We don’t get out to the movies that often, but when we do, we like to see a new release, before it’s been running too long. Similarly, if we watch a hot television program, we need to watch the latest episode before hearing the buzz online or catching up with a fellow fan.
Why?
Because we hate it when it’s spoiled! And thanks to social media, fans of the latest movies and TV shows are able to broadcast what they like and what they don’t like about everything they’re watching immediately. It’s happened to us, and we bet it’s happened to you too!
These posts are interesting, invigorating even, if you know what they’re talking about, but it can destroy your ability to enjoy a film or show; even if you watch later, you now have opinions and biases that change how you perceive the shows—you are thinking about what you know and what is coming instead of paying attention to the journey itself.
Putting prices on your inventory page is a lot like leaking spoilers to excited fans. You are looking to sell a complete solution to your customers, but when you give them the price right off the bat, you are sharing the end of the car-buying movie with potential leads. Giving away the ending removes the additional value you provide from the equation and reduces the purchase to a mere transaction. Suddenly the car is just a commodity and not a solution that enriches not just their commute to work, but their life.
Additionally, giving away the price allows potential customers to compare you to your competition, or rather your prices to your competition. And if you don’t have the lowest price? They’ll cross you off their list point blank.
It’s easy for them to cross you off their list based only on price at this point because they don’t have any other reason to choose you. They don’t understand the value you offer, the need you fill; they only know that your price isn’t the lowest.
And when they come to your dealership (if they come at all), they are only focused on one piece of information—price, so they’ll try to squeeze you for every dime. Any margin of profit you might have earned goes out the window because they know all the endings—your prices and your competition’s.
So does this mean you should abandon your inventory page altogether? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Think back to your occasional movie trips. We don’t want to be spoiled about the ending, but we do like knowing what the movie is about in general terms. That’s what trailers are for.
And your website and inventory page should be your dealership’s trailer. Tease your audience into wanting to learn more. Show the solutions you can provide, the reason your dealership is better than the rest, your depth of inventory, the quality of financing, and the value of their trade-in. Use these things to separate your dealership from the noise. Get your market excited about the service you provide, and you will have a blockbuster on your hands.
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