What really influences the decision to buy a car? If only you knew this, you'd have a goldmine of insights into increasing your car sales. But there are a lot of factors involved: psychological, economic, habitual, and plenty more.
You need to start by understanding the patterns in consumer behavior. It will help you work on your sales approach, improve customer satisfaction, and make more deals.
We'll jot down the five important consumer behavior models that have strong impact on car purchases and how car dealerships can use Zoho Survey to collect feedback, find their motivation behind purchase, refine strategies, and enhance the customer experience.
Brand loyalty
Many buyers stick to brands they or their family have owned or used before. A person whose parents drove Toyota cars might automatically return for another car from the same brand without thinking much about alternatives. This loyalty often passes through generations or is based on long-term satisfaction. This creates opportunities to upsell to loyal customers through trade-in programs and targeted marketing efforts, which is often more profitable than trying to attract new prospects.
But, you also need to consider that if a consumer has had even one negative experience with you in the past, they probably won't recommend you to their family, friends, or peers at all, and may tend to avoid you in their next purchase.
Here's how Zoho Survey helps:
NPS surveys show you how satisfied your customers are and helps you find out who loves your brand, who is not so interested and who might speak negatively. This way, you can categorize them as promoters, passives, and detractors.
Now, based on the category, you can send out thank you emails and encourage promoters to give you a Google review for your showroom. If they are passive, use a customer satisfaction feedback form to ask them 'what's that one thing they'd want you to change,' so their experience is better.
With the detractors, you can follow up with a sales or pre-sales call by your manager to put out the fire before it becomes a larger digital reputation management issue.
The learned needs model
This model states that buying decisions are driven by three psychological needs: achievement, which translates into performance or technology benchmarks; affiliation, which is brand communities or personal connections; and power, which is status symbols or having exclusive features. These might tell you why a buyer might choose a rugged vehicle like Jeep for off-roading, the newest version of a popular SUV their neighbors drive, or a luxury sedan that conveys success.
If you think they are achievement-oriented, give them detailed spec sheets and provide performance-focused test drive routes. If they are affiliation driven, talk to them about your brand communities and have your staff focus on relationship building. If they are power focused, then give them VIP treatment and talk about exclusivity.
Here's how Zoho Survey helps:
Find out their most important and dominant need through survey questions like "What most impressed you about this vehicle?" If they say performance, then their focus may be on achievement; if they say brand reputation, then affiliation may be their priority; if it's premium features, then they may value power.
Also remember to send out follow-ups automatically and then link survey responses to CRM tags so you can send them personalized communications.
The cognitive model
This category of buyers conducts research and narrows down their options based on specific features, pricing, and reviews before visiting a dealership. They compare models based on logic, focusing on practical factors like fuel efficiency, safety ratings, and long-term costs.
They expect you to keep the pricing transparent, and you might lose out on deals if you try to surprise them with hidden fees. Ensure your sales, presales, and other staff who go in direct touch with them are fully aware of all the features and pricing for different models and talk about the practical benefits of the vehicle rather than trying to entice them with VIP treatment.
Here's how Zoho Survey helps:
You can use pre-purchase surveys and find out which features matter most. Ask where they get stuck in the decision process, test their pricing perception, and check if they are fully aware of all the incentives.
The economic model
For people who are price-sensitive, focus on how affordable the car is: its monthly payments, interest rates, and the overall cost of owning a vehicle. They may be thinking of stretching budgets for long-term savings.
For these types of people, you need to focus on payment options such as leases, loans, or any cash discounts. Also, any value messaging and nudge will resonate well with them and may push them further towards buying. It can also help to offer bundled plans and packages.
Here's how Zoho Survey helps:
Send post-sale satisfaction surveys to find if financing met expectations. Ask if there were any hidden costs that created frustration, such as insurance or add-ons. Check out if the sales staff conveyed things clearly and if their overall showroom experience was good.
The psychoanalytic model
This model is based on the idea that buyers often make decisions based on subconscious interests or desires. It could be about their status, the need for security, or wanting adventure. For example, a Jeep buyer might crave off-roading freedom, but a Mercedes buyer may seek prestige and status.
Here's how Zoho Survey helps:
With Zoho Survey, you can run surveys and find out their emotional response after test-drives. This way, you can measure and compare excitement levels for different models. Find out which emotional triggers work best and then refine your sales scripts based on psychological cues to increase your car sales.
How should you use Zoho Survey strategically?
- Send feedback questions to your website visitors so you can categorize them into specific behavior models. For example: Ask them, "What’s most important in your next car?" with options like Brand, Cost, and Features.
- Give them a QR code in real time with test-drive feedback questions that measure their emotional reactions. Ask them to review your staff’s performance also, so you can identify any gaps.
- After they purchase, send them post-sale survey forms to improve your retention rate. Ask them questions that measure their satisfaction with financing, delivery, and first service. If the sale did not happen and if the customer dropped off, then you can send them surveys that help you understand why you lost the lead.
- With car owner feedback questions, you can predict long-term trends. Ask them how long they’ve been using that vehicle for, how often they service it, if they are planning on changing their vehicle any time soon, or are they trying to shift from petrol or diesel vehicle to EVs. Also, ask what made them choose their last vehicle and what brand is on their mind for the next vehicle. With all these insights, you will be able to better forecast how the market is changing and what your customers expect from you in their next purchase.