If you own or operate a dealership, there is always room for improvement with trade-in negotiations. These can be some of the most challenging customer interactions and are also high stakes for the profit margin of the business overall. In this article, we will review some ideas to keep in mind as you handle negotiations and some methods to pass on to your sales team so everyone takes the same customer-driven, informed approach.
The Challenge of Car Trade-In Negotiations
Negotiating used vehicle trade-ins is a nuanced task for dealerships. The problem? Many customers enter into negotiations with a lack of trust toward dealerships and salespeople who berate them in the negotiation, lowball their offer, or create an untrustworthy experience exacerbate this problem for the industry.
The opportunity? Managing the negotiation process with transparency and integrity positions you as the dealership customers can trust. This means gaining word-of-mouth referrals and potentially outperforming your competitors as a result.
But always keep in mind that there is competition. If you handle these negotiations poorly time and again, your business will lose out—and customers will find other dealerships to work with.
3 Tips for Improving Your Dealership’s Negotiation Tactics
1. Stick to the Data
In the past, negotiations were more likely to show customers and dealers at different price points. But the availability of online appraisal tools1 means customers are more informed when they enter a trade-in negotiation at your dealership. This has many implications:
- Dealers will be unable to wildly low-ball the appraisal
- Customers can get a better sense of how various dealerships in the area will appraise their car, and the variations between them
- Customers have a sense of the value of their car after searching their VIN
- Dealers and customers can enter the negotiation leveraging the same dataset to make the conversation easier and more agreeable
Because customers will have a more educated prince in mind, be sure to enter the conversation with that information so you can meet them where they are. Don’t expect customers to bend to any price you name and be prepared for them to want to hit somewhere in the ballpark of the number they found online. If you need to go significantly under that price point, be strategic as it will be hard for potential customers to get that number out of their head.2
2. Enhance Transparency
Since customers will be entering transactions with a number in mind based on data, be sure that you are transparent when explaining your price. While many customers will be somewhat married to the online appraisal they saw, they will also understand a lower price if you explain your costs, such as:
- Market supply
- Your dealership’s specific business performance
- Internal costs
- Repair fees
- How long you predict it will take to sell
- The profit you need to make
Customers having more education on the topic before entering a negotiation can work in your favor.2
3. Prioritize Convenience for Your Customers
In the past, it was common to avoid pricing vehicles sight unseen. But today, if your dealership fails to offer online appraisal tools, you’ll lose out to the competition. Customers expect the same convenience they are getting in other sectors3—like ecommerce—so offering easy-to-use online appraisal tools will help build trustworthiness, simplify the customer journey, and make it easier for your customers to enter negotiations on the same page as your sales team.
It’s no wonder virtual and online car buying options are growing their market share, projected to make up 30% of global vehicle sales by 20254—today’s consumer prioritizes convenience and seamlessness.
Make Negotiating Easy for Customers by Using ClearCar
ClearCar’s vehicle appraisal tool makes it easy for dealers to add it to their websites so customers can quickly and seamlessly get an estimated value of their vehicle. This can help build transparency and trustworthiness, so you become the go-to dealership in your area. Schedule a demo to learn more today.
Sources
- Hawley, D. 2022. “How Does A Car Dealership Calculate A Potential Trade-In Offer?” J.D. Power. Retrieved April 30, 2024. https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/how-does-a-car-dealership-calculate-a-potential-trade-in-offer
- Carbly. “How to Handle Trade-In Negotiations.” Carbly. Retrieved April 30, 2024. https://getcarbly.com/blog/how-to-handle-trade-in-negotiations/
- Porch Group Media. “How Consumers Are Shopping for Cars Today and How the Automotive Industry is Responding.” Porch Group Media. Retrieved April 30, 2024. https://porchgroupmedia.com/blog/how-consumers-are-shopping-for-cars-today-and-how-the-automotive-industry-is-responding/
- Astute Analytica. 2024. “Future of Car Shopping: How Online Car Buying is Changing the Game.” LinkedIn. Retrieved April 30, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-car-shopping-how-online-buying-changing-game-x9h9c/
