When COVID-19 began, many were hopeful that it would be a blip in our year. Maybe this would last 2 weeks and then would blow over. As we now see how COVID-19 has continued, peaked, gotten better, peaked again (the rollercoaster continues), there is a realization that some changes we made in our dealerships during the first part of the pandemic are not going away.
The question is, how do you effectively get that messaging out to your customers? How do you share the new initiatives you have put in place and the processes that are now there to help them feel safe, secure, and valued as customers?
Here are a few ways to assist with the actual message and process, and then how to best share this information with current and potential customers.
Process
There are serious process changes that have occurred since March that will most likely be part of the way we do business moving forward. Suddenly every dealership realized they must have some form of a digital retailing tool. Dealers saw the need for online functionality at a greater level than ever before. At home test drives, which may have been previously discouraged, are now not only encouraged, but becoming more popular as people want to shop, but are also trying to be socially distant. Pick up and delivery options in service are also no longer a novelty but the norm.
The processes listed below are ones that the majority of dealerships that we consult with implemented in March and are perfecting as the year continues.
Processes that you need to have in place:
This new (or not-so-new) process that we have in place will be integral for not only moving forward, but excelling in the second half of 2020. Customers have shown that they want to purchase vehicles. They have stated that they are not as comfortable with mass transit and the ride-share option at the moment. All of this is good for automotive. But they have also stated that they are unsure of how safe they feel in public places. You may have all of the above options available for potential and current customers, but if you are not effectively advertising these and letting the public know, then they may as well not even be in place.
Messaging
With all of these additions/changes/ enhancing of process, how are you relaying this to consumers? There are a ridiculous number of ways you can communicate with current and potential consumers, and all of these elements are key in letting the public know that you are open, your sanitization process is on point, and that you will meet the customer where they are comfortable.
Your website is your first means of communication with your customer. Use this platform to ensure the customers know how you are open, that you offer specific options, what your service sanitization process is, their waiting options in service, etc… But your website is not your only platform to disseminate information. Here are some quick ways to ensure all that you are doing can be known by the public.
We work with thousands of dealerships all across the country, and we understand that one size does not fit all in the current situation the world is in. Depending on where you are, you could be removed from many of the issues of COVID-19, or you could be right in the middle of it. But what you need to remember is that your website and marketing efforts reach more than just your backyard, and taking a moment to share what you are doing at the store-level could possibly bring in more customers and help sell more cars.
What Now?