Taking Advantage of Tax Return Season With Car Sales and Service Offers
April 15. That date instantly sparks dread in the minds of many Americans, whether it’s fear over owing the government tax money or the general anxiety everyone feels when having to go through the confusing tax filing process. For car dealerships, however, that date shouldn’t cause anxiety. It should create a feeling of opportunity.
Tax season is an opportune time to position your vehicles to the American people in the midst of their government-decreed financial fate. And we aren’t just talking about those who are receiving a hefty tax refund. With the right plan of attack, you can market to those who are a few thousand dollars richer this season as well as provide opportunities to those who weren’t so fortunate with their tax return.
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How to Create Car Sales That Attract Buyers With Large Tax Returns
Of course, buyers with some extra cash to spend will be easier to sell to. There are many approaches you can take to devising a tax season-themed sales event, but ultimately, you want your offer to place the thought “tax refund” in the buyer’s mind. Your marketing plan should work to remind the customer of their incoming tax refund money and why spending it as a down payment on a car is a smart option.
If you aren’t in a position to offer your customers any extraordinary offers for this tax season sale, that’s OK. Even your typical monthly incentives can be appealing to refund-rich drivers. But, if you can create some special seasonal offers, you can really help your tax refund sale stand out from the others.
This is a unique time of year when you know so many of your potential customers are walking around with extra cash, so get creative with your incentives. Need ideas? How about, for one day only, April 15, you offer to match your customers’ tax refund amount when they use it toward a down payment (up to a certain amount). If a buyer pays $3,000 toward a vehicle, for instance, you could match it with $3,000 off the listed price, marketing it to buyers as a way to double their tax return.
Not all refund recipients will be in the market for a new car, but most will at least be car owners. Don’t pass by opportunities to advertise a tax season sale to those current car owners as well, such as through service incentives. If you offer prepaid service plans, you could offer free tax filing software with the purchase of such a plan – a suitable gift this time of year regardless of the buyer’s expected tax return.
Tax Season Offers For Those Without a Refund
It will be much harder to market to buyers who broke even or ended up owing the government a bit of money following their tax filing, but this group shouldn’t be ignored. They may not be in a position to make significant down payments on a new vehicle, but these individuals and families will be the ones looking for a break more than anyone. So, give them one.
If you have time to organize an event before taxes are due, you could have tax professionals on-site to assist buyers with concerns about their potential lack of a tax refund with their tax filing needs while they search for a new vehicle.
Of course, buyers who know they will owe the government some money won’t be so inclined to buy a vehicle, so consider marketing some service savings to these drivers instead. Consider hosting a special oil change savings event on April 15 where drivers can save big on their regular car maintenance or enter to win free oil changes/tire rotations for a year. Or, in honor of April 15, your dealership could offer $15 off any service. The incentive is up to you, but just like when marketing to the refund–rich consumers, make it clear that this is a great way for those less fortunate this tax season to catch a bit of a break.
Tax Season for Small Business Owners
This time of year is also a great time to get small business owners thinking about commercial vehicles. It may not be the most urgent time for them to buy, but since they will be thinking about taxes for their business, they may also be pondering the tax benefits that come from having recently purchased a vehicle for their business.
If they didn’t buy a business vehicle prior to the turn of the calendar year, then they won’t be able to deduct it from their taxes this year. But, tax filing season may be an excellent time to get them thinking of the deduction they could receive come next year if they finally decide to pull the trigger on that new vehicle they’ve been needing. Save your biggest sale on commercial vehicles until closer to the end of the year, but if you have an email list of businesses you’ve worked with for service in the past, creating an email campaign to put these thoughts in their head can be a helpful way to boost your commercial vehicle sales this spring.
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Your Marketing Plan for Tax Season Car Sales
When crafting your marketing strategy for these sorts of offers, it makes it easy knowing that so many of the drivers in your area will be getting an influx of cash this time of year (and everyone at least has to go through the tax filing process regardless of their return). This means you can spread your net far and wide rather than trying to pinpoint specific buyers.
From a digital perspective, consider designing a banner for your homepage and linking it to a landing page that outlines your best offers for the tax season sale you put together. Linking directly to inventory could work, but you also risk leaving buyers confused if the specific offers for sale aren’t reflected in your inventory pricing.
Remarketing to previous websites or dealership visitors is also key. For some, the car buying process can take several months as buyers wait for that perfect deal. With some extra cash in hand and excellent savings from the dealership, this could be the moment that all the stars align for those potential buyers. Work with your search engine marketing team to craft the best campaigns and refer back to past email communications with potential customers to get those conversations going again, this time armed with some special tax season offers.
If you need help coming up with sales ideas or reaching your customers with news about these offers, the digital marketing team at DealerFire can help. If you’re not a current customer, schedule a demo to see the impact an effective digital strategy can have on your sales and website health.
