Preparing Your Car Dealership for the Holiday Season
While it’s the most wonderful time of the year for retail sellers, the holiday season can be a slow time of year for car dealers. Many consumers are spending money on holiday gifts and travel rather than buying cars.
New and used car dealers can take advantage of the opportunity to market to car buyers during the holiday season by planning ahead. Here’s how:
- Plan your promotions and online outreach
Sitting down with your staff and putting together a solid game plan for promotional deals you want to offer is a great way to prepare for the holiday season and get more car buyers in your dealership. Customer outreach is another important factor to consider when putting together your holiday promotions plan. According to the 2019 Car Buyer Journey study from Cox Automotive, car buyers devote 61 percent of their time spent shopping for a car online. Keeping this in mind, you want to make sure your dealership has a strong online presence. - Polish up your website
Because your dealership’s website is the first impression many of your potential car buyers will have of your dealership, you want to make sure everything is accurate and up-to-date, from your inventory to your holiday hours. - Improve your customer experience
While drawing traffic to your dealership may be your top priority in order to achieve more car sales, it’s also important to ensure you provide a quality customer experience to every potential car buyer who walks through your doors. From having a friendly salesperson greet customers at the door to having a speedy Wi-Fi connection for car shoppers who use their mobile devices to compare vehicle pricing, the amenities you offer in your car dealership can make a huge difference in the experience you provide to customers and potential referrals. - Get involved in your community
Giving back to your local community during the holiday season (and beyond) is a great way for your business to build a positive reputation in your community.
Offering subprime auto financing through your dealership is another effective way to reach potential car buyers during the holiday season. Credit Acceptance offers a competitive auto financing program that empowers independent, franchise and BHPH car dealers to offer credit approval to everyone, regardless of credit history.
To learn more about the benefits of enrolling in the Credit Acceptance auto finance program, fill out the Become a Dealer form on our website.
