We live in a world and industry that is moving quickly to digital and online options for purchasing a vehicle. While these concepts must be embraced, to quickly discount the impact of an in-person interaction and seek to eliminate one without the other is not wise. Let’s look at the role that using our feet and faces plays in the overall process of helping today’s customer!

Digital facilitates and strengthens the process; it does not replace it! We are made for relationships and one-on-one interaction with others, and especially when it comes to the second most expensive purchase of our lives. To feel good about the process, we want to see things in person and deal with a person at some point. The eye contact, genuine handshake and answer to questions in real time with a real person build trust and comfort in the decision-making process. These are things that cannot be done online. 

People want to see feet and faces, not just pixels and pictures. Connection has always been more powerful than closing, and that connection is strongest in person as two individuals interact face-to-face and explore possibilities together. Even the color of a vehicle can be assessed more accurately in person, as well as the comfort and fit of a vehicle to the customer’s unique needs and wants. A salesperson who is a great connector and has great value-building skills is extremely helpful to the buyer and just plain fun to observe! Working through the process effectively is not in itself exciting. However, the manner that it is done in person can make the experience one the customer enjoys and will recommend. I can smell retention in the air!

We need to embrace the digital part of the process as a building block. While we may be skilled at connecting, we must couple that with the ability to uncover the digital work and research the customer did before arriving at the dealership. If customers must repeat the steps they have taken online, the redundancy stifles the excitement of the purchase. As a result, the experience and gross profit suffer. People love cars, trucks and SUVs! They love to buy them. And no matter how many they have bought before, it is still exciting. We know customers today start the process online; however, they prefer to finish it at the dealership. 

Porch Group Media in an article in August said, “The majority of consumers (88%) stated that they won’t purchase a vehicle before first test driving it.” That mandates that we become masters of the test drive and the customer interaction when they arrive at the dealership. So, the first question must be, “What research have you completed online?” This will tell customers that we respect the work they have done. Then we can combine the work that only feet and faces can do with the work that is better done online.  If we don’t embrace this change, it will fuel the loud cries for less of us and more of digital. 

Digital is not coming to the dealership – it is here! And the level of acceptance has been on both sides of the pendulum. The customer is looking for creative dealerships that can combine the feet and faces of the salesperson with the pixels and pictures of the digital process and make it a great experience. It is not one or the other. The blending of the two will create winners. Our vehicles are available in hybrids; is our process? 

Rick McCormick is national account development manager for Reahard & Associates.

LEARN MORE: How To Sell in a Digitally Altered Reality