Jan 2 2013
In the effort to turn a lead into a car sale, the most important thing a used car dealer can do is inspire trust. The customer buying the vehicle is considering an expensive purchase, and is looking for reliability and predictability in the automobile they seek to buy. More then likely, they are also a little distrustful of the sales process and looking for ways to "protect" themselves from getting taken advantage of.
The best way for the dealer to create trust is by providing information. The more complete and accurate the information a company can offer about a vehicle, the more confidence a potential customer will have that they are being dealt with fairly and honestly. When a buyer feels they can trust a used car dealer, they are much more likely to follow through with a purchase. In addition, providing valuable vehicle details will make the used vehicle listings stand out and convert at a higher rate. Dealers can provide this important content in their listings by using a VIN database to display detailed and accurate vehicle data, especially in their online inventory listings.
When a shopper interested in buying a used car looks through newspaper ads or online listings, he might find two ads offering the same make and model of car, made in the same year, and even the same color. But if one ad offers only those few facts, and the other listing describes the vehicle's more valuable features, such as a sunroof, GPS, bluetooth, or crash-test scores the shopper will usually pursue the car that they know more about. A driver interested in purchasing a used car wants as much information as possible about the vehicle, and in the above description, the first car is an unknown. If the vehicle has had improvements or repairs that make it safer or more reliable, including that information in the car's listing also makes it much more attractive to potential buyers.
As mentioned earlier, for a car dealer one of the most important uses for a vehicle's VIN data is to cultivate trust in the customer. Decoding the VIN for accurate and detailed information about the car allows dealers to write ad copy with useful and truthful vehicle descriptions. As a result, customers get exactly what they expect to get when they come in to buy the car. Many car shoppers have "must-have" features that draw them to ads promising those traits in a vehicle; if the car has the described features, putting that information in the advertisement has significantly improved the dealer's chances of a sale. Conversely, if the information is wrong, the customer goes away unhappy and is likely to share their unhappy experience with others.
Dealers having the ability to access vehicle data on all their cars, through a VIN database, makes every stage of the selling process easier and more likely to result in a successful sale and a happy customer. When a driver starts looking for a used car, one of their first steps is to ask family, friends, and coworkers for recommendations of honest and reliable dealerships. Providing complete and accurate vehicle information, drawn from a VIN database, in online inventory listings, helps dealers advertise and sell used vehicles that don't have unwelcome surprises. The more a customer knows about a vehicle when they become a lead, the more likely that lead will result in a sale. Further, providing accurate and detailed vehicle data creates transparency for the customer and generates trust, which is an excellent way increase word-of-mouth advertising and referrals from your customers.
Any company that handles a large volume of vehicles can benifit from incorporating VIN decoding into their business processes. However, automotive dealers are likely the business that can benifit in the most ways. Utilizing a VIN database that provides detailed vehicle features and descriptions places a company in the position to make smart, well-informed decisions about the vehicles it deals with and allows them to more effectively market inventory they are looking to sell. Complete and detailed vehicle information will make a used car listing stand out from the pack and result in more leads and sales for your dealership. In addition, it enables potential buyers to make similarly well-informed decisions about their interest in your vehicle, increasing consumer trust, sales and positive consumer experiences.
Are you a dealer that is currently using VIN Decoding as part of your used inventory marketing? Are you happy with the accuracy and detail it provides? Are you interested in a more advanced vehicle decoding solution? Add your thoughts to the comment section below or click on the "Request Information" button to get in touch with DataOne.
Are you covering all the bases neccessary for a high converting inventory listing? Download this free infographic to make sure!