Women buyers now account for 45% of all new car sales[1]. Yet one out of three women feel apprehensive or overwhelmed when they visit a showroom[2]. Less than 40% feel confident[3]. And a full 75% of women say they feel misunderstood by car marketers[4].

Car buying is a challenging process for many – and we know that women as a whole have different habits than men do. We also know that women are 50% more likely to use car dealer reviews[5] and prefer to read reviews written by other women.

All of these statistics point to the fact that women are seeking ways to be more confident and have a more empowering experience and visit. Here are five tips dealers can use to help boost women’s sense of confidence while also boosting sales:

1. Learn additional ways to convey trust and respect to women guests. Trust and respect are emotions and they are formed in small, subtle ways. At the core of building and engaging trust and respect is the ability to listen and respond to what a woman is saying. Listen, don’t lead, and pursue understanding of what the buyer is looking for in a vehicle.
2. Understand the differences in the ways women shop for a car. Women are less likely than men to choose a vehicle based on status. Women typically choose a car that can get them from point A to point B with safety and reliability leading the way. Front-line team members who understand these needs can boost confidence by supporting a woman’s choice in a car and its features.
3. Support a woman decision making process. When women decide “it’s time to buy a new car”, a majority go into the dealership not fully ‘sold’ on a specific model. What this means is that a woman has a list of needs and wants in a car and she is looking for the best fit for that list. Smart sales advisors will create a “decision tree“ that helps reduce the list of cars to the best choice. Following a logical decision-making process will help a woman feel she bought the right car, reducing any possible remorse that could occur.
4. Create a supportive car buying process that begins before she walks into the showroom. Be sure that your dealership reviews are showcased on your home page or in their own navigation section. In 2018, testimonials are too important to hide somewhere in “About Us”. Be sure that pleased and satisfied customers write reviews of their buying experience; pay extra attention to encourage women to leave reviews. Why? Women, when satisfied, leave higher ratings than men, and they acknowledge the dealership and its personnel with glowing reviews.
   1. Use your reviews and reputation in your digital and traditional advertising, include all DealerRater Dealer of the Year awards, too. Women are highly motivated by a dealer’s reputation and they put a lot of stock into reading and researching this. In fact, reviews are 3 times more influential than advertising when women are purchasing[6], so demonstrate that your store is the first stop for women in your city and region.
5. Actively recruit women sales advisors. People prefer to buy from people that are similar to them, and dealers want to have a similar profiles of front line team members that match their buying demographic

Taking time to incorporate programs to visibly increase women’s confidence and confidence in your dealership means your store is earmarked as a trusted destination. That means good news all around.

[1] 2017 US Women’s Car Buying Report, Women-Drivers.com

[2] 2017 US Women’s Car Buying Report, Women-Drivers.com

[3] 2017 US Women’s Car Buying Report, Women-Drivers.com

[4] Greenfield Online for Arnold’s Women’s Insight Team

[5] Ipsos Socialogue Poll

[6] Review Tracker