Question for people who bought NEW Toyotas

[99GrandLTD]

I work for a Toyota dealer. We do Ok with Tacomas and Tundras. Not very good on any accessories of value for them, and then we dont do much at all with FJ's and 4Runners.

I am putting together different proposals for our GM to boost truck and accessory sales.

One thing I had in mind and have gathered information on is becoming an ARB dealer and marketing to the offroad/expedition community.

How likely would you be to buy a brand new FJ or Tacoma with say an ARB bumper on it brand new at a reasonable price.

To market towards this crowd I would guess that targeted banner ads, maybe even magazine ads would be more effective than news papers/billboards/auto trader/etc

 

[heeltoe989]

I work for a Toyota dealer. We do Ok with Tacomas and Tundras. Not very good on any accessories of value for them, and then we dont do much at all with FJ's and 4Runners.

I am putting together different proposals for our GM to boost truck and accessory sales.

One thing I had in mind and have gathered information on is becoming an ARB dealer and marketing to the offroad/expedition community.How likely would you be to buy a brand new FJ or Tacoma with say an ARB bumper on it brand new at a reasonable price. To market towards this crowd I would guess that targeted banner ads, maybe even magazine ads would be more effective than news papers/billboards/auto trader/etc

I would have.

I don't mind buying things from the dealer if the dealer has a good price on them and does a good clean install. A lot of the guys and gals here on the site like to buy the truck and do the mobs and building themselves to. Like me, I love working on my truck and a new part like a bumper and winch are usually some of the first mods, other than suspension.

Dealers need to install good suspension on the trucks your thinking of building. NOT SPACERS LIFTS AND AXLE BLOCKS. Now I'm now saying Full Icons set up, but a full Old man Emu kit would be great. That way when the customer buys it, a good bumper, suspension and tires are done and they can get using the truck for what they are buying it for. If you can combine most of it with financing then its even better for the person to get.

The only big modification I had the dealer do and my supercharger. I wanted the good warranty and it needed to have the ECU flashed. The dealer did a great job and really liked doing the first supercharged new Tacoma at their dealership. I also now get most of my parts from this dealership.

Country Hills Toyota in Calgary Alberta does a lot of modifications to some of their trucks, wheels, tires, OME suspension, winches ARB's, the works and can mod the truck for you after or before the purchase.

It would a great idea for you guys to start doing it too.

 

[atavuss]

I prefer to buy my truck stock and do any mods myself. I have a 04 and a 09, both are TRD 4 door, 4 wheel drive Tacomas. I feel dealer mods are priced way too high..........

 

[mtnbike28]

Wrong area?

The other problem might be location. I see you are in PA, I am in WNY, there just is not as much to do here as out west, so that area seems to understand the value of the upgrades. I would guess most of your customers would be happy with damage multiplier bars, just the look. I was told by my dealer, my Tacoma is the only one they have ever seen used off-road and it's not a rock crawler, just the ARB, OME and sliders seem to get folks stopping over to look every time it's in the shop.... ? I suggest building one up and seeing what customers think.

 

[allochris]

Of course, why would Toyota market factory ski accessories advertisement in newspaper rather than ski/snowboard magazines & ski/bike/4x4 shops?

2 key words: Customizable, Competitive Pricing.

If toyota can focus specifically on what the market desires/needs, thus being able to provide clients' customizable needs while offering a reasonable or competitive pricing, it's clear that the market will want to do business with you, simply because market's needs are being listened & Toyota is not just focusing on what it wants to sell to the public!

For me, being able to customize is key.

For example, if a client desires:

-X-cab
-Manual
-D-4d
-no front bumper (i.e. I want to make my own)
-no pick up box (i.e. i already own a flatdeck & a custom camper)
-front & rear solid axles, with lockers and manual hubs
-Arb snorkel
-Specific brand & size of tires

, Toyota can comes up with a system like cash back or crediting for items that are not being ordered, thus forwarding the difference towards aftermarket items (In this case, the client doesn't need the stock engine, front bumper, and pickup box, but wants the D-4D, ARB snorkel, ...etc)

Being a top leader of the off-road community, if Toyota North America can go above & beyond what other competitors offer internationally while satisfying political, environmental, and safety limitations, sales will no doubt increase.

