Changing the Fortunes of a Dealership

Less than a year ago, there was a Ford dealership that seemed destined for closure. This dealership had seen it's sales, service and parts business plummet, not only due to the economic times, but also a lack of direction and management.

The dealership is positioned in a high trafficked region of Cincinnati, Ohio on a very busy thoroughfare, Colerain Avenue. Colerain Avenue may have the highest saturation of auto dealerships per square mile of any street in the tri-sate area.

The dealership that has risen from the ashes is Northgate Ford. This once strong dealership that hit horrific times is now back in the game. New ownership and management, a little bit of paint, elbow grease and TLC, along with a changed philosophy are making the dealership a major player again in the community.

Northgate Ford now gives the local residence of Colerain a viable option when searching for a new or used Ford, whereas in the past few years, they would have to look further away for a Ford dealership to handle their purchase.

In less than a year, the transformation from a dealership on the brink of distinction, to a vibrant and robust Ford dealership is complete. Even in a bad economy, forward thinking, positive management and effort can make the worst situation a winner.

Not Your Same Used Car Salespeople

You drive by those dealerships hundreds of times and never stop for fear that you will be inundated with salespeople. As you pass by you look over at all the salespeople standing in front of the showroom windows, ready to pounce. This scene is so typical and causes so many people to think, "Should I stop there?

Many people find themselves asking these same questions and for most may be a reason why so many good used vehicles go unnoticed. In the Used Cars Cincinnati market, many dealers are starting to look at how to change their tactics and approaches for how they approach customers. In today’s market, it is all about making customers feel comfortable and creating an environment where people feel as though they can come in and browse without the pressure of “Buy Buy Buy”.

It does not matter whether you are operating a small mom and pop lot or a huge mega lot with hundreds of cars for sale, the concepts all boil down to the same, offer good quality vehicles at reasonable prices with a feeling for customers that they can look and feel without all the pressures. For many people, simply being allowed to look on their own before being approached by a salesperson can make the difference in whether a person takes the next step and ask for more information or walks away because they feel pressured to buy something.

More and more dealers are starting to understand the mentality of today’s buyers and changing their marketing tactics as well. By approaching used car sales the same as new, many dealers are starting to see an increase in there user car sales which for most is a saving grace in today’s market.