RV Trader is looking to help RV dealers interested in getting paid.
The company’s sales strategy, “PAID,” is aimed at getting dealers more buyers and leveraged inventory. The acronym is a way for dealers to benefit the most from the online marketplace, Executive VP of Sales and Operations Paige Bouma said.
Actions such as updating websites to be secure, easy to navigate and accurate are essential, but there are multiple steps she said dealers can take to boost sales.
The “P” in “PAID” is for price, Bouma said. Posting a unit’s correct pricing is important, especially as units are going fast right now.
“Even if the price is high,” Bouma said. “Data shows listings with included price are converted more often when compared to those which do not include prices. Make sure you and your staff understand pricing models. Is it all included? Be up front and honest with it.”
With lower inventory signs, Bouma noted dealers can ask for a premium because there is less price negotiating with buyers.
The strategy’s “A” is for appearance, Bouma continued, meaning a dealer should make sure to include as much of the unit’s physical details as possible. Showcasing features such as hardwood floors, slide-outs and whether the vehicle is drivable or towable are essential to buyers.
“Consumers do not always know what they are looking for,” she said. “They think they want a motorized unit, but do not know which one.”
The acronym’s “I” stands for images. The more unit photos a dealer has, the faster they can engage with customers to increase text and email leads, Bouma said. Adding photos, videos and even a video walkaround could generate more sales.
The “D” is for description, she said. This includes highlighting why a unit might be priced higher, such as a diesel pusher.
“There are first-time buyers here that do not know the reasons why something is important or not,” Bouma said. “Share with them why a unit is better than another. Consumers are so hungry for information and want dealers to share it.
“You have so many first-time buyers now that you have to make sure the description includes the non-glamorous stuff,” she said. “They need to know the mileage, year and info about how much water the unit carries.”
Bouma said inventory shortages present a challenge to buyers and sellers, but buyers still have preferences over the units they want. Dealers should lean into available consumer insights, she said.
“[RV Trader] offers so much data and information about the seller or buyer that people need to be taking advantage of,” Bouma said.
The marketplace’s lead enrichment feature, which the company calls lead intelligence, helps dealers dig into leads at the website’s back end to help buyers through the sale process. Sellers can see how long a customer has been shopping, what specific units they are searching for and their desired price range, Bouma said.
“We boil everything down to connection,” she said. “Users do not know every dealer, so [dealers] are casting a bigger net and looking further out, even with not as much inventory.
“Now that there is not much for people to do,” Bouma said regarding customers in the pandemic’s aftermath, “RVing is so natural and just booming, and we feel like it is continuing. We are seeing new people, and also those who have been RVing for a while and because they love it and are now willing to upgrade.”