After all, I, being part of this expedition-oriented sector of the off-road community, can tell that every truck owner wants to drive a one of a kind custom tailored vehicle purposely built for his/her application, and not simply a vehicle that looks & performs identical to every other truck rolling off the "st"ealership parking lot.

Btw, I am not a new truck owner, nor intending to purchase one anytime soon. I'm still driving my 18 years old pickup truck currently at 355xxxKM. Until the day I get to pick & choose exactly what I want right off the dealer with a competitive pricing, I will be glad to do business with you in no time.

 

[heeltoe989]

After all, I, being part of this expedition-oriented sector of the off-road community, can tell that every truck owner wants to drive a one of a kind custom tailored vehicle purposely build for his/her application, and not simply a vehicle that looks & performs identical to every other truck rolling off the "st"ealership parking lot.

Absolutely!

Chase/Expedition = Me :smiley_drive:

 

[jh504]

A lot of Jeep dealerships do this sort of thing. The Chevy dealership near my house actually does full customizations a good bit too. The problem I see with it is the cost that these things add to the vehicle. All the dealership mods that I have seen have been priced ridiculously high. My mindset would be to buy the base model and go out and add what I wanted to for half the price.
If Toyota were able to offer these options at a decent price though I would rather buy it with certain items already upgraded. Bumpers are a great place to start too because the factory steel just doesnt cut it.

 

[CA-RJ]

You need to market your product to those who want to buy it. For example, I work for a Lexus dealership. We are the #1 accessories sales dealership in the US. We sell our "F-Sport" items anyone who wants to buy it. We sell on Ebay and are active on many Lexus forums. We host events at our dealership where we invite local clubs to come and display their cars. We raffle items off at this even. We also have a show car that has all our accessories on it that the customer can ride in.

The key, is to try and sell things for low markup and make up for the low amount of profit by selling volume. You know what I mean too. I'm talking about 25% or less in the markup department. Offer to install items at the dealership. Price match competitors. Be willing to talk to your customers for long periods of time without selling a thing. Word of mouth and great customer service go a long way in our industry.

So, get a Tacoma double cab and a FJ Cruiser and make show vehicles of them. Build a show case that displays your products. Clearly mark the pricing on everything. Remind your manager, that any extra profit is better than none at all. Even if your sales only go up 10% it will still be worth it for you.

 

[washington taco]

The parts could be sold at MSRP and shown on the window sticker as no charge installation. Build your install cost into the part cost but dont go over MSRP of the part. It is my experience that fewer people have the ability, tools, time or desire to do alot of modifications them selves. There should also be credits for parts removed to facilitate modifacations i.e. factory tire/wheels, bumpers, audio systems or what ever could be sold on e bay by the dealer. The more volume dealers do with specific parts maybe the factory would start to install stock.

 

[Dave Bennett]

The key, is to try and sell things for low markup and make up for the low amount of profit by selling volume. You know what I mean too. I'm talking about 25% or less in the markup department. Offer to install items at the dealership. Price match competitors. Be willing to talk to your customers for long periods of time without selling a thing. Word of mouth and great customer service go a long way in our industry.

So, get a Tacoma double cab and a FJ Cruiser and make show vehicles of them. Build a show case that displays your products. Clearly mark the pricing on everything. Remind your manager, that any extra profit is better than none at all. Even if your sales only go up 10% it will still be worth it for you.

This is good advice, as is this entire thread.

I've noticed that 99% of dealerships charge HUGE amounts for lifts, tires, and wheels. Sure, you'll get a sucker that will pay $6,000 for a 3 inch lift and aftermarket tires and wheels that only cost $3,000, but they wont be a repeat customer once they realize how they were screwed. This doesnt help sales in the long run, people tell other people about their experiences.

