In the new car industry, manufacturers and brands effortlessly play on customers' emotions. This is demonstrated by ...
In the new car industry, manufacturers and brands effortlessly play on customers' emotions. This is demonstrated by vehicle details that appeal to all the senses as well as emotionally charged campaign advertising. In used car marketing, the results are generally rather sobering. Why is this actually the case? Is the used car customer different from the new car customer? Is the used car customer really driven solely by price dumping on the Internet and the hunt for discounts and even more features?
We present three customer myths that still dominate the used car marketing of most manufacturers today, but have long been scientifically outdated. It's worth saying goodbye to them. This will broaden your view of customers and their needs and help you develop sustainable, successful marketing and sales strategies.
MYTH 1: USED CAR BUYERS MAKE RATIONAL DECISIONS.
Consumers weigh up arguments more carefully before buying a used car than they do when buying groceries every week. They check their finances, think about their requirements in terms of the performance and appearance of the vehicle and seek opinions from friends and acquaintances. However, their final decision in favour of or against a vehicle is anything but rational.
Almost everyone has experienced it for themselves: in the end, it's not facts and figures that make the difference, but a good feeling. As a result, some buyers disregard the vehicle's high mileage and even spend several thousand euros above their budget because they like the dealership, they are on the same wavelength as the salesperson or the car offers impressive, albeit completely superfluous, features.
Whether we like it or not, even the strongest homo economicus is guided by emotions. Always and everywhere. The emotions of potential car buyers already arise when googling different vehicle models and are even more effective when they sit in the car and take in the smell of the vehicle.
Research has shown that emotions, not reason, determine our shopping behaviour. We only justify decisions rationally in retrospect. For example, test subjects who saw images with strongly emotionalising motifs were prepared to spend far more money on products than people in the comparison group who were not emotionally stimulated. The impressive thing about this experiment is that the participants themselves were not able to knowingly suppress the influence of their emotions on their decision.
WHAT DOES MYTH 1 MEAN FOR YOUR MARKETING?
1. Consciously focus on emotional experiences: Offer test drives or create an appealing presentation of the vehicles.
2. Go beyond technical data. Emphasise stories - such as reliability or special moments that customers could experience with the vehicle.
MYTH 2: USED CAR BUYERS MAKE CONSCIOUS DECISIONS.
We are not even aware of more than 70 per cent of our decisions. Some researchers even estimate 95 to 98 per cent. Experts agree that numerous processes take place in the brain long before our consciousness kicks in. ‘Many signals and messages sent out by products or advertising do not reach the consumer's consciousness, yet they still have a major influence on their thinking and behaviour,’ says neuromarketing expert Hans-Georg Häusel.
This also applies to used car buyers and explains why what customers say is not necessarily congruent with their true emotions. The customer says that they don't like the vehicle or that the price is too high. In fact, they have subconsciously just decided that they don't trust the salesperson and their conscious mind is simply seizing on the first reason to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. Developing a deeper understanding of the customer's unconscious motivations and behavioural patterns is therefore crucial for sales success and therefore also for any marketing strategy.
WHAT DOES MYTH 2 MEAN FOR YOUR MARKETING?
1. Build trust: Open, friendly communication and a pleasant atmosphere in the dealership can be crucial.
2. Analyse unconscious signals: From the body language of the salesperson to the presentation of the vehicles - every detail counts.
MYTH 3: USED CAR BUYERS ARE UNPREDICTABLE.
Pessimists might now conclude that if used car customers do not make a conscious decision, their purchasing behaviour cannot be predicted. But this myth can also be quickly dispelled. Numerous neuroscience experiments show that there are indeed predictable and consistent ‘triggers’ that appeal to the subconscious and thus the emotions of the customer and positively support their purchase decision.
Targeting the customer's subconscious emotional system is therefore the basis for successful used car marketing. This applies not only to the presentation of the vehicles, but also to the sales talk, campaign advertising, the design of the showroom and many other aspects. It is often inconspicuous details such as the scent in the showroom, the lighting or the design of the vehicle presentation that appeal to the emotions and guide behaviour. Seemingly insignificant details can make the difference between closing a sale and unconsciously refusing to buy.
WHAT DOES MYTH 3 MEAN FOR YOUR MARKETING?
Create a harmonious environment: Use pleasant fragrances, soft music and appealing lighting in your salesrooms.Emphasise details: Whether clean, shiny surfaces or small, surprising extras - details are remembered and have an unconscious influence.
