3 steps to optimizing the car dealership showroom experience

The showroom experience has completely changed as a result of the modern car purchase process. No longer do customers frequent the car dealership multiple times prior to driving home with their new vehicle. As a result of new consumer behaviors, dealerships are looking for new ways to not only attract prospective car buyers, but to keep them moving throughout the showroom and making sure they have a first-class experience.

Digital-enabled showrooms give car dealership managers the potential to gain valuable insights about consumers, showroom traffic patterns, and vehicle inventory. Managers can enhance and optimize the showroom layout to make sure there is a consistent flow of customers throughout the entire floor.

With this data, dealership operations managers can build analytical insights based on each car buyer’s in-person behaviors and digital profiles, and can help the sales team nurture a targeted buying experience throughout the showroom experience. This includes having appropriate inventory, and ensuring customer satisfaction.

Using a data-driven approach, operations manager can optimize the showroom in the three following steps:

1. Upon entering the dealership, customers will create a profile or link to an existing one

• Their profile will store their cars of interest, colors and trim preferences, and anything other data that the buyer has offered through past or present interactions.

• Dealership display boards will show vehicles and options based on the buyer’s preferences and demographic information.

2. Organize digital displays throughout the showroom

• By leveraging advanced analytics to understand where customers are aggregating and trafficking the showroom, operations managers can strategically place digital displays to maximize impressions.

• Customers can use NFC-enabled mobile devices to save interesting cars or features for continued investigation at home.

• Operations managers can then use these insights to shape inventory decisions.

3. Virtual reality experience zone

• Showrooms that do not have the space to show a variety of vehicles can use virtual reality tours to give visitors a customized interactive experience to fully customize a vehicle based on their preferences.

Partnering with the Marketing Team

Operations managers are not the only ones who benefit from more showroom traffic. The marketing team uses digital displays to create an immersive, targeted showroom experience that draws prospective customers into the showroom. The two teams can collaborate to create a plan that optimizes the showroom to not only bring in the most traffic, but generate the most sales.

According to a Statista survey, 32% of participants stated that marketing content personalization was the driving force behind their purchase. This aligns with the new approach of car dealerships in building a more immersive customerfocused showroom experience. Content personalization increases rapport with sales representatives at dealerships and creates opportunities for more long-lasting relationships and repeat business opportunities.

Future-Proof Your Dealership with Samsung SDS

Samsung SDS’s Automotive solution is a comprehensive technology suite that delivers data-driven insights to operations and marketing teams to make better decisions on inventory management, staffing solutions, and the overall showroom experiences. A personalized data-driven experience leads to happier customers, more effective employees, and ultimately more sales.