For some of your customers, buying a car can be an unpleasant experience simply because of their gender. While your staff likely strive to create a welcoming vehicle purchase experience for every customer, it’s important to be aware of how old-fashioned dealership stereotypes are still affecting female car shoppers—and know what you can do to overhaul your sales processes for the better.

We surveyed women who recently purchased from a dealership to uncover pain points in the sales process, so you can utilize these valuable insights to shift gears from outdated stigmas to exceptional experiences that build trust and loyalty with every customer.

Ending the Car-Buying Stigmas and Empowering Your Customers

A Woman’s Perspective on the Car-Buying Experience

According to our recent consumer survey, one in eleven female vehicle purchasers feel as though they were treated less fairly because of their gender. Some of the ways this was portrayed:

• 53% felt as though they were not taken seriously
• 34% felt they were not offered the same discounts and paid more for their vehicle
• 31% felt as though the salesperson was condescending
• 16% of women were ignored before a salesperson acknowledged them

Many female car shoppers also felt pressured or rushed through the vehicle purchase process, with reasons that included:

• Time constraints, such as the dealership closing soon or being urged to sign papers quickly
• Pushy sales tactics, including persistent attempts to close the deal rapidly, often with mentions of limited-time offers or discounts
• Lack of transparency regarding promotions, vehicle availability, or warranty coverage, leading to feelings of pressure to accept without clear explanation
• Disregard for preferences, with customers feeling rushed through negotiations or pushed to agree to terms beyond their preferences or financial limits
• Condescending behavior from staff, particularly evident during negotiations or when expressing hesitation or concerns

These elements of the shopping experience led many female car buyers to feel nervous, frustrated, and annoyed throughout the sales process—certainly not an experience that will encourage customers to leave a positive review or return for service.

How to Finetune the Shopping Experience for Female Buyers

1. Empower Through Information

Many car shoppers research extensively before visiting a dealership to buy a car (including reading online reviews). You can cater to this by providing a user-friendly website with clear pricing, detailed vehicle information, and online tools for trade-in vehicle valuation and pre-approving financing.

2. Approach the Sale with Respect

It’s time to ditch the high-pressure tactics and condescending explanations. Train salespeople to actively listen and avoid speaking over the customer, understand individual needs rather than pushing features, and focus on building trust through genuine communication and product knowledge.

3. Invest in Time-Saving Tech

No one wants to feel their time isn’t valued, whether they experience a rushed vehicle purchase process or long wait times. Help streamline your showroom activities by offering online scheduling for test-drives, and expedite the deal with digital tools for completing paperwork electronically.

4. Create a Welcoming Environment

Design a comfortable and inviting atmosphere in your dealership with amenities such as a children’s play area, comfortable seating, and refreshments. You can also improve the shopping experience by including women on your sales team to assist customers who may feel more comfortable interacting with a female.

Break the Stereotypes with Smart Strategies

Even with the latest processes and advanced services, your business won’t succeed without satisfied customers. By prioritizing the customer experience you offer, with highly trained staff, a welcoming environment, and streamlined sales processes, you’ll be able to stand apart from the competition, build a positive brand, and establish loyal customer relationships.

If you’re in need of a solution to simplify sales, Affinitiv XRM can help. Our fully integrated CRM is designed by dealers to help you monitor all showroom activity in real time, stay on top of your third-party leads, wirelessly manage customer data, and cut deal times in half with professional electronic paperwork. To find out more, contact us today for your live demo.

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