5 Things Dealerships Must STOP Doing in 2025 to Grow 800%

The automotive industry is evolving at lightning speed, yet many dealerships are still stuck in outdated habits that are holding them back. If your goal is to grow your dealership 800% in 2025, you need to eliminate the roadblocks that are stalling progress. Below are the five biggest mistakes dealerships must stop making—immediately.

1. Ignoring the Power of CRM (or Using It Incorrectly)

Your CRM is more than just a database—it’s the key to unlocking customer retention, maximizing follow-ups, and closing more deals. Yet, too many dealerships either underutilize their CRM or allow their sales teams to input garbage data that renders it useless. A CRM is meant to be a strategic tool that helps dealerships track customer interactions, measure sales effectiveness, and ensure follow-ups happen at the right time. However, many dealerships either don’t train their teams to use it properly or don’t enforce accountability for data entry, resulting in lost sales opportunities.

🔴 STOP: Letting your CRM be a glorified phone book.
✅ START: Implementing a structured CRM process with accountability, ensuring follow-ups, personalized communication, and data-driven decision-making. Train your sales and BDC teams on best practices, enforce daily follow-up activities, and review CRM data regularly to identify trends that can optimize your sales strategy.

Additionally, leverage automation to handle routine follow-ups and reminders. AI-driven CRM tools can now analyze customer behaviors, predict purchasing timelines, and even craft personalized engagement messages that convert leads into customers. If your dealership isn’t harnessing these capabilities, you’re missing out on a massive competitive edge.

2. Depending Too Much on Walk-In Traffic

The days of customers strolling into your showroom ready to buy are over. If you’re still relying primarily on foot traffic, you’re losing thousands of deals to competitors who have mastered digital marketing and online engagement. Today’s car buyers want convenience, and many expect to complete most of the car-buying process from the comfort of their home.

Companies like Amazon and Carvana have revolutionized the buying experience by allowing customers to shop for vehicles entirely online, have financing options readily available, and get the car delivered to their driveway. If your dealership isn’t implementing a seamless online buying process, you’re getting left in the dust. Consumers now expect transparency, speed, and digital convenience. If they can buy a car online with just a few clicks elsewhere, why would they choose a dealership that still requires them to spend hours in a showroom?

🔴 STOP: Waiting for customers to come to you.
✅ START: Building a proactive outreach strategy through social media, email campaigns, and an engaging online presence that nurtures leads before they ever step into the dealership. Implement an end-to-end digital retailing solution that allows customers to browse inventory, calculate financing, complete paperwork, and even schedule home delivery. Not only does this improve the buying experience, but it also increases your potential reach far beyond your local market.

Additionally, equip your sales team with digital tools that allow them to engage with customers remotely—through video calls, personalized video messages, and real-time chat support. The dealerships that embrace digital transformation will thrive, while those that cling to outdated sales models will fall behind.

3. Neglecting Your BDC (or Not Having One at All)

A Business Development Center (BDC) isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. Yet, some dealerships still operate without one, or worse, have an ineffective team that isn’t properly trained to convert leads into appointments. The BDC is the heartbeat of your dealership’s sales pipeline, ensuring every lead is nurtured and no potential sale slips through the cracks.

🔴 STOP: Treating your BDC like an afterthought or an expense.
✅ START: Investing in professional training, strong scripting, and accountability metrics to ensure your BDC is generating real revenue and booking quality appointments. Your BDC team should have clear KPIs, such as conversion rates, response times, and appointment show rates.

Furthermore, equip your BDC team with the latest AI-driven customer engagement tools. Automated responses, chatbots, and CRM-integrated follow-up sequences can help your BDC work smarter, not harder. The dealerships that develop a high-performing BDC will convert significantly more leads and dominate their markets.

4. Using Outdated Sales Tactics That Turn Off Modern Buyers

Customers in 2025 have access to endless information, and they can spot high-pressure, outdated sales tactics from a mile away. If your team is still using old-school hard closes and ‘four-square’ tricks, you're losing credibility—and customers. The modern car buyer values transparency, trust, and a seamless experience over aggressive sales tactics.

🔴 STOP: Using outdated closing strategies that erode trust.
✅ START: Training your team in a value-based sales process that focuses on transparency, trust-building, and creating a seamless customer experience. Instead of pushing customers into a deal, educate them on their options and make them feel confident in their purchase.

Your salespeople should be problem solvers, not high-pressure closers. Teach them how to uncover a customer’s real needs and address concerns with genuine solutions, not manipulative sales techniques.

Also, use video and social media to build trust before the customer even walks in. Dealerships that showcase their team, customer testimonials, and real-life experiences through engaging content will create a rapport with potential buyers long before they make a purchasing decision.

5. Failing to Build a Strong Online Brand

Your dealership’s brand doesn’t just exist in your showroom—it lives online. If you’re not actively controlling the narrative through engaging social media, reputation management, and video marketing, you’re allowing competitors to dominate the space. Customers are researching dealerships long before they visit, and if your online presence is weak, they’ll move on to one that stands out.

🔴 STOP: Treating social media like an afterthought.
✅ START: Consistently creating high-energy, engaging content that showcases your team, highlights happy customers, and builds trust with future buyers. Your dealership should be active on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, sharing authentic content that connects with potential buyers.

Invest in video marketing—walkthroughs of vehicles, behind-the-scenes dealership operations, and customer testimonials should be a regular part of your content strategy. Buyers want to see real people and real experiences before making a decision, and video content helps you establish that trust quickly.

Additionally, actively manage your online reputation. Respond to reviews, both positive and negative, and show potential customers that your dealership cares about their experience. The dealerships that master online branding will dominate, while those that ignore it will fade into irrelevance.

Final Thoughts: The Time for Change Is NOW

The dealerships that will dominate 2025 are the ones that embrace change, invest in process improvements, and stop making the mistakes that have held them back for years. If you’re serious about growing 800%, take action today.

🚀 Want to implement a winning strategy? Connect with 800% Elite Automotive Club for expert training, proven sales strategies, and dealership transformation that drives real results. Let’s make 2025 the year your dealership scales like never before!