Figuring out how to get us Millennials onto the sales floor is a big headache for dealers. However, contrary to popular belief, 64 percent of Millennials still believe that face-to-face interaction is important to the car buying process. After we spend all that time (17 hours on average) doing research online, we still need to see the car in person to seal the deal. 96 percent of Millennials will still test drive a car before they buy it. That’s a huge number of people who YOU have the ability to influence with a positive test drive experience.
It’s true that Millennials are more Internet-reliant than older generations, but we still value those face-to-face experiences, especially when it comes to a big-ticket item like a car. The vast majority won’t make a decision based on Internet research alone. We need to experience the look and feel of the car in person.
How can you improve the test drive experience to sell more cars to Millennials? Here are some tips.
Give us an upfront price.
The quickest way to turn off a Millennial is by playing price games. We don’t want to be upsold, pushed around, or taken advantage of by a salesperson. The moment we feel we aren’t getting a fair price, we’ll walk away. Providing an upfront, no-haggle price before the test drive alleviates a huge stress for us. We’ll feel a lot more relaxed and confident during the test drive, giving you a better opportunity to make a good impression.
We crave a genuine, human experience.
You won’t connect with millennials through traditional scripts and sales pitches. There’s nothing more distracting than a salesman trying to feed you a canned sales pitch while you test drive your potential new car. We would much prefer engaging in genuine conversation during a test drive. Treat us like a human being, show your personality, and find topics for us to connect about. It’ll make us feel a lot more comfortable.
Remember that we have already formed an opinion about the car.
By the time we’re ready to visit the dealership, we have already spent hours researching every little feature about the car online. We know exactly what we’re looking for and what we like, so we don’t need you to give us a fancy sales pitch. Instead, just be ready and willing to answer any final questions we have once we’re behind the wheel.
We are motivated by incentives.
We are highly motivated by incentives and savings when it comes to buying a car. A marketing campaign that revolves around a stress-free test drive will speak directly to Millennials. Can you offer a $2,000 discount for anyone who test drives a vehicle and decides to make a purchase? How about a free oil change just for coming in? We take these incentives into high consideration when choosing which dealership to visit.
Targeting Millennials might seem tricky, but it can be easy if you just take the time to understand our needs and wants. We’re buying more cars than ever before, and the test drive is still important to the vast majority of us. If you can make the test drive an enjoyable and stress-free experience, you’ll greatly increase your opportunities to sell cars to Millennials.
