As with any business, finding and reaching new customers is a challenge. Especially when you are new in a market. Fortunately for most dealers, your dealership has been around for years and is highly visible in the community. So a lot of people likely already know about your dealership.
But that doesn’t mean they know what a great customer experience you provide. They would only know this if they have done business with you. And if someone they know and trust raves about their experience doing business with you, then that advocacy can go a long way for you.
Most people do not think of their local dealership as a place to sell their vehicle unless they are trading it in to buy from you. So unless you are creating great customer experiences with the individual private sellers you are dealing with, you will not benefit from the best form of advertising - word of mouth.
What is the most effective way for reaching new sellers?
Aaron Gomez from ProSale Nation in Houston says his company benefits almost entirely from word of mouth advertising. “Word of mouth,” he says, “is absolutely 10 times more powerful than anything I can explain. We engage lots of customers and based on that world-class customer service experience we got a tremendous amount of referrals.”
And that’s just it - world-class customer service. We talk about it all the time, but you have to demonstrate your ability to provide a great customer experience.
“A lot of times we get focused on a tremendous amount of analytics but, it's still the car business. I believe that seeing somebody and being happy and being positive is going to result in more automotive sales.”
Asked if this strategy is unique to his business since ProSale does not operate a traditional brick and mortar or lot of any sort, Gomez responds, “These are things that anyone who's been in the automotive space understands. A lot of referral business comes from great customer interaction.”
So take it from a true professional. The best way to reach new private party sellers is to ensure they have a truly great friction-free experience doing business with you so that they are inspired to let their friends and family know.
You work hard to reach new sellers, and you want to be sure you are treating them better than anyone else they might also be considering.