership Effectively

We recommend that dealers ask themselves these 3 questions:

1 – Would you like to be part of the purchasing process for your customers when they are not in your dealership?

2 – Would you like to offer your customers the opportunity to buy a vehicle with few to no visits to your dealership? 

3 – Do you want to encourage your customers to use multi-channel purchasing and be present from the very start of their buying process?

If the answer is yes, then these tips should help your dealership quickly recover from the lockdown and secure a sustainable future.

“It’s now a question of treating customers who visit the dealership as “bebacks”. They have already done a lot of research and many know exactly which vehicle they want to buy. We also see that closing rates are very high in dealerships that have already reopened: up to 60 to 70% in some cases, compared to 15 to 20% before the pandemic*.”

“Vehicle buying habits have taken a big turn. For several years now, there has only been a singular purchasing process, whether it starts on the internet or in dealerships. Online vehicle searches have become commonplace. What was missing to switch to a 100% online purchase were the suitable tools to make it possible. With the SHOWROOM 360–V2 and DESKING 360 module, our customers now have all the cards in their hands to offer the shopping experience that corresponds to each individual by making the transition between online shopping and in dealerships more fluid.

Consumers are increasingly shopping online. In the current context, if you give them the opportunity to do so, they will benefit, that’s for sure.”

“It’s a race against the clock. All the dealerships of the same region are going to reopen at the same time. Transparency and ease of access to pricing information will be very large factors for success in the coming months. Expanding inventories along with changing manufacturers’ rebates will require the dealer body to be vocal in letting the buying public know what vehicles have rebates and favourable finance / lease options as quickly as possible.

We recommend that you take advantage of the visibility offered by online advertising offers as soon as possible. Since mid-May, the costs per click (CPC) have been much lower, but they will eventually go up. So now is the time to take advantage and get ahead of the competition.

The SHOWROOM 360-V2 module is perfectly suited to new purchasing behaviours and it is important to promote 100% online sales to buyers who want to spend as little time as possible in stores.

I believe that the dealers who maximize their operational efficiency will be best suited and prepared for the reopening. Our free Dash 360 dashboard comes packaged with our XMS Pro 360, allowing our dealer partners to quickly see all of their metrics and analytics for not only their website but for their advertising promotions, and campaign effectiveness in real time.

That real time information allows them to be more nimble with their strategies and allow them to pivot quickly, saving resources and time when it matters most.”

“It’s essential to quickly train team members who were absent during the closure on the new tools that have been installed. Also, don’t forget to explain to your team why new processes have been put in place and how they will benefit them, their customers, and the business. Success requires a collective commitment.

The 360.Agency teams are always available to support you at each stage of your business development. This will also curb staff turnover.”

“The implementation of tools adapted to the situation will allow you to meet the new needs of consumers:

Aside from our digital retailing suite, SHOWROOM 360, one of our most used tools is our TRADE 360 vehicle evaluation. It used to be that you wouldn’t take your car to the dealership unless you were buying one.

Today, with the way consumers have accelerated their use of technology during the lockdown, the use of TRADE 360 can be made even more effective by generating leads and engaging the customer in new ways. Adding to  that, 360.Agency uses the well-recognized and well-trusted Canadian Black Book for evaluations, it really gives the customer the trust and transparency from the dealer throughout the buying process.”

*Data collected on websites managed by 360.Agency, DASH 360, CRM Pro 360 and Google Analytics.

More data and pieces of advice on COVID-19:

• Strategies and Best Practices for a Successful Reopening – video
• CHAT 360: Support for Post-COVID-19 Recovery
• COVID-19: Are auto buyers turning to new technologies?
• Impact of Content Strategies on Organic Traffic During COVID-19 [Case Study]