12 Quick Wins to Build Trust in Your Auto Dealership
Welcome to the final article of our series on building trust in your auto dealership! Throughout this series, we've shared several strategies to help you earn and enhance customer trust. Here's a quick recap:
In today's article, we'll focus on quick wins—those simple, impactful things you can do to build trust with prospects and customers quickly. While the strategies we've explored so far are effective and proven, they often require a longer-term commitment to implement fully. Quick wins, however, offer tangible results right away, helping you see immediate improvements in trust and loyalty. They can also motivate your team and encourage them to keep going with your longer-term trust-building initiatives. So, without further ado, let's explore how you can gain some quick wins today.
12 Quick Wins to Build Trust
Incorporating these ideas into your trust-building strategy allows you to achieve visible results quickly. These straightforward tactics reinforce trust and demonstrate your commitment to exceptional service.
1. Address Customers by Name
Using the prospect or customer's name is a simple yet powerful way to build trust and rapport. It makes interactions more personal and demonstrates that you value them as individuals, not just potential sales. Encourage your team to ask for and use the customer's name from the initial greeting to the closing goodbye. This small habit can make a big difference in creating a welcoming and respectful environment.
2. Use Name Tags
When customers can easily identify who they are speaking with, the interaction becomes more personal. A name tag can also remind staff to maintain professionalism because they represent your dealership. Name tags are a small investment that can lead to a big payoff in customer trust and comfort.
3. Create a Comfortable and Clean Environment
The physical environment of your dealership also shapes customer perceptions. Ensure the showroom and waiting areas are tidy, well-lit, and inviting. Comfortable seating, complimentary refreshments, and a welcoming atmosphere show that you care about their comfort and are visible ways to show professionalism and trustworthiness.
4. Highlight Customer Reviews
Use digital displays or bulletin boards to showcase positive reviews and testimonials. Highlighting authentic experiences from satisfied customers shows social proof and reassures prospects that they're making a sound choice.
5. Showcase Awards and Involvement
Displaying certifications, awards, and evidence of community involvement in your showroom also builds credibility. These accolades serve as third-party endorsements of your dealership's excellence and commitment to the community. Customers are more likely to trust a business that is recognized for its achievements and contributions.
6. Update Your CRM Regularly
Keeping track of customer preferences in your CRM allows your team to personalize future interactions. Whether it's a preferred car feature, a favorite drink while waiting, or notes on previous discussions, this information demonstrates that you value their unique needs. With Clarity Voice's many integration options, you can even connect your cloud phone and CRM, enabling your team to quickly and efficiently update customer notes while on calls.
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7. Give Timely and Honest Answers
Providing quick, straightforward answers to customer questions demonstrates your dealership's transparency. Customers appreciate honesty and don't want to think you're just telling them what they want to hear. However, if you don't know the answer, it's okay to admit that and tell them you'll get back to them with an answer. Honesty builds trust and shows you're committed to providing accurate information.
8. Offer Informative, No-Pressure Test Drives
Test drives can build trust when you focus on education and support over sales. Include elements like a brief walkaround to highlight key features or a list of tips to help them assess the vehicle. These educational strategies help to reassure them that your goal is to help them find the right car, not just make a sale. You can also include test drive videos on your website or YouTube page to cater to modern buyers who like to begin the car buying process at home.
9. Improve Your Phone Communication
Phone communication remains a crucial channel for local businesses to build trust with customers. One way to improve your phone communication is to make the most of features, including:
These features and many more are available through DealerPhones®, a cloud phone system just for auto dealerships that is made to enhance professionalism and customer satisfaction.
Another way to improve your phone communication is to simply use your phone more often! Make it a part of your process to call customers and personally thank them after a vehicle purchase or major service visit. Integrate texting into your communication toolbox for things like automatic reminders. You can also boost your team's mobility and enable them to use their personal phone for business calls and texts with Clarity Cellular.
10. Share a Business Card
Encourage your team to hand out business cards as a standard practice to strengthen connections. Providing prospects and customers with your business card during interactions offers a tangible reminder of your availability and willingness to assist. A business card is more than just contact information—it symbolizes open communication and readiness to support them whenever needed.
11. Quick Satisfaction Surveys
While you can spend a lot of time developing customer satisfaction surveys (which is valuable!), you can also get a quick win by creating a satisfaction survey with just one or two important questions using simple 1-10 rating scales. Delivered via text message, these surveys can be completed in seconds, making it convenient for customers and an effective way to get feedback about your dealership.
12. Personalized Follow-Up Email
A personalized follow-up email sent after a test drive, purchase, or service appointment is an excellent way to check in and continue to build the relationship. To make it simple, create a standard template that can be modified. That way, it's easy for your team to respond promptly (ideally on the same day as the interaction). A timely, personal touch can enhance trust and leave a lasting positive impression.
Building Trust in Your Auto Dealership
We hope you find these quick wins helpful and are brimming with ideas on what you can start doing today to build trust with customers and prospects. We also encourage you to explore the links at the top of the page to find more in-depth and long-term strategies.
As we began this series, we reflected upon the recent KPA 2024 Dealership Trust Survey, which indicated that most consumers distrust car dealerships. As we conclude this series, we want to remind you that despite these national statistics, you can change perceptions and build trust in your local community. Thanks for following our series, and best of luck with your trust-building initiatives!
RainMaker | Automotive Marketing | Performance Management
2moThese are all such great suggestions. While many seem to be common sense, we often times forget to do many of the basics and as a result, missed the opportunity to provide the optimum customer experience.