How Car Dealers Can Attract and Sell the Millennial Buyer
In 2015, I attended a meeting where I observed an “expert” on Millennial Buyers as he addressed a gathering of dealer principals. This “expert” was himself a Millennial, so the OEM who paid five figures to arrange for this “training” felt as if they were giving their dealers everything they needed to know straight from the horse’s mouth.
(I write “expert” and “training” in quotes to indicate that this meeting included neither.)
Halfway into his speech, the Millennial had all the dealer principals furiously taking notes as shared this gem:
“… and, more than anything else, Millennial Buyers want all the information before arriving on your lot so that they can make an informed decision.”
Mind: Blown
“Shut the front door!” I thought. “All the information? … so that they can make an informed decision?”
“Holy crap, this was some groundbreaking stuff, right?”
Not even close; but this “revelation” did confirm what I’ve always known: It’s not about the Millennial Buyer; it’s about the Connected Buyer. You see, everyone today wants all the information before they arrive on your lot so that they can make an informed decision. I mean, who wouldn’t want to make an informed decision when buying a car?
The reason they want “all the information” is because they can get it. It’s available. It’s easy to find. It doesn’t matter if they’re a Millennial or Baby Boomer, every connected customer today wants all the information so that they can make an informed decision.
Millennial Studies are Stupid
Every generation believes those succeeding them are not only lazy, but will be the downfall of all humanity. Don’t believe me? Try this quote on for size:
“Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company; gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers.”
If not for the archaic language, you might think the author was speaking about Millennials. Actually, these words were uttered a couple millennia before Millennials existed. Socrates said this about the youth of his time, circa 400 BC.
Kids haven’t changed, technology has. The access to information has changed, not the people. Of course, because of these changes, it’s become critical for automotive dealers to learn how to attract and sell the connected buyer.
The Connected Customer
Connected customers expect you to deliver quality in a timely manner and without any attitude thrown in. They expect you to value their time and they’re not happy about that 3-hour+ ordeal you call a Road-to-the-Sale.
They want transparent pricing and they want transparent processes. The good news is that they’re willing to pay more for a great experience. And, contrary to popular belief, a good percentage of connected customers will complete lead forms, they will pick up the phone and call you – they just need you to tell them what to do.
Of course, there is much more to attracting and selling today’s connected customers than can possibly be shared in a single article; in fact, more than can even be shared in a single video webcast! So, we’ve recorded two extremely important lessons for you and your team where you will learn everything you need to know to attract and sell the connected buyer:
PART 1 – Attract & Sell The Millennial Buyer
PART 2 – Attract & Sell The Millennial Buyer
The great news is that these video lessons are always 100% free!
Don’t be the only dealer in your market who doesn't watch these important lessons…
Good selling!
Original article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/millennial-studies-stupid-steve-stauning
