Every customer is different, and meeting all customers’ needs can therefore be tricky. That’s why it remains important to consider the profile of your customer today – and those who may be your customers in the future – and tailor how you connect and communicate with them accordingly.
This should especially be considered in the context of a car-buying process that is increasingly driven by technology, from online listings through to live video. Some customers are likely to feel more comfortable with digital touchpoints than others, but all cohorts represent substantial sales opportunities that can’t be neglected – so making sure you can connect effectively with every customer is vital.
The key pointers around how this can be done have been uncovered in our recent research. We surveyed 1000 car buyers across a wide age range to unearth some significant differences in attitudes by age. This blog explores them, and suggests some actions to undertake in response:
Live video is the future
The survey uncovered a marked trend towards car buyers between 18 and 30 favouring live video as a way of learning about a prospective purchase. Some 46% of respondents in this age bracket ranked it as the most useful type of content, more than any other type of content for any demographic.
When asked why video was so important, half of the 18-30 respondents cited the speed of the response that it enabled. In a world where everyone has become used to having all the information they need at their fingertips online, immediacy of receiving information is clearly important to this most digitally savvy of demographics.
Action for retailers: Create a framework within your sales operations which allows your sales team to respond quickly to enquiries with live video appointments. This ensures customers get answers to all their queries in a fast, efficient and personalised manner.
31-40s are a key demographic for online sales
Selling cars online is a major growth area for dealers, as one-third of car buyers say they would consider using the Internet to buy their next car – rising to 50% for consumers between the ages of 31 and 40.
Interestingly, whereas speed of response was more important for younger customers, buyers in their thirties show a preference for detail: more than half say they would feel more confident about buying a car online if they’re sent a walkaround video. It’s clear that helping buyers in this demographic in particular feel engaged with the car through an informative recorded video is helpful in getting sales over the line.
Action for retailers: Go the extra mile with your videos to bring in as much personalisation as possible and stand out from the crowd. Live or pre-recorded video is about more than just running through a list of features: it’s a chance to bring out the personality of the car and the brand in a way that can’t be done on an email or over the phone.
Additional services breed confidence in the over-40s
It may not come as a huge surprise to learn that older consumers still favour more traditional methods of customer service. When asked what they would need to feel confident about buying a car online, home delivery and a money back guarantee were the top priorities for car buyers aged 41 and over.
This suggests that practical, physical touchpoints are still hugely valuable to older consumers, and that they are still relatively wary about committing to a new car purchase on digital research alone. However, even if they still want to get into the driver’s seat themselves as part of the evaluation, that doesn’t mean video can’t still play a useful part in the sales process. Where video was part of their purchase journey, 92% of car buyers aged 51 and over found it to be a valuable part of the experience.
Action for retailers: Use video to strip away complexity from vehicles, and from the sales process, by offering clear explanations and walkthroughs to prospective buyers in video form. In particular, using video to explain money back guarantees and delivery procedures can go some way to reassuring customers. By feeling better informed and by gaining a better understanding, older buyers will feel more confident that their purchase is right for them.
Explore the trends within the car-buying public, and learn how you can use technology to connect with them better than ever before. Download your free copy of our report, Accelerating the Digital Customer Experience, today.
