In today’s fast paced and interconnected world, it’s more important than ever to understand a customer’s needs and wants before they arrive at your dealership. And while customer wish lists can give you this insight, knowing the vehicles your customers want will only help you make more sales if you have those vehicles in your dealership inventory. According to a recent Cox Automotive survey, 60% of car buyers look for their vehicles online but only 41% actually buy from the first dealership they visit because the vehicle they want isn’t in stock.
A Customer-Centric Sourcing Strategy
Imagine how many sales are lost simply by not being prepared to meet customer demand. But with the right tools, you can implement a customer-centric sourcing strategy that improves your dealership’s inventory management efficiency and your customers’ buying experience. And integrations between your dealership’s CRM and inventory management software can enable you to source vehicles proactively, not reactively.
When Your Customers Wish Upon a Car
Through interactions with your dealership and your dealership’s website, your customers can create their own personal wish lists. And when your inventory management software and CRM are connected, you can use these wish lists to build your dealership inventory based on your customer’s actual needs and wants. For example, you can know when a vehicle under appraisement matches one on your customer’s wish list, so that you can adjust appraisal pricing based on customer demand. That way, you can shift your focus from finding a buyer for the vehicle to finding a buyer’s ideal price point.
When your inventory management system and CRM are integrated, you can also use customer wish lists to identify relevant vehicles at the dealership, including those coming through your service lane. Sourcing from your service lane is always a good inventory management strategy. But when your CRM and your inventory management software are integrated, you can get real-time inbound service appointment alerts to make proactive offers on customers’ vehicles. And you can fulfill the wish of a promising new lead looking for a particular car. This proactive approach to inventory management creates efficiencies in sourcing and can lead to increased customer satisfaction.
Give Your Customers What They Wish For
A customer’s wish list is a great tool, but to get the most out of it, you need to build vehicle procurement and dealership inventory strategies around it. And dealership software can facilitate that connection. By integrating vAuto Provision with Connect CRM, you can be proactive in your sourcing to create a cyclic flow of the vehicles your customers want. You can create upsell opportunities for new vehicles, buy back used vehicles and resell vehicles to relevant customers. With a robust sales and sourcing integration, like the one between Connect CRM and vAuto Provision, you’ll get the necessary insights into what customers want and how to get that perfect vehicle to them.
