As the spread of the coronavirus increases in the U.S., social distancing is being practiced and encouraged by government officials, schools, and businesses. In addition to car manufacturers feeling the effects of delayed parts from China, dealerships will see a decrease in foot traffic in the showroom.

But does this have to translate to a dramatic decrease in car sales? We don’t think so, and here’s why…

In today’s world, social distancing due to the coronavirus should not be the main factor in plummeting dealership sales.

With online car-buying at an all-time high, we know every part of the sales process can be performed remotely, and at Authntk Walkaround Videos, we are experts at making remote communication work to your advantage.

The most successful car sales professionals change and pivot with circumstances, instead of allowing circumstances define their success.

Here are a few ways to stay proactive, communicate with customers, and sell cars during the coronavirus pandemic…

• Use geo-targeting and social media to gain new audiences and stay connected
• Update your website so consumers can accurately narrow their search
• Send vehicle walkaround videos
• Communicate via video to keep the face-to-face connection and show authenticity
• Deliver vehicles to customers for test drives
• Use e-contracting tools to finish the deal remotely

Use Video… A Lot

Sending videos by email and text message can be used to showcase vehicles in real-time and virtually bring your showroom or inventory to your customer on their phone or computer, but that’s not all it can do. Video is worth a million words and can convey personality, authenticity, and add a human aspect to otherwise flat communication.

Vehicle walkaround videos often persuade customers to come in for a test drive. If your customer is uncomfortable coming into the dealership due to Covid-19, deliver the vehicle to them! Some car sales professionals also use video for in-depth vehicle demonstrations on things like tech features.

Electronic Signing Documents

An increasing number of dealerships have been adopting electronic documents and signing for loans and leases in the past couple of years. Also called “e-contracting”, it’s proven to be secure, user-friendly, more efficient, less costly, and a perfect solution for remote or out-of-town customers.

According to Automotive News, “Toyota Financial Services, which uses RouteOne for e-contracting, says it experienced high utilization growth for a few years after launching e-contracting in 2012. Now 87 percent of contracts purchased by Toyota Financial are e-contracts.”

The most popular solution is DocuSign, now showcasing their new “Agreement Cloud” service, while RouteOne is a solution that specifically works with dealerships.

Update Inventory on Your Website

Online research is a huge part of today’s consumer behavior, and in a time of social distancing your website traffic may increase.

Be sure all of your inventory is updated online in real time and drive customers to your site to narrow their search.

Target a Larger Geographic Audience

Now is the time to widen your circle. Without location restraints, your dealership has the opportunity to capture out-of-area consumers looking for what you have.

Using ads and geotargeting on social media, YouTube, and Google allows you to capture consumers in different areas searching for vehicles. Geotargeting and open communication with peer dealers across the country could be your opportunity to capture a new audience.

Utilize Social Media

If your foot traffic is low due to the coronavirus outbreak, ramp up efforts to get in front of customers in other ways. Go where your customers are.

Social media is a great way to capture attention, keep your audience informed about your dealership’s response to Covid-19, and to let them know you are still selling cars.

Remember, a video on social media is more likely to be seen and shared, it’s a great way to stand out and connect on a human level with your followers.

Don’t Push People to Come In

The internet has been practicing for this its entire lifespan. This is the time to put your customers at ease, let them know it’s business as usual, and that you can provide everything they need remotely.

Authntk Walkaround Videos can help you communicate with customers during the coronavirus outbreak! To get your free trial log in or if you have questions about navigating your remote sales process and video, contact us at info@authntk.com!