David Maus Toyota-Scion in Sanford, Florida, has found a new way to increase sales by making one small difference in some of its ads. According to the dealership’s internet director, Ricky Lopez, simply advertising in Spanish will increase sales dramatically. Lopez told AutoNews.com that he expects 75% of the dealership’s sales to be from Hispanic customers, as opposed to the one-third that they provide today.
In addition to releasing Spanish-language ads, Lopez intends to publish car sales videos in Spanish and establish protocols so that Hispanic customers will be directed to a dealership employee who is best suited to meet their needs. Lopez is confident that Hispanic shoppers will be loyal customers if they find a trustworthy salesperson whom they are comfortable working with. In many companies, the sales team has an annual turnover rate of 40%, so it can be difficult for companies to build relationships with their clients.
David Maus Toyota-Scion isn’t the only dealership interested in Hispanic shoppers’ business. Mat Koenig, CEO of BuscadorDeAuto.com, believes that it is important to be able to reach shoppers in their own language. He told AutoNews.com that Hispanic customers are more likely to use their mobile devices during the shopping period, so a dealership’s marketing should be mobile-friendly, in addition to including comprehensive videos.
Joshua Smith, internet sales director at Kuhn Honda in Tampa, is unhappy with the dealership’s 30% sales to Hispanic customers. Unfortunately, Kuhn Honda’s Spanish-language marketing campaigns have been unsuccessful. Following the opening of a new location, Kuhn Honda will return to running ads in Spanish.
Only 25% of the Latino population speak only Spanish, and 16% speak only English. The rest are bilingual, but may be sharing car ads with friends and relatives via their mobile devices or through email, so it is important to make advertisements accessible in all languages.
