In this competitive market, we hear from many dealerships that they are struggling to engage their customers in two-way conversations. In particular with Internet leads, increasing the contact rate and getting the customers to respond can be a challenge since many customers receive emails and calls from several dealers in a short period of time. So what can you do to stand out and encourage a response?

 

Besides the best practices we all know about (respond quickly, give alternatives, etc.), one of the most effective ways to engage is to build value in your dealership. Put yourselves in your customers’ shoes and answer the question for them: Why should I buy from your dealership instead of another dealership?

 

Here are several ways to build value and give customers a reason to come in:

 

1)    Align with the customer’s hot buttons. When a customer on the lot tells you that fuel economy is the most important feature in a vehicle to them, you probably tailor your vehicle presentation to the features and benefits that stress how economical and efficient the vehicle is. While you can’t always identify it from an Internet lead, you can usually gather enough information to make an educated guess at what might be important to that customer. Are they nearby? Try stressing convenience attributes of your dealership like your location, an easy in-and-out process, and your willingness to prepare a vehicle in advance to save them time.

 

2)    Share what separates you from the competition. What is your unique differentiator? Is your dealership known for the best prices, price guarantees, the biggest selection, or your no-pressure sales environment? Maybe the President’s Award for exceptional customer service? Whatever your store can offer that your competitor can’t or won’t, make sure your customers are aware of it.

 

3)    Show your connection to your community. People still buy from companies they like – and that they know will be around for the long term. Showing your involvement in your local community without bragging about it enhances your reputation, engenders trust and shows an intent to “stay around.” Whether it’s supporting the local Little League (“Proud Sponsors of Little Timmy’s T-Ballers”), local charities, or if you are having a blood drive or a holiday barbecue, don’t be afraid to share tastefully.

 

Every salesperson should know what differentiates your dealership from any other; and they should be able to use that information to build value and rapport with the customers. Do you know what your dealership’s unique differentiator is? Can you give your customers a good reason to buy from you instead of your competition? What do you do that builds value and encourages the customer to come in?

Josh Vajda compares salespeoples' lack of response to Internet leads with ignoring showroom customers, and gives three tips to ensure your Internet customers don't get ignored.

A long time ago, back when we used paper desk logs to track our showroom traffic, our salespeople were asked to complete a “source” box. We wanted to know how our customers heard about our dealership. Strangely, “Location” was the overwhelming favorite; according to our salespeople, very few customers came into the store because of our advertising. Of course, the phone calls and Internet (and fax, back then) leads we received told a different story. We just weren’t asking the question the right way - or at all, in some cases.

 

We know that knowing how your walk-ins find you is critical if you are tracking the return on investment (ROI) of your marketing dollars. If one advertising source is driving twenty walk-ins a week and another is driving only two walk-ins per week but costing you just as much, wouldn’t you want to know which one is which? While most dealers have a method in place to ask customers how they heard about their dealership, many times this important question is overlooked in the more immediate quest to sell a car.

 

Take a look at your sales log and see how many source boxes are filled out. If it’s less than 90% or “location” is the only answer, I’d recommend an immediate action plan to get those numbers up.

 

Here are a few tips for implementing a process that will accurately track the ROI from your showroom visitors:

 

1)    Start with the buyers. Customers waiting for the finance process to start typically have a few minutes of down time. Ask that they fill out a short survey, including what advertising source brought them in. Have the F&I Manager collect the surveys in case the salesperson didn’t record it in the sales log.

 

2)    Leverage your managers. If your store requires that there is a manager involved in every deal, make it the manager’s responsibility to source every customer, and make them accountable in some way. Since your managers likely have more of a direct role in advertising decisions than your salespeople, they’re more likely to make it a habit.

 

3)    Analyze your digital ad sources for ROI. Your CRM can show you by lead source the contact, visit, appointment and sales rates, and many ad sources are able to give you view and click-through reports that show their effectiveness. Invest more in profitable sources and cut the duds.

 

4)    Make it a priority. Train your sales associates to include “what advertising brought you in today?” or a similar question into their needs discovery. You can even run a monthly contest for salespeople. Every month, whoever has the highest percentage of source boxes filled out, wins a prize.

 

 

Not every customer will remember where they first heard about you, but most will. Capturing lead sources for your walk-ins will go a long way towards determining which lead sources – both digital and traditional advertising – are delivering customers to your showroom.

 

How do you source walk-in customers? What works and doesn’t work, and why?