The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent inventory shortages have presented unprecedented challenges for car dealerships worldwide. Limited new vehicle inventory and soaring prices have caused many potential car buyers to delay their purchases, resulting in a significant pool of untapped opportunities. As the market slowly normalizes and inventory levels gradually improve, car dealerships can harness the power of text messaging to re-engage with old leads and capitalize on the unrealized potential created by the pandemic. In this blog, we delve into how text messaging can revolutionize customer follow-up strategies and unlock hidden opportunities for car dealerships amidst the evolving automotive landscape.
A Paradigm Shift in Car Buying Behavior
The pandemic and inventory restrictions have fundamentally altered car buying behavior. With limited selections and high prices, many potential buyers held off on purchasing vehicles, submitting leads to dealerships but refraining from closing deals. This unique market condition has created a vast reservoir of untapped leads, presenting an ideal opportunity for proactive follow-up and conversion.
The Key to Effective Follow-Up: Text Messaging
Text messaging has emerged as the ideal communication channel for reconnecting with old leads. Its high open rates and immediate response potential make it a powerful tool for capturing attention and reigniting interest. By leveraging the TECOBI platform’s text messaging capabilities, car dealerships can efficiently reach out to old leads, delivering targeted messages that address their concerns, highlight new inventory arrivals, and overcome obstacles such as price sensitivity.
Overcoming Customer Reluctance and Building Trust
The pandemic has left many customers apprehensive about making major purchases. By using text messaging, dealerships can address customers’ concerns, provide reassurance, and establish a personal connection. Text messages offer a non-intrusive, yet engaging way to convey relevant information, answer questions, and guide customers through the decision-making process. Through consistent and thoughtful follow-up, dealerships can rebuild trust and cultivate long-term customer relationships.
Empowering Dealerships to Seize Opportunities
TECOBI’s innovative CRM integration equips car dealerships with a comprehensive solution for managing the follow-up process. Leveraging modern technology, TECOBI’s software streamlines customer interactions, automates tasks, and provides valuable insights into customer preferences. By seamlessly importing CRM data and leveraging text messaging, dealerships can efficiently reach out to old leads, nurture relationships, and convert them into profitable car deals.
Capitalizing on the Market Rebound
As the automotive market stabilizes and inventory levels improve, car dealerships that proactively follow up with old leads stand to gain a competitive advantage. By leveraging the power of text messaging, dealerships can deliver targeted messages at the right time, showcasing new inventory arrivals and attractive incentives. The personalized and timely nature of text messaging ensures that dealerships remain top-of-mind for customers, boosting the likelihood of conversions and revenue growth.
Mac Haik Chevrolet: A Success Story in Lead Follow-Up
One shining example of TECOBI’s impact is Mac Haik Chevrolet, which achieved remarkable success in the month of May 2023. Outperforming every other Chevrolet dealership worldwide, Mac Haik Chevrolet sold more new Chevrolet vehicles than any other dealership. TECOBI played a crucial role in their lead follow-up process, enabling them to effectively engage with leads over the long term. By leveraging TECOBI’s text messaging capabilities, Mac Haik Chevrolet gained a competitive advantage in the market as it turned back around. Their commitment to consistent and strategic follow-up with leads has propelled them to the top, highlighting the power of text messaging as a key driver of success in the automotive industry.
The pandemic-induced inventory restrictions have created a wealth of untapped opportunities for car dealerships. By embracing text messaging as a game-changing communication tool, dealerships can effectively reconnect with old leads, address their concerns, and navigate them towards making a purchase. TECOBI’s innovative CRM integration empowers dealerships to streamline customer interactions, capitalize on the market rebound, and cultivate long-lasting customer relationships. In this evolving automotive landscape, seizing unrealized potential through strategic follow-up can propel dealerships to new heights of success and resilience. Mac Haik Chevrolet’s achievement in May 2023 serves as a testament to the power of TECOBI’s lead follow-up process and the competitive advantage it can provide in a recovering market.
Don’t take our word for it, listen to what Josh Potts the General Manager of Mac Haik Chevrolet has to say.
