The Seller Experience
Vehicle Acquisition Network is the leading dealership software solution in the industry for managing the private party acquisition process. But, we also assist dealers in creating strategies that make this process efficient and effective. Aside from our software, our performance management and training teams are focused on collaborating with dealers to become the trusted source of information and services for consumers selling vehicles in their market.
VAN is focused on helping improve consumer experience at dealerships in the United States, Canada and now Australia.
Vehicle acquisition services make Consumers lives easier
We believe dealerships that provide vehicle acquisition as a service are improving their value to consumers in their market. After all, selling a vehicle on your own is a difficult process that is time-consuming and difficult to manage as well as being potentially unsafe.
Similar to how finding the right real estate agent, accountant or even dry cleaners makes our lives easier, we believe having an advocate when it comes time to sell a vehicle is a great asset that makes consumers lives easier.
In our recent blog articles, we’ve been discussing becoming a seller advocate and ensuring that we let consumers know that we are a resource for them to make selling their vehicle a painless process.
Improving the perception of the seller experience
We’ve found that there are two key areas that assist in improving the perception of the seller experience at the dealership with regards to acquisitions.
1.Becoming a Seller’s Advocate
Being an advocate who offers the service of buying a consumer vehicle provides value and saves time and effort for the seller. Providing the sellers with information and a consultation not only puts a consumer at ease, it demonstrates you are a trusted advisor who is genuinely helping them sell their vehicle.
We’ve recently written about how some VAN dealers go about helping consumers by providing feedback on their vehicle descriptions. Giving them transparent market-based pricing and supplying them with vehicle valuation and history reports. Providing information that the consumer may not have been aware of about their vehicle.
All these value points demonstrate the value and give the consumer reassurance.
2. Educating Consumers Through Storytelling
When we provide the above information and demonstrate our willingness to assist consumers, it provides us with the opportunity to tell our story. Storytelling is the best method of communicating our value to private sellers.
Educating the consumer through storytelling brings the process to life in a way that expresses value as compared to making the process transactional. When we approach the consumer by telling them the story of why we are buying vehicles and how we assist them by being their advocate - we begin the process of building rapport and a relationship with the consumer.
We also have the opportunity to express how we have saved hundreds, if not thousands of consumers’ time, effort and made the process safer.
Providing a valuable experience for private sellers
Once we become aware that acquiring vehicles is a valuable service to provide consumers, we gain the ability to express that value through advocacy and storytelling. Then the entire seller experience becomes considerably more valuable to private sellers. Which in turn, increases our ability to reach, connect with and acquire more inventory.
Additionally, we never forget that today’s sellers are tomorrow’s buyers and improving the seller experience means that consumers will be more likely to come back and purchase their next vehicle from us in the future.