How to Boost Parts Department Sales at Your Dealership

Michael Jordan famously said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” When dealers are looking to boost sales numbers, the parts department can be easy to overlook. After all, a technician who is a genius in repairs, may be less so on the sales floor.

But that is not a reason to give up, since dealers across the nation and around the world are seeing a benefit in multiple streams of revenue. Taking a team approach can help set everyone up for success. To boost part sales, take a moment to work on the business instead of in the business by reading some of these tips.

Create a Personal Connection

Dealers are often family businesses and have customers who span generations; that powerful relationship can help boost parts sales in your Marine or RV dealership. The personal connection does not only have to be in the store, it can link to your customer’s digital life as well. Chad Citte from Ray Citte RV in Northern Utah is all about collaboration.

A lot of it is listening to customers and making sure that we are collaborating,” said Chad. “We have a lot of systems in place to get feedback from them and communicate with them through texting and the IDS system. It’s integrating a lot of those interactions, so that we can stay connected with our customers and keep track of what’s going on throughout their experience with us.

After connecting, you can pursue the follow-up fortune through thoughtful but persistent marketing automation campaigns.

Solve Customer Problems

For sales and marketing professionals today, the long-held slogan Always Be Closing, or ABC, has been replaced with Always Be Helping, or ABH. Solving customer problems is a great way to start the relationship on the right foot to boost parts sales. And it is a territory that the big-box stores will not tread. A bit of creativity can go a long way. Michael Moix of Moix RV in Conway, Arkansas, created a solution when they realized that their customers bought units, but never used them.

A few years ago, we created a camping club – Camp Moix – to organize camping trips around the state, four to five times a year,” said Michael. “It helps our customers get out and use their units, while letting us interact with them. We also fix small problems with their units, cook for them and provide entertainment – all for free. This, in turn, allows us to build stronger relationships with our customers and generate attention to our brand through word of mouth.

What problems are your customers having, and what solutions can you create in your parts department? Spending a day or two in the shoes of your customers and resolving common challenges as a team can keep them coming back to your Marine or RV dealership.

Always Have the Part

There is nothing that will kill a great relationship like not having the part on hand. After all, you can’t sell what you don’t have. Parts sales in the busy season can be difficult to predict, but analyzing trends from the previous year while accounting for the growth of the dealership is a great start. Work with your technical team to make sure you have the right parts for new vehicles and equipment as well.

Launch an Online Sales Channel for Parts and Accessories

Online part sales is expected to exceed $19B in 2019. That being said, to modify a quote the movie Field of Dreams, “if you build it, they won’t necessarily come.” In fact, you are dealing with competition on a global scale, and your signal-to-noise ratio will be much smaller. For online sales, setting different margin pricing across your inventory is helpful. By utilizing a pricing matrix, you can avoid overcharging for expensive parts and undercharging for cheaper ones.

Don’t Boil the Ocean

While it can be exciting to start something new, trying to do too much too soon can have the opposite effect of what you want. If you like an idea in this article or have another favorite initiative in mind, think of rolling them out one at a time, with goals to work through the long term. After all, a well-thought-out plan to boost parts sales can help your business, but a poorly designed one can just be a distraction in an already busy life.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Is old inventory getting in the way of new items? Check out our guide on how to get rid of dead inventory.

Download Dead Inventory Guide Now