Check out how Toyota of Dallas does things, they are the big dogs when it comes to parts and sales so they must be doing some things you can emulate. One thing they are king at is CUSTOMER SERVICE, and I'm sure all here will agree that this has become a lost art.

Talking to a real enthusiast who "talks the talk and walks the walk" and can actually answer questions (as opposed to the "I just work here and I ride a Vespa") is the #1 reason I go to them for parts again and again. That, along with competative pricing, is key.

ARB and Old Man Emu are proven brands that you should certainly sell.

A fully built, flagship vehicle (4WD Tacoma or ...gag...FJ...gag) displaying all the aftermarket bling would really generate interest driving around town or sitting on the showroom floor.

 

[99GrandLTD]

Guys thanks for the input, I understand and agree with everything you have said and I welcome other posters too. Im gathering info right now, working up different price scenerios, etc. I may actually print this and show it to my GM when I present this stuff.

 

[1leglance]

One thing you could do to test your local market is get in touch with the active Toyota clubs in your area and on the national forums...
get some of them to come down to the dealership for a car show and watch the crowds...are folks checking out the "mudders", "overland", "over the top" ...which mod's seem to capture interest.

I would have paid the dealership to do ton's to my truck if:
1) that had been an option
2) the prices had been within reason for my area
3) they would warranty the work
4) they had even bothered to find out what my intended use for the rig was inorder to profile their customer base

Funny thing is when I go back for any reason my rig draws huge crowds and the dealership acts like that is a hassle...go figure.

 

[FJC-4x4]

May I suggest posting your question on:
www.fjcruiserforums.com

One thing that a lot of FJers would appreciate is a dealer that honors warranty even when the vehicle is (heavily) modded.

Get involved in your 4wheelers community. Toyota had a team that would organize off-road activities to show the capacity of the FJ, unfortunately, they've been shelved this year.... What better way to sell FJs than to show people what the FJ can do... Find an off-road course near you and bring people there to try the FJ...

This said, I see a few reasons why the FJ and 4runner sales are down this year, even with the current economic situation taken into account:

For the FJ, there is the availability of the 2009s or lack there of. From the comment I see on the other forum, the 2009s are in very limited numbers...

Also, you must keep in mind that the FJ was targeted for a niche market and that the majority of the potential FJ owners already own one and are not yet ready to replace their current rig. Some are also really worry about the fender buldge/engin bay rip issue that plagued the 2007 and 2008 model and which Toyota refuse to acknowledge... A fix seemed to have been done on the 2009s, but people are scared that Toyota will continue to deny that there is an issue...

You might also want to consider offering a FJ with a 3.0L V6 diesel for a reasonable price (ie, reselling the 4.0L V6 to compensate for the swap). You would be surprise how many people are waiting for a diesel engine...

Another mod that the community is waiting for is a secondary gas tank... 72L is way too small...

As for the 4runner, people are waiting to see the (new) 2010 models. There is a rumor that it will be redesigned for 2010 and in this economy, people are willing to wait and see before buying...

Cheers

 

[I Leak Oil]

In town here we have the oldest, or one of the oldest Ford dealerships, Place Motors, that sells quite a few dealer and factory customized trucks, both light and medium duty. Yes, they are expensive but there is obviously a market for them. Yes, they are under warranty.
I think the best way of advertising is to get a vehicle together and get out to some shows and events, especially the local ones, to start with.
Sell a good product, offer good customer service and keep the price competitive but don't let it be the ultimate deciding factor.
Jason T.

 

[mightymike]

That is what I did-ordered my Tacoma through a dealer that was 2 1/2 hours away because they were an OME/ARB and Warn dealer and because they had the best price on the truck I wanted to order. Many dealers were not interested in ordering a truck. The price on the accessories was MSRP and the installaion was less than the local 4x4 shop. This dealer does many suspension/bumper/winch/locker installs so I decided it was the best way to go. So far, so good.