The past few years have been challenging for dealerships, as sales of new car inventory plummeted due to pandemic-driven supply chain challenges and chip shortages. 

However, as manufacturing recovers, new cars will reappear on the lot, and dealers must revise their marketing strategies to address consumer demands for increased digitization and faster, more efficient in-person sales experiences. 

This article outlines seven steps dealers should consider for selling new car inventory. 

Selling New Car Inventory: 7 Strategies

1. Design a Marketing Campaign 

First, a well-thought-out and effective marketing strategy is critical to promoting the dealer’s brand and attracting quality online leads. 

Although specific marketing strategies may differ from dealership to dealership, all marketing campaigns should include core components, which might consist of the following: 

• A responsive and user-friendly website  
• Social media platforms 
• SEO-focused content 
• Email marketing campaigns 
  
  

2. Set the Right Tone 

First impressions are critical to closing deals. Sales teams must appear knowledgeable and professional when prospective buyers enter the showroom. 

Setting the right tone often comes down to the following:  

• Personal appearance 
• Attitude 
• Tone 
• Respect 

Representatives should dress and groom appropriately and present a cheerful attitude. They must also offer the highest levels of respect for the customer, including answering all questions thoughtfully and practicing patience. 

3. Personalize the Sales Approach 

Sales teams must never forget that no two customers are the same. Selling a vehicle to a single young female will significantly differ from selling one to a large family. 

Dealers must ensure that sales reps have received the training to get to know each customer, understand their unique needs, and adjust their sales strategy, as necessary. 

4. Provide Backup Options 

Sales teams often run into situations where potential buyers request to test drive a specific make and model that recently sold out. In many cases, the sales team does not offer an alternative (assuming the customer is uninterested in a similar model), and the customer moves to another dealership. 

Dealers can mitigate these quality lead losses by preparing to discuss backup options. The right inventory management system helps sales teams match those customers to current inventory in real-time. 

5. Avoid Questions With “No” Responses 

Sales teams should limit how many questions they ask that can lead to a “no” response. 

Instead, they should ask the customer questions about their requirements and preferences. 

More specifically, dealers might ask the following: 

• What type of vehicle are you looking for? 
• What do you like and dislike about your current one? 
• What are your “must-haves”? 
• What are your deal-breakers? 

Dealers should ensure that staff are familiar with a handful of these open-ended inquiries. 

6. Mention Incentives Right Away 

All dealers should understand the importance of sales, promotions, and special offers when looking for added ways to sell new car inventory. Consumers in any industry want to believe they are receiving a good deal, and offering attractive incentives is often an effective means to make them feel confident about their purchase. 

However, incentives are only helpful if customers know of them. As such, dealers should train sales representatives to inform every potential customer of these deals when they arrive on the lot. 

7. Remember to Follow Up 

A crucial step in selling new car inventory is the follow-up. Sales teams should prepare a thorough response immediately after a customer contacts the dealership for details on a specific vehicle.  

Again, this is another instance where the right inventory management software can significantly increase productivity. 

Selling New Car Inventory Requires the Best Data-Driven Solutions 

For many dealers, selling new car inventory will require revamping their sales process, which should include some (if not all) of the abovementioned strategies. Customers demand a streamlined and efficient purchasing journey in today’s digital world, and those dealers who adopt these concepts should outpace competitors. 

However, maximizing the results of these efforts is only possible with the industry’s best retargeting software that finds potential customers, leads them to your website, and matches them with the vehicle of their choice. 

Contact us today and discover how Audience Activator can help you sell more new cars by redirecting consumers to your website and matching those leads with vehicles on your lot.