Starting your own car dealership is a great idea! Whether you have taken the plunge or you are just thinking about it, it is an exciting prospect. Maybe you love cars, or maybe you have noticed an opportunity in the industry - either way here are a few keys for your new dealership. 

• Offer customers buying and servicing options 
• Manage interactions with customers effectively
• Hire a few introverts

Offer customers buying and servicing options 

Gone are the days of buyers spending a lot of time at the dealership. Car shoppers watch reviews on YouTube, they use manufacturer website shopping tools, and they read online about their options. A successful car dealership has to offer a wide range of buying options, and service options if you have, or plan to have, a service department.¹ 

Customers want dealerships that will bring cars to them for test-drives or give them virtual tours. They want dealerships with attractive, easy-to-use websites, and they want to be able to complete much of the buying process from home. Being able to meet these needs is absolutely necessary to becoming a successful dealership. 

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Manage interactions with customers effectively

Obviously you need to manage relationships and interactions with customers and potential buyers in a car dealership. Yet how to do so effectively is much harder than knowing it matters. Digital tools and software are the new keys to making strong connections and lasting relationships with your customers and potential buyers.² 

It is important to get started with software and digital tools that will work for you now, and that will work for you as your business grows.³ So making the best choice as you get started is vital. Dealerpull Dealer Management Software (DMS) offers solutions that allow you to easily and effectively integrate data about sales, inventory, and customers:

• Sales management software allows you to view all costs and profits, print bills of sale or carfax reports, and use a virtual showroom to share photos, pricing details and payments with customers. 
  

• Inventory management software includes a VIN decoder, a one-of-a-kind digital garage register, and the ability to feed your inventory to 3rd party listing providers so that the cars you have are getting a wide audience. 
  

• Customer relations management (CRM) software helps you organize test-drives, walk-ins, and online leads easily. Leads can be assigned to sales staff, and customer profiles can be created and updated effortlessly. 

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Hire a few introverts

A team of staff with a variety of personality types will improve results. You want extroverts on your team for sure, as they are the people people, the snappy dressers shoppers remember. But one of the types often overlooked in the automotive industry is the introvert. 

Introverts often manage the behind the scenes aspects of dealerships very effectively. They are focused on information, often having answers to even the most specific customer questions. And they tend to notice inefficiencies, helping to improve your dealership in the small ways that add up to big improvements.⁴

Make sure not to hide your introverts, thinking that they should only work from behind closed doors. Some customers are happier with a salesperson who is quietly inviting and accommodating. And a happy customer is more likely to make a purchase. 

Best of luck with your car dealership, though you won’t need luck if you offer customers options for buying and servicing, manage customer relations effectively, and hire a few introverts. 

1. Automotive Dealerships Insights
2. The Future of Auto Retail: Creating Connected Experiences by Brian Chee
3. Blog - Spotting the Red Flags in Your CRM
4. Blog - Hire Introverts to Increase Sales