Selling cars in a small town is a whole new ball game. Small town-based car dealers have to forge relationships with car buyers while providing all-inclusive dealership services.
Selling cars in a big city is trouble-free. To make successful car sales,
big city-based car dealerships rely on marketing and expert-level selling
tactics to increase sales.
Although global car sales are expected
to plunge by around 13% in 2022, car dealers in small towns are embracing
different ways to make the most of car sales.
So, how do you sell cars in a small town? Here are four tips to explore.
1. Socialize More
Sales representatives of big city-based car dealerships meet and greet
customers once they walk into the car lot.
Dealerships based in small towns do much more. They go to where potential
customers are (in the community, that is) and then introduce themselves and
what they do.
They also visit local spots where the population mostly hangs out,
including high school sporting events, women’s groups, and restaurants. The
idea is to socialize with the town’s residents and create more connections.
And once they get to know and trust you, selling cars to them will become second nature. Small-town residents prefer to buy from someone they know and like.
2. Be Consistent with Prices
In small towns, residents know and talk to each other. As a dealership,
create a consistent pricing policy for customers because they’ll talk to each
other and expect to receive a similar “deal” when buying a car from you.
For this reason, you need to hold more profit than city dealerships can
take, but don’t take advantage of the easy, high-profit
customers.
Be open and explain your car prices to your small-town customers, and how
it benefits your dealership both in the long and short term.
So, ensure to offer non-negotiable deals though you can create room for a small negotiation to make your customers feel like they won a discount—but don’t give discounts on your sales price.
3. Sell Your Services
When a small-town car buyer buys a car, they also buy your entire
dealership services.
So introduce yourself, the cashier, and the department manager to
potential customers whenever they buy a car. The gesture makes customers feel
more important, making it easy for them to bring in their car for service or
recommend your services.
Forging long-term relationships is the recipe for selling cars in small towns. Instead of just putting up a quality car stock photo on your dealership's site, sell your services more.
4. Follow Up
Touch base with your existing customers regularly. Remember you’re now
part of the community, so whenever something special happens like a birthday or
special event in town, send out a card or make an effort to attend.
Be wonderful around your customers and make them feel like they can
recommend a friend or family member to you without flinching.
If customers like you, they’ll refer you to their families and friends as
well. And whenever a customer trades in their car, makes calls to potential
customers that might take an interest in the offer. Remember to follow up on
your customers regularly.