by Mitchell 1 Staff

Learning how to increase tire sales not only generates more revenue, it also provides a much-needed service

There’s no question that tires need repair and replacement like other vehicle components, but let’s face it, customers don’t pay much attention to their tires until something goes wrong. Instead of waiting for that something, repair shops can be proactive. Inspecting tires with every visit and promoting your shop’s tire services is a good start. But if you want more tire sales, you’ll need a plan that covers all the bases. Here’s how to generate more tire sales with seven field-tested steps.

1.   Teach Your Technicians How to Sell Tires

Learning how to sell more tires isn’t rocket science. It requires in-depth product knowledge, communication skills and a focus on the customer. Professional technicians know all about inspecting tires and identifying problems, but your tire sales will remain stagnant if you don’t know how to present those issues and the solutions effectively.

Teaching your team how to sell tires may mean learning new skills in unfamiliar territory. Fortunately, basic sales and communication skills can be learned without lengthy training. There are numerous free resources online, including podcasts, blogs and YouTube channels explaining how to build a good foundation in sales. These tools can help your technicians feel more confident when working with customers. Before you know it, you’ll have a team of tire sales experts who will be integral to growing your shop’s revenue.

2.   Educate Customers About Tire Safety and Maintenance

Remember, customers don’t think about tires as much as you do and probably know little about safety and maintenance. Your technicians know a lot, and when they share their knowledge, selling more tires is a natural byproduct. Customers need to know, for example, that tires have a limited service life of about six years. They need to understand how improper inflation, misalignment and other factors can impact safety and longevity. One of the best marketing strategies to increase tire sales is providing customers with helpful information that matters both in the shop and on the road.

3.   Promote Your Shop’s Unique Selling Points

An often-overlooked tire selling tip is promoting your shop’s unique selling points, like same-day service or eco-friendly practices. Any selling point that provides more convenience is always a winner. To set your shop apart, highlight selling points that resonate with many customers, like embracing sustainability. Recycling and eco-friendly practices are more popular and more important than ever. Your shop can tap into that market with responsible practices like tire recycling, eco-friendly products and energy-efficient tires.

4.   Check Tires During Shop Service

Customers come to your shop because they trust you to keep their vehicle maintained and safe. If your technicians aren’t inspecting tires with every service, you’re not only missing out on sales, you’re failing to earn their trust. Technicians should check every tire every time for tread depth, inflation and unusual wear, and communicate solutions like balancing or alignment. If your technicians want to know how to increase tire sales, putting customer safety first is a prime ingredient.

5.   Promote Tires Sales With Signage in Your Shop

It may seem like an obvious tire marketing strategy, but this marketing method bears repeating. To sell more tires, put them in front of customers’ eyes more often. Stack tires in appealing displays and use banners, easel boards and other promotional tools so customers can’t help but think about tires! In addition to posting marketing messages in the front of the shop or at the service desk, it’s a good idea to promote tire sales, maintenance and your shop’s unique selling points in other areas such as bathrooms, waiting rooms, exterior windows and outdoor signage.

6.   Invest in Point-of-Sale Financing Applications

Even if your technicians are tire and sales gurus, if the customer can’t afford the work, they can’t buy. Your shop could schedule the tire installation later, hoping the customer will be in a better position. However, delaying a tire install isn’t much of an option if a customer’s vehicle is unsafe. Customers shouldn’t have to choose between much-needed new tires or paying the bills. When your shop invests in point-of-sale financing, customers are safer and happier—and you’ll sell more tires!

7.   Offer Discounts and Specials to Attract and Retain Customers

Special offers, package deals and discounts are used for sales in nearly every industry and can help your shop sell more tires. A prime example is offering bundled services like balancing, alignment, rotation and tire inspection at a discounted package rate. These promotions can be offered through marketing, when scheduling the next appointment or with maintenance reminders to existing customers.

Mitchell 1’s Technology Can Help Your Shop Make More Sales

Our Mitchell 1‘s Manager SE software can help you keep track of your customers’ shop visits and future tire needs. Our SocialCRM software can also support your customer engagement with email communications and marketing campaigns.

Learn more with a free demo today, or call our office at 888-724-6742.

Whether developing more knowledgeable repair technicians or streaming your shop’s processes, the latest software technology can benefit your shop’s success. That’s why we’re Mitchell 1—in your shop, at your side.