If we learned anything in 2020 in the time of COVID-19, it’s that the internet can do marvelous things. We can have practically anything delivered to our door with a few swipes of a screen, even vehicles. We’ve also learned as consumers that we scrutinize every step of the process, especially delivery fees, transaction fees, and pretty much any other kind of fee that can be added to a purchase. These fees can even stop a consumer from choosing a store or item.

So why are dealers still trying to push the old sales model? Now, more than ever, is the time to modernize the road to the sale. Otherwise, dealers might find themselves without any sales at all. With the added pressure from virtual competitors like Carvana and Vroom, more and more customers are not only looking for but are expecting a transparent and seamless sales process. The word of yesteryear was “trust,” today, it’s “transparency.” A customer wants to trust the dealer, but there needs to be transparency in the buying process.

Those virtual competitors are hitting dealers where it hurts with advertisements that continually chastise our long wait times and “hidden” fees. If dealers can’t meet customers online with an easy-to-use digital sales process that is also transparent, customers will simply move on to the next website. In today’s car-buying environment, it’s much easier to move from website to website than it is to hop from lot to lot.

Consumers no longer shop only in their immediate area. They are price shopping dealers up and down the state and even across the country to find the best deals. The perception of saving a few hundred dollars has customers continuously evaluating all of the options in front of them. However, it has been repeatedly proven that a customer is more inclined to shop with a dealership with a simpler process, even if it means paying a little bit more.

The “old school” Road to the Sale always had the dealership or salesperson control the situation. The dealership was in control of the narrative from greeting, needs assessment, vehicle selection and delivery. Consumers, through the power of the internet, now have access to endless amounts of information as well as the prerogative to take their business elsewhere with just a few clicks of a keyboard. Whether we want to believe it or not, the consumer now has the most control over the situation. Dealers must relinquish control to the consumer. Through transparency and an influx of digital information, the customer feels that they know they are getting the best deal. And the best part is, they walk away feeling in control and happy. Those will become your best return and referral customers.

Through the power of technology, dealers have an opportunity to modernize their sales staff. Allowing BDC teams to work from home or to have a service that automatically tracks customer information means that on-site staff now have the time to be productive where it counts. There is a constant push for salespeople to follow up calls and emails and ask for referrals, but there is hardly ever enough time. Now, we have an opportunity to make time.

Dealers are at a pivotal point in the history of car buying. By continuing to push an antiquated sales model, we have begun to alienate our customer base. Dealers must recognize that our customers are constantly evolving, and we need to evolve with them. By adopting and utilizing new technological processes, we can communicate with the customer how they prefer, and we can begin to salvage the relationships we’ve spent years cultivating. Digital retailing is the future transaction if dealers have any hope of staying relevant in the years to come.