Today, more than ever, cars are commodities. There are countless web sites that give customers the information they need to negotiate the lowest price possible. Not to mention, every dealership sells cars. Selling cars doesn’t make your dealership unique or special. In most cases, if a customer can buy the same car for less at a different dealership, they will. What’s worse, customers have come to expect the lowest price. Offering cars for low prices is no longer a competitive advantage because every dealership is offering the same thing.

One of the fastest and most predictable ways to stand out in the marketplace and double store traffic is to start offering solutions instead of simply offering cars. By “solutions” we mean the help that ordinary people need in order to buy the car they want. Examples of solutions that customers value are: helping them analyze their current situation and determine what vehicle would be right for their budget and lifestyle; showing them various options for getting rid of a vehicle they no longer want, but may may still be making payments on; presenting them with options for financing even if they’ve had past issues with their credit; providing a buying experience that’s fun and stress-free.

Customers value solutions like these far more than they value the promise of cars at low prices, which they’ve come to expect from every other dealership. Offering and delivering real value in the form of helpful solutions to their real challenges will cause your dealership to stand out instantly in a cluttered market and have an immediate impact on traffic.

You’ll know this is working when you’re consistently seeing customers who aren’t committed to a specific vehicle, who instead are open to an array of options, as long as you can help them solve their problem.