While the automotive industry has changed a lot in the last few years, and a lot of the old ways of doing things no longer apply, there are still some tried and tested tactics that can bring you success in your quest for a new or used car.

1. Establish Your Authority

Just like any other industry, the car sales world is littered with terms and phrases that the layperson doesn’t understand but the car person does. To give you an edge, define these terms in your business documents and contracts and don’t be shy to use them! For example, define a trade agreement (TADA) as a legally binding contract between two or more parties that outlines the terms and conditions of the car purchase.

In addition to establishing the authority to use these terms, you can also use them to your advantage. Instead of using ‘certified pre-owned’ (CPO) as a synonym for ‘pre-owned’, define it as ‘a vehicle that has passed a detailed inspection conducted by a professional mechanic’, and use it in your business communication. For example, when inquiring about a vehicle, instead of using ‘preferred provider’ or ‘PP&L’, define it as ‘a vendor who has agreed to provide services at preferential rates’. The same goes for ‘new vehicle pricing’, define it as ‘the price agreed upon between a buyer and seller before any negotiations take place’, and use it whenever possible.

Establishing your authority in this way will give you the upper hand in almost every situation, and could mean the difference between closing a deal or not. Remember, your customer (or potential customer) knows exactly what these terms mean, while the person on the other end of the phone (or email) doesn’t.

2. Generate More Leads

You can’t move vehicles without generating at least a few leads, but the converse is also true – you can’t generate quality leads without moving cars. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to generate more leads with little to no extra effort, and the better your lead generation strategy, the more likely you are to close a deal. A well-honed strategy will convert online and offline leads into customers, and help you build a large and loyal following.

The first step in this process is understanding what makes a good lead and how to identify these potential customers. The main thing to look for is a warm introduction to the automobile industry, either through a family member, friend, or colleague. If you’re really struggling to find the right leads, try looking on social media platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as forums like Reddit and Quora, to see what other people are saying about your industry and what you can do to benefit from it.

You can also use your blog to drive traffic to your car sales portal. Create a blog post about a trending car topic, like electrification or artificial intelligence, and encourage your readers to visit your site for more information. If you’re doing this through an affiliate program, you can also earn a commission when a reader clicks a commercial link or buys a product that’s promoted on your blog. The choice is yours. You can automate the process by setting up an affiliate program with your preferred vendor and management software, or you can do it manually.

3. Identify The Leads’ Objectives And Reasons For Cruising Your Website

The next step in your customer journey is to identify the exact reasons why these leads came to your site in the first place, and what you can do to persuade them to make a purchase. Like any other lead, the leads that come to your site have specific objectives in mind, and different motivations, so you need to understand what these are.

These objectives can be categorized into various groups, like price, features, quality, etc., and each one has a score that can be used to quantify how important it is to the lead. If you know the answers to these questions, you can use them to your advantage by tailoring your pitch and web content to match their needs. For instance, if pricing is important to a lead, you can highlight deals that are particularly good for them.

Sometimes leads will come to your site to check out a specific model, and in these cases, your job is to convince them that certain features or amenities, like cruise control, are worth paying for. To do this, you can place a value on these features and amenities, and highlight how they’ll improve their lives. In some cases, the features and amenities are so important to a lead, they’ll even pay a little more than they normally would for the same model.

4. Close The Deal

So you found a lead, made a compelling case for them to get in touch, and once they’re interested, you’ve got them in the door. Now, you need to move them to a stage where they’re ready to make a purchase, and this is where things can get a little tricky. This is where psychology and tradecraft, the art and science of car sales, can come into play. With a little bit of effort, you can get these customers to walk out of the dealership with their hands full.

When a lead comes to your site, take the time to get to know them a little better. Learn their name, where they’re from, and what their goals are, both short and long term. This will help you tailor your sales approach and make them feel like a valued customer. At this point, you can also ask them if they’ve seen the latest news articles or social media posts about your industry, and get their opinion on things. You’re not selling cars to strangers anymore; you’re selling them to individuals you’ve established some level of trust with.

The better you get to know your leads, the easier it will be to close the deal. If you do your job well, these customers will be buying cars from you time and time again.