Tag Archives: Hurricane Sandy

2013: Reviewing Your Dealership’s Resolutions for the New Year

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2012 was an outstanding year for the auto industry with strong sales numbers despite setbacks like Hurricane Sandy. Every dealership across America had the potential for their best year since the start of the recession. The question is, though, how did your dealership perform?

Looking back at the goals your dealership set for 2012, how close did you come to meeting those goals? More importantly, did you do everything you could in order to meet those goals? Many dealerships aren’t taking advantage of the opportunities right in front of them such as an efficient special finance department. A well-run special finance department alone can bring in additional business. Not only will the dealership sell more cars, they will also bring in more business for the normal sales and service/parts department.

What about dealerships that already have a special finance department? Well, if a special finance department isn’t running properly, there is almost no point in having one. Look at your dealership’s special finance department if you have one, and ask yourself if there is room for improvement. Is there a steady stream of customers coming in the door, or are you slogging through sub-par leads hoping to find some real customers?

Fortunately, Special Finance Group has Complete Special Finance Solutions suited for dealerships that currently have a special finance department and those who do not have a special finance department. With Special Finance Group, partner dealerships get a fully-staffed business development center which tracks all leads and advertising, sets appointments for potential customers, and manage general customer service. Additionally, partner dealerships will have two special finance experts at their location to manage all in-house operations, and Special Finance Group hosts monthly meetings to review dealership performance and educate reps about the latest consumer laws to maintain compliance.

Want to learn more about Special Finance Group and their Complete Special Finance Solutions? Go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

November Auto Sales Surge, Set Up Strong End to 2012

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November might have gotten off on the wrong foot with Hurricane Sandy and Nor’easter, but it ended with a bang, bringing in bigger sales and shocking auto industry analysts.

Overall, auto sales in the United States were up 15 percent in November to 1.14 million, and the annualized industry sales rate was 15.56 million compared to 13.6 million last November. As predicted, many of the car shoppers who were planning to buy their car in October but were prevented by weather conditions still made their way back to dealerships in November.

Some of the big winners of November were Honda with sales up 39 percent, BMW up 45 percent, VW up 29 percent, and Toyota up 17 percent. Honda’s Executive Vice President of Sales John Mendel called November’s numbers “a true sign that our business has recovered” and predicted that they would see a “strong finish” in 2012.

Going into the last month of 2012, dealerships have the potential to move a lot of inventory and post record sales numbers, and Special Finance Group can help your dealership bring in even more business with its Complete Special Finance Solution. A highly-trained telemarketing staff, better leads, and social media outreach to find more potential customers; these are only some of the tools available to Special Finance Group’s associated dealerships. To learn more about Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution, click here or go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com.

Want to learn more about Special Finance Group? You can like Special Finance Group on Facebook, follow Special Finance Group on Twitter, and connect with Special Finance Group on LinkedIn!

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Auto Industry: How Did Hurricane Sandy Affect Sales Numbers?

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November is reaching an end, and auto industry analysts are looking back at Hurricane Sandy’s effect on sales in the final days of October and determining if there even was a negative or positive effect on sales numbers.

As surprising as it is, the industry as a whole still posted a very strong October, even as many dealerships had to close their doors for days or weeks. Sales from earlier in the month and from other areas of the country were strong enough to make October 2012 the best October since before the recession. Volkswagen posted a 22 percent year-over-year gain, and Chrysler, Toyota, and GM had 10 percent, 16 percent, and 5 percent gains respectively.

Industry analysts have estimated that the storm delayed tens of thousands of sales, which sounds like bad news at first. They predicted, however, that these auto sales will still happen in the coming months, and after the storm, there will be even more potential car buyers as many people are replacing their damaged or lost cars after the storm. In other words, the auto industry might have seen a short-term set-back with the storm, but it will not slow down the upward sales trend in 2012.

Could your dealership be bringing in more sales, particularly with sub-prime credit customers? Go to www.specialfinancegroup.com and learn more about the Complete Special Finance Solution! Also, get the latest news from Special Finance Group by liking Special Finance Group on Facebook, following Special Finance Group on Twitter, and checking out Special Finance Group on LinkedIn!

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When Disaster Strikes: Special Finance in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy

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Hurricane Sandy just hit the New York/New Jersey area a little over a week ago, and dealerships are struggling with lower sales, customers who are displaced or strained financially, or just now getting their dealership’s power back on. The New York Times is predicting that the timing of the storm at the end of October could have long-reaching consequences for the auto industry. Even though it is tough to be optimistic in these times, though, pessimism cannot show through in your work. Here are a few tips for giving your customers a positive buying experience in the weeks following Hurricane Sandy.

  1. Get Back to Normal
    Strive to give your customers a normal, positive car buying experience. For most dealerships, business as usual will be a challenge in itself, but try to go that little bit above and beyond.
  2. Don’t Push Too Hard
    You are probably feeling antsy and want these customers to just buy a car already, and it is fine to feel that way. Many dealerships have been shut down since last Monday, over a week’s time, and you want to make up for lost time. Do not project those feeling to your customers. They will pick up on it and believe that you see them as merely walking, talking dollar signs.
  3. Be Patient
    Now, more than ever, you need to listen to customers, be patient with them, and show them respect. Treat them the way you want to be treated, especially if they can’t get approved. They took the time to come into your dealership, and they might still be recovering from the storm. Even if they don’t leave with a car, make sure they still walk out the door feeling good about the experience.

There is good news for dealerships that have Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution. Other special finance departments have had to divide their time between getting customers in the door and helping customers in the dealership, but Special Finance Group’s call center was scheduling appointments for their dealerships right away. Less than a week after the storm, we had customers ready to buy walking into our associated dealerships. In the aftermath of a disaster like Hurricane Sandy, Special Finance Group’s Complete Special Finance Solution can make all the difference and put a dealership back on the path to normalcy.

Do you have the Complete Special Finance Solution yet? Learn more at http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and be sure to like Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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