Comment

Comment by Anne Fleming on July 10, 2014 at 3:39pm

Brian -- its a total typo, not just a typo, but in the subject line. Thank you -- you have eagle eyes! We need you proofing!!!! 

Comment by Brian Bennington on July 10, 2014 at 3:35pm

Hi Anne,  One quick question.  In your title, I was curious why you asked "How does your stack up?"  Normally, I'd think "your" instead of "yours" was a typo, but knowing how sharp you are, I thought you might have a reason for it.  If you do, I'd love to hear it, otherwise I'll just mark it up to a lack of proofing.  Hey, it happens to everyone, but in the letters I write for others with the meter on, any typo or grammatical error could damage both my client and my business, so I have a minimum of two of my more-educated-than-me staff proof everything.  (I do make typos in things I write for fun that aren't proofed, like commenting here, but no matter how unimportant it is, I'm still mighty ashamed when I see an error in something I've written.)

As to this Women's Wednesday blog, I'm just not sure how important knowing what makes are the most popular with women effects any dealer.  After all, they sell what they sell.  Of note, your list title of "Emotions experienced...." has a typo in it, too.

 

Comment by Anne Fleming on July 10, 2014 at 3:34pm

Steve -- wow! I truly believe its a client by client, customer by customer engagement and sale that we can see and measure if progress is made. By the reviews and the WSI scores via our company, many many dealerships are "getting it right". Now, if we can find that formula and multiply it by 17,750 stores. 

Comment by Steve Richards on July 10, 2014 at 2:54pm

Ann, thank you for the report. That clarifies the "3 in 10" number somewhat. I believe if you asked a representative sample of potential buyers, regardless of gender, if "they were apprehensive about the automotive shopping experience" more than 30% would respond with a resounding "YES". I sent my daughter to buy a car at a store I've worked with for two years. They "rolled out the red carpet" for her and she described it as a "horrific experience".She asked me, seriously, if the suicide rate was high among car sales people. I've been in the business for 36 years and my wife still won't step inside a dealership. Sometimes I wonder if we've made any progress at all?

Comment by Anne Fleming on July 10, 2014 at 3:36am

Thanks for your comments. Here is the exact breakdown as reported by women buyers: 

Emotions expierienced when car shopping:
Excited	55.2%
Relaxed	31.8%
Apprehensive	30.7%
Confident	29.4%
Nervous	23.1%
Overwhelmed	19.7%
Intimidated	12.6%
Frustrated	9.1%
Confused	8.5%
These percentages may add up to more than 100% because respondents can submit multiple answers. To your point, half of all women bring another person with them when they buy a car, and 78% of the time its a man that accompanies them. With that in mind, that is a critical reason why women report that their "apprehension is only 3 in 10". If that were not the case, it would be higher.

Comment by David Ruggles on July 9, 2014 at 7:17pm

I should have read Steve's comment before posting my own.

Comment by David Ruggles on July 9, 2014 at 7:16pm

RE: "3 in 10 women are apprehensive about their car dealership visit when buying a car. In fact, 20% feel downright overwhelmed. Top rated dealerships get the critical importance of establishing trust with their female clients the moment they walk onto the showroom floor or reach out digitally. It is the only thing that matters to her. Price is secondary."

I'm surprised the 3 in 10 number is so low.  I would think it would be higher. I think the phrase describes all customers.  I don't see BMW on the list.  I thought the MINI was well regarded by women.

Comment by DealerELITE on July 9, 2014 at 6:10pm

Anne thank you for sharing

Comment by Steve Richards on July 9, 2014 at 6:09pm

Only 3 in 10 are apprehensive? I'm shocked the number is so low, unbelievably low. More men than that are "apprehensive".