Top Strategies for Boosting Dealership Profitability




Car dealership operations go beyond only buying and selling automobiles. You must concentrate on other products connected to the vehicles you are working with in order to maximize success. Leveraging specific strategies that result in efficient responses and long-term performance that accelerate your growth is essential to understanding and boosting car dealership profit.

How do auto dealerships generate revenue?

Have you ever wondered how auto dealers make money given the abundance of profitable vehicle dealerships? Here’s only the tip of the iceberg as to how: According to a recent statistics study from the National Automobile Dealers Association, a car dealership’s new-vehicle department is responsible for 58% of all sales. Nevertheless, the profit from this represents less than 26% of the dealership’s overall profit.

 

How do auto dealerships generate revenue?

This figure includes earnings from finance and insurance (F&I) products offered with new cars in addition to car sales. This includes items like extended warranties, alarm systems, and gap insurance. More on how auto dealers profit; they do so by providing lending institutions with something you can’t—volume!

 

Access to loans is provided by auto dealers, who then sell them to clients. The main source of revenue for the majority of a vehicle dealership’s profits is the parts and service division. Any auto dealership maintains a stock of necessary components, such as shocks and tires, that are used to maintain, enhance, or repair a vehicle. Car dealers profit not only from the sale of the car but also from trade-ins, warranty sales, and maintenance. To increase their gross profit, dealerships might make use of the fact that a sale’s profit can offset a discount in a different stage of the transaction.

 

Frontend vs. backend profits in car dealerships: An understanding

Front-end profit is the amount that exists between the dealer invoice and the selling price. Dealerships can also profit from the sale of various insurance policy bundles, extended warranties, wheel and tire protection, and other such services. It’s referred to as the backend commission.

 

As a general rule, automobile dealers are known to generate more money from the rear end of the business than the front. A “healthy deal” for the auto dealer will, according to data, produce between $2500 and $3500 in front-end and back-end gross profit, depending on the car dealership.

 

Best Practices for Increasing Auto Dealership Profitability

How to Increase the Profitability of a Car Dealership

 

The following are some of the finest strategies for boosting dealer profitability:

 

1. Increase Online Presence

By keeping your digital media presence current and reflecting the correct payment information and up-to-date inventory depending on your dealership’s current and incoming inventory, you may increase car dealership profit. By giving customers everything they need to buy, bolstering your online presence allows for a smooth digital shopping experience.

2. Streamline the sales procedure at your dealership

Use a contextual pricing strategy that allows customers to compare market rates to streamline the sales process at your dealership. It enables auto dealers to give the buyer background on how pricing was decided, fostering confidence.

 

Keep in mind that cutting corners on the F&I procedure won’t satisfy customers if you want to speed up the sales process at your dealership. Consumers get nervous about negotiating and applying for credit while buying a car. 72% of consumers are interested in knowing more about F&I products and services because they have actual value for customers, according to an online retail F&I survey. In light of this, the sales process needs to be simplified.

 

3. Improve the customer experience from online to in-store.

Nowadays, the car buying process starts long before the consumer even enters a showroom. Customers visit a dealership after looking at their online profiles, websites, and other online information. To facilitate a customer’s transition from online to in-store operations, it is essential for search engine optimization to build a virtual showroom on your website or to invest in a suitable automobile display page.

4. Simplify the process for trading in and buying used cars.

What are the earnings of used car dealerships? According to Reuters, AutoNation, Inc., the largest auto retailer in the United States, saw a 47% increase in used car sales during the first quarter of 2022. The average gross profit on used car sales did, however, decline by 10%. With the help of facts and experience, auto dealers may profit from the used automobile market. Leveraging car dealership profit solutions through the used car trade-in and purchase process is crucial because the used car market is rising and will keep expanding.

 

5. Spend money on refurbishing

Using car reconditioning, damaged trade-ins were turned into vehicles that buyers would buy. Car dealerships must make an investment in reconditioning procedures in order to compete with the escalating costs and consumer expectations in the used car market.

 

6. Improve the process for stock management and used-car refurbishment.

Working on methods for refurbishing used cars and managing your inventory can ensure that your car dealership’s earnings don’t disappear. Given the recent boom in the used automobile business, refurbishing used cars will provide you with your targeted profit range.

 

Make sure dealership data guide your inventory decisions when it comes to stock management. Additionally, you must actively seek out new vehicles to increase your pre-owned inventory while maximizing its profitability.

 

7. Take Aftermarket Services Into Account

Aftermarket services have large margins and are very profitable. According to research by Accenture, GM made more money from aftermarket sales in 2001 than it did from the $150 billion in auto sales. Sales loyalty is ensured through aftermarket service loyalty. According to certain studies, providing aftermarket services increases the likelihood that vehicle dealerships will attract loyal, long-term clients who will also provide referrals.

