RVBusiness, July/August 2020

BY PAIGE BOUMA RV Trader Survey Reveals Consumer Sentiments In the end its crucial to remember that YOU ARE THE EXPERT in your field When you share your wealth of knowledge with potential buyers youre more likely to not only eliminate their buying fears but you also present your dealership as their one stop shop for the education and advice they need to make their purchase RVBUSINESS GUESTVIEW B uying an RV is a huge financial decision that consumers dont take lightly There is often a lot of time and effort put into researching and selecting an RV that best fits their lifestyle and specific needs In fact 55 of RV Trader consumers spend upwards of seven months researching before making a purchase Its important to remember that each individual has a different path to purchase But the unfortunate reality is theres always the potential buyer who seems to struggle to make it across the proverbial finish line That leaves us with the glaring question Why dont consumers buy In a recent RV Trader survey we found that in about one third of cases affordability or concerns about financing are what drives the buyers indecision No matter how much a buyer might want to be a part of the RVing community the money still has to line up in the end Another fifth couldnt find exactly what they were looking for or were too worried about the driving or towing aspect of ownership to take the plunge 36 feel its too expensive 29 have concerns about financing 19 are concerned about driving and towing 19 feel options dont fit their needs As a dealer its just as important to understand why buyers choose not to purchase as it is to understand why they do That way you can incorporate these concerns into your communication strategies when you encounter a buyer who seems to be a bit more hesitant Lets dive into four ways you can ease potential buyers fears and address their concerns so they are more likely to convert 26 RVBusiness J U L Y A U G U S T 2 0 2 0 in the future Calm Fears with Pre Qualification Convincing a potential buyer to pre qualify before the sale helps to set their fears to rest or points them toward more affordable options If they are worried about affording a new RV but pre qualify with your dealership they will also feel a sense of relief and even allegiance to your dealership If they do not qualify for the range they are wanting this will also help you understand what their budget is so you can better steer them toward the right vehicle in their price range or help you keep tabs as they build their credit or downpayment Host Educational Events Workshops Consumers in this day and age are all about experiences They want to feel as if they are a part of something so let them Hosting educational workshops and events at your dealership is a great way to reach potential customers and another medium to address their concerns when it comes to buying an RV If for some reason you cant host an event in person try going live on Facebook for a Q A host a webinar or create evergreen videos that your audience can access on demand Theres always a way to reach potential buyers while still addressing their buying apprehensions Provide Useful Content As a dealer you intrinsically have knowledge and information that can help a consumer get to their ultimate decision Try addressing the buyer hesitations weve highlighted or any that youve directly experienced within the content you produce Try creating a Towing 101 Guide or writing a blog post on the process of financing to show potential buyers that its not as difficult as they might think Producing content like this can be time consuming but having these resources will be well worth the time you invest in creating them These are the materials you need to engage organically with potential buyers and by sharing this type of information you keep buyers coming back to you beyond just when they are looking to make a purchase making you their go to resource for the lifestyle overall Use Social Media to Your Advantage Once youve created all of this great content you need somewhere to promote it Sure printing out this content and having it on hand for potential buyers is a great idea and we highly recommend it but what about reaching those hesitant buyers who havent even walked through your doors yet Social media is the perfect complement to a good content strategy because it gives you another way to put your content in front of consumers who are hopefully eager to engage with it Posting articles blogs and guides highlighting common buying concerns is a great way to address potential buyers apprehensions before they even step on your lot Use this platform as an opportunity to engage with your audience and invite them to ask questions In the end its crucial to remember that YOU ARE THE EXPERT in your field When you share your wealth of knowledge with potential buyers youre more likely to not only eliminate their buying fears but you also present your dealership as their one stop shop for the education and advice they need to make their purchase Remember every sale has a different timeline so we encourage you to practice patience and a bit of persistence with potential buyers to ultimately close your next sale RVB Paige Bouma is currently vice president for Trader Interactives RV Trader Paige is a leader in both sales and product development management She has more than 14 years of experience in RV advertising media Her passion for the industry combined with her years of experience allows her to aptly bridge both digital media and sales development Her expertise includes roles leading in customer service digital advertising large scale partnerships and dealership consultation