If your store isn’t already moving metal at a steady clip, perhaps the results of the newest DrivingSales analysis should be uplifting since it includes a projection of sales growing by as much as 24 percent if the retail experience improves.

The DrivingSales Consumer Experience Study uncovered what orchestrators called “profound” changes in consumer expectations, driven by their experiences in other retail sectors, that up-end the current conventional wisdom in dealerships on marketing and sales best practices.

The study also identified how the expectation gap between dealers and consumers has grown to such a level that a fundamental change in the consumer experience is required if dealerships expect to remain competitive during the next five to 10 years.

A selection from the hundreds of insights collected include:

• Ninety nine of 100 automotive shoppers begin their purchase journey expecting it to be a “hassle” driven in large part by their experience, and that of friends/family, with retailers seeking to control the buying process to the retailer’s objectives.

• Shoppers are exposed to dozens of conflicting influences making them wary and distrustful, driving them to seek what they perceive as objective information from trusted sources — primarily trusted friends and family and independent third-party sites

• Shoppers are keeping dealers and salespeople at a “proverbial arm’s length” until late in the purchase process. When they’re ready to interact, 61 percent initiate contact by walking into the dealership without prior contact.

• This distrust puts the consumer on a hair trigger as they engage with the dealer

• 50 percent will walk out of a dealership if the dealer requires a test drive before providing a price; 43 percent if personal information is required.

• 56 percent of shoppers said they would buy more often if the dealership process was not so difficult; the impact of this retail aversion was quantified at a potential increase in sales volume of 24 percent.

The study is based on a 16 month-long ethnographic and quantitative research initiative with more than 1,300 shoppers and buyers. The project also looked at the rational and emotional factors that cause modern shoppers to connect, or disconnect, with dealers in the buying process.

“Yesterday’s formula for automotive retail success is deterring consumers and suppressing sales volume. Our research shows the key to sales success today is building trust through an open and transparent customer experience at every stage of their buying process,” said Jared Hamilton, founder and chief executive officer of DrivingSales.

“Our findings are a clarion call for change in how cars are retailed and provide practical guidance to retailers and manufacturers on how to bridge this customer expectation gap and advance the industry,” Hamilton continued.

Hamilton will be revealing a summary of the results of this research in his keynote address at the DrivingSales President’s Club event at the New York Grand Hyatt on Wednesday.

Additional findings and recommendations from the full research study will be shared with the industry over the coming months. They will include recommended changes to dealership marketing and sales processes and insights into specific segments of buyers.

Interested parties can keep connected with these findings at drivingsales.com/trust.

“Some advanced dealers and groups have already seen and acted upon many of the trends uncovered by this research,” company officials said. “As part of this multi-year research initiative, DrivingSales will continue to research evolving automotive retail practices and share results achieved.”