Here are two complaints we hear all the time from dealerships:
- “Our marketing isn’t pulling in leads, or it’s too expensive.”
- “The leads we get are useless—just a bunch of tire kickers.”
Let’s break down why your dealership is attracting the wrong crowd and what you can do to fix it.
1. Your Dealership’s Marketing Is Operating in a Silo
Too many dealerships focus all their marketing on one tactic, like SEO or paid ads, and expect a flood of good leads immediately. That single-strategy approach? It’s outdated.
You need a multifaceted marketing strategy that works together like an ecosystem to get accurate results. The internet is interconnected, and so should your dealership’s marketing efforts across platforms and strategies.
Think of your strategy like a web. Every piece—social media, PPC, email marketing, or SEO—should be connected, creating a cohesive online presence.
That’s how you stop attracting the “tire kickers” and start pulling in qualified leads who are actually interested in buying.
2. Your Sales Team Is Dropping The Ball
Lead generation is one thing, but what happens once those leads come in? If your intake team isn’t handling inquiries right, you’re letting solid leads slip through the cracks.
Some dealerships limit the number of leads they chase or don’t follow up aggressively enough, capping their potential.
You need to screen your calls effectively. Make sure the leads you’re chasing are legit buyers—not just window shoppers.
Having a well-trained sales team or automated systems to pre-screen inquiries can save time, weed out tire kickers, and let you focus on serious prospects.
3. You’re Making Bad Offers (Especially If You’re Buying Leads)
The offers you put out there can make or break your lead quality. If your marketing campaigns push offers that sound too good, you will attract non-serious buyers.
Misleading ads or flashy promotions might pull in leads, but they’re likely people who aren’t ready to buy or aren’t the right fit for your dealership.
The key is to craft precise, honest offers that match what serious buyers seek. Focus on offering value that resonates with your ideal customers—not just clickbait deals.
This way, you’ll attract people who are more likely to convert into actual sales, not just waste your time.
4. You’re Not Feeding the Algorithms the Right Data
When running digital ad campaigns for your dealership, you can’t just look at the cost per lead and call it a day. That’s surface-level thinking.
You’ve got to follow the entire customer journey—from when someone clicks on your ad to when they sign the papers for a new ride.
You’re missing the big picture if you’re not using a solid CRM to track leads from start to finish. You’ll never know where the real gaps in your sales funnel are.
By feeding the correct data into your advertising algorithms, you’ll be able to refine your strategy, tighten up your process, and—yep—save cash on marketing that isn’t pulling its weight.
5. Your Mentality Needs to Change
Here’s the tough love: if you’re struggling to convert leads, part of the problem might be your mindset.
The car industry is fiercely competitive, and if you think you can skate by without investing in quality lead generation, you’re setting yourself up for failure.
Quality leads cost money—it’s that simple. And every lead, even those that seem shaky at first, represents potential.
If you adopt a mindset that every inquiry matters, you might be surprised by the open opportunities. There’s no easy shortcut here.
You’ve got to grind, engage with every lead, and keep your foot on the gas if you want to stay ahead in this crowded market.
Successful marketing in the automotive industry is all about building relationships and earning trust with potential buyers.
If you integrate your marketing efforts, tighten up your intake process, craft honest offers, track the entire customer journey, and treat every inquiry like gold, your dealership will crush it.
These moves set you up to stand out in a competitive car market, turning leads into long-term customers.
Need Marketing Help?
At Warthog, we’ve helped countless dealerships boost their sales and dominate Google search results.
If you’re looking for a partner who can drive real results for your dealership, contact us to discuss how we can take your business to the next level.