As a child, I would often visit my grandfather’s junkyard. He was a brilliant mechanic who started out on Bobby and Donnie Allison’s pit crews early in their racing careers. He was what you would call a “car guy” and the business office of his junkyard reflected that, from the greasy parts strewn about to the barstools set into cement-filled wheels that held them in place. But perhaps the most vivid image I remember is the calendar above his desk that featured 12 months of scantily clad women splayed over the hoods of various muscle cars. Even back then I realized that auto manufacturers’ primary target audience for marketing was men.
Things certainly have changed since then and, as a woman, I find it refreshing to now live in an era where car dealers and manufacturers recognize the fact that a woman actually belongs in a vehicle and not on top of it. That being said, with women influencing more than 85% of all car purchases (Cars.com), are car dealers doing enough to cater to their female customers’ wants and needs?
In an industry that is dominated by men, it’s easy to forget just how very different men are from women, especially when it comes to buying a new vehicle. From dealership advertising and vehicle marketing to online experience and aftersales, here are some things your dealership can do to appeal to more women who are in the market for a new car:
Be engaging and respectful. In a comprehensive report by JoinWomenDrivers that explored women’s customer experiences, almost 6 in 10 women who visited a dealership (either in person or online) and did not buy said their reason was they “didn’t like the way they were approached or treated” and their expectations were not met. With women, there are no second chances. Half of female car shoppers visit 3 different dealerships before buying a car—that’s nearly two times the industry norm. If a woman comes into your store and doesn’t buy a car, chances are she won’t be coming back. So, make sure your first engagement is a positive one. Create an atmosphere where she feels welcome, understood, and in control of her buying experience. The same can be said about her online experience. A dealer’s website is the number-one site women use when buying a car. However, they give dealership websites a “C” rating in being helpful and informative. In order to establish credibility to the customer experience, your website should have informative content, welcoming lifestyle images, and fast response times.
Let go of stereotypes. Because I’ve been in the automotive advertising business for over 20 years, I’ve been blessed with a pool of clients from which to choose whenever it’s time for me to make a vehicle purchase. They know me and they know that I know about cars, so I’ve never had to suffer through a condescending sales pitch where the salesman showed me the vanity mirror so I could check my make-up. Other women aren’t so lucky. According to Kelley Blue Book research, only 38% of women are confident when buying a new car. And, in a study done by CDK Global, “stressed,” “overwhelmed,” “taken advantage of,” and “panic” were among the top 10 words used by female car shoppers when reviewing their in-dealership experience. The bottom line: don’t make it worse by buying into gender stereotypes. We’re not the same women from decades past that relied on our husbands, fathers and brothers to “play with the big boys” on our behalf. We want you to be fair and treat us as equals. We also want you to be honest—please don’t try and “up sale” packages or services that you wouldn’t normally sell to a man. Basically, treat all customers with the same respect and make every customer—regardless of gender—know they are valued.
Let them know you have what they want. If you want your car dealership ads to appeal to the female buyer, you need to understand exactly what most women are looking for. While men tend to look for performance, style and technology, women are more practical, preferring non-luxury sedans and SUVs and prioritizing safety, reliability, and comfort. Women also want to see themselves in the advertising that your dealership is using to draw them in. Although factory running footage of a truck powering through rugged terrain or a sports car zooming down an open highway may look good to you, those images won’t bring in the female customer. Women want human connection. Women want to see other women shopping with you and interacting with your salespeople and enjoying themselves. Using testimonials from loyal female customers is a great way to help influence new female customers to give your dealership a chance. Break away from ads that are exclusively price driven. Although price still is important, it’s not a differentiator when it comes to women car buyers. Trust in her sales consultant is the number-one reason a woman buys from a specific dealer. Therefore, you should train your sales team in the behaviors and desired outcomes of female shoppers and include them in your marketing messages.
Maintain a good reputation. During the car-buying process, women are 50% more likely than men to use car dealer reviews and they prefer to read reviews written by other women (DealerRater). The sixth annual Dealer Marketing Magazine Automotive Social Media Trends Study found that 33% of women placed considerable weight on a dealership’s star rating, and 7% of women chose a dealership based solely on online reviews. Dealers should carefully manage their online review sites to reflect the experiences of satisfied customers, as well as do damage control to complaints and negative reviews. The best way to boost your ratings is to give a survey immediately after the sale at the point of sale, via text message, or through social media—however is most convenient to your customer. It’s also extremely important to respond to all reviews, both positive and negative, to show potential customers that you truly care about the customer experience and that you don’t shy away from transparency. For negative reviews, however, it’s better to respond publicly, offering an apology and asking the reviewer to contact you personally to remedy the situation. Once the problem is resolved and all parties are satisfied, ask your customer to revise their original negative rating. And whatever you do, do not engage in a contentious online battle with an unsatisfied customer.
Respect her time. According to the Dealer Marketing Magazine study, nearly half of all women surveyed reported that lead response time had a major impact on their willingness to purchase from that dealership. From their first touchpoint and throughout the buying process, your ideal response time should be within 10 minutes. Dealers who respond within that timeframe are three times more likely to sell a vehicle by engaging customers at their highest point of interest.
Hire more women. 62% of all U.S. new car buyers are women, but only 21.2% of auto dealership employees are women. That number is much lower in the service department with only 7.3% women. This is problematic when you consider that 39% of women would rather work with other women when buying a car, compared to only 13% of women who prefer to deal with men. Additionally, almost universally, women rated their satisfaction scores higher when dealing with female sales advisors, according to the aforementioned JoinWomenDrivers.com report.
For more information on how to better engage with female customers, as well as other automotive marketing strategies, contact Intermark Automotive today!
by Shea Posey, Senior Account Executive/Blog Writer/Compliance & Co-op Specialist
Learn more about Brand Strategy
Learn more about Marketing Psychology
Learn more about Video and Audio Production
Learn more about Print and Digital Production
Learn more about Media Planning and Placement