 

8. Boost The Effectiveness Of Your Procedures

Spend less time preparing cars and more time bringing them to market. Incorporate prepaid maintenance plans, good pictures, accurate pricing, and automotive software to improve process efficiency and average car dealership revenue. Utilizing modern tools and assembling a strong team for your auto dealership will all result in financial success.

 

9. Regularly calculate inventory

It would be ideal if you always knew which vehicles were popular and profitable. Regular inventory calculations using the Car Dealer DMS can help you avoid wasting money on stuff that won’t help you. A series of numerous cars may occasionally have a greater positive effect than limited-edition vehicles. To maximize the profit at your auto shop, calculate your inventory consistently.

 

9. Watch Out For Your Competition

Because consumers tend to prefer better discounts even when purchasing a car, car dealerships confront intense competition. Even if you’ve been in business for a long time, a vehicle dealership with better offers and after-sales services can draw clients more quickly. In order to succeed, auto dealers must persuade both current and potential consumers to choose their dealership over those of their competitors.

 

10. Market Analysis Of Potential Problems

A properly conducted market analysis of the auto business can benefit dealerships in a number of ways. Awareness of the social, economic, political, and technological dynamics affecting your target market is one of them, as is the capacity to match your sales strategy to market potential. Insightful information from market surveys for prospective problems can help you change your car dealership marketing plans so they are in line with client expectations.

 

How Can Customer-Centricity Be Used to Increase Auto Dealer Profit?

Utilize customer focus to increase auto dealership earnings

 

The core of your car dealership’s profit growth is customer-centricity. It entails viewing your business from the standpoint of your customers and emphasizing customer-centric sales experiences in order to boost profit.

1. Negotiation and Target Interaction

When it comes to negotiating, the Internet is the way to go. According to a survey, 80% of automobile buyers were very likely to forego dealing with the dealer in favor of using an online service. Customers can begin the bargaining process from the comfort of their homes with the aid of simple pricing CTAs. Make your sales process quick, simple, and enjoyable. Making the process of buying an automobile manageable is the goal of customer-centered sales.

Two. Provide Convenience

Customers perceive test drives as demonstrations and any effective demonstration must center on the product. Make test drives completely convenient for customers by allowing them to schedule a test drive from your website. This will let you focus on your clients’ needs. You might also offer them a delivery system to try out at their preferred location.

3. Provide transparent pricing for them.

Customers want to steer clear of any pricing errors or ambiguity when purchasing a car. Provide clear pricing breakdowns on your website so that clients may get a sense of the cost before visiting your dealership. Through increased consumer convenience and customer-centricity during the sales process, car dealership average revenues rise.

 

  • Understanding 2022–2023 Auto Industry Trends

The auto industry is predicted to be dominated by a number of trends in 2023, including an increase in digital sales, SUV domination, greater acceptance of used and refurbished cars, and alternative modes of transportation and ownership.

Recognizing trends in the auto industry

Let’s look at the auto industry trends for 2022–2023 now that we have reached this point in our grasp of the concept of vehicle dealership profit and how to boost dealer profitability.

 

1. Increase in internet sales and dealership agency models

When buying a car today, consumers seek convenience and transparency. The key route, in the eyes of the OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), is digital platforms. The market size for online car dealers, as determined by revenue, will be $47.3 billion in 2023. The survey identifies speed, convenience, and ease of use as the primary drivers of using a digital process. The majority of dealerships have also switched from the conventional dealer-led sales strategy to agency models, however, some are also considering a hybrid dealership model.

 

2. Market for shared mobility

In the next three to four years, the shared mobility industry is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 25 to 30%. Sharing/subscription options offer huge cost savings, and car dealership unicorn firms are incorporating EVs into their plans more frequently. Additionally, new business models for ride-hailing, last-mile deliveries, and two-wheeler ride-hailing are beginning to emerge.

 

3. Growing acceptance of old vehicles

The ratio of used to new vehicles is currently 1.4 to 1 and is expected to reach 2:1 in the next few years due to the rising trend of used vehicles. Due to considerations like the need for personal mobility during the pandemic, improved pricing, and the trust built by automakers and dealerships, used automobiles have become increasingly popular.

 

4. A stronger emphasis on quality and client experience

Customers anticipate a hassle-free experience with the purchase and after-sales service of their vehicles. As a result, there is a bigger emphasis on enhancing the client experience. Tier IV clients, growth in the usage of digital platforms for car purchases, and auto dealers going above and beyond for customer convenience are all factors that are driving up customer expectations for quality.

 

5. SUV hegemony, government initiatives, and security

The auto market is dominated by SUVs (more than 46% of total PV sales) as a result of rising consumer expenditure and the introduction of and acceptance of improved ground clearance in sub-4-meter SUVs. One of the key trends that will continue to rule the auto industry through 2022–2023 is safety, which is why major OEMs and dealerships are providing a variety of products in this category.

Conclusion

It is crucial to realize that boosting a vehicle dealership’s profitability requires patience and consistency. But the correct actions can really make a difference. To find out more about the different benefits that AI may provide for your dealership, get in touch with a SimpSocial expert.