Happy New Year to our dealers, business partners and industry friends

So what’s the game-changer for the auto industry in 2019?

PERSONALIZED SHOPPING

The #1 thing on your customer’s mind when they are buying a car is affordability, right?

The goal is to quickly show them cars in inventory that meet their monthly budget and creditworthiness using a one-to-one personalized shopping experience.

Hoping your website visitors find the right vehicle by browsing your inventory listings using Digital Retailing is not enough to generate more sales. By starting with their credit, customers see only the vehicles and financing options for which they actually qualify. This moves them faster down the purchase funnel by eliminating unnecessary website complexity and providing a one-to-one shopping experience, customers can engage in a way that is personally relevant to them.

“But I’m already showing monthly payments on my website using Digital Retailing.” OK, but are the payments really personalized?  Meaning, are they based on a real credit bureau, real finance rates & rules, real pricing, real trade-in equity, in real-time?

FACT: If you’re Digital Retailing solution is quoting monthly payments, that are NOT based on real credit and your E-Price, you are losing shoppers to webrooming.

Webrooming? YUP! It’s where a car buyer does their research on your website then goes to your competitor’s store and buys the vehicle. Webrooming is the main reason why buyers now only visit 1.5 dealers on average.

Nick Gorton, VP of Product Innovation with Edmunds says “Offering payments online …. may not hold as much value if consumers get a payment offer and simply use it to get a better deal somewhere else.”

WARNING: Quoting monthly payments to an unknown shopper on your website, using OEM MAP (Minimum Advertised Pricing), puts you at a disadvantage because payments you quote will be higher than what your competitor quotes the same shopper using his E-price.

You leave yourself open to claims of discriminatory lending if the interest rate you quote in-store is higher than what a shopper sees on your website when they “self credit”.

Inspire a PurchaseTM

Wow! That’s how customers feel when they experience real Personalized Shopping. They discover vehicles they didn’t know they could afford. They can comparison shop financing and inventory simultaneously in a way that is personalized so they feel confident moving forward with the purchase process. Personalized Shopping gives you the power to connect customers to your inventory in a unique way that will truly Inspire a Purchase™.

In 2017, Cars.com CEO Alex Vetter said “You’re going to see a lot more innovation here on being able to shop by payments.”

Melinda Zabritski, Experian’s senior director-automotive financial solutions, was quoted in a recent Wards Auto article, “Consumers are still monthly-payment driven – they’re shopping by payment.”

PERSONALIZED SHOPPING BENEFITS:

  1. You know who the shopper is, their purchase intentions, and their credit worthiness
  2. Quote shoppers real payments based on their real credit bureau and your E-Price
  3. Only show vehicles in your inventory shoppers can afford to buy
  4. Increase CTA engagement
  5. Higher than average close ratios
  6. Full spectrum credit buyers
  7. Enhances your Digital Retailing solution

Happy Customers, Happy Dealer

By transforming and personalizing the shopping experience, you’ll engage, surprise and delight customers – accelerating their movement through the shopping and buying processes. You’ll enhance your CSI scores, your online reviews, your sales volume, and your front and back-end gross. More deals, less work, no change in process, and customers with a smile!

Personalized Shopping IS the Game-Changing Experience for 2019!

Dealers: Learn more at www.ShopByPayment.com or by attending one of our FREE Lunch & Learns at a prestigious club in a city near you. The next one will be during NADA2019 on January 25th at the University Club of San Francisco in Nob Hill: https://shopbypayment.com/lunch-and-learn-nada-2019/

Industry Partners: I welcome your collaborative ideas on how we can work together to benefit dealers, car buyers and the industry.

If you’re attending the NADA 2019 convention this month, I would love to set up a time to meet and discuss partnership opportunities.

Tarry E. Shebesta, CEO
DriveItNow®
Digital Marketing / tru Shop-by-PaymentTM
Helping shoppers find the right car at the right payment®

Past President, National Vehicle Leasing Assoc (NVLA)
M: 513.200.5757 | Connect: LinkedIn | Follow: Twitter

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