As a manager at an auto dealership, it can be a frustrating experience trying to get your sales team to consistently make phone calls and complete tasks in the CRM. Despite endless meetings and reminders, it can feel like an uphill battle to ensure that every lead is followed up on in a timely and effective manner. But what if there was a solution that could streamline the follow-up process and make it easier for your team to follow up with customers forever? That solution is text messaging.
Salespeople in auto dealerships are natural hunters who thrive on the excitement of closing deals and making sales. Sitting at a desk all day performing mundane tasks such as making phone calls and completing tasks in the CRM can be frustrating and demotivating for them. However, traditional methods of reaching out to customers through phone calls have become less effective as customers are less likely to answer calls from unknown numbers and are more likely to let them go to voicemail.
Every month, we conduct mystery shopping at hundreds of auto dealerships across the country. During our evaluation, we submit a lead through the dealership’s website and then act as a defensive customer, telling the salesperson that we were “just looking.” We closely monitor the dealership’s follow-up efforts and have found that, in most cases, we are fortunate to receive a second call, text, or email from the salesperson. Additionally, we have observed that follow-up efforts generally only continue for a short period of 3-5 days before tapering off completely. This lack of consistent and persistent follow-up is a missed opportunity for the dealership, as many potential customers need time to make a decision and may eventually convert if nurtured effectively.
Our team developed a Text Message Follow Up system specifically for auto dealerships, which has significantly extended the follow-up window for potential customers. With this system, much of the manual work that salespeople previously had to do to follow up with leads has been removed, resulting in a longer and more consistent follow-up period.
To demonstrate the effectiveness of our Text Message Follow Up system, we analyzed the leads that came in for a dealership during April and May of 2021. We used our system to follow up with these leads and tracked the resulting car deals on a month-by-month basis. The graph below shows the number of car deals that were closed from these leads.
The results of our Text Message Follow Up system for the dealership speak for themselves. As shown in the graph, the dealership continued to sell cars from those leads long after they initially came in. In fact, an impressive 50% of the total car deals from those leads were closed after the first 30 days. This demonstrates the importance of consistent and persistent follow-up, as customers may need more time to make a decision or simply be waiting for the right time to purchase.
The traditional task-based CRM processes that many dealerships use can be time-consuming and cumbersome for sales teams. This has led to a “Churn and Burn” mentality with leads, where dealerships focus on acquiring more leads rather than effectively following up with the ones they already have.
Dealership managers are constantly battling with their sales teams in meeting after meeting, trying to ensure that they follow up and make enough calls. However, the reality is that these traditional methods often fall short, resulting in missed opportunities and lost revenue.
Text messaging has revolutionized the way dealerships can follow up with leads, providing sales teams with the flexibility they need to focus on engaged customers and close deals. Instead of spending time chasing customers for engagement, salespeople can focus on those who are already interested and engaged with the dealership, thereby increasing their chances of closing a sale.
With text messaging, salespeople can increase their answer rates on phone calls by over 10x. This means they can spend less time leaving voicemails and more time connecting with customers who are ready to buy. This not only drives sales but also gives salespeople the excitement they need to thrive in their roles, instead of feeling bogged down by mundane tasks.
By leveraging the flexibility and convenience of text messaging, dealerships can streamline their lead follow-up process and stay top-of-mind with potential customers, ultimately driving more sales and revenue. The power of text messaging cannot be understated in the auto dealership industry, and dealerships that embrace this technology will undoubtedly be at a competitive advantage.
The screenshot below, captured at 10am on a Monday morning, highlights the power of text messaging for lead follow-up. The Chevrolet dealership in question had only received one new lead for the day but had already engaged with 31 customers through text messaging. This shows the effectiveness of text messaging in keeping customers engaged and interested in the dealership.
Rather than spending time randomly dialing customers based on the CRM process, the dealership is focused on those 31 customers who have already engaged with them via text message. By using text messaging to stay top-of-mind with potential customers, the dealership can focus their efforts on those who are most likely to answer the phone, rather than wasting time on cold calls.
This is a prime example of how text messaging can transform the lead follow-up process, allowing dealerships to be more efficient and effective in their sales efforts. By leveraging the power of text messaging to get customers engaged and interested, dealerships can drive more sales and revenue, while also providing a better experience for their customers.
If you’re struggling with your dealership’s follow-up process and are interested in learning more about how text messaging can help, we invite you to sign up for a free virtual demo.
Our team has extensive experience in the automotive industry and can provide you with valuable insights into how text messaging can streamline your lead follow-up process and drive more sales for your dealership.
The virtual demo takes only 30 minutes of your time and is completely free of charge. Whether or not you decide to use our software, we believe that the information we provide will be eye-opening and valuable for your dealership’s sales efforts.
To sign up for the free virtual demo, simply click the button below and fill out the form. We look forward to showing you how text messaging can transform your lead follow-up process and help you drive more sales for your dealership.
Even if you don’t use our software, what we have to show you, is eye opening. It takes 30 minutes of your time, to understand how Text Message can help solve all of your follow up struggles. Click the button below to get a Free Virtual Demo.
