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For years, many in the automotive industry have held onto the belief that selling cars over text message isn’t possible. “You can’t close deals without face-to-face conversations or phone calls“, they’d say. I used to believe that, too. After all, my career began as a telemarketer in the car business, and making calls was the backbone of how I sold to dealerships. For the longest time, I was convinced that the phone was king.
But the world has changed, and so has customer behavior. At TECOBI, when we first started working with car dealers, our pitch was simple: use text messages to get customers on the phone. But one day, a client challenged me on that idea. He asked me to dig into the data, and what I found completely transformed my understanding of selling cars over text message. What I discovered was a new sales process—one that doesn’t entirely replace the need for phone calls or dealership visits but can get you much further along the sales journey than traditional methods.
The Shift in Customer Communication Preferences
Let’s face it—customers don’t want to answer the phone anymore. The data tells the story: only 10-20% of new leads answer calls, and half of those who do are irritated that you called them. It’s not just about phone calls being outdated; it’s about customers wanting communication on their terms. In our surveys, the number one reason customers gave for avoiding calls was, “I don’t want to talk to a salesperson.” The second? “I don’t have time.” Convenience and control are now at the heart of the buying process.
Customers are submitting leads online with specific goals in mind: they want answers to basic questions, and they don’t want to feel pressured into making decisions before they’re ready. They’re doing their research, gathering information, and only when they feel prepared do they want to engage with a salesperson. In a world where convenience is king, texting provides a low-pressure, easy way to communicate. This is why selling cars over text message isn’t just about pushing for a sale—it’s about meeting the customer where they are and guiding them through the process at their own pace.
The Power of Information Gathering Through Text
If customers don’t want to talk on the phone, and they aren’t quite ready to walk into your dealership, how do you sell them a car? The answer lies in the art of gathering information. Text messaging offers a unique opportunity to engage customers without overwhelming them. It allows you to start with simple, non-intrusive questions like:
- “Are you looking to pay cash or finance your next vehicle?”
- “Do you have a trade-in vehicle?”
- “What type of car are you most interested in?”
These questions are designed to open the door for the customer to provide information at their own pace. Each answer they provide is another step toward committing to the process, and the more information you gather, the better equipped you are to offer a tailored solution. It’s not about making an immediate sale over text; it’s about creating a dialogue and building a relationship.
The more engaged the customer becomes, the more information you can collect. By learning whether they plan to finance or pay cash, what kind of trade-in they have, or what vehicle they’re interested in, you’re inching them closer to a visit to the dealership. And as they provide more details, the commitment to buying from you strengthens.
The Role of the Soft Credit Pull
One of the most valuable steps you can take during the texting process is asking the customer to agree to a soft credit pull. Why? Because it gives both you and the customer critical information—without affecting their credit score. For the customer, it provides a sense of security, as they feel pre-approved and closer to purchasing a car. For the dealership, it offers insight into the customer’s financial standing, enabling you to personalize the sales process.
Knowing the customer’s credit profile early on allows you to determine the best approach for closing the deal. For example, sub-prime customers often require a different strategy. It’s generally best to get these customers into the dealership and sold on the car before you dive into specific financing details, like down payments or the need for a co-signer. However, if you try the same approach with a high-credit customer, you could lose them to a competitor who’s willing to be more upfront with payment options and loan terms.
The soft credit pull isn’t about rushing to sell—it’s about collecting the right data so you can adapt your approach and cater to each customer’s unique situation. It allows you to strike a balance between engaging customers at their comfort level and guiding them toward a purchase.
Why You Need to Go Beyond the Traditional Process
Here’s where many dealers go wrong: they rely too heavily on the old-school sales process. That means calling customers repeatedly, giving out minimal information over the phone, and hoping they’ll come into the dealership for the rest. But in today’s world, that’s not enough. Customers want transparency and convenience. They want answers before they make the effort to visit your dealership.
