Porsche dealerships are selling an experience now, and the camera is part of the process. Delivery day has become marketing, and stores that treat it that way are turning views into phone calls, referrals and out-of-state deals.
On today’s edition of CBT Live, Jimmy Anderson, General Manager of Porsche Virginia Beach, explains how a delivery video reached 1.6 million views on YouTube and reshaped the way his store connects with buyers.
According to Anderson, nothing in the video was staged, and the store films that way every day. Guests are told up front that cameras are rolling through advance notice and signage at the dealership, and the crew stops recording for anyone who declines. Staff are not required to appear on camera either, though the salespeople who do tend to see faster results in client acquisition and referrals. He notes that video performance now sits alongside inventory and service appointments in his morning routine, where he checks watch time, comments, and leads generated. “We’re not just managing and we’re selling cars anymore. We’re actually managing a person’s dream and aspirations, and we’re delivering it to them,” he expressed.
The store is feeling the same pressure as the rest of the brand, with Porsche sales down 13% in the first half of the year. Anderson said the response is adapting to what moves, working boutique inventory and picking up the phone for check-in calls rather than sales calls.
Affordability lands differently at this level of the market. Anderson says shoppers looking at 911s and higher trims rarely negotiate, in part due to his dealership’s upfront pricing. Lower in the lineup, a social ad for a certified pre-owned Macan lease at $800 a month with first payment, taxes and fees down drew more than a million views in a month. Buyers at that payment are stretching to the top of their tier, he said, which raises what the store owes them in service.
