It is frequently observed that the Millennials, those who were born between 1982 and 1997, have markedly different spending habits than previous generations, particularly when it comes to home ownership, investments, and luxury goods. Millennials across the board are buying less and buying later. Now that they have officially surpassed the Baby Boomers as the largest living generation, their shopping habits are causing serious concern in some sectors — the automotive industry being one of them.
All available statistics show that the Great Recession seriously impacted Millennials’ ability to purchase cars, and while sales among Millennials have increased in recent years, they still lag behind previous generations. Likely to be of even greater concern to dealership owners are the shopping habits of the Millennials who do have the means to purchase an automobile. Millennials came of age with computers and the Internet, and when it comes to shopping, they are more likely to look for a used car on an online marketplace than call up a dealership.
As more Millennials find stable employment and start buying cars in greater numbers, dealerships that want to tap into this potentially lucrative market will need to adopt new tools to reach potential customers. If you want to reach Millennial shoppers where they are most comfortable, you should consider making live chat software part of your sales strategy.
Live chat software bolsters the effectiveness of a dealership’s website by turning it into an active point of contact for potential customers. With access to the dealership’s inventory, remote salespeople can help visitors navigate the website, answer questions about models and pricing, and book appointments for test drives. Dealership staff can monitor the chats and step in to take over the interaction if a sale seems possible.
Some cutting-edge live chat providers like Gubagoo have also developed sophisticated behavioural scoring algorithms to create profiles of website visitors based on their search patterns. The data these algorithms produce can provide high-level insight into what particular visitors are looking for, and this information can empower salespeople to offer deals designed to appeal to the specific needs of the customer. Check out Gubagoo to learn more about how this technology is driving increased sales.
These tools not only allow dealerships to reach younger shoppers by using technology they are familiar with and offering deals tailored to their individual needs, they also provide contact points on online forums like Facebook marketplace. Because chat services can be integrated with social media, a dealership’s reach is extended and magnified in ways that wouldn’t have been possible through traditional advertising.
For decades, auto sales have been driven by the car-loving Baby Boomers. As Boomers age out of the market, dealerships need to be proactive about cultivating a whole new generation of buyers. By meeting them on their home turf —the Internet — live chat software harnesses the power of familiar technology to build trust and cultivate new business. No wonder it is becoming a standard tool in the sales strategies of dealerships across North America.
