By Matt Hayward
There’s no way to sugarcoat it…these are challenging times for everyone, in the automotive industry and otherwise. However, dealerships being named essential in many places underscores their importance in the communities they serve. And while vehicle demand is certainly less than usual, there is still business out there!
Consider the success of CBC clients who ‘bucked the sales trend’ in March:
CBC Ford clients finished at #1, #2, #5, #12 and #24 in the United States.
A CBC CDJR dealer was up in March and finished #1 in the New England Region.
A CBC Ford dealer in the South finished #1 in their State, up from a usual finish of #3.
A CBC Ford dealer in Texas finished #1 in their major metro, and #1 in the state for CPO. …and those are just a few examples. We all know we’re in for challenging times, but as you can see above, challenging times don’t have to mean disaster for your business. People do still need vehicles, even now. Vehicles are critical for many essential workers during this time. And for areas where dealerships have been shut down for sales, just remember, when this is over, there will be pent up demand…and now is the time to be exceeding expectations in service and making customers for life, as well as planning for better times to come.We will get through this, together, as an industry, a nation and as a world community. When the time is right, let’s have a conversation about your plan to navigate this challenging time, and the better times ahead.
Matt Hayward is Director of Business Development and a Senior Account Manager at CBC Automotive Marketing, a Maine ad agency working across the United States with successful dealerships and dealership groups.