According to CNW Research, New York City’s independent dealerships sold 1,251,894 units in 2012, beating out Los Angeles and San Francisco, and also beat out all other cities for private party sales and total used car sales overall. New York was beaten out by Los Angeles for used car sales by franchised dealerships, but in that category, they still sold an impressive 744,795 units.

The top 5 cities in each category are listed below.

Units Sold by Independent Dealerships

1.       New York – 1,251,894 units

2.       Los Angeles – 848,787 units

3.       San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. – 479,666 units

4.       Chicago – 434,225 units

5.       Philadelphia – 391,653 units

Units Sold by Franchised Dealerships

1.       Los Angeles – 1,025,646 units

2.       New York – 744,795 units

3.       San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. – 614,377 units

4.       Chicago – 540,306 units

5.       Philadelphia – 480,341 units

Units Sold by Private Party

1.       New York – 609,736 units

2.       Los Angeles – 567,596 units

3.       Chicago – 489,556 units

4.       Seattle-Tacoma, Wash. – 359,677 units

5.       Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas – 355,116 units

Total Used Sales by City

1.       New York – 2,606,426 units

2.       Los Angeles – 2,442,030 units

3.       Chicago – 1,464,088 units

4.       San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. – 1,437,173 units

5.       Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas – 1,074,076 units

If you are looking to move more inventory and boost foot traffic in your dealership, Special Finance Group is ready to assist you with their Complete Special Finance Solution. To learn more about what Special Finance Group can do for you, go to http://www.specialfinancegroup.com, and connect with Special Finance Group on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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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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