There’s no doubt that carsales does a great job of helping dealers sell cars, but the most successful dealers on our platform do more than tick the boxes.
“The goal of every dealer should be to get their cars to market efficiently, with 100% ad health and a market-targeted price from day one,” says Ren Blanning, Head of Dealer Growth.
“Doing this takes investment in both the right resources and the right processes… And above all, organisational commitment.”
Blanning, a veteran of senior management positions in Australian car dealerships, as well as national roles at OEMs and financial services, shares the five brilliant basics the very best dealers embed into their organisations’ standard operating procedures. Here are her insights:
1. PUBLISH A MINIMUM OF 20 PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS
When it comes to professional photos, get creative and tailor them to the target consumer for the car.
“It goes without saying that all photos should be of exceptional, Instagram-like quality. But it’s just as critical to stand out from the crowd and showcase some real wow factor— pulling both logical and emotional levers where relevant to the target consumer of the vehicle,” says Blanning.
“In essence, your photos and the features you show off need to change depending on the vehicle.”
“For ‘practical’ and ‘A to B’ type vehicles, you must showcase how the inventory item makes a consumer’s life better.
“Take a small or medium-sized SUV targeted at young couples or families for example—it’s essential to showcase the size of the boot and the car’s ability to carry a pram, shopping or a couple of suitcases,” Blanning says.
“Photos advertising a performance car targeted at an auto enthusiast must showcase the more emotional elements of the vehicle, such as the engine bay, exhaust pipes, wheels, steering wheel, and shifter.”
The number of hybrids and electric vehicles for sale on carsales is steadily increasing. Buyers of these vehicles may look for different features than that shopping traditional petrol or diesel-powered inventory.
“Tech-savvy and ‘green’ car shoppers considering hybrids and electric vehicles need to see the set of features that are specific to these types of vehicles – think infotainment screens that show battery charge, power consumption data, different drive modes such as one-pedal driving, and even the close-ups of interior fixtures and finishes that are
made from sustainable materials.”
Blanning also underlines the need to showcase the ‘nice to haves’ such as multiple sets of car keys, complete service logbooks, and even safety features such as reverse cameras and parking sensors.
HOT TIP: Ensure your best vehicle image appears first in the ad, such as a front ¾ angle.
2. DELIVER INSTANT ‘WOW FACTOR’ WITH VIDEO
Videos help to boost inventory ranking in a consumer’s relevant search results. In fact, on average, dealer inventory with video will generate 54% more detail page views.
“After professional photos, video is the next step to elevating your merchandising. Video gives your target consumer the opportunity to experience your inventory item virtually—
and fall in love with it,” says Blanning.
“Today’s car shoppers don’t want to sacrifice the latest technology and it’s these key features that can make more of an impact via video, versus a photo.”
“Tech features such as Car Play, reverse cameras, blind-spot monitoring, and lane assist are highly valued by car shoppers, so ensure that you bring these key selling points to life with video.”
HOT TIP: Use subtitles or captions so viewers can engage with the video without sound.
3. PUBLISH VEHICLE-SPECIFIC COMMENTS
“Good marketing is tailored to the target buyer. It’s what consumers expect in 2021—and car buyers are no exception,” says Blanning.
“Vehicle-specific comments are now a non-negotiable and dealers should take inspiration from the comments sections of real estate listings. These talk up the merits of the property and how the features of the property will enrich the life of the buyer, not the real estate agency.”
“Stating that your business is family-owned, in place of talking about the vehicle for sale and its key features and benefits, adds no value.”
Blanning suggests dealers embrace a consistent strategy across their inventory for sale.
“Start with a strong call-to-action that highlights the most compelling reason to buy this inventory item as opposed to the same vehicle sold by another dealer—whether it’s immaculate condition, low kilometers, accident-free history, long warranty or long registration.”
“Then highlight the key features of the inventory and, following that, why your business is the best place to buy from—this is the place to mention your own extended warranty, attractive finance packages, extended test drives, aftersales packages, and other services.”
HOT TIP: Use bullet points for key vehicle features and descriptive words to illustrate the positive benefits the vehicle will deliver the buyer. Examples include ‘Cut your fuel costs in half with efficient and zippy Hybrid power’ or ‘Enjoy work commutes and road trips in complete comfort and style with heated leather seats, sunroof, and dual-zone climate control.’
4. MAKE YOUR INVENTORY ITEM THE ‘EASY’ CHOICE
“Delivering peace of mind is key to winning a sale, in particular with used cars,” says Blanning.
“Then highlight the key features of the inventory and, following that, why your business is the best place to buy from—this is the place to mention your own extended warranty, attractive finance packages, extended test drives, aftersales packages, and other services.”
“Car buyers love details that put them at ease about the car’s history and condition. RedBook Inspect reports, for example, can help alleviate concerns around inventory condition,” Blanning says.
Blanning also notes the benefits of dealers marking eligible stock as Certified Pre-Owned where applicable. carsales data suggests CPO vehicles attract leads from highly qualified buyers and deliver the potential for dealers to realise higher sales margins.
“Consumers love the peace of mind of additional warranty, roadside assist, and a thorough technician inspection check delivered by a CPO vehicle,” Blanning explains.
Volkswagen Group Australia is the latest brand to launch a collaborative CPO program with carsales, empowering its dealer network to brand eligible vehicles as CPO in front of Australia’s largest car-buying audience.
Blanning also reminds dealers not to forget about the “fiddly details.”
“For car dealers, don’t forget to check that your DMS is pushing VIN, the engine, the rego, and stock number to AutoGate, to automatically populate your listings on carsales. This information helps build trust in your inventory item and business, through additional transparency.”
5. PRICE IT RIGHT, FIRST TIME’
Blanning advises dealers to adopt a market-targeted pricing strategy backed by real-time insights. Slow selling vehicles can severely impact sales margins and profitability.
“For car dealers, this strategy is possible when equipped with a holistic, real-time view of the car market, such as that provided by LiveMarket.”
And in an exciting new development, LiveMarket is an add-on report designed to deliver an executive-level overview of a dealer’s used car performance, in addition to an exception report specifically for frontline staff to action.
“LiveMarket helps dealers understand their inventory’s performance and stock mix—at a glance,” says Blanning.
“Measuring inventory performance is a key avenue to accelerating stock turnover and realising additional efficiencies through transparent overnight of frontline activity. I’m very excited about the benefits that LiveMarket will deliver dealers.”
For more information about LiveMarket, get in touch here.
Also consider the following:
1. Promoting your inventory to appear higher in consumer search results to generate more exposure
2. Adding badges to champion your key ‘virtual’ showroom services via Dealer badges
3. Attaching weekly finance repayment estimates, enabling an attractive offer to be a key selling point for an inventory item
4. Leveraging positive customer sentiment and reviews via Dealer reviews
recently showcased the newly-opened Komatsu Innovation Hub in Wacol to a group of Year 9 and 10 Future Leaders in a bid to inspire a future generation of mining and construction professionals. Komatsu has been a strong supporter of the Clontarf Foundation for a number of years. The non-profit organisation assists in the education and employment of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and more broadly works to improve discipline, life skills and self-esteem.
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