If the customer isn’t answering the phone, you have to be willing to go further through text than you would with traditional methods. It’s not enough to keep calling and hope they pick up. Instead, use text messages to engage them, provide the information they’re looking for, and build trust. Sometimes, this means discussing details you wouldn’t normally cover so early, like financing options, trade-in values, or even inventory specifics. You’re not selling the car over text, but you’re moving much further along the sales process than you might have in the past.
Each situation is different, and you need to tailor your approach accordingly. Some customers might be ready to come in after a few simple texts, while others may need more reassurance, more details, or even documents like soft credit pulls or trade-in assessments. The goal is to meet each customer where they are and guide them in a way that feels comfortable to them.
The Data: Texting Drives Higher Engagement and Show Rates
I used to believe phone calls were the best way to set appointments. But after digging into the data, I realized that the real key to engagement is collecting as much information as possible, and text messaging is perfect for this. One of my clients once asked me to compare two sets of appointment data: appointments made over the phone with minimal customer information and appointments made where the customer had provided detailed information through text—things like soft credit pulls, trade-in details, and specific vehicle preferences.
The results were striking. Phone-set appointments, where we had little to no data, had a show rate of just under 15%. On the other hand, appointments where customers provided more information over text had a show rate of over 80%. The more information gathered, the more likely the customer was to show up for their appointment. It was clear: texting wasn’t just a tool to get customers on the phone; it was a powerful sales tool in its own right.
Personalizing the Sales Experience
Once you’ve gathered valuable data, the next step is to personalize the customer’s experience. If you know a customer has sub-prime credit, you can focus on getting them excited about the vehicle before diving into financing. For high-credit customers, on the other hand, transparency is key. They expect more direct information about their financing options and the car-buying process.
Text messaging allows you to provide this personalized experience seamlessly. It’s a low-pressure, convenient way for the customer to engage with you, and it helps build trust. Over time, the conversation naturally leads to them feeling confident enough to visit the dealership. By adapting your approach based on the information you’ve gathered, you’re increasing the likelihood that they’ll not only show up for their appointment but also walk away with a new car.
The Future of Selling Cars Over Text Message
In today’s market, selling cars over text message is not just a possibility—it’s a necessity. The key takeaway is that customers no longer want the hard sell. They want answers, they want convenience, and they want to feel in control of the process. By embracing text messaging, you’re giving them the experience they crave while still moving the sale forward.
You may not be closing deals entirely through text, but you’re gathering the information and building the trust necessary to set up a successful in-person appointment. And in a world where customers often avoid phone calls and want more transparency before they step foot in a dealership, this approach is crucial.
Adapt or Get Left Behind
The automotive sales process is changing, and the dealers who adapt to these changes will be the ones who thrive. Selling cars over text message doesn’t mean abandoning phone calls or in-person meetings—it means rethinking how you engage with customers throughout the buying journey. By using text to gather information, personalize the experience, and build trust, you can move much further along the sales path than traditional methods allow.
A prime example of this shift is Mac Haik Chevrolet. Once ranked between 30th and 40th in the nation, the dealership skyrocketed to the #1 spot in August of 2024, and now consistently ranks in the Top 5 nationally. Their success didn’t happen by chance—it was the result of embracing new sales strategies, including the use of personalized text messaging to engage with customers more effectively.
Mac Haik Chevrolet recognized that customers today demand more transparency and convenience. Instead of relying solely on traditional methods like repeated phone calls, they started leveraging text messaging to interact with potential buyers, answer questions, and gather essential information early in the process. This approach allowed them to build trust and create a frictionless experience, driving higher engagement and ultimately more sales. By meeting customers where they are—on their phones—they tapped into a new level of efficiency and customer satisfaction that helped propel them to the top of the national rankings.
The future of automotive sales lies in personalized, data-driven communication. Text messaging allows you to provide the convenience and transparency customers expect, while still giving you the tools to close the deal. Stop trying to get customers on the phone for every conversation—start meeting them where they are, and you’ll see just how powerful selling cars over text message can be.
